Earlier this school year, the PTSA formed a new role for a VP of Special Education. As member of the PTSA Executive Board and a liaison to the Ardsley SEPTA, Ria Calong-Russo offers some shared visions for the school community. 

How long have you lived in Ardsley and what brought you here?
We've been here about 5 years. We moved from Manhattan, and after a ton of research we decided on Ardsley due to its strong reputation with serving kids with special needs. 

How did you first connect with the parents who have since formed the Special Education PTA?
We’d meet other parents in the classroom through play dates and birthday parties. There’s a special bond of parents whose kids have special needs. It’s kind of a "club" that we’re all in, and organically we have this shared vision and desire to make Ardsley inclusive of special needs students and their families.

Now that you've been on the PTSA Executive Board for a few months, how do you see this new role evolving?
To start, I've been doing a lot of learning and observing to understand the pathways of how things get done in the school district. Overall, this vision for this role is to have special needs representation in the PTSA. 

What are some of the successes so far?
Our special needs educators are now coming forward to request grants for their classrooms. We've also had accomplishments like having a quiet room at the Harlem Wizards games. Community events are so unifying, that it's important to make them inclusive so that it can be option for all families. 

What advice do you have for other parents to step in and get involved?
It's the same way we ask parents of neurotypical kids to be involved: volunteering, going to events, attending the BOOM Club, and just being present within the community. We need representation at every touch point, not just in the PTSA but in the whole school experience. 

Want to learn more? Check out the Rivertowns Enterprise feature story,"Parent-Teacher Groups Sharpen Focus on Students."