Sol Stern: Mayor Bloomberg shouldn’t get to grade himself
Sol Stern offers a wise suggestion in this City Journal Online piece: create an independent agency in New York to verify student achievement results.
In campaigning for mayoral control in 2002, Bloomberg made New Yorkers an offer they couldn’t refuse: Give me the sole authority to improve the schools, and then hold me accountable for the results. The mayor promised to give taxpayers a bigger bang for their education buck. If he failed to deliver on that promise, the public would at least know that it was his failure and could vote him out of office... The problem was that the legislation failed to ensure that voters would have access to unimpeachable information about student achievement, a prerequisite to any reasoned judgment about how well the schools were doing under the new regime.
One might point out that state departments of education are supposed to play this role—providing unimpeachable information about student achievement—but it may be that these agencies are too weak and big-city systems too strong for this governance arrangement to work out in practice. So bring in the independent green-eye-shade types, and let the truth be known. But don’t expect the arguments over “what the data show” to cease. These are New Yorkers we’re talking about, after all, who subscribe to the maxim, “I bicker, therefore I am.”
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September 8th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
TOTALLY AGAINST THE MAYOR RATING HIMSELF AND TOTALLY AGAINST MAYORAL CONTROL. REASONS BEING AS FOLLOWS:
Testimony Against NY CLS Education Law § 2590 - (2003)
Presented to The New York State Commission on School Governance Committee
Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at Queens Borough Hall
Good evening Chair Aiello and Members of The New York State Commission on School Governance Committee. Thank you giving me this opportunity to address you today, regarding the State of Our Schools and Mayoral Control.
Let me begin by stating that I am totally against Mayoral Control.
This is viewed as a conflict of interest, barring the Chancellor from doing what is in the students’ best interest. The State Law refers to Districts. Yet, the City was reorganized into Regions and then again reorganized back to Districts without any input whatsoever, leaving things even more unorganized. The Community Education Councils and The Panel for Educational Policy were created to provide parent and community representation and consultation. Instead councils have been used as mere figureheads, with Tweed staff making decisions, constantly ignoring Councils requests and suggestions and continue to circumnavigate their directives and usurp their authority.
The Mayor and Chancellor are in direct violation of the following:
NY CLS Edu § 2590-c (pages 10-19) The election of Community Board is not done in compliance with the State Law. Registered “parents,” of children attending school under jurisdiction of their respective Community Districts are not afforded the opportunity to vote. Voting is limited to only PTA/PA Executive Board Members, in their respective School Districts.
NY CLS Edu § 2590-f (page 24) Hold meetings at least every month with the superintendent to discuss the current state of the schools in the district and progress made toward the implementation of the district’s comprehensive education plan required by the chancellor. Review of the district’s educational programs and assess their affect on student achievement. Note: Despite this not being incorporated into the State Law, District Superintendents have been renamed “Senior Achievement Facilitators” and have been assigned and deployed to other districts, thereby being unfamiliar with and unable to supervise and oversee the implementation of their respective district’s comprehensive education plan as required by the chancellor. The Community Education Councils are expected to submit an annual evaluation of the superintendent to the chancellor. Note: The council is unable to get feedback from principals and parents regarding the district superintendent’s performance, since he/she are deployed throughout the city. The council is unable to evaluate a person that is not responsible in overseeing the implementation of each school, within their districts’ CEP, Comprehensive Educational Plan, or the DCEP, District Comprehensive education Plan.
NY CLS Edu § 2590-f (pages 25 and 26) These pages make reference to the district superintendents’ responsibilities in his/her community district jurisdiction. i.e. personnel, appoint, reject screening committees, evaluate principals for every school in the district, maintaining school discipline, transfer or remove principals, modify and approve school-based budgets, retain fiscal officers to report o school based budgets and expenditures, administer direct minor repair and purchasing funds under the districts, approve or disapprove school choices with respect to textbook selections and other instructional materials, ensure the integrity of the district, give written notice to the family court regarding juveniles performing services for the public good, Note: If the superintendents are all deployed throughout the city they are unable to oversee these things within their respective districts.
NY CLS Edu § 2590-h (pages 33-31) States “Such chancellor shall serve at the pleasure of and be employed by the mayor of the city of New York. Control” AND Control and operate All special education programs and services. Note: The chancellor should serve his constituents, not the Mayor. This is a direct conflict of interest. How can he advocate for more for the students, when he reports directly to the mayor? Quite often, Special Education evaluations and mandated services are not rendered in a timely manner, in accordance with the Federal Law, not being rendered at all, or less services provided than indicated on students IEP’s. Federal and State laws require each school district to provide a continuum of educational services for students who have been recommended for special education services. The services on the continuum range from those that are “less restrictive.” The disproportionate number of New York City students placed in special education is directly related to the lack of educational and support services in the general education environment.
NY CLS Edu § 2590-h (page 31) Establish control and operate new schools or programs .........provided, however that the chancellor shall consult with the affected community district education council before expanding or reducing an existing program within a community district; instituting any new program. Note: There is no consultation and Charter Schools have been forced into many communities after Tweed coerces the councils to have Charter School Hearings/Presentations.
NY CLS Edu § 2590-h (page 32) Require each community superintendent to make an annual report covering all matters to schools under the district’s jurisdiction including but not limited to, the evaluation of the educational effectiveness of such schools and programs connected therewith. Note: Superintendent’s are deployed in other districts, where by law, they have no jurisdiction.
NY CLS Edu § 2590-h (page 33) Mentions consultation with various constituent groups and access to information. Note: There is no consultation with ay group. Decisions are unilateral. We are all merely informed about decisions after the fact. This is direct violation with the state and federal law regulations concerning school based management and shared decision making, including section 100.11 of the commissioner’s regulations.
NY CLS Edu § 2590-h (page 34) Create standards, policies, and objectives and promulgate regulations as he or she may determine necessary or convenient to accomplish the purposes of this act, not inconsistent with the provisions of the article and the policies of the city board. Note: We have seen much cronyism and unilateral decision making, during the Mayor and Chancellor’s tenure, as evidenced by DOE’s wasteful spending on administrative costs. In addition, unlawful contracts and services have been retained without going out for bid, or consultation with constituents. There should be more checks and balances and more authority given to Community Educational Councilmembers and Panel for Educational Policy Members.
NY CLS Edu § 2590-h (page 35) Develop an educational facilities master plan, and revisions thereto. Note: “Children are entitled to minimally adequate physical facilities and classrooms which provide enough light, space, heat and air to permit children to learn.” (86 NY2d at 317.) Numerous TCU’s, Transportable Classroom Units, have exceeded their longevity which contain many special education students. Many TCU’s are infested with mice and scattered and placed in schooyards, of existing public schools throughout the city, while numerous schools remain severely underutilized and could house these displaced students. In addition, a substantial number of DOE’s approximately 1100 facilities, plus leased sites, require major infrastructure repair to items such as roofs and facades. Many schools have poor wiring, pockmarked plaster and peeling paint, inadequate (or nonexistent) climate control. Inadequate wiring can impede a school’s ability to offer computer education and other initiatives. Computers also require air conditioning to work properly during the warmer months. Adequate climate control, and sufficient electrical capacity for computers and other instructional aids. Deterioration is occurring at a rate faster than we can save systems. Many buildings are in dire need of modernization’s. The DOE requires additional money for emergency repairs and abatements. Science labs are often obsolete or absent altogether in City public schools. Science classes have suffered from a shortage of lab supplies such as beakers, Bunsen burners, beam balances, and microscopes. In the same period schools have suffered from a lack of basic supplies such as physical education equipment, chalk, paper, art supplies, etc. In addition, many of the books in New York City public school classrooms and libraries are outdated and inadequate in number and quality.
NY CLS Edu § 2590-h (pages 37-38) Develop in consultation with the city board, a procurement policy for the city school district of the city of New York, and the districts and public schools therein. Such policy shall ensure the wise and prudent use of public money in the best interest of the taxpayers of the state; guard against favoritism, improvidence, extravagance, fraud and corruption; and ensure that contract are awarded consistent with the law and on the bass of best value, including and not limited to the following criteria: quality, cost and efficiency. Such policy shall also include: (a) standards for quality, function and utility of all material goods. supplies and services purchased by the chancellor, superintendents or schools; (b) regulations the purchase of material goods, supplies and services by the chancellor, the superintendents and schools, including clearly articulated procedures which require a clear statement of product specifications, requirements or work to be performed, a documentable process of soliciting bids, proposals or other offers, and a balanced and fair method, established in advance of receipt of offers, for evaluating offers and awarding contracts; Note: As previously stated, unilateral decisions have been made and unlawful contracts done, without going out for bids and without consultation. British Consultants, Snapple, etc. Our schools continue to get budget cuts and our schools continue deteriorating as they age, while positions continue to be created along with extravagant salaries. Many of these people have past affiliations with Aramark, KPMG and Harvard Law School.
NY CLS Edu § 2590-p (pages 55-56) Educational Facilities Capital Plan - New construction; Building additions; Major modernization and rehabilitation; Athletic fields, playgrounds and pools; System replacements; Security; Educational enhancements; Emergency unspecified and miscellaneous; Note: Money is constantly being cut from The Department of School Facilities, despite schools aging and requiring more repairs. Not enough money is allocated towards unexpected emergency repairs and abatements.
NY CLS Edu § 2590-p (page 62) The chancellor and the president of the New York City school constriction authority shall notify the mayor the amount of appropriate funds projected to be spent for (1) development of detailed scopes, (II) development of preliminary plans, (III) site acquisition and (IV) emergencies and the mayor shall thereupon authorize the issuance of bonds therefor in accordance with the local finance law and shall notify the comptroller of his authorization to expend such amounts for such purposes. Such notice shall be given or amended at least ten days prior to any expenditure included therein; provided that the chancellor, the president of the authority and the mayor shall develop procedures that expedite authorization of emergency expenditures. Neither the city board nor the authority shall extend funds for such purposes in excess of the amounts specified in such notice until the chancellor shall have amended such notice to reflect such excess. Upon approval of the detailed scope of the project, the mayor shall authorize issuance of bonds therefor in accordance with the finance law and shall notify the city comptroller of his authorization to expend appropriated fund for the entire estimated cost of such project. Note: Despite the major budget cuts, the chancellor, the president of the authority and the mayor did not attempt procedures that expedite authorization of emergency expenditures that the mayor request and authorize the issuance of bonds, in compliance with the city comptroller’s office and the local finance law.
PERSONAL COMMENTS, OBSERVATIONS, AND FACTS
1- There is only 1 Council assigned to both the High School and Special Education Council for parents and student, for the entire city. This is very unfair and extremely draining to councilmembers and a great injustice to their constituents, while the other councils are assigned local schools, within their respective Districts.
2- Term limit for Borough President Appointees is 2 terms. This may have been an oversight, since the law was tailored with City Council members, who are salaried elected officials. A good Borough President is not going to reappoint an incompetent person.
3- The 2 Reorganizations were done without input and inadequate planning, leaving many things even more unorganized.
4- British Consultants were hired without going out for bid, as was the Snapple contract. There was absolutely no consultation, with any of the constituents.
5- The High School Drop out rate is much higher than actually reported.
Quite often, a parent will place their child into New Visions, Charter or Alternative Schools, as a last resort. Many of these students drop out and there is no paper trail. In addition, the following students are not on register and not factored into the drop out rate:
Parents who sign their child out, at the age of 16.
Students who sign themselves out, at the age of 18.
Students who outgrow the system, at the age of 21.
Students who do not show up by October 31st are considered LTA’s, Long Term Absences, and removed from the schools’ register, without any follow up and not listed as drop outs and not factored into the drop out rate. There is nobody assigned to track these students and there are very little intervention measures in place.
Where do they go? Transfer to private school? Move out of State, or out of the country, are they run aways?
Does anyone care? What is being done? I had a parent approach me that her child did not go attend high school for 2 months. She was totally unaware of it and the school threatened to call ACS. I suggested she call The State Department of Education and charge the school with Educational Neglect, for not informing her of the absences. In addition, the cohort survival rate is atrocious and must be closely monitored/tracked.
GED Programs have more than quadrupled with Regents requirement Diplomas. Not all students aspire to attend college, opting for trade schools, which interest them. Many children with ADD, ADHD and other learning disabilities, often struggle in school and may not be able to comprehend, or do abstract thinking and mathematics, which is quite common. Many of these students have no other options, due to only a Regents Diploma being required for graduation and ultimately drop out of school.
There are many undiagnosed children with learning disabilities. Many of these and the other students will drop out of school and are factored in, when they estimate the projected future number of inmates and jails required, to house these potential future criminals, as confirmed to me personally, by Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
6- New Programs and expansion of existing programs have been targeted to Pre-Kindergarten, Early Childhood, Gifted and Talented and Middle School.
7- Evaluations for Special Education are not being done in a timely manner and services delayed, or not provided, for months.
8- A “Chief Mom” was is supposed to represent the parents, was hired without any consultation with Community Education Councils, CPAC-Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Committee or PTA/PA’s. The salary is at $150,000.00 p.a., complete with a Personal Assistant and a chauffeur.
9- On most pages of the State Law it stipulates and requires the approval of the chancellor, or after consultation with the chancellor, etc.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeannie Tsavaris-Basini
President
Community Education Council District 30