Practicum for Social Justice: Partnerships With Immigrant Families of Children With Disabilities During COVID-19

• In Event: Social Equity Considerations in School Climate, Culture, and Community

Abstract

Challenges for culturally and linguistically diverse children with disabilities have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 school closures, highlighting major social and educational inequities for students on the margins. In response to this educational crisis, our university partnered with a community organization that supports immigrant families and children with disabilities through individualized instruction, simultaneously providing essential field experiences for our preservice teachers. Situated in New York City, this qualitative case study explored the experiences of preservice teachers, children with disabilities, and parents who participated in the Community-University partnered remote practicum. We used Cochran-Smith’s (2004) social justice framework to analyze individual and focus group interviews and journal entries and detailed their successes and challenges with this novel teaching experience during the pandemic.

Authors

• Seung Eun McDevitt, St. John's University

• Maria Paula Mello, St. John's University