ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING - Governance of the New York City School District

Norm,

Were you aware of these hearings?  I just found a link to them when I went to Daniel O'Donnell's Assembly site. I know most hearings are often pro forma but O'Donnell and several other members of the Education Committee have been critical of mayoral control and other ed deformer policies.  If you want to post this info on one of your websites, there is still time to have people testify at two remaining hearings.

 

ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

SUBJECT:

Governance of the New York City School District

PURPOSE:

To review the impact of governance changes which granted mayoral control of the New York City school system.

QUEENS
Thursday, January 29, 2009
10:00 a.m.
Queens Borough Hall
Meeting Room 213
120-55 Queens Boulevard
Kew Gardens, NY

STATEN ISLAND
Thursday, February 12, 2009
10:30 a.m.
College of Staten Island Center for the Arts
Williamson Theater
2800 Victory Boulevard, Building 1P
Staten Island, NY

MANHATTAN
Friday, February 6, 2009
10:00 a.m.
Assembly Hearing
250 Broadway, Room 1923
19th Floor
New York, NY

BRONX
Friday, March 13, 2009
10:00 a.m.
Lehman College
Lovinger Theatre
First Floor Speech and Theater Building
250 Bedford Park Boulevard West
Bronx, NY

BROOKLYN
Friday, March 20, 2009
10:00 a.m.
New York City Technical College
Klitgord Auditorium
285 Jay Street
Brooklyn, NY

During the 2002 and 2003 Legislative sessions, the Legislature approved the most comprehensive governance changes to the New York City School District in over three decades. The mayor was provided control of the management of the City's schools through the ability to appoint the Chancellor of the City District and a majority of the members of the City Board of Education. This authority translates into power affecting city-wide educational policies including educational standards, curriculum requirements and mandatory educational objectives; the development of a master facilities plan and five-year educational facilities capital plan; administrative functions including accounting controls and internal audits; public employer responsibilities such as setting qualifications and performance standards for teachers and supervisory personnel; the development of a procurement policy for the public schools; and management over the budgetary process and school-based budgeting.

As the law is set to sunset on June 30th of this year, the Assembly Committee on Education is interested in hearing about the impact of mayoral control on the City's school system and how modifications to the law could address concerns and improve the current governance structure. For example, questions have been raised regarding the development and execution of a five-year capital plan that still leaves many schools overcrowded and New York City with some of the largest class sizes in the state. There has also been persistent concern about the lack of access to information by parents and the community. Mayoral control has also had an impact on many other areas over which it has authority, such as student achievement. Therefore, the Committee anticipates hearing testimony regarding the effect the change in governance has had on this area, including the delivery of educational services to English language learners and students with disabilities, as well as on the other areas that have been affected by mayoral control of the New York City schools.

In order to ensure that all interested parties are given the opportunity to present testimony, the Committee requests that each individual or entity testify at only one hearing and limit the duration of oral testimony to 5 minutes. Please also note if a witness wishes to provide written testimony only, it can be incorporated into the official record if it is received prior to 5:00 pm the day before the hearing.

Persons wishing to present pertinent testimony to the Committee at a hearing should complete and return the enclosed reply form as soon as possible. It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that persons may be notified in the event of emergency postponement or cancellation.

Ten copies of any prepared testimony should be submitted at the hearing registration desk of the hearing at which testimony will be offered. The Committee would appreciate advance receipt of prepared statements.

In order to further publicize these hearings, please inform interested parties and organizations of the Committee's interest in hearing testimony from all sources.

In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the Assembly, in accordance with its policy of non-discrimination on the basis of disability, as well as the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has made its facilities and services available to all individuals with disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable request, to afford such individuals access and admission to Assembly facilities and activities.

Catherine T. Nolan
Member of Assembly
Chair
Committee on Education

---

PUBLIC HEARING REPLY FORM

Persons wishing to present testimony at the public hearing on Governance of the New York City School District are requested to complete this reply form as soon as possible and mail, e-mail or fax it to:

Nicolas Storelli-Castro
Committee Assistant
Assembly Committee on Education
New York State Assembly
Alfred E. Smith Bldg., Suite 1147
80 So. Swan Street
Albany, NY 12248
E-mail: storellicastron@assembly.state.ny.us
Phone: (518) 455-4881
Fax: (518) 455-4128

In order to ensure that all interested parties are given the opportunity to present testimony, the Committee requests that each individual or entity testify at only one hearing and limit the duration of oral testimony to 5 minutes. Please also note if a witness wishes to provide written testimony only, it can be incorporated into the official record if it is received prior to 5:00 pm the day before the hearing.

I plan to make a public statement at the following public hearing on Governance of the New York City School District to be conducted by the Assembly Committee on Education:

Queens, Thursday, January 29, 2009

Manhattan, Friday, February 6, 2009

Staten Island, Thursday, February 12, 2009

Bronx, Friday, March 13, 2009

Brooklyn, Friday, March 20, 2009

I will address my remarks to the following subjects:

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

I do not plan to attend the above hearings.

I would like to be added to the Committee mailing list for notices and reports.

I would like to be removed from the Committee mailing list.

I will require assistance and/or handicapped accessibility information. Please specify the type of assistance required:

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

NAME:

___________________________________________________________________

TITLE:

___________________________________________________________________

ORGANIZATION:

___________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS:

___________________________________________________________________

E-MAIL:

___________________________________________________________________

TELEPHONE:

___________________________________________________________________

FAX TELEPHONE:

___________________________________________________________________

**** Click here for printable form ****