Yeah. >> Good evening. My name is Craig Slutzkin. Uh, welcome to Community Education Council 2. This is our, uh, calendar meeting. I'll call this meeting to order. Can we have the, uh, interpreters come up? While they're doing that, if you haven't
signed up for the public speaking session, if you'd like to, uh, please do so now. >> Good evening. Thank you. >> Um, here's the matter. >> Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Okay. Anybody else? Okay. Uh, I'm going to uh ask I'm going to take the roll call and ask our secretary, Danielle, interim secretary, sorry. Uh, Danielle Edgarov to uh take attendance. Allison Bowen. Allison Bowen is not
here. She submitted an excusal. Gloria Chu. Gloria Chu is not here. She requested uh an excusal. That's granted. Daniela Egarov >> here. >> Daniellea Egarov is here. Gavin Healey. >> Yeah. >> Gavin Healey is here. Aaron Carr here.
>> Aaron Carr is here. Cody Linquist >> here. >> Cody Linquist is here. Uh Russ Mavinov here. >> Russ Mavinov is here. Tamar Tamar Tamar Reed. Tamar Reed is not here. Sabina Serenise.
Sab Sabina Sinise requested an excusal for medical reasons. And Craig Slutskin is here. So that is six. >> Six. We do not have a quorum and I apologize that we're not going to have a quorum tonight. But that being said, we can still we still have a meeting. So
what we will have tonight is we will have a public speaker session. We'll have the president's report and a superintendence report. We will not be uh considering the four resolutions. They will be pushed to next month. But that being said, there's still going to be a speaker session. Everybody will get
two minutes uh to speak. So again, if you haven't signed up yet, uh please please do so. Uh okay. So we will start with the public speaker session. Yeah. While we're doing that, um I just want to start the meeting uh by
asking everyone to uh have civility towards one another and respect towards another. I'm going to ask everyone to show respect when others are speaking. This goes both ways. I'm also going to ask council members uh and the audience to respect and listen to each other. I'll also ask members of the audience to
let others be heard. Thank you. Everyone has the right not only to be to speak but to be to be heard as well. Please no heckling. Please no profanity. We may have students uh listening at home. Uh you don't have to agree or disagree with anybody with other people, but everyone does have a right to speak their mind on
issues that are important to them. I'll also ask for the folks at home that comments in the chat be kept respectful as well. If it does, if there are issues, we do reserve the rights to shut off the chat function, but hopefully we won't get to that point. Uh when we call your name, you're going to get two
minutes. Erin, uh council member Carr is going to do the time. She'll be your timekeeper. She'll give you a warning uh when it's about to expire. Uh if you can speak, uh go over to the uh table slashpodium over there. Uh and again, you'll have two minutes. If you signed up for the second speaker session, we're
only going to have one because we don't have a quorum. So, if you only signed up for the second, I'm assuming that isn't really the case, but if anybody only signed up for the second, please sign up for the first now. Yeah. Okay. Um, and the first we we'll go through well, I'll call three people so people are people know that they're
they're up. The first three speakers are going to be uh Rachel Miller, Sarah Rothermel, I'm sorry if I mis mispronounced, and Christine Shu. So Rachel, you can go first.
>> Might as well give you the one. Might as well. >> For the people at home. >> People at home. It's a lazy girl. >> Yeah, we have the people at home. Hi. Um I'm Rachel. I'm a mom and PTA president at the River School and I'm here uh to advocate for the dignity of the River School community. Um our school is in
crisis and it's time for us to address it headon. Our dedicated teachers recently cast a resounding 93% vote of no confidence in the current leadership. This isn't just a statistic. It's a desperate plea for the heart of our school community. Imagine the courage it takes for educators to speak out so overwhelmingly. They've done so because
they are witnessing firsthand the detrimental impact of the current environment. We are seeing high teacher turnover. are a school that has 57% of teachers three plus years experience compared to a school three blocks away with 81%. It's a revolving door that disrupts learning and destabilizes our classrooms. Experienced, passionate
teachers are leaving and with them goes invaluable institutional knowledge and consistent presence our students desperately need. Her leadership did not even apply for class-siz funding. My rising third grader had a wonderful prek teacher, kindergarten teacher, first grade teacher, and science teacher who
made her want to be a scientist. All of those are teachers that my son will never experience. They have all left. They have all cited the current leadership as a reason. Even more alarming, our most vulnerable students are being failed. We are hearing disturbing reports of students being
denied mandated IEP services. And these services are not optional. They are legally required and critically important for students with special needs to thrive. Denying them is not only a breach of trust, but a significant disservice to all their children's families. This situation demands immediate and decisive action. Their investigations have been ongoing
since May and June. We are starting the school year with the current leadership still in place and we are basically asking our teachers who put their careers on the line to stand up for themselves, our school and our parents and our children most importantly to
essentially face their accuser with a smile on their faces in less than four weeks. We need strong, transparent, and empathetic leadership that listens to our teachers, prioritizes the well-being of all students, and understands the importance of providing every child with the education they deserve. >> Supporting the River School means
advocating for leadership. >> You can start wrapping up. Finish your sentence, though. Finish your stuff. >> That will restore confidence, retain our talented teachers, and ensure every student receives receives support they are entitled to. Our children's futures depend on it. >> Thank you, Rachel Sarah.
Hi, my name is Sarah and I'm a parent to River School. >> Hi, my name is Sarah. I'm a relatively new the river school. My daughter started kindergarten last year. I specifically went to the river school not just because my zone school but
because I had heard wonderful things about the teach and the staff at that school and from my perspective it the teachers are incredible. My daughter had the most wonderful kindergarten year. I was very nervous with her starting
school and her teachers made it wonderful. When I get the hear from these teacher the situation they're being put under by principal or leads. When I learned my daughter no longer has a science teacher. When I learned that
there were multiple vacancies in the first grade. There are 85 rising first graders. 92 rising kindergarteners. There were 96 kindergarteners my daughter's year. We had no teachers. My understanding from Superintendent
Maguire is those positions have now been filled which is a relief for all of us parents. At the same time it is also our understanding that we don't know anything about these teachers that principal Orleans the person who is at the heart of all the river school
problems has hired these people and there's been no hiring committee. That is very nervous to us. It is also my understanding I don't know if we have an art teacher. The art teacher was so put out by Principal Orleans's conduct that she reached out to me as a lawyer to
find her a lawyer to bring claims for discrimination and retaliation. Fortunately, the district saw fit not to proceed with the discontinuous process that was clearly filed because they did not like Miss Principal
Orleans did not like this teacher. She's not the only teacher that I've heard from that wants to know of potential legal counsel for the treatment by principal or lead. This is not someone who can stay. I have never I'm a lawyer. I work in the insurance
industry and I'm on your side. I represent >> finish sentence. Finish sentence. >> Represent. >> I've represented the district. I'm the employment side, the employer side. But a 93% vote. That's all but one teacher expressed no confidence in this
principal and she is still here starting the year. That is depressing and it's going to be something our children are going to pay for. >> Thank you. >> Thank you Sarah. >> Hi in Sham Rodriguez. I am the wife of
Nelson Rodriguez who is the >> was the parro who works at BS281. He started as a pub hired by Jessica Orleans and eventually
she started picking on him within the second year. When I say pick, it is constant calling to the office over the PA system like you're a a 5-year-old child being called
to the principal's office to the point where she puts him out during winter, the early part of winter, going to the deep part of it to stand up out in the yard to watch kids play for 3 hours.
also had him go in the hallway to sit as a monitor. Mind you, there were kids who were there who needed the ch um IEP um person as a onetoone. He's a parrot. That is his job. That is what the deal
pays him for. Said he's sitting there for 3 hours watching the hallway and doing bathroom duty. That is not what he went there for. Okay. And another thing she tends to do is
have him give him responsibilities that she wants him to fail at, but he does it anyway. He has a disability. He's not supposed to be going down the stairs with 30 kids by himself and the teachers
are way ahead at all. One is supposed to be in the front, one is supposed to be in the back. He went into Lauren's room to to do something. They asked him, "Rove the cop." He's like, "Okay." Lauren told him point blank, "Don't do it." She's like, "Write
him up for that." Why is Why do you want him right up? >> You can finish up. >> But he's not going back. I don't want him to go back. He doesn't feel safe. I don't feel him being safe there. And I've already expressed that to the
superintendent. But yet still we get the letter saying, "Oh, he's going to watch her and so forth." No, I've already applied to different schools through the open market. Still haven't heard any word. Really haven't heard anything from the uft or the superintendent. I don't
want him going back there. I don't see it. >> Thank you. Okay. The next three. Thank you. The next three are Raphaela Smith. I I apologize if it's if I'm getting it wrong. Maria Marino and Lauren Eskenazi.
Was I close? I try. >> Good evening everyone. Uh my name is Raphael Smith and I'm a former River School mom and a current incoming self mom. So, uh I'm representing both
institutions this evening. Um, but I just wanted to start and say really quickly, the River School is a place where every child should feel valued, supported, and be seen. But too many families have witnessed something very different. As a parent, I've watched my
bright, energetic brown child be unfairly disciplined and treated as a behavioral problem for normal childhood behaviors. While other students are redirected and supported, my child has met been met with exclusion. I've had to fight to ensure that he is seen,
respected, and safe. And no parent should have to beg for fairness for their children. The result of this is been toxic leadership, a mass exodus of dedicated educators leaving our school with unstable, understaffed classrooms, and a
deeply shaken trust amongst families. Teachers are exhausted, children are vulnerable, and families of color are often made to feel like outsiders in their own school community. Now on to the problems that sulk. Uh we have to call this what it is. It's
a bait and switch. Incoming families were not told about a possible move and now we are left with having to uh navigate a new future at Sulk. The Gramarcy sulk and the grammar neighborhood is an award-winning
environment. We made choices based on that promise of being in the Grammy neighborhood. We made choices based on that promise. And it's not just Sulk as in the name. It's not a roster. You know, Sulkq is not just a a name on a roster. It's a community that has buil
built over decades. A place where trust, stability, and excellence come together for children. Moving would tear apart those bonds, disrupt learning, and erase the very qualities that drew families there in the first place. We as parents will not let bureaucratic decisions strip our children of education. >> If you can wrap up your finish your
sentence for us >> and environments that they were promised. Our kids are not pawns and they are not disposable. Thank you. >> Hi, my name is Mia Moreno. I'm a parent of a 4-year-old at River School and I'm here to express my deep concerns about
the decision of keeping principal Borlance at the beginning of this year in her post. Despite multiple concerns that have been raised by parents and a no confidence vote from teachers, my son has an individualized education plan. Back in November, it was determined that
he required a full-time par profofessional. Although this was approved in early November and there was staff available, it took principal Borlance more than three weeks for the paraprofessional to be assigned. During that time, my repeated emails, calls,
and inerson visits went unanswered and were met just with delays. if it the assignment only happened thanks to the persistent advocacy from his teacher Miss Lauren and not from the leadership that should have ensured timely support. This delay could have been avoided and
it's not only that it affected my son but it disrupted his entire class and my case unfortunately is not too unique. I have spoken with other parents of children with disabilities who have also faced delays or even delay denials of
vital services pushing them out of school. As a parent of a children with disability, we already navigate a complex and exhausting system balancing therapies, medical appointments, and constant advocacy. Constant advocacy. We should not have to fight this hard
for services that are legally required and essential to our children. well-being. Without a transparent plan for change, the message to parents and teachers from the from from from the administration is clear. Our voices are
not being heard. I urge you to take immediate concrete action to address these issues and to protect teachers. Our childrens cannot continue to wait. Thanks. Hi. Hi. I'm Miss Lauren. You might have heard about me a few times. I am the
chapter leader at the River School PS281. This is my delegate, Donna Chin. I have been in the DOE, this will be my 19th year. I've been at the River School for nine years. I've held the chapter leader position three separate times. I have worked tirelessly to try to get
Principal Orleans to respect the union contract, to respect the legal laws that students are entitled to. And it is met with disregard, utter disgust, and attempts to make the work environment so
uncomfortable to force teachers out. I have been at the River School for 9 years. There's only three other teachers still there since I've started. We work in one of the most beautiful buildings in the in Manhattan. There should be no reason for teacher toner but like that. Principal Orleans has actively created a
toxic work environment and it trickles down to our students. Teachers work in fear on a daily basis. Teachers leave strictly because Principal Orleans harasses them to the point where they can't grieve it contractually, but it is
untenable. We have no joy in our building. People in the union say when you walk in you get a chill in your spine. Principal Orleans is the reason for that. For nine years, again, I will say it, I have tried to ask her to work with teachers to support students for
what they need and what is best. And she has dug deeper and deeper and refused to the point that brought us to a vote of no confidence. 43 people voted, two abstained, 40 voted in favor of her removal, and one person voted in her
support. We have an entire PTA backing us up, saying that we need help at the River School. We need new administration to give the school joy and give the children what they deserve, which is an excellent education with love and
support and no fear. >> Thank you. The next three Thank you. The next three are Sarah Ro. I'm just gonna say Sarah if that's okay. Okay. Uh oh. Oh, I Okay.
Sorry. You were there twice. Yes. No. Sorry. Uh Omar Vera, Joe Vitali, and Evan Stein. >> You can go behind the table just Yeah. Great. Thank you. >> Good evening, District 2. Um, once
again, I'm disappointed that we don't have a quorum >> quum for the meeting. >> Like, this is this is supposed to be a new era after after the after the historic election occurred earlier this year that saw that saw the big M um
ousted. But th this like we need to have we need to have this quorum like sooner rather than later cuz resolution 248 needs to be repealed like once and for all. like this is it's shameful that not
enough people showed up here tonight and and this is this is this is the impact that b that basically that that the mand for liberties of this world um apparently brought brought to our great city like please I ask everybody do your
jobs and and let's let's vote let's vote on the important on the important things including repealing that that awful resolution that has been here for over a year or so cuz an attack on any on any one of us is an attack on all of us. And
um that that's all I have to say for this month. And um please be ready for the upcoming school year. Thanks. >> Thank you, >> Joe. >> Welcome back. >> Okay. So I have spoken at before at these meetings. I am a female athlete
who supports resolution 248 and I oppose resolution 283 and I oppose resolution 284. Resolution again, as I've said before, resolution 248 cannot be rescended anymore than you can resend
yesterday because resolution 248 has already gone through its life cycle. Perhaps somebody on the council can propose a new resolutions that would not allow for Frankensteinian reintroductions of old resolutions to
harass the panel. And I'm talking about you, Gavin, because you're the biggest proponent of anti-resolution 248. And again, you cannot resol you cannot resend resolution 248 any more than you can resin yesterday. I'm dedicating my
speech today to Kelly Iote, the governor of New Hampshire, for the work she is doing to stop kids from being on the pharmaceutical industry cash cow. As I've said before, every kid that goes on
this medical merrygoround represents upwards of $1 million that the pharmaceutical industry can make off of them. And again, Fizer Pharmaceuticals and other pharmaceutical companies gives money to the Department of Education to
address concerns from previous meetings. Sex differences occur at early ages and athletic scouts sometimes come to elementary schools. I know because I was scouted. And to address another concern,
karate is not part of the public school curriculum. Many girls, and I'm talking about elementary school girls, biological girls who fall for the pharmaceutical industry propaganda, often think they are born in the wrong body and this might be the result of
trauma. This might be a trauma reaction and it's not getting to the root causes. My final comment is that this represents the new misogyny because it is the height of misogyny to deny the existence
of the female sex that excludes male biology. Evan Okay, welcome Evan. >> Thank you. >> Just push it in. Yeah. >> Good evening. My name is Evan Stein and I serve as the co-president of the PA.
Like many parents here, I chose my child's school not just for academics, but for the environment where students are known, supported, and challenged. Tonight, I want to talk about what's at stake for that kind of school as it faces a rushed relocation process. This began with the city's need to comply
with the state laws on class size. In June, the DOE proposed relocating salt as early as 2026. Families were given no warning despite enrolling in a school that they expected to attend for three full years. The impact of a mid-stream move on those students and families was
not seriously considered. Hundreds of Salt parents have since written letters and signed petitions asking for more time, more transparency, and a thoughtful long-term plan. The messages from our community is clear. Sulk should not be penalized for
its success. It should be protected and supported. We understand that the city is under pressure to meet legal requirements. We want smaller classes and better school environments, too. But how we get there matters. Sulk has been there for and a success for over 30 years. Fully enrolled, usually
overenrolled. Our students thrive and go on to excellent high schools and the school was named an exemplary middle school by the US Department of Education. What truly sets apart is how it combines academic rigor with growth. I've seen what it means when a teacher
who knows my son not just by his name but by his strength and by his struggle. And that's the Salt model. And after the shift to a lottery based admissions, Saul continued to succeed because it's not about who we admit, but how we teach and how we lead. That success comes from
a consistent leadership, experienced faculty, and a shared educational philosophy. At the same time, we see many opportunities ahead. With partnerships already in place at NYU Langon and Fizer, and with the Spark campus rising in Kips Bay, the city has a rare chance,
a rare chance to build a flagship public STEM school by expanding Sulk. We imagine a 6 through 12 model that keeps the small school feel while offering students a full science pathway here in Manhattan. And when it moves, they should bring the whole school, its people, its model, and its mission.
Let's not dismantle what works. Let's build on it. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Thank you, Evan. Robert Woo Sak Sakshi Katri trying. Sorry. Uh and Py Chaola.
It's close. >> Hi, good evening. Um my name is Robert Woo. I am the father of a rising seventh grader at the Sulkq School of Science. Um, we're here with one clear message. Do not merge Sulk with another school.
We share the values of growth and access, but merging SULK achieves neither. Superintendent Maguire has said a merger doesn't have to happen. The director of district planning asked for feedback.
You got it. 97% of our community says no. That's not a statistic. It's clear, unified, and resounding feedback. Zulk is a national blue ribbon school. Small, vibrant, effective. A place where
students are challenged, supported, and inspired every day with warmth, fun, and rigor. A place where strong relationships power strong results. A merger would dismantle the very essence that makes this school
exceptional. Instead of dismantling what works, let's build on it. Let's give Sulk an independent space near its current location. Let's preserve a beacon of what public education can be, a model of
excellence to replicate. Our children are not numbers on a spreadsheet. Their education is not a line item on a budget that needs correcting. Preserve Salt. Protect its independence
and integrity. Keep its excellence alive for the next generation by investing in a space on the east side of District 2. Please save Sulk. >> Thank you.
>> Thank you. Robert, thanks Robert. I don't think I can beat that. Good evening everyone. My name is Sakshi Khatri. I am a parent of a rising eighth sulkq student and an incoming sixth sulkq student. I just want to acknowledge by saying that every school in our city is made up of
dedicated educators, families and children who deserve the best possible learning environment. My concern tonight is not about any other school. It's about sock. It's about pro, you know, protecting the stability, the culture, and the excellence that Sulk families were promised when we chose this school.
Families enrolled in SC expect a three a full three-year promise that was made to them in a full three-year middle school experience. Many of us chose this school based on location, size, academic rigor, community, and culture. A sudden relocation or merger disrupts that
promise particularly for current and incoming students who committed without knowing that this change was on the horizon. So this feels like a decision that has been made for us rather than a decision that has been made with us. Sulk's strength lies in its students,
its teachers collaborative teaching model, high academic standards. As Robert pointed out, despite the fact that now we have a lottery system, SAG continues to perform and it was recently named a national blue ribbon school. These, you know, factors are not easily replicated when a school is merged or
relocated far from its community. If the DOE believes that a move is inevitable, we urge you to delay a relocation until fall 2028, allowing incoming sixth graders to graduate without disruption. That is the most important ask for us as solve parents which more than 97% of us
support. So that is an overwhelming majority that cannot be disregarded. Keeping solo so its faculty leadership and program integrity remain intact. Engage parents meaningfully at every step because transparency and collaboration build trust. Something
that was lacking up till now because lot of us in fact all of us found out about this merger relocation through the social media which is unacceptable. rather than dismantling a brutal school that works, let's explore ways to invest in it, grow its Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you. Let's invest in, you know, let's explore ways in investing in it and growing its model. And I just want to ask you, show of hands, how many of you that know that salt celebrated 30 years of his existence this year? So, do you actually want to destroy disrupt a school that has shown
excellence in education for 30 years just because you want to fulfill a class size mandate? Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Sorry. After Katherine will be Mark just
to give you more D. Go ahead. Welcome. Thank you everyone. My name is Priti Chabla. I'm the mother of an incoming seventh grader at SQL School of Science. Today I stand united with fellow parents and the PA and request a DOE no merger
for SALK. We oppose this merger wholeheartedly. We agree with class size reduction and proposed growth for all children but not at the cost of losing an amazing blue ribbon school. I think we've all said it enough number of times. Sulk is near and dear
to our hearts. Not just because it's a blue ribbon school. It's an amazing, nurturing, caring small school where the administration over years has done a phenomenal job of achieving academic success but also providing a caring nurturing environment to our children.
So we are here. We oppose this merger and it's not about one school. We oppose the merger with any school because what Sulk deserves it's its own independence and recognition for being an amazing school. Like pointed out earlier, Superintendent Maguire has stated Sulk
does not need to merge. We agree. 97% of Sulk families on a survey stated they want Sulk to stay independent. We've also put a petition on change.org which has so far been signed by 900 parents and counting. The kids have also
signed another petition requesting no merger. In addition, we have support letters from parents and children. While I cannot read all the letters, I do want to read a part of one of the letters. It was by one of the Sulk students. It stated, "Sulk is a special place where
relationships are nurtured and a sense of belonging fostered. We may be small, but it feels we are part of something bigger. Part of a family feels like we're home. I worry that if we merge, our school merges with any other school, a part of me, a part of us all will
disappear. It is not just about buildings or classrooms. It is about feeling loved and supported as students, as humans, and as learning learners. Sulk deserves to stay sulk, which is why I may be small, but I will fight for my
school, my family, my teachers. Please do not murder us. I echo her thoughts. I echo thoughts of all salt children and families for the DOE to reconsider. Please do not merge us. Please give salt it independence is what is deserves.
Thank you >> Mark. U D Mark D Mark D A Z A M something. Thank you.
>> Hi, my name is Mark and I came here to talk about trans kids in schools, but I was uh I rudely I I I'm shocked this is happening, but I found out that my middle school, Salt, the Sulk School is being uh is proposed to be merging with another
school, which I think would be devastating for the school culture. Uh I went to that school between 2019 and 2020 2021. Um it was during the pandemic, but the little time I have there was absolutely wonderful. The teachers are some of the best people in
the world. And um I feel like if Sulk I if the merger is moving it to another building, which I think it is, I think that what should happen is that Sulk does not need to merge, but they desperately need a new building. That building I remember being disgusting.
There were so many rats. I even like I caught one of the rats in like a cup when I was in seventh grade. They were everywhere. There were roaches. Um there were there was a problem with disabled kids and kids who had broken bones could not would have to walk drag themselves
up the stairs. I remember my friend we were cl climbed a tree in Central Park and they broke their leg and then we had to drag them up the stairs. that building needs to be renovated or it needs to be a completely new building with an elevator and to be uh accessible
to all students. Additionally, you guys need to stop attacking trans kids in sports. It's outrageous that you think that there's so much of a difference between a middle school or elementary school boy to a girl. They are kids and
they want to play sports. Let them play sports. It's not that big of a deal. They're they're kids. It's like middle school karate or basketball is not a big deal. It shouldn't be. It is. It's an activity
for kids to enjoy and to build a community around and their identity should not impact that at all. Thank you. >> Thank you. Everyone, we appreciate everybody's comments. Is there another sheet?
>> Catherine was on the sheet. I don't know where. >> Yeah, Katherine. Oh, are you Katherine? Oh, sorry. I thought I called your name. Sorry. Okay, go ahead. Sorry. >> Hi, my name is Katherine Chang. I'm a mother of a rising I'm I'm the mother of
a rising seventh grade uh grader at Sulk to nourish and finally create a high performing school with happy kids takes vision hard work tears and a very specific synergy between our students our families
our leaders our staff and years and years and years to build solve it took 30 years and now we our success story. On the other hand, all it takes to diminish a school for a school to
decline is loss of fame, uncertainty, and demoralized community. SOCK is a successful story. Success story asking DOE, do not merge Sulk with another school. Sulk is sulk because of
its structure, because of its size, because of its institutional tradition, to merge it with another school or basically put all that in jeopardy. The whole goal of reducing class size is to
produce a high performance school. SOG is that and to risk it is a direct contravention of your goal. Um I'm now just echoing what my fellow parents are saying. So finally a high
tide raises all boats. We need accent schools like Sulk to provide a model for other NYC public school. Bulk as Sulkq is a very necessary institution not just for our kids but for kids in district 2 for New York City and frankly for this
country. So please keep Sulk S sock. Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank Thank you so much. Uh and thank you for everybody who came to speak tonight. That concludes the uh public session. Um before we go to the next uh
item, I just want to introduce Cody who is uh one of the new newly elected members. Uh she was not here last time, so I'm going to ask her if she'd like to introduce herself, tell us a little about herself. Hi everyone. Um, thank you um, next year. So, I'm I feel like I'm
in a position straddling both the elementary and now the middle school world to have a an opinion and um empathize with everyone and what you're all going through. Um because I really do feel like I have a foot in both of those worlds. And I was just sitting
here and thinking um Mark when Mark spoke Mark correct um that just really just emphasized why I'm so happy to be on this board seeing everyone's passions about um their children and about their
own education. Um that's it's really wonderful to see people taking taking an interest in their local community. Um community means everything to me. Uh, I'm very involved in my children's schools. I'm very involved in
my local community and I'm here to listen to what everyone has to say and hopefully be a voice for all of you. So, thank you so much. Um, I hope I can do everyone proud and um, yeah, I'm excited to work with everyone and and listen. So, thank you.
>> Thank you, Cody. And and welcome. Uh, I also want to just take a moment just to acknowledge somebody. He's sitting in the back. Uh Naveiv Hassan Naveiv is the uh Manhattan CEC representative to the panel for educational policy. Uh so thank you for coming tonight. Naveiv is
also a former CEC member CEC 3. Uh he was on there for a number of years and then has been on the PEP for what four years? >> Fourth year. So uh thank you for thank you for coming tonight. Um moving to the president's report. Um couple of things.
Uh, first of all, I hope everybody's having a great uh and safe summer. Uh, I want to remind everyone that New York City does offer the free summer meals for everyone 18 years and young and under. Uh, you can find locations at www.en.nyc.gov
back/summermeals. They're at select schools, community pool centers, parks, and libraries. You don't need to sign up, you know, show any paperwork. You just go to location, enjoy breakfast from 8 to 9:15, lunch from 11:00 to 1:15. Uh there are food trucks from 10:00 to 4:00 during the
week and 10 to 3 on weekends at three locations. Uh Sarah Delano Roosevelt Park on Christy and Foresight Streets, uh Prospect Park in Brooklyn, and the Haffen Park at Elian Hammersley Avenues in the Bronx. And the program does run through the end of uh August, August,
Friday, August 29th. Uh ELA and math test scores are out uh for grades 3 through 8. ELA scores have increased 7.2 two percentage points and math scores have increased three and a half percentage points since 204 2024. I'll let Superintendent McGuire talk about these scores in his report and more
specifically how our district fared and what lessons we can learn from the data because there's always there are always lessons to be learned. The results from the 2025 school surveys are out. Uh there was a 3% increase in the family participation rate. So that's so that's positive trending nicely with over 440
families completing surveys, not to mention the 355,000 students and 62,000 teachers. I encourage you to look at your ch your child's school's results. Uh you can go to nycschool survey.org. The new uh self cell phone policy is
out. I'm going to let Superintendent McGuire touch upon that. Uh we would have had a resolution tonight to talk about the plan and the communication surrounding it, but I'm sure you will we will all be hearing from our kids uh schools very quickly. And if you go to our homepage uh www.ced2.net,
you'll see a link to the plan on 75 Morton and SulkQ, I know there's been a lot of talk and many of you have spoken very passionately about it. Uh and many families have reached out to various council members on the subject. Uh and I I'm know that Superintendent McGuire will touch on this as well. I want to be
clear, nothing is imminent. We're it's still in the discussion stages. The CEC will be very involved in the process as we represent the families and are very concerned with the impact on current and future students of those schools and the CEC does have approval power over changes in zoning lines. So they this
will go through us as well. We'll be working with all the interested interested parties on this issue. This is one of the uh needless to say this is one of the most impactful issues that we've seen in a while. So we will be working on this in the next few months over probably the next few years I would think. Um and we we have heard you. We
know this is very impactful. We know this is very important. Uh many of us have kids that will one day be going to Sulk or hopefully going to Sulk. Uh one update on our website. If you go to the resources section on the top menu bar you'll see a new page with acronyms.
Frequently uh we use acronym acronyms as DOE employees and not everybody always knows what we're talking about. So, we added a page with common acronyms and what they mean. So, for example, if I say S SWD, what is an S SWD or CR or DT? It's it's a whole alphabet city uh at
the DOE, which is another initials, set of initials. Uh but we put that on there so to help people uh navigate through that. First day of school is September 4th. Uh good luck to all of our teachers and students and parents as well. Uh and with that, I'm going to turn it over to
our superintendent, Ellie Magcguire. Did you send me your presentation? >> I did. >> Okay. >> Sorry. >> So, for the folks at home, we don't I don't have it online, but I will put up the I will put on our website the superintendent's report. I I'll actually try to get I I'll get a computer a laptop to try to look at it remotely as
well while we're doing this, but I'll have the presentation on the website in the next day or so. Thank you. >> You need all right. Um I do want to just first start off by acknowledging acknowledging the families that are here both from PS281 and from Salt Middle
School. Uh we are talking about two blue ribbon schools which is um a unique situation here to be two blue ribbon communities in the same here. Um first to PS2 281 um I do want to acknowledge very clearly that there were uh
challenges at the end of the year brought to our I want to acknowledge the challenges that teachers have been >> wire the wiring >> I want to acknowledge the challenges
that teachers um have faced at PS281 uh and I want to be clear that we are in the middle of process to try to move to both the teachers and families and of all students um in building. It is truly
a process. Um and our goal at the very beginning of this was to try to be transparent about how it is that we're going to approach uh and try to resolve group and conditions um that should be reported to me at the end of the year. um and try to make sure that this is a
thriving community for all students and all staff members. This is um not something that is uh can be ignored in any kind of way. Only way that you could move forward with it is to be truly transparent in how we go about it. So we started to share a few
things in terms of plans that we can share. There are ongoing process needs that are going to be looked at throughout the start of the school year and certainly throughout the year. Always are plans that can be adjusted. >> There are always plans that can be
adjusted and adapted to meet the needs of families and staff members. >> Dang it. Just try to push me. Sorry, >> I'm going to float here. >> We'll talk to your principal. We'll talk to maybe I'm not. Um, so no, we're we can we can always adjust the plan based on the needs of them.
Um, and this is a it's going to be a partnership and a process. Uh, I don't know exactly what the concern holds, but I am hopeful uh that we can move forward in a way um that addresses >> giving it up. Um, and self
um and members of muted somebody else. >> I don't even see. This is like my profile. >> Hello. Hello. Do I anyway?
I don't see the mouse on this external. Sorry. Sorry. >> Okay. All right. Okay. U getting back to the salt community. Um uh I appreciate what people have said right at the front of
this is that um all along there has never been a secret plan uh or uh any kind of um there's nothing been stuck in a drawer or any kind of secret plan to merge sulk within merge s with 75 Morton tried to be really really transparent
about that all along. Um so you >> there's a truth that at some point like people started hearing about the process. We started engaging with this with the and speaking with the SLT about the work and about the possibility. Um but this decision is not one that I make
and it's not one that the central office folks like Navidid who end up making the decision um around whether or not any kind of school merger or any kind of change to a school-based plan is put through. So therefore, it's incumbent
upon people like me uh to pull together people from different communities representing different groups to begin to have a discussion about what might be possible. Um all of this did begin for two reasons primarily. One is that with
Sulk has always had many many more applicants than there are. Uh and two, there is just a couple there's a state law uh that will mandate that class values uh drop to a that drop to does that work? That does help. Okay. All
right. >> Uh that clad sizes do drop to new limits across across the state. Um so we're trying to solve a problem trying to like look creatively at what it is that we had to try to resolve a problem in just a short period of time.
I can say that there currently is not a plan that is on the table and there's not a plan to be discussed. Um where we are at is that we have certainly heard from the community in regard to how it is that you are feeling about the uh perspective pers the proposal at this
time. Uh we are going to look at that look at what the new um what the fall h what we're going to what the central leadership says in the fall about how it is that we might approach um issues of district planning. Maybe nothing is going to happen starting in the fall.
Maybe new opportunities will come online in regard to how it is that we are approaching uh class- size laws. So we're going to pause on any kind of conversation like this. We're going to continue to explore options like the
ones that um Evan mentioned uh in regard to the Spark Complex uh and speaking with uh elected officials. Um that's those have been conversations that I've actually already had with some of those folks just to see what might be out there because I have heard that from the
community. But ultimately any kind of decision regarding any school in regard to district planning uh does have to go through the panel for education policy and certain decisions are decided on by the community education council. So,
for now, what we are doing is that we're going to wait and see if the central team u the central leadership, the senior leadership of the New York City Department of Education has information that they want us to use to pursue uh options for district planning or if they
just want us to pause for now and wait until um issues around class size are more on the forefront. Uh and that there are different options that are available to districts trying to solve these kinds of challenges. Um, this is obviously a
challenge that impacts both PS40 and Sulk since they share a building. Um, so we're going to continue to look. There are many other places around the district where these challenges exist. Uh, and so we're going to wait and see what other options might be available um
to our district and to our city in trying to come into compliance with um state law. So that's where we are and I and any kind of discussion uh will be had initially um with the school leadership team of any school that this
goes for sulk or any school in a district plan is proposed um and then built out from there. But right now there is not uh a plan that is on the table. There is no hidden plan. We're going to continue to listen to families.
We're going to wait so see if there is more signals coming from our central team in the fall. Uh and we'll certainly keep families engaged because again this is not a decision that is made by any one person. It is made by the panel for education policy and the panel for education policy makes decisions that
are favorable to families. That's what I've got to say about that. Okay. Um, so we just wrapped up summarizing the Pexlip School was one of our summer rising sites across the district. We served over 2,000 kids
across all of our uh ele across several elementary and middle schools. Summer Rising was incredibly successful. We had some sites with over 400 kids uh engaged both in academic learning and enrichment throughout the day. Um we also had um in
our district 2 prek center, we serve students with disabilities uh in prek, both in this building and in another site uh in Battery Park City. Um again, the programs were incredibly successful and we're looking forward to even expanding on it even more next year. One
of the great things about the summering program uh this year is that there was a stronger emphasis on enrichment on social emotional learning. Uh and so each school that was hosting summer rising had a small allocation to bring
in programs. Uh so there were programs that brought in um uh schools that brought in programs around cooking. Uh they had career days. They had uh dance performances and dance programs. Um, and uh, it was just a fantastic environment.
Reggie and I, u,, Dr. Higgins, our deputy superintendent, uh, and I got to visit all of the different summerizing sites across the district. Uh, and everywhere we went, we saw kids who were engaged in good, uh, academic and great enrichment opportunities.
So, our New York State exams just came out um across dis uh in for the city. Um so, in district 2, we did see a strong we did see strong growth uh in our ELA exams. District 2 has been the highest performing district in New York City uh
with state exams. Um and so we did see a growth in our ELA exams. We saw a slight drop in our math exams, but there are a couple of things that I do want to say about that. Of course, we're still continuing to dig into the data um and learning more about how it
is that our students performed. One of the strong things that I thought was really important to pull out, though, was the growth of our students with disabilities and our black students. These are two groups of students that have historically um performed at rates that were lower uh than the general
population of students in our district. Uh but both of those groups grow grew at almost uh grew almost five points over uh the year in our ELA exams. We also saw a big increase in the number of students and this is part of the program that we have had in place in
regard to how it is that we're accelerating mathematics learning in middle schools. So we have fewer eighth graders this year who are taking the eighth grade exam. Kids in eighth grade either take the New York State 8th grade exam or they take the algebra 1 exam.
they can't take both. So, we saw a big increase in the number of students who took the algebra exam. And of those students who took the algebra exam, 88% of them passed that algebra exam. Also, a couple of years ago, one of the plans that I put in place across the district
was to ask every single one of our um uh I'm sorry, this should say biology, not geometry. um but asked all of our uh district schools to work towards the new biology regent exam. Uh this was the first year that the biology regent exam
was in place. It was a much more rigorous exam than the living environment exam that it replaced. And in our first year, 87% of our eighth graders passed that biology exam, not geometry. Um again uh 90% of our eighth
graders participated in that exam uh representing over 1400 kids. Um so we saw uh some really really strong growth in both algebra and obviously a great performance in biology in the first
year. Um again uh growth in our ELA exam with our students with disabilities and our black students. We also saw an increase in the number of students who are taking both the New York State exam uh in ELA and in mathematics.
Our district over the past few years has seen um an increase in student population of about 1,500 students. Many of those students are students who are seeking asylum um in our city and our country. uh this year several many of those
students were eligible for the first time to take the New York State exams and so we saw an increase in the number of students who took those exams to five of of 500 500 more kids uh took the New York State ELA and mathematics exam. Um
so that was a great thing to see too and we'll continue to share more of this um throughout the uh fall. Um we also saw uh increase in number of students. We have a last year was the first year that kids took a New York State exam in
science in both fifth grade, eighth grade. Uh and we saw strong growth and the number of students who um performed a proficiency on both of those exams as well. So the work that we are doing to uh improve achievement across the district is that we're exposing all of our
students to high quality uh curricular materials. Um, we are continuing our adoption of Whitten Wisdom in elementary school, a student of mathematics in middle school. We've also seen many of our elementary schools adopt a highquality uh curriculum that is
aligned with New York State standards in mathematics in elementary school. Many schools are using the illustrative math curriculum in elementary school. Another popular one is Eureka Squared. Both of those curricula are standards aligned. They are new curricula that are coming
out. We have a few schools that are still working on adapting their current curricula uh in mathematics. They are focusing a lot on building Whiten Wisdom. But we think that more of our elementary we are encouraging more of our elementary schools to work towards Eureka squared or illustrative
mathematics uh in elementary school uh because those are great curricula that we want to make sure all of our students have access to. Um, we also have a bunch of new teachers who are coming to District 2. We've hired an additional 127 teachers uh to
our teacher core, bringing us close to 200 teachers in District 2. Uh, we know that many of them are early on in their career. We've also um hired new teachers from um other uh districts, from charter
schools, from private schools. Um we are working toward making sure that they have the skills that they need to access uh the curriculum and to support a diversity of students in the core curriculum. But we're also working across all of our districts, all of our
district schools to establish um homogeneous opportunities for learning, learning in in homogeneous groups. Um, many of you have maybe heard about uh a program, a win period or an enrichment period that teachers and principals have added to their school program. The win
period is this opportunity for learning in a homogeneous group. It is not throughout the school day. It's intended to be like one period a day where kids really have the opportunity to build skills. Uh and then we're also working hard to make sure that parents and families are
informed of these new uh learnings. Last year we started um a uh a district-wide program of professional uh workshops for families around the wooden wisdom curriculum. We are looking to expand that those opportunities uh in both for
both illustrative mathematics and Eureka squared throughout the year. Um so be on the lookout for that. Uh a quick update. Um we are very close to being fully hired uh for the 2526 school year. We are still missing a few
teachers across our schools in high need areas primarily um that is special education teachers in our district. Um special education teachers make up the bulk of vacancies that continue to exist in our district, but we still have a month ahead. Uh and we're working to
fill those before the start of the year. Um, but we are in pretty good shape and I'm also really happy to say that all of our teach all of our brand new principles have fully hired for their schools. It's one of the things that we are keeping an eye on to make sure that those new principles uh were set and
ready to go. Again, the teachers who are new to our district 2 schools, many of them came in through the open market, but we also have hired from charter schools, private schools, uh, and a few people who are new to teaching. Um, I've heard a few stories of people who have moved to New York City uh for the very
first time to teach. Um, and that's really, really exciting. Um, it may just be that uh those stories aren't on the top of my mind, but it's exciting to have new teachers who have taught in other cities coming to New York to teach our students. So, we have a new class uh sorry, we
have a new uh law around cell phones. This is called the bell. the bell uh internet accessible devices. Um just to let people know um a few different things about this. You are going to be rece if you have not yet, you are going to be receiving a letter uh from your
school detailing the plan uh that they're going to use to comply with the law around cell phones and internet enabled devices. One thing that is um that we've done as a city to make sure that schools are in compliance with that
is um our legal office and the family and community engagement office work to put together a letter that every single school can adapt to make sure that it is in complete compliance with this law. So you might see a little bit of a
different introduction from the principal um talking about how uh cell phones maybe had been used in the school previously. Um but for the most part that letter is going to follow the exact same format so that it is in compliance
with the law. In the runup to uh the implementation of this law, every single school got $26 per student uh in order to um put together a program for some schools. Uh that means that they have purchased uh
yonder pouches or other devices by which they're going to collect watches and cell phones and other devices that are internet enabled. Again, this these um plans are belltobell. One thing that might be a little bit unique um from
school to school is not just the way that they are choosing to um store the cell phone throughout the year. Again, a yonder pouch is considered to be storage throughout the day. Uh just you're locking that pouch and keeping it in your book bag throughout the day. Um but
another thing is that schools have the choice as to whether or not students are going to use um their device uh during after school or not. So that's one area of choice um that each school has. Another area of choice that each school
has is in regard to whether or not students can unlock their device if they are going if their school has out lunch. Um whether or not they are able to use their device during out lunch. Um again, I've only seen a couple of these. We
don't have that many schools that have off-campus lunch uh opportunities for students. It seems like the majority of them are allowing students to uh use their device at a lunch. The these schools are also schools that use those younger coaches and they're pretty easy
to lock and unlock. Um the letter that you're going to receive from the school will also make sure that uh there's detailed information about how it is that you can uh obtain an exception for your child uh as well as how um communication will be done in case of an
emergency. Another goal that we have um which probably doesn't affect very many of you well maybe one of you um is uh that um the save for college program um the safer college program has been in place uh in New York City for for a few years.
Um, save for college is uh a partnership with um foundation money uh and um provides students with an opening account, an opening 529 account uh of $25 um for every single student. Not going
to get you uh the tuition bill uh for a first year university. Um, but the goal here is really to get those 529 accounts opened. Uh, once a family completes the paperwork to open their child's 529 account, an additional $25 is actually
added to that account. Um, and then families can contribute and also some different foundations can contribute to um, the save for college 529 account. I was at an event um last spring um at Tweed and a parent a parent from PS40 um
had done some uh fundraising in the community and decided that they wanted to uh as a part of the save for college program and she decided that she wanted to uh pay homage to her alma mart PS40 and so those funds were divided up
amongst all the kindergarters at PS40 and that amount was added to each uh PS40 kindergartener ers account. Um lots of different things like that can happen uh across the um district. We have lots of generous families um and lots of alum
who are still living here in Manhattan. And so um the safer this is a goal of ours uh to make sure that we are uh increasing the number of students who are participating in the safer college program. Uh we have some key dates in September.
Again, September 4th, the first day of school, uh there are meet the teacher nights or um fall principal conferences that are available at different grade levels. Um we are off for Roshashana and um we're looking forward to a fantastic
school year. Um our district 2 team has been working incredibly hard. Many of those workshops happening right here in this building. Um, I think we've had workshops going on in the Pexip building for hundreds of teachers across district 2 in mathematics, in literacy, in
science. Um, and we're looking forward to a fantastic year. Um, so thank you. And I'm happy to take any questions. >> Questions from the council. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Uh, but but the superintendent generally remains afterwards if you want to speak to him. Um, we'll start we'll start from the
left and we'll go right. Yeah. Gav, you have any questions? >> Um, yes, I do. We'll just go start. >> Just speak. Unmute yourself. >> Yeah, >> that would be great. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Um >> sorry, this is not going to work well.
But so my first question, um I guess I'll just start from the beginning in terms of public comments. My first question is about the is about the River School and and you know generally I mean I mean virtually always if we're hearing about something in the meeting it's not the first time we're hearing about it.
You know it's we've we've all heard about it in in other um in other you know fora we've we've talked to parents we've talked to others in the community and we've we've heard about these issues and and this also came up in our June meeting as well. Um, so we know this is
an ongoing issue and >> speak up. >> Okay, sure. Um, >> yeah, I'll take the mic up just >> so so we know that. >> No, I'm Okay, try it without it's fine. Go by
mind. Um so so one so one of the things that um just strikes me as hearing about things like the delay um in assigning a one-on-one parah which is you know um we all know is very important particularly
for students with disabilities. my own child had a one-on-one PAR for a time. Um, and so not having um that kind of service that's, you know, mandated in IEP is very concerning, particularly when we we see a recent article in like chalk beat that the um the court order
that the DOE is under for to provide special education services um you know put through by the special masters is not really in being complied with. So I wonder is there some way we can can escalate the um the um this
investigation of the issues going on at the river school or or kind of speed this up because you know school is starting in you know very very soon. And I think that you know giving um you know parents and teachers and people in the community some you know further further
news or further um you know kind of road mapap of the path forward before you know September 4th would be really helpful. I I have a few other questions but I'll give that to you. Um,
try to improve improve the situation there. There are processes around investigations. Some of that is done by our office. Some of that is not done by our office. Um we were coming up to a point where we were
a month away from the start of the school year. And I was starting to get emails and messages from lots of families who said, "We just want to know what the plan is." And so we started to communicate with the with the community
to let them know what the plan is. There I've spoken with a few parents specifically in regard to serving and supporting students with disabilities. Um there are many steps that we are putting in place. Time will tell whether or not those steps that we put in place
are both adequate um and truly work to rectify uh any kind of challenges that are there. We're working on putting into place um a family advisory committee around serving students with disabilities at the Ripper School. That is something that we have
um heard about explicitly. Uh members of our district team will be a part of that. Um we are staying very closely engaged with the River School um through any kind of challenges that the that the school is facing. Uh we're going to
remain so. Um, as I said before, we have the outline of a plan with some very specific steps that are going to take place. If those steps need to be adjusted and changed, then we will do that. If those steps prove not to be um
adequate, then we will certainly learn that. Um but our office I have informed our entire office that we are going to be engaged with the river school uh and with supporting the community. >> Thank you. I'll my my next question is
about is about um is about sock. Um I'll get the the the two big you know elephants in the room out of the way first. Um is there I I realize that that we are up against um you know the class size mandate looking at complying with
that but is there has there been any discussion with district planning with DOA central about possibly pushing um the the you know the decision about what to do whether it's merger collocation
whatnot um to 2028. Uh no because a decision like that would be made in part by families and committees from the salt community the salt school. So uh we haven't talked about any specific details other than
saying that we are going to back off of any kind of conversation around a merger. We're going to speak with senior leadership uh in New York City public schools uh when we get into the fall and the first part of the year. Um and then
we will re-engage with the salt community if that's um what uh the op if there are options there for us to um move or or any other kind of plan uh would involve the the salt community.
Oh yeah, I guess I was just thinking about about the the potential um whether if it's on the table or off the table or not is to to you know push it back from you know 2027 28 like if we could know alter the timeline a little bit that
might give some assurances to parents who you know who who started at thinking they were going to finish at all um current location. Um so I I guess my last question is uh we know that there has been a um we we've had a number of
of DOE students um so far we know of high school students who have been been abducted by by ICE um students who are in the sort of legal immigration process seeking asylum who have gone to a scheduled hearing um you know not
actually not too far from where where we are right now um only to be to be abducted and and um put into custody in in in some cases it's Pennsylvania, some cases it's Texas, in some cases they have moved, you know, through multiple states. Um the most recent one was just
a few days ago, a student um at Brooklyn Frontiers High School. And I know that the the chancellor recently, I think earlier today, this afternoon, put out a a short statement about that. And I'm just wondering what is what kind of communication is dele's
office giving to superintendents to other um school staff about those uh those students and particularly when it seems that this is a sort of a problem that is that is escalating. Um when the school year starts up again
um the central legal office of New York City public schools will meet with us again to make sure that everyone in our schools including school school safety uh and all staff members are aware of our policies and practices around how it
is that we uh address and deal with ICE or any uh non-local law enforcement that shows up at our door. Um I will say that in speaking with um our central team and learning from our central safety um
officers is that um I know one thing that is really important to our schools is that uh when um a student is arrested um when a when a family has been impacted in that way uh that um our
central team does everything that they can uh to make contact with the family, uh to connect the family with resources, legal resources, uh and to make sure that they are aware of their rights. Um this is um something with which I know
that our um legal team um has been a part of this summer. um and um have addressed uh every incidence of this in that way making sure that families are uh aware of the steps that they can take
um protect themselves uh protect their loved ones. Cody, thank you. >> Um, I wanted to quick question because, you know, our board covers elementary school, middle school, and having just did um I think we did 14 middle
schoolers. Uh, that's a lot. Every every one of them already had a cell phone policy in place. Are there any middle schools that we have that don't in district two? Um maybe I I don't know if you can
answer that off. >> They all had a cell phone policy, >> right? >> Um but maybe not a bell to bell >> maybe not a bell to poly. Uh and almost all of our middle schools were also using these yonder kind of pouch. >> Yeah, the yonder pouches. Okay. So this are you are you foreseeing this being
any sort of issue in the middle school arena? I know the high schools seem like it could be more difficult to implement, but is it more straightforward in the in the middle school arena? >> Yeah. Um, in our schools, I do not foresee this to
be a problem. Uh, our schools are almost entirely in compliance with what the law states. Um, and our one high school also uses younger poaches as well. uh in a couple of the grades. Um the juniors and seniors now have to also um use those
younger pouches previously. Um yeah, I think it is just I mean watches were not previously um collected. Um other devices it was just it was just cell phones. So there will be some small tweaks but I don't foresee it to be a big deal.
>> Um I think that's all I had. I I do just want to quickly say that um I I I does everyone at the river school uh and you said you've been in close contact with all of them. Do all the teachers and the PA members know how to get in touch with
your office with continued concerns or um I guess just hoping that you there's some leazison support because as I know this is an ongoing investigation and it's difficult to you can't tell us everything that's happening but I just want to make sure that everybody knows
who they should get in touch with especially I mean we have a lot of people who are speaking up and putting themselves out publicly which I know can be really scary. So, just want to make sure that everybody from your office is communicating with them in a way they all know how to get in touch with you. That makes sense.
Um, I think so. And I also I mean >> Okay. Um, >> no, that's okay. My cell phone is on there, too. Uh, and I'm putting faces to names cuz um I haven't spoken with you
all uh in um in person before. But um yeah, I mean my hope is that um the large number of families and staff that have um come together um make this
an easier thing to share concerns. Good point. Not everybody, right? >> No, I pretty much cover what I wanted to, but one question I had and this came up when I sat in on a parent coordinator
interview for a D2 high school. Um, will there be any guidance in terms from central in ter or from the district in terms of giving exceptions on the cell phone policy for students with disabilities?
because I know that I've heard I know people who have had experiences already that have been challenging when their child uses one for for a disability. >> Um yes, the law clearly states that um exceptions for students with
disabilities um are permitted. Um, and if it's I we've made sure to let schools know that if they need support with um how it is that they codify that exception that we we will do that. Um I don't think anybody wants to get in
the way of uh making sure that students have access to the technology and resources that they need in order to access core curriculum and thrive in school. I only have one question, but it has 37 parts, 14 subp parts. No, I'm only kidding. I'm gonna let the my my two
colleagues hear and then I'll go I'll go last. Danielle, I think you have a question. >> Okay, I have many questions. I apologize. I feel no need to speak at every meeting. I'm only going to speak when I feel my fellow council members haven't asked. So, um, on the task force, I mean, I have many concerns
about this data. I have written extensively. I'm treating as preliminary but you mention we have strong growth in reading and slight drops in math. So the highest growth that we have in reading for district 2 this year is 9.8 on fifth
grade which is great. Again I hope the data is correct and we can all celebrate this gains. Uh we have a drop of 17.2 in level three and four for eighth grade math. So that's not a slight drop. Um, I would love to know if you have already
what's happening with eighth grade. Is this like I already know when I'm going to high school, so I don't care about test anymore. We have this problem in 12th grade as well. Um, and we only have like 337 more students taking the the the
state test this year in district 2 and not a lot more. I mean, 100 more in 8th grade. So I don't know if that's the problem that we just had an influx of new students that you know might be really behind and so could not do so well in this test. But what what what
happened here in eighth grade math? >> Um so part of the shift to illustrative math was to make sure that starting in sixth grade our students were exposed to an accelerated curriculum so that we could get more students to take the algebra regions exam. more students took
the algebra regent exam uh than had previously taken it. Leaving students who did not take the algebra regions exam, those were generally our students who were not as high performing uh who took that um exam this year. >> So you >> we took we basically took the highest
performing students out of that pool of students who are taking the eighth grade math exam and they are now taking the algebra exam. >> Correct. Okay. So that you think that explains the big draw? Well, well, we the northern Yes, I appreciate your >> it. Yeah. No, I just want to I just
wanted to clarify that. Um, so on the river school, um, I just want to put a word of caution. I am not familiar with all the details, but it's my fifth year the council. Uh in my opinion, your office has been slow in some cases of
failed leadership in other schools and that have put um students physical safety in real danger and um I think it has damaged the schools that you know they might they will never recover. So I think my only word of caution and I understand that there are processes that
are US contracts, there are principal contracts and everything is to be respected. I understand is a big bureaucracy but um I really think we need to take this seriously and and follow the process and when there are problems with leadership like they need
to be dealt very seriously. So that's my only word of caution. um for the sol community and the question of PS40 and Morton um my question is it's well first I mean we all know this law it's horrible it's
expensive it's not possible to be implemented your rage should be direct at our state lawmakers who pass this law we all said this is never going to happen like it's not it's literally we don't have space even with the huge drop of number of students um you know there
are many other schools that are in the same situation. Navidid, wait until they cut seats at the SHSAT schools. Then you're going to see how angry people are going to get. Uh because the reality is that the vast majority of over over
fully enrolled schools in our districts are the highest performing schools. It's the schools where everybody wants to be. The schools that are empty in our school in our district uh in our city are low performing. Nobody wants to be there. And so that's why they have low class
sizes. But that aside, if you want to read the minority report, this the the coalition of parents have put this out saying that this law is just going to cut seats in the schools where everybody wants to be. This what's happening with saw this is going to happen in many
other schools in our district. This just the first case that we're going to see over the next years implementing this law. Um my my big question is if literally there is no way that those two schools can be in that same building and uh you know
and I understand that PS40 is a zone school. So you need to guarantee that everybody who lives in that neighborhood and that zone needs to have a kindergarten seat. Um you know I think the solution will not make everybody happy like including me. I have a third
grade. I'm also looking for a middle schools hopefully finding one good in the district. So, um my only concern is that we're talking about merging like a blue ribbon school that is high performing when we have huge problems of middle school in our district with a
school that is literally like slowly dying because it's a school that has lost twothirds of enrollment in the last five years. Um so I don't even think that that should be on the table a merger like we need to preserve the high
performing schools in our district. Uh we are you know losing middle school students who and families who like really want high performing schools. So I really hope that we don't be suicidal in the district and try to like merge a
school that is clearly not performing who has lost twothirds of enrollment with a school that as you said like there are more people applying to than than los than than have seats. So I just really hope that we and again I
understand I don't envy your position or people at the pep who are going to have to find a solution. I am sure that nope not everybody's going to be happy with the the solution but I really hope that we preserve you know uh the seats that are being demand where there is demand
where where families in our district actually want to go to. So that's all I have to say. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Actually all of my questions were answered somehow my colleagues >> as well. Uh I just want if you don't mind to meet with the parents uh river
school parents after this meeting if you guys don't mind and we have just one question maybe outside this agenda. Uh what is the position of the department of education on uh foreign language uh as a regular class in elementary schools um foreign language in elementary school
right now is um it's an option for our schools. Yep. Um and um so I think that um we have schools that have expressed interest in building foreign language programs. Um I do think
that there's going to be a lot of uh challenges around programming that schools are going to need to figure out in the next couple of years um to make sure that they are coming into compliance with class-siz law. I think that there are um in especially in
schools that um are underenrolled uh expanding um foreign language programs, dual language programs is one of the ways in which we're looking at um the possibility of um expanding programs and options for families.
>> Thanks. And most of my questions are answered. I just going on to the the Sulk 75 Morton one part of the equation which we haven't really spoken about is uh Salt's neighbor or cohabitant uh PS4
>> PS40 and I just want to talk about that and just get an understanding as to what is their situation. I my understanding is they were one of the few elementary schools that did not apply did not apply
for the class size funding this year funding this year because they weren't able to because they are at capacity as well. And what would happen if you got the extension from class size till 2028 or beyond from SALK? How would that
affect 40? Would that have to happen in conjunction because you or would that mean that 40 then has to reduce its enrollment to comply with the class size law? You know, so I'm trying trying to understand where 40 fits in with all of this at this at this time.
>> Um only about half of our elementary schools applied for the class size reduction uh money. um about half across the district. So half elementary, half um I do think that um
families whether it's PS40 or other communities where um the principal did not see currently see a pathway for being able to implement class size. Um you know there are concerns that are growing in those communities. I I will
just say one of the rules by which we are the policy rules by which we are currently abiding and working to implement this policy is that we are not reducing the total number of students who are
enrolled in the school the previous year. We're rolling that over to the following year. So we can't build a program of class size reduction that reduces the total number of students who are in the building. Um, I'm not exactly sure what
different ways both city and state policy makers might uh take to try to help schools come into compliance with that law. And then one other question is to your knowledge and I know some parents are talking talking to the
elected officials about this but in the general surrounding area of Sulk so town east village etc within the D2 confines you have to have it within D2 confines is there any available space that you know because I believe when when we
spoke to sea I spoke to sea I don't know a few months ago about something and we talked about new buildings and to start to decide say I want to put a new something in a new building that's 8 to 10 years by the time you find it get all the approvals get the neighborhood cuz not everybody wants a school on their
block then get it then at that point that's at the point at which they start doing plans and then the building and then there's problems with the building because it's New York City contractors and everything takes twice as long. So that could be an 8 to 10 year process. Are there any buildings that on the east
side that you know of now? And I'm not saying that you know every building because you don't. None of us do. But that you know of that actually could be a temporary home for the next 8 years or whatever if we move if we kept salt on the east side. Um, I don't um I don't know of any
buildings that are currently owned or leased by New York City public schools uh or by the city uh that would be available for a 400 seat um middle school. Um but there are there are many
people who are uh looking at different options. um people who are here uh people who are elected officials um and I know that people are going to continue to explore that. >> Okay. >> Related.
>> Um as a a west cider um there are considerably more middle schools on the east side like most of them are on the east side or lower Manhattan. So I I would hope that if we are looking at space to look at district 2 as a whole
because there are certain pockets of our district that have no middle school representation at all. Midtown specifically pretty much nothing. Um Upper East Side has a lot. Over by Sulk has a lot. and parents on the west side,
you have to think about sending your kid literally down all the way to South Street Seapport to get to some um some option. So I I would hope that you know I I think the important thing that we're hearing is that this is nothing has been decided and I hope everybody you know
goes back because we all we know all know the rumor mill and our WhatsApp chats. uh nothing has been decided, but I do hope that obviously we want to listen to everyone, but we do need to I do think we need to take into consideration where most of the middle
schools are and they all seem to be in the same places. So, that's just something to think about if is there any sort of way that they do look at it in terms of the whole district because unlike elementary schools which are zoned, if you live in on 59th
Street, you're zoned schools in the West Village. So that's not really a zone. I mean, it is a zone school, but it's not a community school for you. You know, you're still it that's further away than a lot of the other schools. So, just something to think about if there's any sort of consideration for that.
Um, I guess I'll just point out what I think Craig pointed out, which is that any kind of reasoning or planning in that kind of way is a CC function. Um so they come your way. We'll see. >> Okay. >> Go ahead. One more.
>> Go ahead. Yeah. >> Um are there are there any dying schools in district 2? >> Dying. >> Dying schools. >> Define dying. Define. >> So so um so so the the reason I asked that question is just because I I don't
believe there are dying schools. I think that, you know, schools are made up of communities of of of parents, of students, of of educators. And if we if we if we harm a school, if we stand up here and say that that a school is dying, we will kill it. So, let's let's
let's not say that. >> You don't have to comment on this one. I think you shot. Okay. Thank you. Uh thank you, Superintendent McGuire. And if you can send me that presentation, we'll get it up on the website in the next day or two. We al I also generally put on the on Facebook if any of you are connected on Facebook um and and Twitter
or X or whatever it's called these days. Um so uh as I me as we mentioned earlier, we do not have a quorum tonight. So we cannot consider resolutions. I do want to apologize on behalf of the council that we don't have a quorum. We did not expect this to happen. There were some last minute
illnesses of council members or council members kids. So, so unfortunately, you know, we intended to have a full full full group. We also are missing uh the two borrow president appointees. They have not been announced yet who they are. So, uh we hope to have that soon as well, but uh the quorum is seven no
matter how many people how many seats are filled. Uh so, I do apologize and we'll we'll hold off on the uh resolutions until um next next month. Um we don't have committees, so there's no report of committees that we could do. What I would like to do and
and to create a committee at the CEC, you need a vote, an actual vote. Uh so we can't do that tonight because we can't take votes. However, there are some changes to our bylaws remote various changes to bylaws that I've spoken to some council members that are
of interest. And what I I don't want to delay that because what happens is when you when you have a bishop proposal that's you have to present it at a meeting and then you vote on it at the next meeting. So you you were already a couple of months away. So I don't want to lose that much time. What I'd like to
do and I'd like to gauge the council's okay with this or council's sentiment is informally say we have a bylaws committee and we just have a meeting. Now bylaws committee does not make any decisions. They just basically compile and then the the then that's compile
recommendations and that's presented to the uh CEC at the next uh calendar meeting. So we just have a by we we have a bylaws committee whoever wants to come comes and this way we can be in a position where we can recommend or present changes uh to the bylaws in the
September meeting. Again the bylaws committee does not it will not make any decisions outside of you know compiling everything. There's no there's no decisions. It's actually just a a functional uh committee. Is everybody can we do that? Can't we do this anyway
without >> We could, but what I'd like to do is have a have an actual B. I' I'd rather not spend hour spend, you know, an hour debating everything and putting things up at a at a calendar meeting. I, you know, and then have you present things and Daniela present things at at a
meeting. you know, we hopefully can consolidate one one set of changes and we can vote on individual changes, of course, but I'd like to actually present it and have a you know, an inform a meeting to do that. >> I mean, I I
we all have to vote on it. >> We all have to vote on and we don't vote at the Bible edit committee meeting. I just want I want to have a meeting in between before the next meeting to do it so fast >> so we can f so we can present it at the next meeting and like move move forward on things because otherwise we lose
another meeting >> and because our meetings tend to be long and that we get correct and our meetings tend to be long. >> I'm not going to go into why and this way we can spend time on doing that and we can discuss why people think changes are need what changes people want and why and we can have that conversation.
So is that okay? Okay. Okay. Um and that would be it. So we would we would uh I'm going to move to adjourn the calendar meeting. Uh any objections? Well, we can't vote. Any objections? Okay, the calendar meeting is adjourned. We still
have to go through the working business meeting. So council members can just stay for a couple of minutes. Want to thank everybody uh for coming tonight. Again, I apologize we do not have a quorum. Um I know uh Russ has asked some folks to stay. This will be pretty this
will be pretty quick. So if you can bear with us but if you're leaving if you could leave in so this way we can conduct our business so we can leave quietly. Thank you. >> Okay. You want to >> Yes. >> So I'm going to call this working business meeting to order for CEC2. It is 8:17. Uh we're going to do a call to
order. >> Okay. Um Allison Bowen Allison Bowen is excused. She sent an excusal in. Gloria Chu is excused. She sent a She sent an excusal in. Daniellea Egarov.
>> Say here. Danielle Edgarov is here. Gavin Healey >> here. >> Gavin Healey is here. Aaron Carr >> here. >> Aaron Carr is here. Cody Linquist >> here. >> Uh Cody is here. Am I saying that right by the way? Okay. Thank you. Uh Russ Mavanov >> here. >> Russ is here. Tamara Reed. Tamar Reed is
not here. Sabina Serenise. Sab Sabina Sarin sent an excuso for medical reasons. Uh Craig Slleskin is here. So we do not have a quorum. Uh the >> she has to send she didn't send anything
in asking. She has to send it to me. >> Oh, maybe >> she can do it tomorrow. Tell her to tell she can do it. She she has she can do it tomorrow. >> Yeah. >> Well, I'll try to figure out you're supposed to send what to >> for now. It's the inter >> it's we'll figure out it'll play that stuff out. Okay. The only thing I wanted
to talk about well two things um meeting dates and leaison. So meeting dates what we did last last term was we met on the third Wednesday of every month. Are people okay with that? Forget about next month. We'll talk about next month in a second. >> So it's I looked it up. There's a couple
>> and we move we move them to the we move to the week before or after if it's if there if it was like spring break or something. Um is people are people generally okay with the Wednesdays? Yes. >> Okay. Next month, the third Wednesday, I at least for several schools, I don't know if it's for every school, but for
for every school that I've asked, happens to be elementary school curriculum night. So, can and can we agree not to do it next the third Wednesday of next month? So, this way we can have the maximum participation. I don't want people to feel they have to choose between curriculum night for
their kid, parents and council members. Um, >> so that would be >> it would be the 10th because we the Wednesday Well, we can do the the Wednesday after is where there's no school. We could do it the Wednesday before. We could do it the Tuesday before. I mean, it doesn't have to be Wednesday, but you know, I want to just
keep it Wednesday's fine. >> Wednesday the 10th. >> Yeah, it's totally it works for me. I can do the 10th. Can we revisit this? >> Like plan the third Wednesday. That's fine. But revisit >> Yeah, that's fine. That's totally fine. Yeah. No, that's totally fine. That's
totally fine. And we're not 10th is 23rd. We Well, absolutely. It makes a lot of sense. >> September 10th. >> September 10th will be the next meeting. >> I can do. >> Okay. And then uh I've spoken to you for spoken to a few of you in this. I think it's clear that you know we have a lot
of work to do with some of our schools, River School, Salt and Morton. And I'd like to start to get the liaison schools set. What we did last time and I actually went back to the notes. I went back to the videos as well. Everybody gave Len up to six choices. Um, and then
Len and I put together uh a matrix that we presented and at the meeting we said, "Is everybody okay with it? If anybody is not okay with it, please let us know. Please let Len know." Nobody did. I asked Len. I'd like to start doing that. So, I'd like to send out the list of all school. What I will do is I send out a
list of all schools and then you can choose up to six. If you don't care at which schools, you don't have to put say, you can put zero. I think someone put two schools. It worked. It wound up working out well last time. Most people got well everybody got at least two. I think somebody bunch of people got four
of their schools. So can we >> just clear the decision is being made next month. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> I'm going to present I will present a recommendation and then people will can decide. You can decide >> and you can't put your children to school. So, so last last time what we
did was actually we gave our book up to Len and then Len and whoever decision as the president on the for example I I didn't get most of the schools that I asked. >> You're right. US. >> Um, so I think that we should wait till
we have I mean we can we can put in our preferences but there be no decision made until we have first of all we have an elected officer so we don't have a person. >> So we have two people who have not have a chance to put their so I think that any decision needs to be
made once the new officers and once >> we may not have officer we don't know that we'll have officers in the next meeting. We may have I mean there are CEC's that went a year and a half without officers because they they were at deadlocked. Um it was not at at the meeting and I listened to the video you
can watch the video. Len specifically said if anybody doesn't like what they have please let me know. This is not set in stone. You can listen to the video. It's inctom. >> So so first of all I never had a chance to um if I if I had told I didn't like
something changed it. Len would have told me to fly a kite. >> You don't know that. You don't know. You don't know that. You don't experience. Um, but the other thing is that Len had been elected president by the full council and we had our bur president.
>> Well, so we will have our I'm assuming we will have our burough president appointees before the before the next meeting. We wouldn't do a matrix until everybody gets to choose. I let's say we get the bur president appointees in two weeks. We'll ask them as well. We're not going to make any decisions until
>> send proposed just sending the we don't have to >> it won't be final until we actually have a president we can vote but at least >> we can start a process >> I don't think any decision should be made I think this is just like getting
prepared >> yeah getting ready for when we have >> okay yes >> everybody happy okay Um and and that's it. So we are adjourned for the working business meeting. It is 8. Oh, go ahead.
>> We had mentioned when we talked on the phone or when we had our meeting with um >> the small group meeting that if should we discuss like a list of schools that have good tech that we could like rotate between? Would that be helpful for you? I know that's >> why don't we wait until the next meeting
and we'll see who the >> Okay. You figure out >> we figure Victor Victor works on out. Okay. Okay. Um, and that's it. Thank you. >> Thank you.