[ProgressiveEd] Fwd: Report on Friday's NYS Senate Majority Task Force 4/4 Public Forum

[y t]

My understanding was that all District Offices would close by May 1st. 
Our District is #1. They are NOW asking that our PTA cover part of the 
cost of opening the school building (beyond Mon-Fri 7am-6pm) between 
now and June 26. This includes PTA/SLT mtgs and Saturday events 
(including Parent Involvement Workshops and Fundraisers). These were 
planned months ago. Any other schools with this dilemma?
Yvonne
On Monday, April 7, 2003, at 01:33  PM, camilla@altschools.org wrote:
> We just got word from our Superintendent that the Alternative, Adult 
> and
> Continuing Education Schools and Programs District Office is clear out 
> of
> our office space at 45-18 Court Square by May 1st, 2003 -- less than a
> month from now.
>
> ---------------- Begin Forwarded Message ----------------
> Subject: Report on Friday's NYS Senate Majority Task Force 4/4 Public 
> Forum
> Date Sent: Monday, April 7, 2003 2:20 PM
> From: carolyn.prager@att.net
> To: carolyn.prager@att.net
>
> Dear Education Advocate--
>
> The following will amplify Saturday's article in the NYT on the Public
> Forum of
> the New York State Senate Majority Task Force on NYC School 
> Governance.  (The
> following is based on my perceptions only.)
>
> TASK FORCE MEMBERS
> The Task Force members present included Senators Padavan, Golden, 
> Viella,
> Marchi, and Maltese.
>
> WITNESSES
> Witnesses included:
> 1.  Chancellor Klein
> 2.  Senators Lachman and Kruger
> 3.  Jill Levy, President, CSA
> 4.  Robin Brown, Chair, Chancellor's Parent Advisory Council and member
> of State
>        Task Force on Community District School Governance Reform
> 5.  David Weprin and Eva Moskowitz, NYC Council
> 6.  Terri Thomson, Co-Chair, State Task Force on  . . . Governance 
> Reform
> 7.  Debra Eng, Sisan Piller, Elaine Davidow, and Cecilia Blewer, parent
> activitst
> 8.  Melvyn Meer, Community Board 11 Education Committee
> 9.  Carolyn Prager, Advocates for Public Representation in Public 
> Education
> 10.  Ellen Raider, People's Coalition to Take Back Our Schools
> 11.  and others.
>
> THRUST OF INDIVIDUAL REMARKS (selected comments)
> 1.  Chancellor Klein's responses were widely reported in the press,
> especially
> the NYT.
> 2.  Jill Levy spoke effectively about local administrators increasing
> perception of central staff disarray and disorganization.  (Everyone 
> is in
> charge so no one is in charge.)  She and others reiterated concern 
> about the
> unnecessary new and costly bureaucratic layers being added at the 
> central,
> regional, and local levels (including expensive "coaches" in each 
> school
> whose
> task will replicate the responsibilities that belong already to 
> assistant
> principals.)
> 3.  David Weprin (NYC Council Finance Committee Chair) zeroed in on the
> "voodoo
> accounting" (my term) claims of extraordinary cost savings in closing 
> down
> districts. Many commentators expressed dismay about how scarce funding
> seems to
> be going to pay inflated salaries to new administrators or new school 
> support
> people who may not be needed.
> 4.  Parent activists spoke to the need to preserve school district
> offices and
> personnel who can respond quickly to local concerns.
>
> OVERALL THRUST
>
>
> --
> Carolyn Prager
> APRPE
> Advocates for Public
> Representation in Public Education
> (212)865-1780
>
> ----------------- End Forwarded Message -----------------
>
>
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