About

This work began as a project documenting the nearly forgotten history of specialized programs in New York City schools for children classified as maladjusted, delinquent, and emotionally disturbed, and the eventual uneven distribution of this classification among students of color.

Researching the intersecting histories of race and disability in New York City education has been anything but a straightforward journey into the archives. Rather, it’s been a sideways journey into the records, a process of researching the history around the history to highlight the stories that have been there, in front us, but pushed to the side.

I have created this site for anyone interested in the story of the “600” schools, the history of District 75, and the long history of segregation at the foundation of special education past and present.

The site accompanies my book project on the history of the “600” schools, which grows out of my dissertation, The Architecture of Exclusion: Disability, Race, and the History of New York City’s “600” Schools (CUNY Graduate Center, 2025). Primary sources are being added by theme and period, alongside the interactive map, 600 Schools Over Time.

— Francine Almash, Assistant Professor, SEEK, The City College of New York, CUNY

This archive is in development. Last updated October 2026.