Our legislative proposals; come join us on March 21 for Albany Lobby Day!
Last week, the Class Size Matters, endorsed four legislative proposals along with the Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Council:
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On the state budget, to eliminate the Governor’s proposed $250 million in competitive grants and re-allocate those funds so that NYC schools receive more of their fair share;
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Restore the district structure and district Superintendents to their lawful role, supporting and supervising schools in their districts and addressing parental concerns;
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Urge the Legislature to hold hearings on the DOE’s failure to reduce class size and comply with the Contract for Excellence law;
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Give parents a real voice in how their schools are run, by providing Community Education Councils the authority to approve or disapprove all school closings and co-locations in their districts.
The last of these, giving parents a voice in school closings and co-locations, is especially crucial, as mayoral control is acting like a wrecking ball in our communities. Apparently, there will be a much-needed bill introduced soon to give CEC’s authority over co-locations, but as yet there is no proposal to give parents a voice over school closings as well.
As Bloomberg reaches the last two years of his term, he seems more determined than ever to ignore parent and community opposition, in his reckless campaign to close as many schools as possible and to crush others through overcrowding and co-locations. He has closed more than 100 schools over the course of his administration, and plans to close as many as fifty more this year. He seems intent on handing over as much public space as possible over to private hands. We simply cannot sit back and wait for this administration to be over, but must appeal to the Legislature to protect our public schools and our children, by providing some measure of relief and some semblance of checks and balances before it is too late.
The full text of this proposal is below. Please come with us to Albany on March 22 so you can speak to your legislators personally about these critical issues. Free buses leave from all five boroughs and lunch is provided; just email me at [email protected] to reserve your spot on a bus. Also please sign the petition here; make your voice heard!
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