Upcoming Hearings on Mayoral Control

The New York State Assembly Committee on Education is conducting citywide hearings to review the impact of Mayoral control over the New York City public school system. The Manhattan hearing is:

Friday, Feb. 6th at 10 a.m. 250 Broadway, 19th Floor, Room 1923

All hearings are open to the public but you must rsvp if you want to speak.
Details are at: http://assembly.state.ny.us/comm/Ed/20090119/

Background on Mayoral Control:
In 2003, the New York State Legislature voted to give the mayor of New York City control of the New York City public school system. But the law is set to expire on June 30th this year and the Assembly committee wants to hold hearings before voting on whether to continue mayoral control.
Critics of Bloomberg’s interpretation of mayoral control, which includes the PS3 Political Action Committee, have many concerns about continuing this policy as it currently stands. They cite the following problems: schools have had to endure several major reorganizations to the entire system and increases in standardized testings; parents have less ability to have their voices heard; and there are no checks and balances in place to prevent the Mayor from making unilateral decisions. The current system puts all the powers in the hands of two men, neither of whom is an educator.
During a City Council hearing last March on mayoral control, critics voiced concerns that Bloomberg was exerting more control than the Legislature had meant to give him. “Mayoral control was not meant to be martial law,” Councilman John Liu said. Meanwhile, schools are increasingly overcrowded and graduation rates remain virtually unchanged at 50%.

Here is information about the hearings in the other four boroughs:

QUEENS STATEN ISLAND
Thursday, January 29, 10:00 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, 10:30 a.m.
Queens Borough Hall, Room 213 College of S. I. Center for the Arts
120-55 Queens Blvd, Kew Gardens Williamson Theater
2800 Victory Blvd, Building 1P

BRONX BROOKLYN
Friday, March 13,10:00 a.m. Friday, March 20, 10:00 a.m.
Lehman College, Lovinger Theatre, New York City Technical College
1st Floor Speech & Theater Building Klitgord Auditorium
250 Bedford Park Blvd. West 285 Jay Street



CEC D2 has solicted responses by D2 schools to DOE's May "Blueprint for D2 Enrollment and Capacity." Read the responses here.

The NYS Senate Democratic Task Force on NYS School Governance is holding a series of hearings on governance. See calendar for schedule of meetings. See their announcement below.

Class Size Matters, along with a group of Community Education Council members and President Council members, has formed a Parent Commission on School Governance and Mayoral Control. All parents are invited to join in to help create recommendations to the State Legislature about what governance system should be put in place when Mayoral control sunsets next June. Meetings are in the student lounge on the 3rd floor of Pless Hall at 82 Washington Square East, NYU. Dates: Sept. 12; Oct. 3; Nov. 7; Dec. 5; Jan. 9; Feb. 6. For more information: parentcommission@gmail.com