David Firestone for VP of Special Ed

Dave is a second generation UFT member and special educator, who is passionate about accessibility and enabling his students to achieve their greatest potential. He started his career as a District 75 paraprofessional and later joined Educational Vision Services as an Orientation and Mobility paraprofessional. Dave proudly served as a paraprofessional for over a decade, including time as a UFT paraprofessional representative. Through the Career Training Program and Jose P. Graduate Scholarship, Dave earned a bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College and a master’s degree from Hunter College. He is currently a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairment (TVI) for NYCPS and an adjunct lecturer at Hunter College.

When elected, Dave will bring his vast experience across various settings, programs, and schools to the position of Vice President for Special Education. Dave will work to ensure paraprofessionals are trained, respected, and COMPENSATED. He will work to empower teachers to make decisions in their classrooms and hold abusive administrators accountable. Finally, he will hold NYCPS accountable to ensure all students have access to the educational curricula in a modality that works for them.