It is wildly irresponsible for BPS to close the 9-transition program at the Henderson without having a comparable alternative for our students to attend. The spirit of the Henderson Inclusion School’s 9-transition program must live on. Rather than taking away an invaluable resource from some of Boston’s most vulnerable learners, the city should find a way to merge the Henderson with another high school or to create a co-taught full inclusion strand at an existing high school.
Now is the time for the community to rally and speak up in order to save co-teaching and full inclusion in Boston high schools. Seeing students thrive when they are given the proper support in an environment designed around their needs will be worth every penny.
Chelsey Falco is a high school English teacher and Boston Teachers Union building rep at the Henderson Inclusion School.