D3 Overcrowding: Buck passes to DOE
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The Community Education Council of District 3 officially released its resolution to address overcrowding in District 3 today. The buck is now passed to the Department of Education, which ultimately controls what actions will be taken. (DOE cannot redraw zone lines without CEC approval, but all other recommendations in the CEC resolution are up to the DOE to implement.) The DOE is expected to issue a statement soon describing what it plans to do.
The DOE is also fielding an appeals process from residents of the buildings that were newly excluded from the PS199 zone in the last week of the process. The goal of the appeal is to make sure this group of residents get the same chance as other members of the public to respond to the resolution.
Meanwhile, the Community Education Council of District 2 continues to work on overcrowding issues of its own. The DOE issued a Blueprint for District 2 enrollment and capacity last spring. CEC2’s response emphasized concern over whether overcrowding in that district is being adequately addressed in DOE proposals.
No rest for the weary: Members of CEC3 will be present today when Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer’s Task Force on Overcrowding meets to discuss its recently released capital planning report. The D3 CEC has also committed to investigating school space issues above 110th street, starting in 2009. And of course, CEC3, like CECs all over the city, will be the point organization for collecting schools’ comments on capital projects and repairs included in the DOE’s new 5-year capital plan. Reading the capital projects part shouldn’t take too long, as there are no construction projects currently planned for the next five years in District 3. But don’t count on it: There’s always the possibility that things could change.
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I’d like to see more information about the role of CEC in districts. Is there a link that explains how people are elected, what their roles are within the CEC, and is there someone or a group that oversees the CEC? I find the structure confusing. I’m pretty new to the role of a parent with a school-aged child, and there are certainly tons of acronyms to get used to, but this seems like an important group with seemingly power that could affect a lot of children. I see CEC leaders’ names splashed over the newspapers saying they represent this or that district parents, and yet I wonder how many parents even know about the group.
Comment by anonymous — November 26, 2008 @ 9:15 am
As a parent at both PS 199 and The Center School, I am appalled by the unabashed sense of entitlement displayed by the PS 199 Political Action Committee and their legion of followers. Never in their quest for additional space did PS 199 consider the needs of The Center School, an established, high-performing middle school educating in a shared building for the last 27 years. PS 199 wanted cluster rooms, they wanted 22 children in a classroom, they wanted free reign to privatize their public school; and the District 3 Community Education Council and the Department of Education gave it to them. Whether it was, in fact, the loud, lobbying voices of PS 199’s affluent parents, or the influential developers building up their catchment zone, somebody was heard by the CEC/DOE, and it wasn’t The Center School. Money trumped diversity. Money trumped equity. Money trumped reason. The Department of Education came up with a short-term solution for a single school in a crowded district. And that’s a sad lesson for the 200+ students now being evicted from their middle school home.
Comment by Mary — December 1, 2008 @ 9:09 pm
I applaud Jennifer’s hard work and the CEC’s recent resolution. The issues are very difficult but I believe they did the best they could given the circumstances. They recognized that there would be tremendous hardship placed on a community if neighborhood children could not attend their local school. I think there decision is also best for the Center School because it gives the school a great new home with room to maintain and grow their current program.
Comment by NA — December 2, 2008 @ 2:54 pm
Isn’t it true, though, that the Community Education Council has no real power or authority in moving schools, and that by now recommending schools move they’ve overstepped their limited role in this discussion? Isn’t it also true that Jennifer Freeman is The Center School’s representative on the Community Education Council and she has never once advocated on the school’s behalf? Interesting.
Comment by Uncle Matt — December 3, 2008 @ 2:24 pm
hi, i need help my child has this test bok and i want to go over it but i don,t know the aswers can u help me .
Comment by mom — January 8, 2009 @ 6:19 pm
Did the BOE issue a statement yet? What was their final decision?
Comment by Parent — April 27, 2009 @ 10:02 am