Our Vision & Mission
We envision a time when all public schools welcome and successfully educate all students, regardless of their abilities or background. In order to achieve this goal, we empower NYC charter schools to develop high quality inclusive educational environments by providing professional development opportunities, resources, school-based guidance and access to local and national best practices and renowned special populations’ experts.
History
The Jeannine King S.P.A.R.K. (Special Populations Advocate, Relationship-builder, and Knowledge-Sharer) Award was established in honor of our beloved colleague, Jeannine King, who passed away in April 2023. Jeannine served as an Inclusive Education Specialist at the Collaborative and, prior to that, as a member of the Bronx Community Charter School community for 13 years, holding various positions in special education and leadership. She was a dedicated and passionate advocate for equitable and inclusive education for all children, generously shared her knowledge and experience with peers, and always encouraged thoughtful consideration of student perspectives and genuine relationship-building.
Jeannine began each training she facilitated by sharing a quote from Dr. Chris Emdin: “True teaching is only effective when it triggers something that lasts forever or SPARKS a desire in the student to discover more beyond the classroom.”
Through the S.P.A.R.K. award, we aim to honor Jeannine’s legacy by recognizing educators who embody the same traits and values of educational excellence and inclusion to which Jeannine dedicated herself with authenticity, generosity, and constancy. The nominations for this year’s S.P.A.R.K. awards are open. Please submit your educator nominations by Thursday, March 28th, 2024.
By the Numbers
298
More than 89% of the sector, or 298 charter campuses, are members of The Collaborative for Inclusive Education.
140
The Collaborative offers over 140 professional development workshops, trainings, conferences and webinars annually.
2,200
More than 2,200 educators, leaders and coaches attend the Collaborative’s programs each year.
450
The Collaborative team spends approximately 450 hours in schools each year, conducting classroom observations and providing one-on-one consultations.
900
The Collaborative has certified over 900 educators in crisis prevention.
49
The five Collaborative team members have a combined 49 years of experience in teaching special populations and leading school-based support programs.
Our Evolution