
Samantha C. Pownall
Host: New York Civil Liberties Union
Sponsor: Bingham McCutchen LLP
Karmena provided direct legal representation, community outreach, and policy advocacy to help low-income students with disabilities in New York City learn to read proficiently so they can succeed in school.
In New York City, 200,000 students—nearly one out of five—are classified as students with disabilities. While teaching students to read is a fundamental responsibility of schools, the most recent state tests reveal that a startling 93 percent of students with disabilities in NYC are not proficient in reading. Students who do not learn to read proficiently have a higher likelihood of remaining trapped in poverty and are more likely to experience school failure, drop out of school, be unemployed, and become involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. The law requires that students with disabilities receive supports and services to meet their learning needs, including specially designed reading instruction, assistive technology, and modified text. This project will connect these students to the unique services and evidence-based approaches that they need.
During the Fellowship period, Karmena:
Host: New York Civil Liberties Union
Sponsor: Bingham McCutchen LLP
Host: Learning Rights Law Center
Sponsor: Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
Host: The Legal Center
Sponsor: Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Host: Community Legal Aid SoCal
Sponsor: The Florida Bar Foundation