[ProgressiveEd] interesting redistricting letter

[camilla@altschools.org]

Here's a letter that APRPE is sending out to a state senator about
redistricting.
Senator Carl Kruger
2201 Avenue U
Brooklyn, NY 11229
Dear Senator Kruger:
Advocates for Public Representation in Public Education (APRPE) supports your 
recent legal action to preserve New York City community school districts.  
Many aspects of Mayoral control trouble parents, education advocates, and
other 
members of the public, including the one-size-fits-all approach to
education.  
Parents are very concerned about the loss of local access to district
personnel 
who can help them resolve problems quickly and decisively at the district 
level.  The consolidation of districts into regions would apprear to leave 
parents stranded somewhere between individual school officials and regional 
officers.   
The State Task Force on Community School District Governance Reform has
report 
recommends retaining school district governance boards.  However, the
Mayor has 
not provided the public with an administrative flowchart or job descriptions 
that indicate how regional officers would interface with local parents and/or 
proposed new district boards.  Therefore, it is impossible to evaluate
the Task 
Force's recommendations because it is not clear how what is proposed
would mesh 
with the Mayor's plans to remove district offices and personnel.  In
addition, 
the State Task Force's proposals provide for:
�	little broad public representation in governance, 
�	little in the way of checks and balances, and 
�	little structural connection between decisions made at the Mayoral 
level and actions that might emanate from the new district school boards.  
For the record, Advocates for Public Representation in Public Education 
supports a system of checks and balances under Mayoral control.  I have 
attached a recent statement that explains APRPE's position in greater detail.
Thank you for having taking the initiative in this way.  Please let us
know if 
there is any way we can help.  
Sincerely, 
Carolyn Prager   
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