Good evening everybody. It is Thursday, October 16th at 6:14 p.m. We are going to start the SEA Council and Special Education's special meeting. It is a special meeting to do interviews for candidates we have for the citywide
council on high school appointment which we have available. So I just wanted everyone to know that. So first order of the day. Good morning S or good evening Susie. Morning poof. Uh we are so first order uh is going to
be the interpretation team. interpreters, can you please introduce yourselves and then we'll do roll call and then we'll start with our first interviewee and that will be Kim. Kim, you'll be up first, but let's we need to go through the uh interpretation roll call. Uh Spanish, can you please start?
>> Yeah. Yes. Thank you. Gracias. Thank you so much. And Mandarin, please. Mandarin. >> Hi, good evening. The following message will be in Mandarin. Thank you. The mandering uh
interpretation line services uh is done. Announcement. >> Thank you so much. Really appreciate it. All right. Um could you also put your contact info in the chat box so everyone can see that? Thank you. Rose, can you please do
roll call? >> Yes. Good evening everyone. Francesca Pereira >> here. Here I was thinking >> here. Dr. Sai,
>> she'll be on at 6:30. June. Heather >> here. >> Mark >> present. >> Dr. Melissa is also on her way in. Ron
>> here. >> Maggie >> present. >> Susie >> present. >> And Irene is excused for today. Okay, we are at quorum. Thank you
everybody. So what we are doing today is we are going to be doing interviews. We have five candidates for the CCSE appointed position to the citywide council on high school CCHS. So we have given we have allotted 10 minutes for each candidate. Um we have
three questions we're going to ask each and every candidate. Before we get started though, we'll let each candidate have two minutes to introduce themselves or up to two minutes. So, we'll need timekeeper to please keep track of the time. Um, and so that's how it's going to go. Once we get through the
interviews, um, we then will adjourn the special meeting, go to the calendar meeting. So, by by the time we actually get to the vote, um it's going to be around 7
30 7 to 7:30. I just want to give everyone a heads up on that and we'll repeat that for each candidate. So, Kim, just want to give you a heads up on that. Okay. Um so, Kim, are are you ready and available? >> I am here and I'm ready and I'm
available. Hopefully, you can hear me. >> We can hear you, Kim. Welcome. First of all, Kim, thank you for applying. Really appreciate that. So, our council members all have your two pages of your document. You have to fill out the the the information that just says you have
a a child in the school and then your candidate statement. So, those are the two pages we have. So, it gives us a little info with the candidate statement. We'd love to know a little bit more about you. >> Absolutely. >> If you can give us about two minutes and just give us, you know, who you are and then we'll have three questions for you.
>> Great. Well, I'm I I'll probably repeat a few things that are in the candidate statement as well, but my name is Kim Bernie Brooke. Um, I have been a New Yorker for over 20 years. I have raised two children. Uh, both of them have had
IEPs and navigating special education for both of them. My oldest is now in college, 21 years old, and my youngest is um now in high school at Brooklyn Collaborative Studies. um both of them have had various different challenges in the classroom and one of the things that
I was very adamant about as a parent was to ensure that my their peers and the families of their peers the parents knew what special education was about. It's not about se segmenting those students
but it's really giving them the most appropriate education environment possible for them. And so that was really important to me when I served on the SLT at my children's uh elementary school which was PS 107 here in Brooklyn. I worked with the special
education liaison to do sessions that actually invited families in to help them educate to educate them about the special education process and what it meant. There was a lot of um hesitancy for families to have their student their
child in the ICT classrooms. They thought they weren't as rigorous as the regular classrooms. And we really work to dispel that to say, look, you're going to have two adults in the room. You this is actually a good thing for your child as well. Um and it's about differentiated learning at the end of
the day, which most teachers should be able to do ultimately. Um, I also identified late um as ADHD. I was um medically diagnosed when I turned 50. I had a realization that wait this sounds
a lot like me. Um, it took me a lot of years after my children were diagnosed. Um, and so with that, it has really given me a different perspective in terms of the accommodations that could have helped me um, as a student, as a college student, and also in the work
environment. >> Kim, we're at time. >> We're at time. Great. >> Yep. Thank you. >> Sorry, I should have put a timer. >> It's all good. It's all good. All right. Who would like um, from the council, who would like to ask the first question? >> Council members, who would like to ask
the first question? All right. Heather. >> Um, hi, thanks for coming. Um, could you give us a brief rundown of why you want to be a part of the CCHS, uh, as a representative of the CCSE? >> Yes.
um as a representative part of the CCHS is that it has an impact on all of the citywide high schools obviously and being part of that community especially as an advocate for those with special education and have different needs within those within a school environment
having that voice there and an advocate there is something that I'm really passionate about and helping to bring another perspective to the table often times families will come in and they have a very narrow identity or identification of what education should
be. And for me, we need to open up that lens because education can take on a lot of different parameters and a lot of different uh ways of how it can actually manifest for a child to learn. And this is where I would really lend my
voice, my experience, my expertise um especially even being in as an industrial and organizational psychologist focusing in on those things and how do we bring that together because it's not just one environment works for every single student.
>> Thank you. Second question, Susie, you want to do it? >> Sorry, hold on. um what do you think is the important issue affecting special education and what you are going to do to impact it if you are on the CCHS
based on what your position entails. >> Yes. So, one of the biggest issues right now obviously is the des the decimation of the federal department of education um and the funding cuts
and that is going to hurt our children. ensuring that they have a free appropriate public education, ensuring that idea is actually implemented and that they are getting the needs met even
through high school. I have heard from parents who have been advocated their students in middle school were told they're good, they don't need the IEP now, which is such a disservice to those families and to those students. a
student with autism is autistic for their entire life. So, this is something that I think is really important is that we need to make sure that parents are not actually being convinced to move their child out of an out of special education
uh because they're afraid of a stigma. And some of these stigmatizing ideas and ideologies are actually coming from a lot of the parents and the voices that are the loudest in the room. And this concerns me.
>> And so this is where I would actually be an advocate. Sorry, just to come back to your question again, ADHD brain, but being a parent advocate like making sure that we eliminate the stigma that special education students are not
something to put away in a closet, but they actually enrich everyone's life >> and bringing that in. And that's important. And so just really being an advocate for those needs and those students needs. >> Thank you. And third question, who wants
to do that? >> Ron, you want to do third questions? >> Hi, how are you, Kim? >> Hello. So can you provide an example of part time where you represent an issue pertaining to the IEP community and how
you navigate the space of the DOE a school district office towards solution and what was the outcome of that? >> Yes. So, as a as a parent with two children with IEPs, the first was really
my youngest had was part of the special education in preK and the pre-K special education system and received speech therapy which helped tremendously. When they were when he was entering in kindergarten, they wanted to actually
take away his IEP. And I said, "Wait, there's other things going on here." And I really advocated for my child in this case because I said look we need to actually bring this forward and keep doing you know I need to keep him in this in special education because there's something else going on and they
listened you know this is something that I'm very that is very important to me I have so in terms of working with the district office specifically a lot of my experiences are really on the personal level and having these issues that are on the personal level and just really
making sure that my child and my children were receiving the supports they needed for their educational needs as well as working with other parents who were going through similar challenges and h coaching them through their IEP meetings
and things that they could talk about and advocate for for their children as well so that their children would receive the services that they needed to be successful at at that level that they were capable of being successful. And so it's really on the personal
level. However, just based on my professional experience and other work that I have done, I have um you know brought issues to other places as well beyond just in the school system.
>> Thank you, Kim. >> Yeah, >> Kim, I want to thank you for we want to thank you for your time. We want to thank you for applying. Um, that's the end of the questions that we have for tonight. >> Great. >> Um, just full transparency, it's going
to be ballpark 7:30, 7:45ish before we even get to a vote. >> Okay, >> no problem. And, um, just just in terms of protocol, am I allowed just can I say and listen to the other candidates or is it >> No. Um, yeah, you can say no.
>> Okay. >> Um, >> great. >> We have one more two more questions, I think, actually. So, Papa >> Susie, you had a question. So, yeah. So, sorry, Kim. >> No worries. >> Yeah, Kim, I'm sorry about that. I just
wanted to find out if you believe you are an independent person and if you succumb to pressures from others in a working environment. >> I'm a very independent individual. Um,
this is actually some of the places that I've bumped up against. um even advocating for things problem solving within the work environment where I have had managers or peers who believed one way and I had another sort of uh idea
and I'm like wait no this is not going to be the solution for us going forward this is something we need to we need to reconsider this and go back to the table um I stand very firmly in my values my two primary values are integrity and trust so I work to make sure that I sit
in my integrity. I do not want to step out of that and I make sure that I am solid in my own belief system and my grounding. I am always open to listening and if I hear a rational
prob reason to make adjustments to my beliefs, I will take that in and I'll grapple with it. And if I do need to make an adjustment, I will. Um, but I am very firm in who I am.
>> Thank you. >> Yeah, >> Heather, one last question, Kim. Sorry. >> No, of course. Of course. >> It's just basically yes or no question. Have you ever attended a CCHS meeting? >> I have not attended. Well, actually, I may have. I'm just trying to remember
all of the meetings that I had attended um last year and they were probably some that I have attended. >> Great. Thank you. We understand everyone's got a million meetings in DOE land, right? >> Yes. And I am just now for some reason it's all kind of clicking in terms of oh
wait, this is what this does and this is what this does and getting it all pieced together. So thank you >> again Kim. Thank you so much. really appreciate you applying and your all your advocacy >> that you have and will be doing in the future. Thank you so much. >> Yeah, thank you.
>> Great. All right. Yeah, Rose, could you let Cindy in? >> Good evening. Good evening, Cindy. How are you? >> Hi. Good evening. I'm good. Thank you. >> Good evening. So, Cindy, I just want to
go over a couple of things just so you know what's what's going to happen tonight. Um, we are interviewing you for the citywide uh council of high schools. Um, it's one of the positions that CCSE gets to appoint. And so, we have five candidates
we're interviewing tonight. Each candidate is going to get approximately 10 minutes. U, we're going to give you two minutes to do an introduction and talk about yourself. Um, we do have your application. Um, and they gave us the I think it's the first two pages or page three and four. It's the one that lets
us know you have children in the DOE and then gives your your candidate statement. So, we have those two pages and that tells us a little bit about you, but we certainly want to know a little bit more about you. Um, and then we've got five questions we're going to ask you. And
one second, I'm sorry. Okay. Okay. And Susie, if you need interpretation, please uh let us know. Um interpretation is completely good to use. So otherwise u we will ask away.
But we'll start. And first of all, thank you for for applying. We really appreciate you stepping up and and and stepping out. It's it's it's always a a a risk throwing yourself out in the fire, so to speak, but really appreciate you doing that. So, thank you and for all the candidates. It takes a lot of
guts to step up. So, thank you. >> So, two minutes. Why don't you talk about yourself? >> Yeah, sure. Um yeah, good evening everyone. Um, my name is Cindy Chen and I'm I'm very honored to be sh um to why
I hope to serve at the um CCSE representative on the citywide council high school. Yeah, I im immigrant to the US in 2006 while I was pregnant with my daughter Grace. And during the
pregnancy, doctor discovered she had a heart uh tumor and later she was diagnosed with tubers gross, a condition that caused her tumors uh with um multiple organs because of language
barrier and miscommunication with the hospital. Grace was temporary placed in foster care. Um after months and work with ACS and the core, she finally came home at 7 months old. So today Grace is
19 years old and attend the street 75 program at John F. Kennedy Junior School where she received a speech uh occupational and PT. Um but even with those support many families struggle to
you know ensure service are provide consistently. I also share have a younger daughter with ADHD and a 504 plan. I understand you know the range of challenges family faces special education. Uh also I would like to talk
about my work. Uh in my work as a family support coordinator with the Chinese American planning council, I've helped hundred of families assess services understand their rights and communicate effectively with the school opdic
applications. I've also worked with the fair um called family advocating for individual rights for empower parents and advocate for better support for their family and communities. Yes, that's all a little
myself. Thank you. >> Thank you so much, Cindy. Appreciate that. So, we've got five questions for you. Mhm. >> Um, so sorry about that, but uh want to want to really try to to learn what we can um before we have a vote. So, and
just to give you a heads up, our guess is the vote's going to be somewhere 7:30 7:45 because we do have three other candidates after you and we had one prior to you. So, just want to give you a framework. You can stay, you can you can go and come back, you can you can just leave. It's up to you. However you
want to do it, we will notify you after um it happens or or live. take your pick. Um, first question though, um, who's just got first question. Okay. >> Hey, Sydney. Um, could you give us a
brief rundown of why you want to be part of the CCHS as a representative of the CCSE? >> Uh, yes. I would like to you know I see a lot like um s system services very
overwhelming if especially for the uh new immigrant families I've serve many families they are um have like many challenges include like IEPs apply like a communication with the schools also
advocating for their services um even have like um passing uh issue U for my daughter also like a lady late uh lately she like several uh weeks she doesn't have a bus driver so yeah it
causes so many uh challenges to a family >> that busing is always a challenge I apologize >> sorry Cindy Ron Heather and I were talking about the busing challenges just a few minutes before we started and
busing is always a challenge. So I I it's it comment if you didn't hear it's the same com same conversation we've been having for the last five years and really you could go back the last 40 years with the DOE and probably more but >> yes it's but yeah also with my daughter
even and the school have like a not enough staff like a short nurse nurse um there's no chip nurse also my daughter have a one year only have a one time attend trip so as You know in the high school student they need a lot of life
experience go into the community and she cannot because the school doesn't have enough nurse to support her. >> Thank you. Um the next question who's got question two? >> Question two.
Susie, you got it. >> Hello. What do you think is the important issue affecting special education and what you are going to do to impact it if you are on the CCHS based on what your position entails?
>> Yes. Um for my thank you for the question for my uh self I feel like will be advocate stronger for the transition planning especially in the high school. So they after high school they will go to the real life. So also uh we we would
like to um work on like um the uh speech OTP uh so a lot of uh kids uh they are don't have the services also we just talk about reliable transportation
also um clear communication between school and family especially for non-speaking English families parents >> thank Thank you. Question three. Who's got question three? Ron's got question three. >> Yes, indeed.
>> Okay. >> Um, so can you provide an example of a time where you represent the issue pertaining to the IEP community and how you navigate the space of DOE, a school district office toward a solution and
what was the outcome of that? Yeah, thank you. Um, yes, for the uh I was uh um I don't know how to um I was like a um IEP parent support. So if I
have a family um request for the IEP meeting uh I will provide the suggestion. Uh we also will uh sit down together to review the their child's current IEP. uh if the progress is um make the
progress or not. So if not we will um discussion with parents what we can advocate for that we need to write down uh more information why their kids need more support because um in the um during the school day um they did not have any
progress. So we will support the family. Uh also we will um also I have family apply for um OPWD what like every step I will um dis
discuss with like see what step they are then what um services they receive uh at their current level is like service or not. Yeah, for the I feel is need a more communication with the school between
the parents. So it will be make it more easy for family. I'm sorry it's your question. So now >> that was great. Thank you. Um question for Susie.
>> Yes. Do you consider yourself independent and do you succumb to pressures from others? >> No. So that's my passion. I would like to uh help family as situ same situation
as my same as my job. Um I work with the Chinese my company council um the family support coordinator. So work all the um special needs families. Okay. Thank you. And our last question for you from Heather. Heather,
>> it's an easy question. Um, have you ever attended a CCHS meeting? >> Uh, yes I do. Um, it was in the virtual I was attend. >> Okay. Thank you, Cindy. Cindy, again, as
I said at the beginning, thank you for for for applying and putting yourself out there. really appreciate and really appreciate your your service to the community you provide today. So, thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> You can you Susie, you can hang around.
You can come back. You can get off whatever sign off whatever you prefer. Cindy. Yeah. Yeah. So, thank you. Really appreciate it. Okay, Rose to our next interi
Karina Garcia. >> She can't join us this evening. >> Okay. All right. >> Next candidate has not joined us yet. >> And that is Raquel >> Wils and she's on schedule to come in 6:45.
So we we are early. So >> they they did not lose their position. We have their information. They they applied. So they are still there's just no no questions that we can can ask the other two candidates.
And so we have two candidates, Karina Raquel, who are are not on or here. And that's that is their choice. Um they are still candidates. We when we go to vote they are still um the candidates. Um the
next Yes. The next is Carrie Thorenson and we starting with 6:45 but she's here early so we can bring her in. Okay.
Hi Carrie. Um this is uh First of all, welcome. Thank you for for coming and thank you for applying for the Seway Council on High School position appointed by CCSC. Really appreciate you um applying, stepping up, stepping out.
Um it's it takes a lot to do that and very appreciative. Um so I just want to give you a quick rundown. We have five candidates for this position. Um you are fifth candidate to to for the interview process. Um, so what we're going to do is we're going to give you two minutes
to talk uh to just introduce yourself. Um, we've got the information two two of the pages. She's she's on carries on. Um, we've got two of the pages. One that just gives us basic information that says you you've got you you've got someone in the DOE
um as a student and then the second page is your your candidate um information that you provided um your candidate statement. And so every council member has looked at that, but we want to little know a little bit more than just what's on the paper about you. So we'd like to give you two minutes to just
talk about yourself. Um, and then we've got five questions for you. Um, and then after that, just so you understand what's going to happen, then we're going to be adjourning the special meeting. We will then start up our calendar meeting. We've got some things
we have to go through first. Um, and then we'll we've got DOE presenters and stuff and then we'll we'll get to uh to the vote. My guess is the vote's somewhere around 7:30 7:45. It could be a little earlier or later, but just wanted to give you full transparency.
Carrie Carrie's on camera. Yes. Rose, can you Yeah. Okay. All right, Carrie. Um, so you've got two minutes to introduce yourselves. Welcome and again, thank you for applying. I know it's not easy to to step up like that and really appreciate you doing that. >> Um, great. Thank you. Um, I'm Kari
Thorensson and um I'm happy to be applying for the um uh to be on the council. Uh I I I'm going to try not to dupate what duplicate what's in my statement, but I may because I um it's been a while since I looked at that. Um
my I have a son who is um at the High School of Environmental Studies. uh he's in a junior and um you know part of my interest in um being on the council is that uh the high school process of applying
for schools is just it seems so monumental and fraught and kind of random. Um, and my son is at a school that is a great school and uh I'm impressed with the teachers and I'm impressed with uh the curriculum and I'm
impressed with how the school creates cohesion amongst um students from many many different backgrounds. Um and uh I feel that right now we're in a spot where there's a lot of uh uh tensions um
in the world and uh there's funding um issues for education especially for special education um and I want to be um supporting the schools. Um so that's sort of my interest in in helping out on
the council. And um my background is I'm a tech person. I've worked in the tech industry um for uh most of my career starting out at Microsoft in Seattle before I moved to New York. And um I've had several uh
startups that I've been involved with um that have been successful. I'm currently on my third startup um which is a health tech company and um uh just my background in tech I'm used to working with teams and I do a lot of
uh leading the product development so I work with large diverse teams of folks um and >> Barry time is up so you could just sum up your last sentence please. Okay. So, I'm used to working with uh teams and um uh moving, you know, progressing with uh
to a goal with folks. Um >> great. Thank you. Thank you. Um first question. Who's got the first question? Heather, >> I can ask. Um hi Carrie. um could you give us a brief rundown of why you want
to be a part of the CCHS as the representative from the CCSE? >> Um well because mainly because of the you know the positive experience that I have had with our high school and um I would like uh all of the high schools in
New York to be able to excel as much um as I think my son's school has excelled. Um, I think there's a lot of really good schools and uh I feel that right now with things that are going on
with funding with tech advancements that I can contribute in supporting the school. You know what a big concern for me is how is AI going to impact education and how do we keep the core um
uh the core value of what we teach which I think is creativity and executive function when you in start introducing AI which the kids are all exposed to. >> Sorry about that. >> Thank you. um what do you think is the important
issue affecting special education and what you are going to do to impact it if you are on CCHS based on what your position entails um for special education. I mean, a big concern to me right now is the um the
federal funding for special education and how that will impact um the capabilities of the New York City school um schools to provide to provide uh special
education resources. >> Okay, thank you. Third question, Ron. Hi Carrie. >> Hi. >> Um, can you provide an example of a time where you present an issue pertaining to the IEP community and how you navigate
the space of DOE, a school district office toward a solution and what was the outcome of that? Um, well, I don't know that it presented an issue to the community, but in my own
experience with my son, we felt that he was not performing at the same level of his peers when he was in second grade. Um, we mentioned it to his teacher and she sort of dismissed us.
Um, and that was it for second grade. in third grade. We mentioned it again to his third grade teacher and she immediately said, "Yes, I recognized that." And she put him into the process of getting an evaluation.
Um, I didn't know there was even a process for getting an evaluation, right? So my son didn't get any intervention in second grade because his teacher wasn't
uh interested in in you know even validating our concerns. Um so I think one of the things is in understanding and visibility for parents um that what are the services that are
available and what is the process and what are their rights in getting um at least an evaluation for their child and I think that is an issue and it really depends on the individual teacher and the individual schools. Once he went
through the evaluation process, I was very impressed with how thorough it was. And um in the elementary um school, they really stepped up and provided him all the surface services that his IEP recommended. As he got older, those
services have not been as strong. Um and in high school, it's pretty it's pretty weak. >> Thank you. Um, do you consider yourself to be independent and do you succumb to pressures from others?
>> Um, I do consider myself to be independent. Um, uh, and uh, I don't think pressures from others, but I do have experience working um, on
various boards. I was on my church board. Um, so I do have experience working with people who have different opinions and having discussions and coming to consensus um on on key issues. Um, so I wouldn't
say that I'm easily swayed, but I don't think I'm too stubborn either to um listen to other people and um adapt my thinking. >> Yeah. >> Thank >> Thank you. And last question, Heather.
>> It's an easy question. Um I just wanted to know if you've attended a CCHS meeting. >> I did attend one um last spring. So um I think the topic at that time that at that the topic at that one was
um a presentation from the um restorative is it restorative justice is it called um folks on and how they do with discipline. So, >> okay, great. >> That sounds accurate. >> Great. Again, uh Curry, thank you so
much for for applying and putting yourself out there. We really appreciate and thank you for your service. >> Thanks. >> So, you can stay, you can go, you can come back. Um we're we're probably ballpark half an hour away um before we get to the voting process.
>> Okay, great. Thank you. >> Thank you. Have a wonderful one. And for for all of our c our our candidates, thank you again for applying. Thank you for for stepping up to to serve your community. It is appreciated. Um it takes a lot to do that and and so
grateful for each of you for doing that. Um you know at this point um we are done with the special meeting. Do we have a motion to adjourn the special meeting? >> Yes. Motion to adjurnn. >> Second. >> I.
>> Okay. All in favor? I. Okay. Those abstain. All right. So, we are adjourned from this special meeting. Um, we next have the calendar meeting. So, everyone ready to start the calendar? We need a second.
All right. Um, let's get going with the calendar meeting. So, thank you everybody. Uh, again, it is Thursday, October 16th. It is 6:55 p.m. We are now starting the citywide council on special education's calendar meeting for the month of October, which
is flying quickly. Um, interpreters, uh, sorry to do it to you again, but could you please introduce yourselves and your services? Why don't we flip it up? Uh, Mandarin, could you start with introducing your service, please? Mandarin.
We can't hear you Mandarin. I'm sorry. >> Yeah, we we still can't hear. We'll we'll come back to you, >> Mandarin. Let's we we'll go to Spanish and see if we can get it working. Um so the Spanish interpreter could you introduce yourself and your service please?
>> Yes thank you so much. So we are L interpreting and some of the LIDC. Yes. Thank you so much. Appreciate it. um in Spanish interpreter, could you please put your contact info and how
they uh people our our um audience can can uh access your service one more time just in case someone new came on so they have they can see it as well. Appreciate that. >> Sure. I'm going to put it in the chat so you can go on with the reunion. >> Beautiful. Thank you so much. Mandarin
interpreter. Sorry about that earlier. Uh if you could please introduce your service. Thank you, Mand. >> Thank Thank you for your patience. Uh, good evening. The following message will be in Mandarin. Thank you. >> Thank you so much inter Amanda and
interpreter and appreciate your patience uh working through that. Um and again if you could also put your contact info in the chat box one more time really would appreciate that. All right, it is time for roll call. Can you please do roll call, Rose?
Francesca >> present. >> Dr. Sai >> Joan Heather >> here. >> Mark >> present. >> Dr. Melissa
Brown >> present >> present. >> Luzie >> present. >> Is excused. >> Right. We are still at quorum. Thank you everybody. Um
we have Suzanne Sanchez who's the chief of special education on and Johanna I see you as well. Excellent. Thank you Johanna and Suzanne for for coming. Um we wanted to let the Office of Special Education give their update um on what's
going on. After that, we will change things up a little bit and open up the public comment. Um so if anyone has any questions for Office of Special Education um or just public comment in general, we will open it up for public comment at that point. Then we will move on to the rest of our agenda and then do
public comment again and at the end of the calendar meetings. We'll have two rounds of public comment if anyone chooses. All right. So, Johanna, Suzanne, the floor is yours, please. Welcome, >> Suzanne. I don't know if you want to um go before me as I will share a lot of
announcements and updates, but I want to give our chief Suzanne Chanches if she wants to address uh the CCSE. >> Oh, thank you so much, Johanna, and thank you uh CCSE for having us tonight. Uh we are going to share a few brief
special education office announcements. Um we know you have uh your voting and some uh uh council uh business to get to. So we won't take too much time this evening. Uh but we did want to share some updates with you. Uh and I'm going to turn that over to Johanna. Thank you
so much. >> Thank you Suzanne. So I will drop everything that I'm about to share in the chat. Um so everything I'm saying I will drop links or I will provide um uh there's one that I think has a form but
um just wanted to make everyone aware that I'll talk first and then after I finish speaking I'll share links. So, the first one is our weekend academy seed launch. Invitation letters to the afterchool weekend sites were sent to 20,000 families with a home language of
English via email during the week of October 7th. Another 1,270 invitations are being mailed by the cse which are our committees on special education. The invitation letters are being translated currently into the
covered language languages for another 1,300 families. We have an Apple update. Over 550 iPads were prepared, packaged, and sent out for students via courier service. This was a great collaboration between the AT
central team and 721M staff and students who are being uh work trained. There has been a change in our D75 leadership for more than 38 years working in New York City public schools including serving as DC75
a DC D75 superintendent for 10 years. Kler Lewis's last day as superintendent will be October 24th 2015 2025. Superintendent Lewis's legacy is one of unwavering dedication and equity and inclusion and possibility. District 75
is stronger and more connected and more responsive because of the vision and care and we thank superintendent Lewis for his invaluable contributions and we are welcoming Dr. Kesha McCoy to the role of acting superintendent for Dixshire 75. Dr. McCoy has 18 years of
experience in district 75 and has served as principal at Sid Miller in Brooklyn for over 7 years. and beginning October 25th, she will step into the role of acting superintendent for district 75. We will conduct the C37 superintendent
hiring process. We look forward to actively engaging with the D75 community throughout this process and we'll notify you once the appointment is made. and our upcoming beyond access. I know a lot of you did log in uh for the Beyond Access series last month when I
conducted it uh last month. This month we are not having Beyond Access. So I wanted to note that cuz I know in my last Zoom um I said this month we moved it to November 17th. Our Beyond Access series will be Monday, November 17th
um via Zoom from 700 p.m. to 8:00 PM and the topic will be helping students stay focused and managing big emotions. Parents and families and anyone are welcome. We are going to learn how to recognize signs of attention and
emotional regulation challenges and students. We will drop the form to register for the Zoom link. Um we welcome anyone and anyone to um join our live Zoom. It also is recorded and so on our YouTube
channel you will see all our Beyond Access series probably 24 hours to 48 hours after the actual Zoom. Um so if parents miss it, we have our Beyond Access YouTube link which I will also drop in the chat as well. This Sunday is
our disability not ours but is the disabilities pride parade. It's from 11:00 a.m. to 3 pm. The parade lineup is at 10:00 a.m. where it's going to be at Madison Square Park. We will march 10 blocks. That is important as people uh
think we stay stagnant. We march 10 blocks. Students, families, and schools are invited to join us to march in this year's parade. This parade is going to use the tagline, "Love unites. We're all in this together." will be marching as one large New York City public school
system under the banner of inclusive schools. We will march with district 75, all districts, and 400 plus students, families, and staff. I will also drop the form if you would like to join us to register. This year, in honor of the parade's 10th
anniversary, we're taking a vibrant throwback in time and celebrating the past, present, and future of our culture, creativity, and inclusion. So, we're really, really excited. And after the parade from 12 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. there will be a block party in Union Square which was a lot of fun last
year. Um and Disability Unite Festival, there's a popup as well. So you're welcome to stay once the parade is over. The last but not least is our transition summit which will take place on Saturday, November 8th from 10:00 a.m.
to 2:00 p.m. It will take place in John J. College on West 59th Street. I will also drop the link for that form and thank you Mark uh for uplifting uh the inconsistencies and all the flyers that are going out. I will drop the right form after this registration is
encouraged only because we want to make sure that we have um enough things for the people that will join us that day. And so we're really excited for this transition summit because we are hosting it alongside Sunni. And at this summit,
we will empower students with interactive workshops, one-on-one consultation with families, information, and resource resources to equip families with knowledge and support that they need for transition planning. So, we're really really excited for this. I will
drop the information again after I'm done speaking, but I'm looking forward to seeing you all at all these amazing events that we are having. Uh stay tuned. There is a lot more. I only shared a couple today, the biggest ones that are coming up this fall, but there are more to come in the spring as well.
So, thank you so much, Mark, for having us. >> Oh, Suzanne, thank you so much. Thank you for for all you do for our community. Um I appreciate it. I'm going to since we're on calendar roll, I'm going to toss in a few more calendar items that happen in between those two.
So, disability pride parade is this Sunday. On the 28th of this month, the PEP has the pupil transportation committee meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Zoom. So, PEP is really focused on transportation, which has been great. Uh
they actually have a resolution coming up at their PEP meeting the next day on the 29th. The pep will be on the west upper mid su what is it 50th street I guess it's west 50th street 555 west 50th I believe I believe it is um pep has a
meeting though on the 29th they have a bunch of different things going on that relate to special education so just so everyone is aware they have a resolution actually opposing a five-year contract for busing that is a big deal um there
were people within in somewhere within government, we'll say, who wanted to do a 5-year contract on busing, and we know how bad the busing situation is right now. So, PEP has a resolution opposing the 5year um contract consideration,
which is great. Um so, really appreciate PEP for stepping up. Along with that there is a bunch of related service contracts that are up for bid which are really important because we need our OTS we need our PTs we need our speech we
need our paras it is critical so that is actually agenda item number one is the related services um there is some additional um agenda items going on as well for additional DOE lawyers which you know we need
lawyers we can actually get through with these impartial hearings However, they get settled and solved, we need families to be able to get a resolution. So, it's important that there is actually additional lawyers um involved in that is also um I think it's
number 14 for lawyers and there's one other special education thing. So, there's a lot of stuff in that PEP. Again, that PEP mean is on the 29th, the people transportation on the 28th. On the 30th, right across the park from where we are today, is the committee on
education city council hearing. So, they have some D75 stuff going on and two other resolutions. There's three topics going on. Again, that is the 30th of October 100 p.m. at city hall.
And then um November 3rd um there is our legislative committee will have their first meeting. So that'll be November 3rd at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. November 4th is the citywide
election going on. And then of course we end with November 8th with the transition summit. So it is a very busy 3 weeks of a lot of meetings, a lot of events going on and a lot of educated related stuff. And then November 6th, we have our next council meeting to toss in
there. So, there is a whole bunch of stuff going on in the next three months for everyone to be aware of. Um, now that I've yapped forever and I apologize everyone for jumping in on calendar city, um, let's go back to public comment or go to public comment. Are
there any questions, comments to the DOE staff that is here or to council? So, I'm going to open up public comment for the first time. There'll be a second time at the end of the calendar meeting, but anyone for public comment. Raise your virtual hand if you've got
anything. All right, I will jump in then. Um Johanna, you said there's 550 iPads that were allocated and sent out. What is the waiting list or is that cover all the waiting or where do we
stand on that? >> I can speak to that, Mark. And just some >> of course just some context for folks that the uh New York City's contract with Apple has been um um not active or
inactive since March last March March of 25. So as a city uh we have not been able to buy Apple products since last March. So uh we have had uh quite a backlog. approximately 2,600 students
have been awaiting uh iPads or Apple devices. So, really glad to say the first 500 and change went out. Next week, the next 500 and change will go out and by the end of October, we will not have a waiting list of Apple
products anymore. And uh so uh we appreciate everyone's patience. I do want to share that our school's chancellor put all of her weight behind getting this contract signed and registered by the controllers's office in record time.
Um, and we have been working behind the scenes with Apple to get the order uh shipped uh as soon as the contract was inked. So, we are moving as quickly as possible. Uh we also have a procession activity for our AT staff uh because
they are basically working around the clock to prepare devices that came in and ship them right out. So um if anybody knows of a family who is waiting for an Apple product, please feel free to reach out to Johanna, but I can assure you that we are moving through the list as
quickly as possible. One note, we have uh prioritized students waiting for Apple products who use the product for AAC, augmentative assisted communication. So any student who's been awaiting an iPad uh to communicate has
been prioritized um on the list, so to speak, and that's where we're starting first. >> Great. Makes a lot of sense. >> Of course. Of course. Um, with the Apple back on track, the mayor and chancellor announced last month 350,000 devices
going out to students. We heard there was a few levels of of students that were going to be focused on first. Have we heard anything yet about students with disability if they have a priority on there or not? >> We have not, Mark, and we're continuing
uh to follow up on that. Johanna, the person there is um Nadia on Shaquille on DIIT's team. Um because what what was relayed to me recently was that those those Chromebooks are being distributed in smaller batches, so they're not
coming out quote all at once. Um and yeah, so uh we will we will continue to to work on finding out information about that and we'll share an update via email next week. >> Great. Thank you. All right, Susie got
one. >> Hi. How are you, Suzanne? Very nice to see you again. >> Good to see you. We've switched places, huh? You're there and I'm not tonight. So, >> exactly. I was just going to ask um I don't know if things have changed now uh with the DOE. Are they going to be um
not only providing the schools with the devices again, the Apple products, and will they be replacing any defective items or is that going to be the onus on each school? >> Yeah. So, right, that's a such a thank
you for that question. Um, typically that's that's a school by school. Uh, so let me let me back up. If it is an assist of technology device that's recommended on a student's IEP, our central assist of technology team works
to replace or or fix sometimes uh a device. So if it's recommended on the IEP, the assist of technology team works to fix it. if it is non what we call if it is programmatic meaning it's not necessarily on the child's IEP um that
is is handled by the school to replace or provide a new device thank you any other questions comments anyone in the audience all right Suzanne Johanna thank you very much appreciate your time
>> thank you so much for having us see you next month. >> We hope to see some folks out at the upcoming events and um please beyond access is going to be a great one in November and um we appreciate I would like to just quickly if I may say Mark
and Maggie um very much appreciate um the support of this council uh and with the uh recent activities in the federal government, it feels like we need each other more and more. Um and uh
want you to know that despite any changes there, we are as committed as ever as is our chancellor to ensure students with disabilities continue to be front and center and receive the services uh that they need and nothing
is changing uh from our perspective. And um uh we need you, you need us and let's just keep working together because we have to we got to be together on all of this. So, thank you for everything that you're doing. Um, and uh, we will be in touch. Thank you, Mark. Thank you,
Maggie, very much. >> We heard you. We heard you over here because >> Yeah, we're all in this together and and appreciate all your service to all of our students and families. Thank you. And for all the community members also stepping up, we really appreciate it.
And those that can't who are just trying to get by, we we we we're with you as well. All right. Um, we are now at time for the next agenda item, which is the CCHS candidates.
So, want to go over what was transpired earlier. Just so everyone's aware, we had five candidates who applied for the CCHS role. That is a position that ends on June 30th of 27.
Um it is a role that they would be on the CCHS council as our appointee. They are not an actual member on this council but they are appointee and we would be interfacing with them to to keep keep up to date on what is going on CCHS and and
vice versa keeping them up to date what's going on in CCSE. Um, so we had five candidates um that were were amazing to step up and throw themselves in the ring and very appreciative to each and every one of those candidates. Um, we had three of them were who were
able to make um interviews tonight. The other two were not available. I know we had one who had a personal reason they weren't able to attend and uh we had another one wasn't able to make it either. But um they are still all five are still active candidates and we have
the the bios on each of them. Um at least they're candidate statements. Pardon me not a bio but they're candidate statements and it is really appreciated. I I will say in full transparency I I am so appreciative to each and every one of those five pants.
I think they're all amazing. Um the thing that stinks is that we can only do one. Um and that and that's just the reality of the situation. There's one appointee and it's not five. If we had five, I think all five of them were each brought a a unique different skill.
Looking over and hearing from from them today and looking over their candidates each bring a different skill, different mindset, a different set of experiences which frankly all are helpful. Um but you know we're at the point where we can only do one. So,
we're at that point where, you know, we'll open it up for discussion and then after discussion, we'll have a motion to vote. What's how it's going to happen from a vote standpoint is Rose will go roll call and she'll call on each individual council member. They will
name the one candidate um that they are voting for. So, you just say they're named. um we will go uh around the uh the uh the um list of council members. If we get to six then that or more that
individual is selected. If we do not get to six then we can vote to go to a second round and vote again. If we so choose we can go to a third round, fourth round etc. We decide if we want to go further. If we do it on the first one, you know, golden. Um, you know,
transparency. In the past, we've had first vote we've got. In the past, we've also had first vote, second vote, third vote, haven't got. Um, it's just how it is, you know, when you when you've got, especially in this so many qualified candidates, it makes it challenging. So, I'm going to open it up for discussion
first and then we'll ask for a motion to vote. So, for discussion, does anyone have anything they'd like to share and comment on? Uh please use the the mic just hold down the button when you talk please. Um, so my question is
for the candidate, they can be a D75 parent or it doesn't matter or it could be most the student has a IEP and it could be either or it has to be
we prefer it in the >> so for the CCHS role the requirement is they have to have a high school student with an IEP. Um, so that's that's the requirement. They can be D75, they can be D1 through
32, all all D79 as well. All those districts are fine as long as it's DOB district and a high school student. We do have another open position within the CCSC, which I'd encourage any and all of those
candidates that are not selected today, please apply. Um, it is a CCSC position for D75 though. Is that one specifically for D75? So, you have to be a D75 parent for that position. Um, we do have one applicant at this time. We do need to
call and we'll deal with that later. A special meeting to to interview candidates for that role as well, but I just want to put that out there. So, >> because one of the candidates here are descending parent also. That's why I was asking the question. >> Yep. Any other questions, comments,
thoughts, or do we want to move to or is there a motion to move to voting? If if we need a motion to to vote. What's that? >> A motion to move to vote for a candidate. >> Okay, we have a motion. Is there a
second to move to a vote? Thank you, Heather. >> Correct. >> Yes. Thank you. Thank you, Heather. >> So, can I motion to discuss? >> Okay. I have a motion to discuss. >> I second that. >> Okay. So,
>> these are public discussions, right? >> Yes, it is public discussions. >> There's nothing among us. these council these these candidates all put themselves out in the open and that's like it's tough um but so grateful for each and every one of them for for stepping up is is it's a process and and
very appreciative to each and every one of them. So, discussions. >> Okay. I'd like to um there was something that stood out to me um when candidate um Miss Kim was speaking and looking
over uh her application and her statement. Um this is something that's very interesting to me. Um mentoring with the BCS robotics team and coaching a first Lego League team. um Legos are
so big in the um you know for a lot of um students with disabilities and the learning it's just uh incredible and that's just uh great to hear that she's doing some mentoring as well. Um, and and I tell you, the Lego leagues are
just really taking off so well. And that's not even just impacting high schoolers. It's it's elementary and uh it it it really is uh outstanding to see what they are doing and uh teaching promotions and all that. It's just
wonderful. So that was a standout to me. >> Okay. Thank you, Susie. Any other discussion points? Heather? Um, I think outside of the answers to the
questions, um, my my real concern is knowing kind of how the CCHS functions as a, um, as a body, the people who are already seated on that council and really um, picking a a
candidate that um, I'm just going to be blunt is not going to let them bully them at the table and really be able to bring the voice of our students um to the
table in a way that uh can be heard. Um, I was really impressed with with Cindy's um um her advocacy work, especially in the English language learning community and her her really
what appears to be um passionate ties to her community and helping parents understand and navigate the process. Um, however, I also know that CCHS is going to be much less patient with um some of
the language um access issues and things like that as we've seen in the past. So, um it's nothing against her. It's really a reflection of the CCHS and and their lack of compassion for people who
English isn't their first language. um and their lack of compassion for students with disabilities. Um so I just, you know, I just want to highlight that I was really impressed with her interview. Um but I just think it she's going to they're going to make her
struggle there, unfortunately. Um and and that concerns me. Um, yeah. So, I just I just wanted to to bring that to the table, but like I said, I think all of the candidates were were presented really well. Um, there's a couple that
stand out for me that I'll when we vote, I'll, you know, make my my things known. I also want to notate like Karina was not able to be here. Um, Karina almost never misses a CCSE meeting. Um, if anybody is involved in any part of
special education, anything, you have met Karina. And and so I just I just want to put it out there that even though she wasn't able to attend, um, she's a fierce advocate. Um, and so I just want to highlight that. I don't know the other candidate at all. So, um,
I can't I can't speak on on on Raquel, but um, those are my opinions. And, um, thank you. Thank you, Heather. >> I just want to say I just want to piggy back off what Heather said. Oh. Um I just want to piggy back off of what
Heather said as well, you know. Um that um second language may be a barrier on that committee. And um you she may be a very good advocate and you know someone may not have the patience just
to try to hear what she's trying to say and she may be explaining it to the tea and you know and not being given a chance to be able to advocate you know so I that's one of
the downfalls um for what we going through nowadays. So and it's sad. >> Thank you. Additional comments discussion. Ron. >> Yeah. So um for the candidate Cindy um I
also had an impression about her person her own experience like Heather just mentioned about the new immigrant experience that all she has been through and I she had pretty much experienced in different matters like the new
immigrants like the uh IEP meeting that she assist with others and all the community support she had in the in in in her community based uh office like the OPWD
and and and then she also have some personal experience um bad experience about the buzzing issue. So I think she she have pretty much personal passion to understand um
the different matters. >> Thank you Ron Maggie. I say um I also want to emphasize that we do have the district 75 position open here in this council. Our concern and our
experience last term in the past have been that not so good for uh our representatives in the CCHS uh council that that require interpretation require the compassion in in that
council. Um here we we strive to make uh um to be access accessible and and have as much as language justice as possible, but uh that's not that hasn't been an our experience in the past uh with with
that uh with our members um that have gone there. So, I do want to highlight uh that we do have that uh position open uh for district 75 and um and yeah, I do I do understand uh what you're saying,
Ron, because uh I've been there. I've been there, done that. Um I know what it's like. So, for sure, but um but yeah, it's it's a it's a tough task to be in that environment, unfortunately.
But I also want to highlight um uh going back to what Susie was saying about Kim, I do uh I do I I did like her answers to the um some of the responses to the to the questions. I think that they were
poignant and I think that all of all of the candidates, but you know, please like you guys were all wonderful and professional and prepared. Um, it's just a lot of the things that Kim uh mentioned connected with me personally.
So, thank you. If anybody else wants to >> any other discussion? >> Yes, I'm going to say some things, too. Yes, because I I did um you know I I think it was important just to kind of find out um initially people's response
in terms to succumbing to uh pressures um from outside sources of people um which can create challenges and um and it's important that um we do find that candidate that right person that has
that confidence and that level of professionalism to carry through and to um be able to still perform and work well with others. And I was hearing that answer um from Miss Kim. Seemed very confident uh
strong advocator um psychologist really really good. And I also appreciated hearing from um Carrie as well because uh also another really strong independent um um you know parent and uh
and that really stood out to me as well. I'm sure she's she was sleepless in Seattle. She's definitely traveled and I and I also appreciated hearing from Cindy as well too. But I it does stand out to me the reality
of what the position entails and that type of pressure and um making sure that we're really um selecting wisely. So that way when we do select the right individual that can take on the case, we
don't have to worry about um burnout, anxiety, or anything of those of that nature. and we're just bringing in someone that can perform and we don't have to worry about having to possibly replace a little later down the road. So, I'm just kind of looking at the big
picture. Hopefully, we can uh do that. But I definitely thank all of the candidates. You guys are are are beautiful, strong uh parents, mothers. So, so we definitely thank you for your time today. Heather,
>> I just want to note to the candidates that are still online, um if for some reason uh we we don't appoint you to the CCHS, you are always welcome to come to our meetings and um you know once we get
our committees up and running, come join some of our committees um and work with our council as well. Um so uh you know we we the more the marrier. It really does take an army um to to help uh
parents navigate uh the special education system here. Um and in this term there's a little bit more focus too on doing some more macro level advocacy work at the state level. Um and now it looks like we might even need some
federal um advocacy as well. And so we're always looking for for parents that are um able to help in those capacities, even um be able to come with some of our members to Albany um to talk to legislators
um and and things like that. So um just don't don't think cuz you you're not appointed that there's not a place for you here. There absolutely is. >> The window opens,
>> Ron. Yeah, I agree with Heather was so even though um so to me these fine candidates that they're so strong and they have experience, they have knowledge and very basic points we are all parents especially with special
education. Even though tonight you are not selected but we are family. So if you have some idea some thought we are the army. So just send your thought or ideas to email to us and let us know and then we can work together.
>> Thank you. Any other discussion? >> All right, one last thing. Um I don't know if you remember Karina is Karina Garcia, one of the candidates. I know she she couldn't be here, but uh she's always giving comments. She's always asking questions. She's always involved
in the community. So, I just wanted to highlight that as well. Um, and her application as well. There are a lot of points there that you can look at and and kind of highlight. Um, so yeah, just wanted to make that note again. >> Thank you. All right. Any other
discussion? >> All right. I I'll comment at the end before we we maybe move on to the next steps. Um, again, I want to thank each of those five candidates. I mean, it's it takes a lot to to apply. It takes a lot to step up and you're all stepping up in each of your ways and it is really
appreciated. Um Kim, you start off this discussion. You talked about FAPE, you talked about idea. Um you know, the whole adventure with with preK um and really really appreciate your your feedback there. Cindy, you're
you're you're advocating um for parents on an ongoing basis. work you're doing helping with OPWD transition planning. you commented on the busing adventures. Um, you know, you you really resonated with me as well. And Carrie,
um, you know, you talked about that that second grade challenge and being dismissed and that's that happens so often and and had a case today um, of a parent who had some similar that way, older unfortunately, which makes it even harder because it's it's harder as you
get older to to really impact. Thank goodness. uh you you were able to continue advocating um for your your child and by third grade you got some support happening and and as you mentioned that support often dwindles and sometimes too fast you know we
middle school you still do need it high school you still may need it um there's an incentive to cease services before they really should be ceased and sometimes it's the parent who wants to do it sometimes the DOE wants to do it sometimes it's the student who wants to do it but we always want to make sure
we are are sticking with what really the student needs and not what necessarily any of those groups want. It's it's the needs because ultimately, you know, the idea is is about making sure that students are ready for call it the real world after um and so that resonated and
I think you know Karina I've known Karina as well for a number of years in in the educational sphere. Um Sabrina's also a lot of different perspectives as well. Um, and uh, Raquel, I learned about her through through her bio. I
wasn't familiar with her, but you know, really appreciate her stepping up. I mean, ultimately, we're going to have to make a choice of a one individual. Um, it's not fair because honestly, we have five great candidates, but that's the way it is. And for each of you candidates out there, thank you. I've
got my contact info in the chat. Please take it if you need anything. Um, reach out. You want to keep in touch. I'd love to keep in contact with each of you. You all inspire me. Um, and love to keep keep in touch. Um, like positions open
up on CCSC, positions open up on CCHS, positions open up on your uh other CEC's. Um, you know, continue being involved. PEP means coming up on the 30th. Um, keep involved. You start the process. I don't want I'd love to see you um
continue and love to keep in touch as well. So, thank you. All right. Are we at a point? Is there a motion to to end discussion or is there further discussion necessary? >> I have a motion to end the discussion.
>> Is there a second to end discussion? All in favor? Opposed? Abstain. All right. Um, now do we have a motion to vote for our CHCHS representative? Is there a motion to to vote for CCHS?
Representative to >> stop the voting for the CCHS. >> Okay. All in favor? Opposed? Abstensions. Okay. Rose is going to do roll call again. When your name is chosen or called by Rose, please
select the one candidate that uh you are uh voting for for the CCHS position. So one name only please per per council member. >> Um sorry Mark can uh so that includes all the the candidates at hand. Right.
>> All five candidates are running. >> Rose will will name each council member. Rose is also keeping tally. Um remember you gota we got to get to six on a single individual. >> Francesca Karina Garcia,
>> John Heather. >> Um, Kim Bernie Brook. >> Mark. Kim Bernie Brooks >> Karina de Garcia >> from Cindy Chan.
Maggie >> Karina Garcia >> Susie >> Kim Bernie Brookke >> do not have majority in the first round. >> We do not. So, in the first round,
Karina Garcia had four, Kim Bernie Brookke had three, and uh Cindy Chen had one. So, that closes the first vote. Is there
a motion to vote again for CCHS candidate or do we want to open discussion? So, we can go one of two ways. We can open discussion, discuss the candidates again, or we can go straight to a second vote.
>> I'm going to move to um maybe one quick discussion if it's okay. >> It's a motion to discuss. Is there a second to discuss? >> Second. >> Okay. All in favor of opening discussion. Abstain. No. Okay. So, we have open
discussion. >> I guess I'll kick off the discussion. Um, for me, listen, I'm I'm Canadian girl and I um have always learned this has been my work ethic since a young
person is I always really lean towards the people that are really here and present and that have taken the time to um come out and represent themselves. That really means something to me. But I know that life is lifing. Things happen
and sometimes you can't really make it and everything. Um, but I I guess I I I don't know. I give a a hat tip to um those that have taken the time to come out and I am very impressed with the people that I have seen this evening and
um and still no bias against the others but I do um it leans strongly to me to be able to connect to speak to hear from and to um and feel that um that what
their value is. So that's important to me. So that's why I vote the way I do. >> Thank you. Any further discussion, >> Maggie? >> Oh, go ahead. First. No,
>> I feel that feel of all the candidates that came today and that wasn't present, they represented themselves well. I just felt um to me who stood out a lot was Karina because I know she wasn't present and you know likely life and stuff
happens. You know what I'm saying? But like her thing, like the involvement that she's put in, it just shows like she's there and she's willing to put in the work and you know, um I just I gravitated to her whole speech in here
and I really Yeah, that's it. >> Yeah. Thank you, Maggie. >> Oh, no. Sorry. Um yeah, so I think that I mean uh Garina has a wealth of
experience and uh she has she's in the her child is in the ASUS program and that's some a representation that we definitely uh need um that's not always represented
um in in these councils. And I think that something might have happened. Um I I Rose, did you get any discuss details? >> Yeah. Yeah. No, but um there you know
she's always here and I feel like her not being here means maybe hopefully not uh that something might have happened. So I think that uh her wealth of experience, her being a parent member and um already having experience within
uh CEC uh CC CEC1 I believe. Yeah, that's uh that's what's what's speaking to me. But um I also like uh Kim. Uh I really liked
her presence here. I really liked her responses. Um, but yeah, as of right now, I think Karina, based on her experience, I would go up with her. >> Thank you, Maggie. Joan,
>> the reason why I feel Karina Garcia may be a strong candidate, just looking at um her profile and her history in the DOE system navigating, she may be a strong candidate that can sit on CCHS
and can maybe definitely can hold her own and maybe not be intimidated on that panel and can speak up and be able to come back to us and report and vice versa. Um, we want someone that can last
and be able to go back and forth cuz we would like that to bridge that gap and make this something permanent and, you know, try to change history and this is what we all about, you know. So
hopefully others can you know maybe reconsider look and maybe someone else have a different opinion and can maybe shed some light in a different light why we should look a different direction. But I
just look at it just looking at her history and how she sat on different CEC boards and some of these CAC boards are not easy to sit on. So for you to say that that speaks volume. That's all I can say.
>> Heather, >> I um it's I'm trying to figure out the most tactful way to follow this. I love Karina. Um she knows I love her. um she
is a very strong advocate, but again I'm thinking about the CCHS and um it's horrible to be put in a position where you have to choose a candidate that is going to have the
ability to be heard by that council. And my fear is even as loud as Perina can be, even as strong as her voice can be, that council honestly is straight up ableist and racist. And they are not
necessarily going to hear her no matter what she says. And um and it's sad and it breaks my heart and it's so unfortunate, but I've attended many of their meetings and just the way they
speak about our students is it's deplorable. And um and Karina, yes, can step up and say stuff, but I'm still it's not a reflection at all on Karina. It's a reflection on the other members of the CCHS.
And I think sending unfortunately somebody like Kim, a middle-aged white lady who looks similar to many of the CCSH elected members, is going to have
an easier time being heard on behalf of all of our students there just because of what she looks like. And that's sad and it's unfortunate. Um, and I'm just being blunt, too. Um, and
we've just had so the past I've been this is my third term and every single one of our members that we've appointed there has been bullied and harassed to the point where they quit. And um, and I don't want to see
that happen at all. And but I also want to make sure that unfortunately that we're sending a member that's gonna have even a half a chance of being heard at that table. Um and it's like I said, it shouldn't be this way. It's awful, but I
just have to put it out on the table um what it is. And and like I said, not a reflection on Kim, not a reflection on um on Carrie or Cindy or Karina or or Raquel. It has nothing to do with them.
It has everything to do with the other people around the table at that council who just I can't even begin to they just they make me like my I'm getting hot talking
about it, you know. Um, so anyway, that I'm just I'm just putting it out there and I apologize if it wasn't the most tactful way, but um that's where I'm coming from at this point. Um, and and that's just, you know, that's just what it is.
I just want to say thank you for being honest about that because now we understand and we want to make sure we do the right thing. And thank you. >> I just want to say I've never met Karina so I have no idea but um Yes, I know. I I would love to. I'd love
to. I think she's amazing. The fact that everyone is advocating for her, which is amazing. Um, and of course, the word we use here is Caucasian. But anyhow, but no, no, I know. Listen, you get the pass. But, uh, what I was
going to say is, you know, from the candidates that spoke tonight, it's like I, you know what, it's um, having that connection. So, for me, I'm just kind of going off of what I'm hearing, what I'm seeing, and and I'm seeing the passion.
I'm hearing that, and I'm seeing some strong mamas out there tonight, and I and I really do uh love it. There is something. It's like that I is I'm still drawn to Miss Kim and and I love Miss uh
Miss uh Carrie, too. And uh and Miss Cindy, you've been amazing as well. But there's something that stands out that I'm still kind of drawn because I'm I'm seeing a lot of strength and immediately
after the question was asked about that intimidation factor and that independence right away was like this is someone that can hold their own. So that's what I'm feeling. >> Yeah. Um yeah, just I agree with um
Heather and and Susie. Um I haven't seen um Karina before, but I think everyone love her, so she must be a good person, right? And then so u but just like um Susie said, um I can only um do
something with someone I interact with, like someone I can see, someone I can talk. So um that's my opinion. I will choose one of them from the three candidate we just met. And then so
in my opinion since I just filled this sit since July and the most challenging thing is we did some time to help parents and when the time came to we need to do something to advocate like we
show up in some event like a person rally or something like that and we and I saw the problem is that it's hard to ask those parents to step out to speak up for themsel and and as as I
seen here in from the from the resume the story from um all those candidate yeah I know um Kim she's professional and Carrie she's um really good at funding or something
and Cindy she spend a lot of time in the community like to help a lot of parents to show up in the IP meetings and all those stuff. She help her in OPWD all her or her show up in the busing
rally and those thing we I I believe every person every parent here they have passion uh in special education but when the times come we need someone to really show up as a as a the number to show up
in the property that we have we have people to to to to step out and care about the issue. >> Thank you, Ron. Anyone else to speak, please?
>> Thank you everyone for this discussion. Um, all wonderful candidates. Um, Kim and Karina definitely and Cindy stood out to me in reading their personal statements and I think what had me lean towards Karina was her experience and her stick with itness. I guess that's
not a term, but right that that sticking through and persistence. Thank you. Um, and when talking about this and talking about some other contextual um, aspects of it and also echoing Susie Susie um,
um, what you were saying just about thinking about the big picture and as we're talking a little bit more about Kim, um, I could see how some of her experiences could lend itself to serving on that committee and demonstrates that stick with itness persistence um, just
in a different avenue. you. Um, so thank you for that context and that discussion about this. >> Thank you. >> All right. I will I will quickly jump in. I mean I I >> guess a motion to >> No, I I'd like to speak before we go to
motion if that's okay. >> Okay. Kind of done. Basically the the the last statement and I think I said it before so I didn't want to really repeat. >> Sorry. It's uh you know I I guess just being present really does help. It it
helps when someone can really speak for themselves. That's it's so crucial. It's like key for everything in advocacy. So, but I love hearing that you guys are like, "She's always here. She's there. She's there." But um you know again I I
I I just kind of am able to process a little bit from what I've seen this evening. So that was it. You show up and you show. Okay. >> Thank you. So >> I I'd like to discuss before we we move
on to to next. Look, I I I started out saying I I think all five candidates are great and I I continue with that thought process. Um I I don't see myself changing on that. I think all these candidates were very wellqualified um and great individuals, each their
own. Um I liked each of the three people who spoke today spoke eloquently. They spoke about their passions and and their focus ultimately was on kids and that's the key. Um I know Karina, I've known her for a number of years. Um I love her to
death. um you know, but I'm also looking what's right. And I'll say CCHS is not the CCHS we saw on June 30th. There was a new team on July 1. It is different. That being said, it is a challenging group
just because of their focus and it is a little bit different than than our council's focus, right? And and so I think that's important to acknowledge that there are new people there, but the focus still seems to be
more focused on the specialized schools, not necessarily quite as accessible um for our students as necessary. And I think that's that's a key issue is that we need all of our high schools to be accessible, both physically accessible. Each of those buildings should be
physically accessible. and also for the social, emotional and the inner self of our kids. They need to be accessible. And the problem is right now the DOE does not have accessible buildings both physically and socially, emotionally in our schools. All of our schools should
be great schools. Doesn't matter if it's prek3, doesn't matter if it's EI, doesn't matter if it's a student in department division 79, right? D79. They all need to be great schools. We need to have accelerated in all of our schools. We need to have the supports in all of
our schools. We need all of our schools to be great schools. There shouldn't be a need to go to this school or that school. You shouldn't have to drive or take a subway or a bus 2 hours, 3 hours to get to that good school or that appropriate school. It should be really right around the corner for you. And
this system is not there yet. And that's part of the problem that we face today. Um again, if I had to choose, I could easily choose any of these five candidates and feel comfortable. That being said, you know, I I chose Kim. I think Kim brings a unique perspective. I
think it's important. Again, I think Karina brings a unique perspective that's important. Cindy Carrie as well. I mean, that's that's the nice thing about these candidates is I feel good with any of the five. I don't feel
that CCHS is what it was before where they did drive our last member away and a member before and a member before and a member before. But the reality is there is a track record there and even if there's new people, there are still
some holdovers and that does concern me. Um, but that being said, I don't want to vote based upon what could be. I want to vote for the individual and that's the most important thing. we have to vote for who we think is the most appropriate for that position and the rest be
damned. You know what? If there's a council that needs to suck it up and and grow up, then so be it. I hope that's not the case with CCHS. In the past, it was. But, um, I want to vote for who I I believe is the best candidate at this time for that role,
and that's that's where I I stand today. All right. Thank you. Um, are we at a motion to close discussion or is there any further discussion we want to have? Okay. Is there a motion to close discussion?
Motion. Oh, I'm Heather. Yes. Um, yeah, I'm fine with uh Sorry. Yes. I'm I'm fine to um motion to close the discussion. Again, uh if the candidates that are not here, I mean, I wish that I'd be able to ask the questions and get
a response, but I can't ask a sheet of paper to respond. So, it's hard for me to come to uh a decision on the individuals that are not here, but dealing with who is here. I think I can motion to close the discussion and we
can move forward to the roll call vote. >> Motion to close. Is there a second? >> A second. >> All right, got a second. All in favor? Opposed? Abstain. Okay, we have closure. Is there a motion to vote for a second round on CCHS representative?
>> Yes, there's a motion to vote and I say I. >> Okay. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Okay. All in favor? I oppose. Abstain. Okay, Rose. We're going to go to roll call again. Um, council members, please name the
candidate you select. Francesca, >> Karina Grace, >> Karina, Garcia, >> Garcia, >> Joanne, Kim, Broke
Bernie broke. I'm sorry. Heather >> Kim Bernie Brook >> Mark >> Kim Bernie Brook Dr. Melissa >> and Bernie Brook
from >> Cynthy Maggie Karina Garcia >> and Susie Kim Bernie Brooke not have majority
>> just just to um confirm. >> Hold on. It was >> No, no. The the the question was does the low person um get removed? No. They're all fiber
candidates for the second round. So we we we have just so everyone's aware we had five votes for Kim. We had two votes for Karina. We had one vote for Cindy. So we need six votes to select an individual.
No. So we are at five for Kim, two for Raquel. I'm sorry, two for Karina, one for Cindy. Um we have a couple options at this point. Council members, um, we can move to a third
round of voting. We can move to discuss. We can move to close the vote and not select any candidate. So, those are our three options at this point in time. I think we're close.
Um, I think we should I I would I will leave it open to the council members to decide what they want to do. Headers kind of question >> because I heard Rose Whis was there. So, I'm going to ask um so if we if we choose not to take a vote tonight,
um would the candidates who were not able to come tonight, would they be able to interview before we vote like reconvene to vote? >> So, our next meeting would be on
the 6th of November. um we would have to call a special meeting and reopen up for new candidates. So, which is really not enough time. We wouldn't be able to vote because we'd have to have another special meeting and interview everybody. We have to reopen up because we did not
select anyone today. We have to reopen it up and Rose would have to put out a notice for the open position. >> Yes. You can't have you can't do interviews. If you do interviews, you have to
>> Yeah. Yeah. Mike, sorry. So, the the comment was that No, you you say it. You've got the mic. >> Well, the other option is if we do not open to the candidates that didn't come today to interview We could just table
um the voting to next month's meeting and we just vote but cannot have no one interview. If we have anyone interview then we have to open it up to others to new applicants and have a special meeting.
>> Correct. But they have to the whole selection process will have to start over as well. So those are the two options. Here's the other thing because this is what I understand from the roll call vote is that when we all place a
vote on on a candidate and from what I understand the candidate that has the least amount of votes, if we're not eliminating a a candidate and you're doing the the voting process, then it's hard to move forward to
actually um to to be able to whittle down to actually select someone because then you're going to be deadlocked. So that's usually why the roll call from what I understand the person that has the least votes.
>> So we you we need six uh votes in order for for that candidate to pass. So if we don't have six votes like right now we have five then we have to do the the voting
again or the other options that we that we discussed. So is there a motion to discuss I >> to the voting. >> Yes, >> we I've got a note from face. We are
able to go into executive session. So, if you want to go into executive session, we can discuss further. What that would mean is we put everyone in the waiting room. We close the doors and we discuss. This is a ruling from face. So we can go in executive session if you
want and have a discussion. So if we want to, we'd have to someone would have to say we want to move for an executive session. Again, we close doors. We put everybody in the waiting room and we have a discussion. Rose would stay and Tama would be able to
stay as as uh support for that. I'm wondering >> or >> I'll make a motion to go to >> Yeah, I was going to say >> can we for the third time motion to vote
one last time? >> Make a motion to go to executive session. There's a motion to go to executive session. Is there a second? Okay, Heather, a second. All in favor of executive session. One eye.
>> I'll I'll need to abstain that. >> We got one I, two I, three I, four I. >> I'll need to abstain for that. >> We have an abstension. We don't have six. One, two, three. Ron, are you abstaining or you voting?
What are you voting? Not two abstensions. So, we don't have six. I'm not I'm not saying anything yet. We don't have We don't have five to be a six. So, it doesn't matter what I want. Um, we're at
Okay. If you want, if you're voting to executive session, >> giant. >> Heather, >> yes. >> Mark, >> I'll pass for now.
>> Dr. Melissa Brown, >> substantial. >> Maggie, >> absane. Susie. >> Yeah, I'm a no. I just want to move forward with >> Yeah.
>> or no. >> All right, we're at four yeses. Uh, two abstensions, one no. So, we are not going to executive session. So, we have couple a few options. One, we can move for discussion. Two, we move for vote. Three, we table.
Heather has a motion to vote. Is there there's a second from Melissa. All in favor of a third round of voting. All right, we got third round of voting. Sounds like we got six. The third round vote. Any abstensions or nos?
Okay, I count I count six. Third round of vote. >> Yep. One, two, three, four, five, six. So, we have third round of voting. Okay. Rose, roll call, please.
Francesca, >> Karina Garcia, Joanne, >> Heather, Kim, Bernie, Brook. Kim Bernie Brook >> Dr. Melissa
>> Kim Bernie Brook >> Cindy Chan >> Maggie >> Kim Bernie Brook Susie >> Kim Bernie Brook >> Okay, we have six.
All right, Kim Bernie Brook, congratulations. you are selected as our representative for city council on high schools with six votes. Uh Karina had one vote, Cindy had one vote. I want to thank each of the candidates, the three
who who came tonight, the other two who applied. We are grateful. Um you know, Cindy, you're you're a D75 parent. We do have an opening on CCSE for D75. We would certainly encourage you to um let
Face know if you want to apply for that. You've obviously been vetted, so it' be quick and easy. Um but if you're interested, please let us know. Um Carrie, really appreciate your your service as well. Please keep in touch. Um really appreciate it. And Kim,
congratulations. We will definitely be in touch with you, but so grateful. Thank you. >> I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Mark. Is it okay to if there is time I'd like to just say a few words. >> Absolutely. Kim, go ahead. >> Um, yeah. So, uh, really quick, I just
want to say thank you, um, for invest, you know, just having the faith that I will represent this body and our students who need the special education needs of the schools and making sure that we're representing multiple ways of
learning and abilities that people come together. My my son goes to a consortium school, so I'm not a big testing person. So, anytime there's advocacy for the specialized schools, I I am very ardently like um there's so many other
ways that people can learn. Um and so also with that, I Karina sounds amazing and it sounds like I really need to meet with her. And Cindy, you were amazing. I was listening to you and I was like I need to meet with you and um Carrie with
your experience as well. So please I really believe that this does take a community. It's not about me. It's about me representing everyone. So I want to bring everyone's voices and needs to the table. So thank you. >> Thank you Ken. Congratulations and we'll
we'll be in touch with you. Thank you. All right. Next we're moving on. We have treasure election. Um we are without a treasure. Um if there is anyone who would like to nominate themselves, we are open for a treasurer.
Heather, please feel free. You're itching. I love it. >> Okay, so people hear the word treasurer and they're like, "Oh my god, I'm going to be in charge of all the money and the budget and all this. Oh, I can barely pay my own bills in it. You know, things
like that. It It really is not that big a deal. It's It's like 95% title and 5% signing Rose's um um I think Rose's time sheet or signing the signing the co-president's um reimbursement forms.
So, it's it's not it's not a huge overwhelming job that's going to put like 20,000 spoons on your plate that you can't manage. Just want to put out there. So, thank you. >> Thank you, Heather. And and yes, it's
the budget. There is no budget. I mean, have you seen it? There's literally no budget. Um that's part of the the joke in this whole thing is there's nothing to really spend. Um, if you're interested, we got another vote on November or another mean on November 6.
You know, we can wait a few more weeks. Um, but, uh, so, sorry, can I can I say something, Mark? Go really quickly. Um, >> so, council members, I I really want to
emphasize that uh, we really need a treasure. if anybody can volunteer because um Mark and I are not able to get our reimbursements until we have a treasure to sign off on it. So just
>> Franchesca secretary recording secretary already know. >> Yeah, >> I know. And and and by the way, Rose does a lot of the a lot of the work already. Um >> 99% of the work.
>> Yes. >> Would I also be allowed >> to? >> No. Unfortunately, Kim, you're you're not on our council. You're on the CCHS. >> No. No. I got it. I was just like asking just because I'm totally comfortable with the treasury position. So
>> Kim, you were offering Oh my goodness. >> Thank you, Kim. You can be honorary treasurer. How's that? But thank you. >> Rose has got her hand up. So let's go to Rose. >> Yes, Kim. Hi. How are you? Welcome aboard. You will be submitting your
expenses to the CCHS admin. >> You can be there. >> Maybe, maybe not. We'll see. Um, I would like to nominate uh Susie as treasurer. >> I second it.
>> Yeah, I just talked to her. I think Sus is going to accept it. I second. >> We got double seconds. Susie, >> I am now inspired by all of you and Miss Kim. So, I will accept the most coveted
position. I don't know that I want this, but All right. Well, let me >> Let's go through the fastest vote possible so she can't re on it. All in favor? >> No, we got to do Royal Compton. Um,
>> so there was a motion and a second. Rose, run through it fast. >> Yes. >> There was a yes already. We're fast here. Rose >> Joanne. >> Heather. >> Yes.
>> Absolutely. There you go. Rose. >> Dr. Melissa. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Maggie. >> Yes. >> Susie. >> Yes. Okay. I accept. >> All right. Thank you for for for for
stepping up, Susie. We appreciate it. That was lightning round. Oh, Rose has got something. >> I will be sending Suzy everything. >> I'm afraid now. I'm afraid now. No, I
can I can handle it. I can fix that. >> That's great, Rose. No, it's Susie need help. You you you know where to go. M Miss Rose takes care of all of us and then some. >> A Rose by any other name is just not the
same. It's only Rose. So, I I'm I'm honored to work with you. >> Yes, we have the rose and we have the thorn. She is definitely the rose. Public comment. Any public comment? Anyone left other
than uh Kim and interpretation? Kim, thank you. Appreciate you sticking out and uh again, congratulations. >> Yeah, thank you so much. All right. Well, is there a motion to adjourn calendar mean? We do have a a little bit of business meeting to still
do. >> Yes. A motion to adjurnn. >> Okay. Motion to second. >> Second that. >> Thank you. All in favor? >> Opposed. We need a five. We hear a fivem minute break. Okay. Five minute bio break.
>> All right. Thank you, Rose. We are going to get started with the business meeting. It is Thursday, October 16th at 8:34 p.m. The citywide council on special education business mean will now come to order. Rose, can we do roll
call, please? Francesca present. >> Joanne Heather >> present. Mark, >> yes. Present.
>> Melissa, >> present. >> Present. >> Present. >> Susie. >> Present >> with the donuts. All right. Thank you everybody. All
right. Um, Tama Tama, do you have a face update? Oh, I I don't see Tamika. Um, you scared her away. She'll be back. She'll be back. So, we'll we'll skip the face update.
We'll we'll we'll skip it and go to committee updates now and come back to Tama. So, we have four committees we agreed to uh two meetings ago. Um, is there any update from the annual report committee?
>> I'll talk just really briefly. So, we haven't met um mostly because I was waiting for um Dr. Melissa to come the next meeting in person because something tells me that um we can make great
annual report things happen. So, u the goal will be to get um a meeting on in the calendar hopefully for November. Um and we'll send that out once we kind of coordinate our schedule. >> Okay. There's also something I wanted to
say. Um Mr. Mark, I think I sent you an email. I don't know if you read it. probably really busy, but I actually wanted to see if I could propose and request a creation of a new committee. And that
committee would be health and wellness, something that would actually start to help benefit a lot of the parents, the families, and even the children. and having like little um movement mind body breaks
and helping families. There's a lot of families that are a little distressed and facing challenges. mothers I speak to often that are crying and frustrated about their child not
meeting the neurotypical standard and level of the other children that they're seeing in society and mental health and wellness is so
important. It is crucial and when you are especially we have you're here president and PTA member and and I'm also like a co-chair on the SLT and sometimes you're seeing a lot of um
a a lot of uh chaos. You're seeing people that are adults, you know, we're parents and they're breaking down and they need support. they don't even want to admit that they need help. Sometimes they don't even realize that they need
the help. And if we can get them to start moving their bodies, and I think it's something that would be really crucial and it's something I'm very passionate about. Um, and that's something that I'd really like to do and move forward with if it would be all
right with our council. >> So Susie, do you have a motion to create a health and safety? How how are we phrasing health and wellness? Pardon me. >> Health and wellness. Yes. So, I make a motion to create a committee for health
and wellness. >> I second that. >> Yes. >> But you are more uh like about the mental health, right? mental >> it it kind of it's a holistic
um entity you know the the mind follows well I guess the body follows the mind the mind it's so important to exercise the body feed the body so that nutrition is important because that affects the
brain and also our sleeping there's so many things to crack into but When you start getting families and parents and people to start to move, they're they're already it's like their um their energy and their disposition changes for the
better. And we need to see more of that because it is I don't want to say depressed faces and you know and sometimes we're really going through it. Some days are harder than others, but I think if we really have a strong initiative that's healthy, it could create a great domino effect. and start
to impact because guess what? Our children feed off of our energy. So when we come home or whatever it is, if we're going through stress, our nonverbal children are picking up on it and it it impacts them
whether we realize it or not. And our children are brilliant. whether they're communicating verbally or they're not speaking, they're picking up and they're they're seeing things that we don't even see and we may try to hide things and
and they know. >> Is this just for adults or it's going to be for the adults being mute? >> It is. >> It is going to be for the children and for the adults. It's kind of like a family unit. you know, uh, you know,
they always say that the family that, um, work out together could stay together. It's like that type of mentality. So, when we're doing things, when you move, I move and it creates that positive energy. So, I'd like to do that and even encourage it even in the
school setting. So, when kids have this movement break, because sometimes they need to, they act out. I don't know if you guys have gone into the classroom and seen your children in the classroom. Kids are different in class than they are when they come home because
sometimes the shenanigans start at home. But it's important that we start to instill some of those values because sometimes as as parents, we're setting up the dental appointments, the medical appointments, and making sure that everything is taken care of for our
children. And then we forget about ourselves. That that may be the longest motion for a committee ever >> but appreciated. No kidding. >> I would I would love to work with you if that area.
>> All right, we got motion. We got second. All in favor of creating the health and wellness committee opposed abstensions. There we go. Unanimous. There we go. Susie, thank you. Thank you for volunteering. And if anyone wants to join Susie, please let
her know the ultimate irony, isn't it? It's the mental part. I love it. All right. >> Nice. >> All right. >> Heather busing committee. Any updates?
So Ronda and I had um some email conversations back and forth to try and pick a date and um we had a hard time getting in the in the calendar. Um I think too because by the time we were able to figure things out, it felt too
late too late to post um and allow for interpretation to be there. So, um I think we had kind of talked about it being on a Monday in the evening. Um and and maybe doing it like the second
Monday of every month. Um uh something like that. So, I think that's probably what we'll do. I'll confirm, Ron and I will confirm um the the date uh like which week of the month um and so that we can keep it consistent and then it'll be easier to schedule interpreters and
stuff like that. But um hopefully we'll have that to the council by at the very latest the end of next week. >> Great. Thank you. Um next we have communications committee. >> Okay. Uh so Joan and I are chairing that
committee and we have uh looked at dates and our next uh committee meeting date will be November 19th uh at 6:30 p.m. And
um we are aiming to to do it every third Wednesday uh at 6:30. Um but that'll be pending the you know the schedule and you know there could be any some changes. So we're going to start that uh hopefully that date. Um
there's no other conflict. So so yeah just put a pin on that. Thank you. uh communications and outreach committee with with Joan. >> Great. >> You want to say something or >> virtual Zoom? >> No.
>> Zoom. Okay. Uh last legislative uh committee um Rose will be sending out the invites. Just we're going to do it Mondays 1st and third uh Mondays of the month 700 p.m. So where there's holidays, we're not doing it. So, we got
Monday, November 3rd, and we'll send this out to everybody. November 3rd, November 17th, def December 1st, January 5th, January, or pardon me, February 2nd, March 2nd, March 16th, April 20th, May 4th, May 18th, June 1st, June 15th
are the dates. Yes. >> Since you you guys are doing Mon first and third Monday, maybe um we should just >> go ahead and say the second Monday of the month for the busing committee. >> Yeah. So, let's just go ahead and do that. Second Monday of the month.
>> Cool. I appreciate that. Thank you. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So, >> so 6:30, right? 6:30, right? >> So, everyone's aware some of the stuff we'll be working on. We're going to be
working on a legislative rose. I'm sorry. want to say that every committee who is setting up dates, please email me those dates and the time >> so that I can also submit the request for interpretation
>> and create a spreadsheet of all the committee meetings that come and get them in the calendar as well. >> Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I'll I'll forward the dates on you, Heather, and everybody else. Um just to talk a little bit about legislative committee, what we're going
to be doing. Um we're going to work on a legislative breakfast. Um we've got a targeted list of people right now that will be be doing invites. Um I'm waiting for the legislative calendar to actually come out for S assembly for 2026. They only have a 2025 legislative calendar.
The reason for that is you don't want to have a a meeting on a date the legislators are going to be in Albany. Same way we don't want to have the calendar for city council where they're going to be tied up in means and they can't be here. I know it's only across the the walk, but we want to make a date. It's probably going to be like a
Friday because typically senate assembly is off on Fridays and they usually have a very curtailed schedule at city hall on Fridays so it can be more doing outreach. Heather. Okay. Thank you. No, I I appreciate that. We
definitely want her um as as one of them, but we'll we'll be doing a lot of invites. Um the timing >> she's also a disability advocate. She has she has her own disabilities, so she's, you know, she's really out there for our community. >> Yes. No, she's she's a good she's a good
apple from the big apple. Um, no, we have a we have a very large targeted um list. Some of the things we'll also be working on is we want to start working on some resolutions. I'm sure every member's got resolutions, but I just want to quickly touch on what I what we're going to plan on putting together
resolution wise so everyone's aware. First, there's going to be a timing issue and so it's important is the rev city council is looking to vote if Speaker Adams allows on paras and para
pay. There are more than enough council members that support the legislation that's been proposed. It has not gone to the floor. There is talk that city council in December is going to have a hearing on that. I'm not sure the date yet. They
have not published it, but it sounds like in December there's going to be hearing on parapay and the para bill. Um, so that's going to be the first probably that we get up there is talking about parap pay. Um, I have some personal issues with the parab bill as
city council has it written. It's a bonus effectively. It is not in base pay which means they don't get it in their pension. They get they get liable for higher taxes as a result on that bonus. They're calling it something else, but it's effectively a bonus. And that would
be taxed from from federal level to be taxed as a bonus, which doesn't make any sense for these individuals who worked so tirelessly get paid so little. Um there's a bunch of gutless um council members and mayor and uft out there that are not willing to put in the base pay.
With that though, I also want to make sure we're taking care of our OT's and PTS because they are getting also hosed. They have effectively the same type of credentiing they have to go through as speech and yet they get paid a fraction of what a speech therapist get paid with similar credentials which frankly is
also similar to special education teacher mind you um so they should get paid at a pay parody um and so that's the other part um busing um Heather Ron anyone else wants to work on it we've got a lot of stuff EP which
is employee protection is critical um as I mentioned um earlier earlier that the PEP is looking at a resolution this month on on busing, which is great. That's part of it. Um, but there's a whole lot more that we need to do. Heather,
>> um, I'm hoping we can get our hands on their resolution and maybe we can >> I hear >> Yeah. Uh, so maybe we can draft our our own um or or um see if we can sign like sign on as our council to their
resolution. I would I think that would be great. Um it just gives more support to what they're they're trying to do. >> Yeah. >> Um so I don't know what that would look like us drafting our own using their language and and and in citing that it's
from their resolution or us seeing if we can sign on with theirs or I I don't know what that would look like. >> I will forward it out to everybody and we can make that decision um as a group. They're going to vote on the 29th. We'll know if that whatever their final language is passes at that point, we can
decide to use as our base and just solely go off that and vote on it at the 6th. We'd have to give our 72-hour notice ahead of time so we don't have to read it in otherwise we have to read it in which we can do. But I I think there's a lot more frankly than just what the PEP is doing. But if we want to
do one resolution that just is a copy of and then do a second resolution down the road that gets a little more in the nitty-gritty, that's fine, too. Um because I would like to also talk about like nice bus um which is our city-owned bus company and uh the
contract length they hit the EPS they hit but I think there's also after school and weekend busing that's necessary and is not talked about by PEP. Um so there's a lot more because when you have weekend academy you have to take the subway um or however you get there. when you have, you know, let's
say you're in band after school or sports or you're doing tutoring after school, you're on your own getting home, right? That makes no sense at all. And and yet they don't get metro cards or omniards, right? So, make that make sense. So, the next one with busing would be omniards for all students,
right? I don't care if you live one block from the school or 100 miles from the school. Not that you're going to be going there, but you know, the point is every kid should have an omni card in the city. beginning in a statement. We shouldn't be discriminating against kids with yellow bus service flat out. Um
there's some state fixes, there's some city fixes, fair student funding we need to get fixed, right? There's a couple issues of fair student funding. There was supposed to be an enhancement for fair student funding for students with disabilities. It got pulled because the prior mayor, current mayor did not want that. And so we need it for our kids. I
also think we should have a lock box, right? When funds from fair student funding do go to school, they have to be spent on first on students with disabilities. they can't be shifted to whatever the principal wants, which is how it is today. They don't have to spend the money. And so, you see where services don't get provided in these schools because that money is magically
spent elsewhere. Um, foundation aid, the state screwed us, right? They screwed us on the regional cost index, only gave it to Westchester County because magically, guess where the legislators are that control the Senate and Assembly Education Committees. There you go. And then there's also
students of disability enhancement which was recommended by Rockefeller University. It did not make it in Governor Hokll's bill. We need to get that fixed. Uh we need class size funding from the state and the city. And when we say the state will say, well, we're fully supporting with fair student
funding. Yes, but then you're also charging us over $200,000 for charter school rent, which no district in the country has to pay. We also do not get transition aid like every other district in this state. So we get double whacked and that hurts us hundreds of millions
of dollars every year. So we're getting first in funding except then they're just taking it out of our pocket the other way. So we need the state to actually step up and do their job. Um those are those are big deals. Um the EP changes are critical for busing. We
can't have a real bus contract until they fix EP. Uh Maggie will will be on this which is 853 and 4410 funding. These are the kids who the city decides they can't fit in any of our programs. Not D1 through32, not anything in D75,
not anything in D79. These kids get dumped off onto what they call non-public schools that's paid for by the city and state. And yet they get a fraction of the tuition that a D75 student gets that a D1 through32 student gets. So they don't get the services
that they are entitled to by the law effectively. Um we need expansion of dyslexia programs to be every district should have a dyslexia program, right? The ASD program should be in every district with a if you want a seat and you're
entitled to a seat, you get a seat. not on the waiting list, not stuck in a school that doesn't make, you know, that it's there, you know, not taking a 2-hour bus every day. Um, collocation schools, there's a lot of problems with collocation schools
that are hurting. And it can be two DOE or three or six DOE schools in one building, and it can be a DOE with a charter or a charter with a charter. There's a lot of issues that happen um with that. So, those are some of the resolutions that will be worked on in
that committee. If you've got more, please feel free to bring it to the legislative committee or work on it on your own. As a reminder, you do need to have co-signes um co you have to co-signers for resolutions to bring them forward. So, just a heads up on that. All right. I'm
sorry for taking so much time on the legislative. I just want to give you a heads up, Heather. >> I don't know if it's time or not, but I I guess it's kind of related a little bit. I just wanted to highlight that when Mark sent out the email up with the candidate things, there's also on that
email was the um DOE's response to a resolution that we passed last year. >> Yes. Thank you. >> Basically stating that it um it wasn't it's not fair that um uh parents of students with IEPs that are not in public school. Um, so this is ones in
853 schools, 4410 schools, um, home home schools or private schools. Um, they they don't have um they're not allowed to vote um in our CCSE election even though our council um, represents them.
And um and so I think when they decided to decide who who could vote, they took what was the easiest way for them to be able to do it in their system and they disenfranchised a lot of families with students with IEPs. Um they can run for
a seat and be elected, but they can't vote and which which um our resolution said is just that's not okay and it really isn't even how the law is written at the state level. So, this says that they um they're reviewing the 2025
um election and then after um uh they want to I guess discuss um areas for improvement with us. Um I just want to make sure that we don't forget to hold them um accountable to meet with us. And I also think that we should ask if one
of if one of our council could be appointed to this working group that they refer to in the letter to um because we one of us should be on that working group so that we can advocate for our parents who can't vote >> turn on the
>> the working group how to improve um the election for the upcoming is that the just had that working group that they just had for this past election. I don't know if that's the group they're
referring to here um or not. Um >> it is. >> Oh, okay. Well, then >> it would be okay. So, then scratch rewind. >> Yeah. Um, it would be nice if they actually took the
the um advice and the um feedback from our council members while they were making decisions about elections. Thank you. >> We we did have a postmortem as the election working group. So, they they did have a post-mortem and and there was
a lot of stuff discussed. That being said, we're going to have a new mayor. I mean, they had their uh their event tonight. Um, you know, we have a mayor in less than new mayor in less than three weeks uh elected. We will see which individual it is and certainly
they'll decide who is the next chancellor or continuing chancellor. Um, and certainly we will have to be in touch. That being said, that leads us to a nice segue. Our next meetings coming up. We have office of enrollment November 6th. So, it's good timing
because we have enrollment for middle school and high school that is in full gear at that point. High school ends on December 3rd. Middle school, I believe it's December 12th, give or take. It's effectively a week later. And so, we're right in the midst of it. Um, which I
think is is really helpful. They actually for high school just yesterday had a high school enrollment info session for students with disabilities. So they had one in July, they had a second one today, which was good. Heather, >> so I just want to put on the public
record that I was um and I noticed that they did it with the other, so it wasn't just students with disabilities, but the enrollment office literally sent out the email about the event like 3 hours before the event. And I think it's ridiculous. Um I was not able to attend
because I found out three hours before it started that the event was even scheduled. Um and so it's very disappointing. Um and with this one of the chancellor's goals is to engage families. Um it's in the pillars that they're you can't engage families by
sending them an invite to a very important information session 3 hours before the event starts. >> They they just to be fair, they have had notices that have gone out earlier on that. They they
I've I'm telling you, I've got emails from them because I registered well over a month ago for it from the email that I got. >> I I actually went and searched through my email and there were a couple other ones for not disabilities, but this one I did not find another one
specific for disabilities that was sent out. And I assume I would have gotten those other emails as well, but maybe I'm wrong. Maybe they sent it out early. But um I I looked I searched I don't delete any of my emails. Um and I
searched and I didn't find it. >> I there there was prior ones sent out. I'll just I hate defending the DOE. I really do. But damn. Um this is one of those they they did actually send out something earlier. Um, that being said,
to your point, they should have been blasting it much more frequently and called it out more because it's it's 3 hours before is like wasted time, useless time. Office. Mhm.
Yes. The same level of Sorry, Heather. You're right. The same level of of focus is not there. You know, fa when face is involved because face is face. They they blasted everywhere. When other groups are involved, it's not so easy. You
know, we've got this transition meeting coming up on November 8th, which is huge to be honest. I mean, I was just like a momentous thing. I only know about it because I was in a nondoe meeting and it came up. Think
about it. A non DOE meeting and it came up. Then I went to the website and went, you know, coming soon. Finally, they popped up some stuff about two weeks ago on the on the transition website page. Um, and then we got some info today which which Rose will send out hopefully tomorrow um with a couple flyers about
the event um to our DRO list. But, you know, it's it's interesting how when DOE really wants to get messaging out, they will pull all punches and get it done. when it's not a most favored nation,
we'll say, things don't quite get the uh focus from the DOE central office as as other things. So, there's there's an interesting part to that. Um >> um just some very brief um comments. So,
uh I confirmed with um the the head of um the district district supports or district services um and basically if parents are being told that
um that they that for CPSC, so uh uh preschool uh special education, if families are being told that they have to go through uh 3K and 4K programs first before
even even if it's not an appropriate program for the for the child and if and even if maybe a 4410 pro preschool program may be appropriate for them uh that's a state approved non-public uh preschool program. You know that that's not it was
confirmed that it's that's not the way it's supposed to go. they have to meet the needs of the of the children, preschool children. So if if your family, you know, families out there are hearing that getting that push by IEP
teams uh CPSC teams, I mean, in your in in your meetings, please uh email us um and let us know and and we can escalate because we uh we need to let uh special
education office know that this is happening and the district uh office uh offices know and and and then the CPS BSC um heads no as well because that's not the directive. Um another thing that I want to um add to what Mark was saying
was the AI announcement um generative AI announcement that the chancellor made in her uh state of the schools. Um, and I can I can put that information in there, but um, basically they're pushing
pushing that and and kind of going with developing some parameters around how they will present it um and and kind of how that's going to be part of uh the education um, moving forward. >> Thank you.
>> So Maggie, this is one of the issues what's going on. Parents are getting letters between early intervention and CPSE that it's coming to that mark and you
can either extend and stay with early intervention or you could transition over to early childhood and in between so that you
don't have a gap in your service. You can continue your service until the transition and you get retested because CPSE is retesting the students when they
are coming into 3K into the ch um early childhood. Now parents are doing that and the service is stopping. Nothing is going on. So they're going
several months without anything. Now it's time to get evaluate. Okay. The little ones are getting evaluate. They getting the history from the parents. Parents are saying, "Oh, we had early
intervention. This was done. this was done so on and so forth. And you're in the meeting. Are they looking at the prior report? No. You offering the prior report and you said, "Would you like to see it?" No. My child was getting this
up until y'all stopped the service and okay, this is two different agencies. We don't have nothing to do with this. And you can say, "Well, it's supposed to be integrated together. y'all supposed to be working together
and they're saying no. This is what they're telling families and this is where the big disconnect is and this is where families are getting discouraged. So now the child is getting service
and getting um evaluated. Then I'm going to say, "Oh, well, we don't see nothing." Or, "Well, we may see this or we see the child tongue curl while they're speaking. Do you notice that?"
Or we may see this. Well, if you continue watching this or when the child starts 3K, if the teacher sees a problem, the teacher can go and put an initial um letter in and we can start the
process all over again. And this is what they're telling the parents. And then the child now has gone six, seven months with no service. Now the child is being caught for 3K going into 3K with no
service. Now has been several months because you know they cutting them off at 2 and 1/2 years old. So now the child is three and now here go the process. Now the teacher starting to learn the child. Now we
don't know where the child is at because now the child is picking up new habits, learning or depending what it is and exactly or regress. Yeah. You know, you don't know and now you're starting all over again and it's a whole new program
because now the child can either be in the early center inside a DOE building, it could be in so many different places. Now what they doing the 3K because 3K is being offered
so many places under DOE sponsorship and then now you have to wait your term now to get service or get evaluate and that's where the list starts all over again and now child may be going prek almost
kindergarten and then >> I think I think there might be a resolution in there you know uh Because last term we did have the early uh early childhood um what was it Mark Dway? It was
>> we had office of mental health um who handles it and and deputy chancellor Hawkins uh who who handles that transition time. So it's interesting we can we can reach out to them again. Um I I know we
>> I just did a plain support my own family. I just did over the summer and I couldn't just I couldn't um read it the way I wanted to go to the supervisor because I had like a a a slight family emergency. So I couldn't do that. So they got the they got by one with me on
that one. But I am going to go circle back on them with that. But I'm just saying it's other families saying the same exact thing and they getting discouraged and they don't want to say nothing because some of them saying they don't want to rock the boat because if
they do they don't want their kid to get pushed out the program. They don't want too much attention brought to their kid and they have to go to a special program. You have some families like that. >> Go ahead. The only thing I've uh I've
heard from parents too um is many parents don't know that they can ask to have the services extended um and so they just get them shut off and nobody tells them that there is an option to maintain services um and so it's also
like a I don't want to say a purposeful um uh you know what it's the withholding of information, but it's like when you read a contract and there's a tiny little
fine print at the bottom. It it it feels it has that kind of energy about it. So, I'm just putting that out there. >> Thank you. And yeah, we need to get back with DC Hawkins and see what's going on because
that's that's concerning. I mean, we we tal we talked about similar issues. It sounded like the world was getting better, but clearly not because this was back in June. This is the end of June. We had the special meeting to talk with with that group. And you're talking summer, so it's after she she spoke to
us. Yeah. It's it's not acceptable. >> And it really all boils down again to lack of providers. So even when they a lot of times they they don't do the evaluations or they kind of discourage
because they know it's going to take um past their limit of time. are allowed to get them scheduled and you know it it it is also hugely impacted by shortages of of staffing in those areas as well.
They doing now is they outskirting to the daycare centers that have providers. So DOE is not just doing it themselves. They also using the daycare centers providers there to actually do the evaluation themselves. So they doing it
both ways. They do it at the we center and they sending them to the local daycare centers do it there. >> So when we talk lack of providers I I'm going to be honest. I find that laughable. There's plenty of providers.
The PEP The PEP is planned on spending $373 million on thirdparty providers for related services. 373 million for a three-year contract.
There's plenty of providers. The problem is our DOE doesn't want to pay, right? And so we end up going to third parties that skim off the top and take a cut to the actual providers. If we would just hire those providers, then we get
the middle the middleman, which is all these agencies and we get the services. is the promise that deal just doesn't want to pay for just doesn't want to pay individuals. They'd rather let someone skim off the top and and and some business make a lot of money off our kids' expense instead of paying. We we
we talk about we need paras, right? And so the problem is we have a contract that hoses paras with the uft, right? And that was a uft decision. That's Mike Mgru who decided to screw the paras. Let's just be honest, you know, Mike screwed our kids. Um, what's happening
though is we're going to pay nonuft members and we're actually going to pay them more than the uft contract because of how Milgru and his team built the contract. So, we're going to pay more with this $373 million if we just
hired OT's and PTS and Paris at a real reasonable contract. And so, we're paying it and there's plenty of providers. You look at the related service PDF that you get if you get an RSA. It's hundreds of pages. There's plenty of providers. They're just not
willing to work at the piddly amount DOE pays. And that's why we DOE does enhance rate, which happens to be higher than what they pay their own employees. There's plenty of people. There's no shortage. It's a BS by the DOE. It's we don't want to pay it upfront. We'd rather let third party contractors take
money from our kids instead of paying directly to the individuals. just calling it how it is. Spade's a spade. So, and you know that's Mike Mgru. And then all of a sudden when his re-election got tight, all of a sudden he told the Peris, "Yeah, you're underpaid. We'll give you a $10,000
bonus." So, it doesn't go into, you know, he won't tell them it's not going to impact their retirement, not going to impact, you know, hit them on the tax line possibly. He won't tell them that, but he magically got reelected as a result of that and barely got reelected at that. But that's the cynicism that
exists in the uft leadership. And what's it doing? We're taking care of the adults. We're taking care of the companies. We're not taking care of our kids. We're not focused at the DOE at our kids. We're focused on taking care of adults, not the kids. And that's the biggest problem I have in this building. This
building needs to get its act together and get refocused to actually take care of the kids and focus on the kids and not focus on the adults. So, I'm sorry to to get a little political, but there's plenty of people out there. We just choose not to buy
hire them. We don't want to hire them. All right. Um, next business is the unfinished business, the CCSE open D75 position. So, we have one candidate who was vetted that we received I believe this week from Tama or last week. I
apologize in the exact timing. So, we have one candidate right now. Um, we have a couple of options. We could call a special meeting for November 6th and interview that one candidate. Joanne,
>> can we that for this evening? Um, can we offer her um to apply for the D75 position? >> The position is not closed as of now. That person's already been vetted by the DOE. So, she is approved by the DOE. So,
if Cindy would like to apply um she's got to fill out that application, but basically it's a copy and paste of what she already did prior time. She can use the same candidate statement and do no work other than copy paste and apply. She would be certainly eligible to run
because the position's not closed. Um and the vetting process is none because she's already been approved. So, I'm not going to say what she should do, but that's certainly an option. Um, the one candidate, I have not seen their bio, so I don't know anything about the
one candidate. I just hate having only one candidate for a role. Um, especially when the position is still open. >> You can also like >> No, it has to be D75. Must be a D75 individual.
>> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. I I haven't seen the the the bio from the one person who's already been approved for the position. I the person might be amazing. I hope the person is amazing. I'd love to have two amazing people to choose from. Um but that being
said, we have the options of a special meeting. >> Sorry. So, she's been approved by Face and now we interview her and we say yes to >> Okay. >> Same process. So, so we have a couple options. we can keep the position open a
little bit longer, which I would recommend we do because I don't like having just one candidate for any role. Um, I would rather keep it open and then plan on our December meeting doing what we did today, having a special meeting
to start and then going to our calendar business and just make December a little bit longer. Right now, it's one candidate, maybe it's two, maybe it's three. I don't anticipate five candidates for a D75 position. Honestly, it's it's tougher to get a D75 candidate, but that's how I would
suggest we do it at the November meeting. We could make that decision and vote to to do that if we want. We don't need to have a second. Um, we don't have to vote on anything other than we the the only vote would be if we wanted to create a special meeting for
November 6th. If we wanted to have a special meeting to vote and then vote on right now a single candidate on November 6th, we just vote for a special meeting. Otherwise, we need to do nothing at this point. Okay. So, the ask would be, Rose, could you
please tomorrow send out um a request for additional D75 CCSE for that open position that currently exists and then hopefully again we can fill it at the December mean. What's that? Yes, Rose
would send it to our distribution list. Mark, the uh reminder of the student uh vacancy that we still have too. >> Yes, thank you, Maggie. We need to follow up with CC with Office of Special Education to see what's going on with that. I know we've
had one applicant. I don't know what's happened. We have We have an applicant as a senior who applied over a month ago. So I just don't know where DOE is in that process because it's not really face at that point. It's office of
special education that has to do interviews and all that and they they ultimately make the selection at at at office of special education level and it's not it's not like the normal face position. It goes through I think face with the initial email then effectively
as I understand it goes directly to office special education. Before we end, Tama, you want to come on down? You have anything to talk about or we we all fried? >> Sorry about that. So, as far as the student application, we receive it, we
vet it, and then we send it to Dial. So, Dial has it. They will go through the process of interviewing the candidate and then letting you guys know the next steps. But I have no additional updates.
>> Tamika had two meetings last week with us and and appreciate that Tama trying to make it available for everyone who could could attend. For those that were able to attend, thank you for those that couldn't. You know, we're all extremely busy. So, thank you on that as well. We
have the last topic um which is the council priorities and meeting topics. Let me just quickly go over the main topics for the next three means and then I think we should shut it down for tonight. Oh, okay. Let's talk three topics that are coming up and then and then bring you in. Okay, that's next
that's.3 on the finished businesses. Then um so the next mean November 6 is enrollment middle school high school. We have senior leadership coming. they ask is if you have questions or things you want to have discussed, please send an email and CC everybody in this room and
and other council members including Rose because we want to get it to them so they can be prepared to answer the question because too often we give them stuff that they have no clue on and not not that they don't have any clue but they don't some of the stuff we get is pretty detailed and they need to be able to really research the exact specifics
and so we want to not blindside them so they don't have a good answer. This way they have a good answer. Um, so I think we said the 29th. I if you can email Rose by the 29th of this month. Um, and the rest of the council, the next meeting in December, I believe it's
December 16th, that is going to be OPT 18th. Sorry. Thank you, Rose. Um, the 18th is OPT. So, we will have senior leadership for for enrollment, then senior leadership for OPT. So, again, same thing. Bring your questions ahead
of time in email format. There'll be time to open it up for other stuff as well. Okay, Heather's going to get a survey out. That would be good. >> Question about the enrollment. >> Yes. >> Um, so I think my question is when we're
talking to them, what are we asking for them to bring to the meeting? Because I my fear is that they will show up and it'll just be a how to log into my school. >> There's no presentation. We're not doing we're not >> which we don't need. We really need to
be able to ask questions. >> We are not doing a show and tell for these next three meetings. There is no slide deck. There is no presentation. This is why we need the questions and the comments and the talking points from y'all. >> I just wanted to confirm that because the last thing we need is like a
>> no dog and pony show. It is >> it is driven by what you want to talk about. What is on our community's minds that we're representing. That's what we're going to talk about. No dog and pony show. You can you want the dog and pony show? They have the plenty of middle school and high school enrollment
meetings. You can have that dog and pony show. We don't need that garbage. We need actual answers. I'm not sure if it's going to be Kevin. It's going to be one of the big three. Um Oh, if not two. >> It to be Kevin is because I want I'm going to watch the town hall reporting
again and pull out exactly what he said was going to happen with special education routing this year. that does not appear to have happened. So, I can hold him accountable. >> Fair enough. I'm not Kevin's been invited. Um,
his schedule is his schedule and it's it's a crazy one to be fair to Kevin. I like I I I like being up Kevin. I like giving Kevin a high five. You know, I like Kevin and sometimes I want to Yeah. No, Kev Kevin straight up. You
know, that being said, sometimes things happen. Um, and I appreciate that. At least he's one I can say he's a straightup guy. He'll he'll tell you real world. I may not like it every time, but he'll tell you real world. And that I appreciate about Kevin because he's one of the few that I can honestly
say he he won't BS you. He may not tell you everything, but he ain't going to BS you cuz he can't say everything. Um, the last meeting that we've scheduled thus far is the January 15th. Look, there'll be a new mayor on January 1st. It's going to be interesting. whomever it is. We may or may not have a new chancellor.
Depends. You hear a lot of different names thrown around, including continuing the current chancellor. We'll see what happens. So, on January 15th, we're going to have the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs back. They were here two months ago. We had a very good robust discussion with them. Um,
we're going to have it again. I think it's really important because about a week later, the governor's executive budget comes out. Um, everyone's got kind of we'll have from city will already have put feelers out to the governor's office on what they
want including whoever the new mayor is will certainly have put stuff there. So intergovernmental affairs will have the marching orders already from the new mayor and be marching down that path at state level, at city council level, at chancellor level. And so we're going to
have a nice perspective on what's really happening. And so that should be a good robust discussion again about how we move forward. State budget, look, the state budget's going to be rough this year. It's going to be interesting this year and it's going to matter. Um, you
know, we we saw how um you know, IDA um staff basically got axed a week ago. We we saw today that the judge nullified that for now. Who knows what'll happen with the next level of judges after that, but there's a lot
of stuff going down and we need intergovernmental affairs more than ever. >> So, also um a judge did put a pause on the the RAF's um at in the special education office at the federal department of education. However, I just
want to point out that they were already incredibly um short staffed from previous um firings. So even >> even if they restore the ones that they laid off on Friday, there still isn't
enough capacity in that office to provide adequate um oversight uh to to um states and and for our our students everywhere that need special education. >> Yep. Absolutely. You're 100% correct.
And you know, a reminder, state budget deadlines April 1, although they blew past that this year by nearly a month. City budget starts on July 1, so early June. They've got a vote on that. So, you know, the intergovernmental affairs is hitting it. We're hitting them at the early part because there's going to be a
lot of stuff. We as a council are going to need to do with Albany and we are going to need to do across the the walkway there at city hall. Mark, when is the when when are the dates for uh when folks are starting to head up there uh for uh lobby day or
>> um >> we are waiting for the 2026 legislative calendar for Albany. We don't have that yet. They have not posted as of I looked at like 3:30 this afternoon um to see if it had been posted. It's not been posted by either leadership. We highly
encourage members and your and your networks and communities to go and advocate and and we all can go together. I mean that we've Mark and I have gone other other members in the past have gone. So um it it's it's a little daunting but together we can do it and
it's it's a crucial crucial year because of all the federal funding cuts. Uh Medicaid alone um it's it's just devastating. And now with all the decimation of uh the office of civil
rights and I mean that's our kids honestly. Um those are that's funding that's personnel those are departments that serve our kids on the federal level. So the state is going to have to
adjust but we have some lobbying to do. >> Yeah. It's it's fun being up in Albany. I mean honestly it's fun. Um, and going across the way again, there's a council meeting coming up on the 30th, and then we'll have the big one in December as well. But, uh, please come if you can,
and if you can't, you know, whatever you can do to support is awesome. All right. Um, Heather, you had one other thing you wanted to say. >> Yes. So, uh, in my in my my paid job, I, um,
I'm working with the as a a volunteer for the Office of Disability Affairs at Department of Social Services um, for their annual um, every year they do some event for to honor the Americans with Disabilities Act. And um and so last
year they had this uh we did this really great uh presentation on special education and it's really geared towards uh staff that are staffing like DHS um so the shelter systems um the public assistance offices uh work um career
readiness programs external vendors that run some of these programs uh to come and and learn and obtain resources. So this year on the 28th, they're doing a resource fair for developmental disabilities and they're going to have I
think we have 20 to 30 uh agencies and vendors signed up to to have to table and there's going to be a room of education an education room and education advocacy. Um and I'm in charge of that room. Nice.
>> Basically to make make sure things run smooth even though they I don't even know who's going to be in there but anyway um but the council they said that the council is welcome to send not a ton of people but one or two people uh so that uh we can talk about what we do um
inform you know u some of these staff how they can help their clients access um special education resources. up because you know uh we in my program that I support, we see families come in or parents come in and you know they're
trying to work on a wellness plan and they can't because like their kids bus is not showing up and they're they can't go to their medical appointments or they're stressed out because this and this and that. So, um, a lot of the veterans don't know what how to help
those families or they're taking care of a child with developmental disabilities or a grow or an adult child that lives in their home with developmental disabilities and they're just not aware of all the resources that are there. So, um, yeah. So, I just wanted to see if
anyone wants to join me um that day to kind of be a parent like a parent advocate at the table to kind of um advocate and be there. It's not going to be like a ton of people coming in. Uh but yeah, just to be a resource. It's on the 28th and there's two
sessions. So there's a morning session and an afternoon session. Even though it's like this, it's the same people all day, but there but they divided it into so people So some staff could come in the morning, some staff could come in the afternoon. Um I will be there either
way. So if anybody wants to come, they can. It's a Tuesday. Yeah, it's uh I think it starts at 9 to noon and then from 1 to 4. It's it's at 4 World Trade Center.
Yeah, 150 Greenwich at Ford 4 World Trade Center. So, if you're interested, please reach out to me and let me know because I have to let them know your name so they can put you on the access list. Um, and then I also reached out to the district 75 council to see if they
want to send somebody to sit with us. Um, but they have a whole bunch of stuff going on that day. So, I don't know if they're going to be able to send anybody, but I can send it to you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, I was like, can CCSE bring
somebody? Yes. Yeah. Anyway, so let me know. >> Just really quick, Heather and Ron, you two, especially the People Transportation Advisory Commission is having a Zoom meeting where you can
testify. I did sign up to testify. It's part of the PEP. It's it's it's on the 28th also, but it's at 6 PM on Zoom. So, I would strongly advise anyone who wants talk busing, please I'll send I'll we'll get the link out to everybody. Um, it's
Thank you. So, thanks for putting out there. Really strongly recommend you you testify on that. All right, we have a motion to adjourn or we have a motion to sleep here overnight. >> A motion to adjourn the meeting.
>> I second that. I'm going to let Joanne second it, too. >> All in favor to go to sleep. All right, we're going to sleep. Good night, all. Thank you, interpretation. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Thank you,
Tama Rose. Thank you for your