The Panel for Educational Policyis scheduled to vote on several school co-locations at its monthly meeting tomorrow, May 18. Also on the agenda for the May meeting are a slew of Department of Education (DOE) contracts, including one for new teacher recruitment at the cost of nearly 5 million dollars.

More co-locations and a school expansion up for a vote

The Bronx Success Academy 1, the latest addition to the Success Academy network of charter schools, is slated to open in the PS 30building in September, 2010.  In  Manhattan, the Hamilton Heights Schoolwill re-locate to thePS 153building in  September, 2010.  While in Queens, the Queens Gateway to Health Sciences School, which  currently serves grades 7 through 12, will add a 6th grade beginning September, 2011.

Also up for a vote at the May PEP meeting is the proposed relocation of Clinton School for Artists and Writers.  As reported by Insideschools.org in March, the Clinton School was originally slated to move from its longtime home in thePS 11building to PS 33.   When that plan drew criticism because it would displace PS 138, a special education program, the DOE switched gears, deciding to move Clinton to the American Sign Language and Dual Language Secondary School(PS 47) while construction is being completed on Clinton's new, permanent facility on East 15th Street.

For months, parents and staff at PS 47 have protested the proposed co-location over concern that the influx of more students into the building would infringe on the open spacethat PS 47's  students need to see each other sign.  Fueling their argument is a recent report by the UFT, claiming that adding another school to the PS 47 building would create serious safety hazards.

New teacher recruitment contract

While city schools are bracing for steep  budget cutsand teacher layoffs, the DOE is planning to spend  nearly 5 million dollars on new teacher recruitment.  Among the 26 DOE contracts up for a vote by the PEP at its May meeting is one with  The New Teacher Project, "to recruit, select, train and provide job search support to non-traditional candidates to become public school teachers as part of the New York City Teaching Fellow's Program," according to PEP records.

The Daily News reportedthat The New Teacher Project, which has contracted with the city since 2000 to recruit New York City Teaching Fellows, was paid 2.8 million last year to recruit 705 teachers.

Despite looming layoffs, there is a shortage of teachers in certain subject areas. In his webinarwith prinicpals last week, Chancellor Joel I. Klein said that there is a need to hire teachers to serve special education students and possibly English language learners.

The PEP meets tomorrow, May 18 at 6 p.m. atLong Island City High School. You can view a list of the proposed changes to school utilization that are up for a vote, as well as links to the Educational Impact Statements here.

What are your thoughts on the proposed co-locations? Should the DOE spend money on new teacher recruitment when thousands of teacher jobs are at risk of being cut?  Please comment below.