TORONTO – When Warren and Lisa Bernstein went to the Jewish Day Schools to educate their daughter Tamara, who has Down’s Syndrome, they thought they would have no problem.

While children with disabilities were once shunted into specialized institutions, now some children with learning or developmental disabilities are already comfortably ensconced in the day schools. However, the mere mention of Down’s Syndrome caused principal after principal to react negatively.

Tamara was doing well in the mainstream Junior and Senior Kindergarten programs offered at the BJCC with some additional private tutors and programs. Despite her demonstrated ability to handle the mainstream program, the parochial schools were not welcoming. One former director went as far as to say that “this school does not profess to address the needs of your daughter.”

If Tamara had no chance at all of attending school in the mainstream, she would probably find a home at such places as Zareinu and the Reena Foundation.

In a very real sense Tamara is a victim of her own success and the success of her parents in helping her develop her abilities. Lisa’s efforts have been highlighted on the Slice Network’s The Mom Show.

Both Warren and Lisa devote tireless hours towards maximizing Tamara’s potential. But they believe that parenting is a communal affair as much as a family affair.

“I look forward to Tamara’s Bat Mitzvah,” Lisa said. “I hope to marry her under the chuppah. I anticipate that she will engage in tzedakah and support the growth of her Jewish community. But I cannot instill these values alone.”

Frustrated, the Bernsteins reached out to the recently shuttered Mercaz’s Tikun Chaim initiative.

The Tikun Chaim initiative arose out of the recommendations of the UJA Federation report Isn’t Every Child Special? (circa 2000). The report made specific recommendations to address several gaps it found in the Jewish education system with respect to students with special needs. The report found that: “… the community has day schools with varying policies and practices related to special education; it also has some special programs (She’arim and Zareinu) designed to serve distinct populations. There is no central management to determine the overall needs of the community.… Consequently services are delivered unevenly with some stakeholders receiving more than others and some services not being provided at all.”

Tikun Chaim was thus initiated to offer central management over special education with a mandate to strengthen “the educational support services available to Jewish children living within the local boundaries of Greater Toronto, so that all children regardless of exceptionality, can benefit and achieve their greatest potential.”

By the time the Bernsteins arrived at Tikun Chaim, the initiative aimed at opening doors was closing its doors. The person with whom they met was literally in the process of clearing out her desk and thanked the Bernsteins for their interest, suggesting that perhaps Zareinu would be able to assist.

The Bernsteins continued to explore every educational avenue open to them to educate their daughter in line with their Conservative/Reform level of observance.

One school offered a program that was a separate stream and only went until Grade 3. After Grade 3 the Bernsteins would be back where they started and the administration informed them that the program would likely not be in place much longer.

For another school, which has since folded, the ‘diagnosis’ was a complete non-starter.
“Does your child have a diagnosis of Down’s Syndrome?” asked the secretary. “Yes” came the obvious reply. “I’m sorry we can’t accept children with Down’s Syndrome. Try Zareinu,” came the final, firm reply. Full stop, period.

Perhaps worse, another school accepted Tamara despite lacking the necessary resources and experience. The Bernsteins withdrew Tamara in mid-year.

Paul Shaviv, director of the UJA Federation Transition Committee of the Centre for Jewish Education, said, “We very much regret that this young girl, and perhaps others like her, could not share in the Jewish Day School experience.

“However, the facilities to help exceptional children which are available in the government-funded public system are simply beyond the means of individual Jewish schools.

“Although all Jewish parents pay taxes, no government special needs funding is available to children in private schools – even where the case is humanitarian, not ideological.
“We all aspire to making Jewish Day School accessible to every child in our community, without exception. The key is government funding.”

In the end the Bernsteins were forced to abandon their hope of a Jewish day school education in favour of the public school system, which could accommodate her.

Tamara now attends public school in the mainstream Grade 1 class where she is flourishing. If she happens to fall behind on a given topic, special one-on-one attention is given to her by in-class public school tutors that are available to any student.

Her parents are able to augment her in-school education with private, after-school assistance. This is an example of the special education success that can be achieved when backed by a strong administrative impetus, a corresponding mandate and funding.

“Our publicly funded schools reflect the rich diversity of Ontario’s communities, ensuring people of all abilities can access the same level of quality service will help make our schools more welcoming for everyone,” said Education Minister Kathleen Wynne in a statement.

If all it took was the availability of some remedial tutors to accommodate Tamara, why did the Bernsteins run into so many problems with the Jewish day schools? The Isn’t Every Child Special? report calls for the expansion of exactly the services Tamara needed. The report recommended enhanced support of:

• A continuum of services for all students with special needs in the community ranging from full inclusion, partial integration, special programs to special schools.
• Students with learning disabilities, [and] … pervasive developmental disorders.
• Additional professional staff (e.g., … special education resource teachers).
The findings of the report were made public in 2000 but there is still a lack of a fundamental systemic mandate of inclusion.

Perhaps before seeking government funding there’s a need to mandate inclusion mirroring the public school mandate already in place for over a decade.

Howard Laderman, principal of Leo Baeck, said that part of the problem stems from some of the parochial schools being “admissions-based.” If a child fails to live up to the admissions requirements, they are not admitted. Conversely, the public schools, he added, “are all inclusive. If you live in their catchment area, they have to register you. If your child is in need of special support…the board of education is required to provide it.”

Joan Hurst is an early interventionist with the York Region board’s special education staff, a director at ‘The Able Network’ and a mother of a daughter with Down’s Syndrome.

Hurst, who helped guide the Bernsteins through their choices, reiterates that the lack of a mandate of inclusion and funding in the private Jewish day schools makes for a difficult road for children with developmental disabilities.

“The two publicly funded boards are mandated to provide supports and services to children with exceptional needs and receive funding from the government,” she said. “Private schools are not funded by the government to provide the same supports and each school has its own vision, mission and funding sources.”

So, if you mandate it, will inclusion come?

Well, it’s true for part of the Jewish education system, where the after-school program (‘Cheider’) will accept all students by mandate, even those with special needs.
The Bernsteins were surprised when their daughter was offered admission with no questions asked.

Tamara may join this program in future since she just left the parochial system mid-year. However, Tamara must go to many after-school programs already for help, so a Jewish day school is by far the Bernstein’s first choice.

As well, the Bernsteins prefer the day schools based on the quality of education they’ve experienced with their older daughter Rayna.

The Bernsteins would like Tamara to go to school with her sister and find that the excuse of empty coffers falls flat.

It is said that Toronto’s Jewish day schools are state-of-the-art facilities with many large capital projects in the works. In fact, just recently United Synagogue Day School (USDS) was given a $4 million dollar donation – the largest in its history – to aid in its expansion.

“What reason do I offer Tamara as to why she cannot attend school with her sister?” asks Lisa. “Must I tell her that she doesn’t meet the cost-benefit benchmark?”

When asked what she wants of the community, she says, “Our community must aspire to a higher standard and mandate that inclusion – at least in principle – is required. We have a Jewish and moral imperative to ensure that children with disabilities are given dignified choice in their pursuit of a Jewish education.”

Despite the Bernsteins problems in placing Tamara, they are very impressed with the parochial education their daughter Rayna receives, saying that her school is “fully equipped, high-tech and ready to arm students with all they need to succeed in the world.”

However, Lisa fears that in being unable to accommodate Tamara and those with certain special needs, a critical education opportunity is being missed: “I am proud of Tamara; I am proud of what she and so many like her have to offer. How then can we cultivate a sense of compassion in the next generation of community leaders if we do not expose them to the beauty of difference?”