Understanding the REBNY Alteration Agreement

What is the purpose of a legal agreement? To assess risks on both sides of the table and create an environment where both parties know what to expect, what is expected of them, and what happens in case things go off course. This allows both sides to make informed decisions and minimizes the risk that one party feels wronged by another.

The comprehensive REBNY alteration agreement is no different. When a building is engaged in a renovation, this agreement sets guidelines for the scope, duration, and responsibilities of both the building and the contractor. This allows the entire process to run smoothly, while also keeping the building management informed of what is going on during the renovations.

If we look at the REBNY alteration agreement through the lens of the classroom, we can isolate some very interesting parallels. First of all, what is a classroom? At its core, a classroom (whether in a pre-school, daycare, or K-12 setting) is a space designed to facilitate learning. Typically, the students within the classroom will have a wide range of cognitive abilities as well as personal characteristics. Some students may struggle with focus for 15 minutes, while others may find it difficult to focus for an hour.

When we think of the concept of a contract, we think of a document that offers structure; it outlines what is to happen, when it is to happen, and who is responsible for performing each of the outlined elements. This allows the parties involved to predict the events as they progress and to rest assured that they have thought of just about every outcome that could unfold. If you have ever seen a parent attempt to teach sharing to a toddler, you will have noticed that they work tirelessly to plan for every possible outcome. As they do so, they are acting like the building manager in preparing for a boiler replacement. This is each party’s way of ensuring that the agreement runs smoothly.

Students, parents, and educators may not think of their classrooms in terms of agreement, but incorporate the same principles of expectation and predictability into their classrooms as REBNY inclusion professionals do into their buildings. When a student enters the classroom in the morning, he/she may not know what to expect of their day. They do not know what they are going to learn, whether they will be allowed to interact with their classmates or be required to work alone. Since the students enter the room without any idea of their teacher’s expectations, it is up to the teacher to make the classroom a reliable and safe environment.

For students with special needs, these expectations become even more important. A structured and predictable environment enhances the learning of all students, but the effect it has on children with special needs can be monumental. In approaching a child with special needs, an educator will need to consider the following:

The underlying theme here is inclusivity – children with special needs must be considered by everyone involved if you want to create an inclusive environment. Just as there is a responsible party in an agreement, there are parties present in the classroom. Parents, for instance, are the primary caretakers of their children; however, they are generally unable to be present at the school as consistently as they would like. A teacher, therefore, is asked to fill the gap by taking the child’s experience into account. This is similar to how the developer of the building uses the alteration agreement as a means of ensuring that everything goes according to plan.

For example, a teacher may choose to place her students in groups as a way of encouraging social interaction and of breaking from the lecture one-on-one method required in works such as the “The Long walk to Freedom.” If this is implemented, a teacher can anticipate that some students will react favorably to the arrangement, while others will struggle with the lack of predictability. The students would be asked to respond to the teacher’s invitation to discuss gender equality; however, they would have to figure out how to remain on task if their group members were distracted by an unexpected incident in the classroom.

If you are an educator or a parent with a child enrolled in a program for children with special needs, addressing unexpected circumstances has likely crossed your mind. While there is no way for you to predict what outcomes some situations would produce, you can be prepared for them. Just like a legal agreement – if you take the time to build a solid foundation in preparation for what is to come, you may just find that you have all the tools necessary to handle anything that comes your way.