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NYS Seal For Immediate Release:
June 20, 2003
 

Silver and Sanders Announce Assembly Passage of New York City Community School Legislation

Bill Allows For Meaningful Parental Participation


Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Education Committee Chair Steve Sanders today announced Assembly passage of a bill creating a new community governance structure for the New York City School District. The goal of the measure (A.9113) is to provide an opportunity for meaningful participation for both parents and the community.

"During the entire time the New York City school governance issue was being debated, a top priority for the Assembly was fostering a system that allows for greater parental and community participation in our schools," said Silver. "I believe it will go a long way in achieving the type of communication and give-and-take in the overall operation of our city schools that we were fighting for all along. I extend my thanks to each of the members of the Task Force on Community School Governance Reform, especially co-chair Steve Sanders and Assemblymembers Roger Green, John Lavelle, Audrey Pheffer and Peter Rivera, for their hard work and commitment to our educational system."

"This is a win for parents, students and quality public education," said Sanders. "Finally we have a district educational council comprised largely of parents whose primary concern is the well-being and advancements of their community schools and not some personal or political agenda. And finally the parents with children who have disabilities will have representation and parent council which can advocate for the needs of their special children. This is a big win for the city of New York."

According to Sanders, the bill creates a community district education council in each community district, comprised of 11 voting members and one non-voting member. To increase parent participation, nine of the voting council members will be parents selected by representatives from parent and parent- teacher associations. Two of the voting members will be appointed by the borough president and the non-voting member will be a high school senior appointed by the school district superintendent. The New York City School Chancellor is directed to develop an election process for the parent and parent-teacher associations.

The community councils will continue to possess the current powers of community school boards and increase their role in community involvement. The duties of school-based leadership teams, including the development of comprehensive educational plans, are also enumerated in the legislation.

The measure also creates a city-wide council on special education that will consist of 11 voting members and one non-voting member. Nine of the voting members will be parents of special education students. Two voting members will be appointed by the New York City Public Advocate. The one non-voting member would be a special education high school student.



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