##VIDEO ID:https://vimeo.com/1049716891## I wanna welcome all of you and thank you all for coming out on this very cold night. So you all must be very dedicated 'cause it's, uh, you know, weather's quite, uh, inclement. Uh, but having said that, it's now my pleasure to call to order the, um, this meeting of the Panel for education policy. And, um, with that I'll ask the, um, but actually before I do that, I would like to make some introductions and announcement. Um, panel member, just for the record, Jess Lee has resigned from the panel and I wanted to make note of that. She unfortunately could not be here tonight, but I did wanna make note of her service and thank her. And I have asked her if she will come to our February meeting, well actually next week maybe, or even in February, so we can, I think a number of us would probably wanna, um, make some remarks, um, um, honoring her service. But, um, she has resigned and she's staying within the system. She'll come when she comes in and explain that to us. Um, I also am excited because we also have two, we are losing a panel member, but we're gaining two others. And I wanted to introduce our two student panel members. I know we're all really excited to have you because you dropped the average age of the panel, um, substantially when you, uh, when you join. So some of us are really happy, we're now a young panel based on your attendance. So we have two student members with us. Um, the first was Isaiah Jun, who is a student actually at this school. And so I wanna welcome Isaiah, you're gonna hear from them later. And, uh, DIA Diaz Chen, um, who's also, um, joining us as a panel member. So who're excited. Our, our student panelists really offer a tremendous contribution, so it's really exciting to have them join us. I'm looking forward to hearing from us. In fact, they've already started giving demands, you know, which is good that that's what we want. That's exactly what we want, so don't be shy, fully participate, and we're welcome and we're glad to have you. And what you're gonna see is, um, the kind of students that New York City produces. And, uh, every time we've had our student panelists, we always come away amazed and, and, and pleased with what, uh, the leadership that we're producing within our school system. So we're excited to have that. So with that, I'm gonna ask Secretary Nathan, if you please call the role. Sure. Uh, when I call your name, um, please, uh, let us know that you're present. Marielle Ali. Present Adriana Ali. Say present. Phoebe Shaday Arnold Shirley Ban Present. Aaron Boad. Present. Camille Reti. Present. Marjorie Dean Stagg. Amy Fair, present. Anita Garcia Redhead. Anthony Ano, uh, Dr. Angela Green. Present. Navid Hassan. Present. Alice Ho. Rema Ido. Present Dr. Darling Meme. Present. Dr. Sharon Owin. Present. Alan Ong. Present. Maisha staff Present. Tom Shepherd. Present. Ang uh, Manny Vera and Chair Faulkner. Present. We have 17 voting members present, so we have a quorum. Um, in addition, I don't see Lara La on behalf of the controller. Kate's gonna be absent, she's gonna be absent. And, um, someone here on behalf of the Chancellor tonight, I dunno if Dan's, we see a lot of people in the audience. That whole corner is here on behalf of the Chancellor and our two new student members. Isaiah Jun and Dalia Diaz Chan present, right? We have a quorum. The meeting can go forward. Great. We can proceed. And guess what the first item of business is to hear from our two new student panelists. So who wants to go first? Is they, do you, do you this make a difference? Well, the first one, the, uh, script here is Isaiah Jun. So Isaiah, did you just like to say hello to the group? Just pull the mic over. Good evening, parents, staff, and panelists. My name is Isaiah Jun and I'm honored to serve as a student representative on the panel of Education policy. I'm currently an 11th grader at Francis Unified School, where I've had the privilege to grow as a student and a leader. My involvement in various student organizations has forged my passion for advocacy, equity, and ensuring that every student has a voice in their education. As a leader, I care deeply about Raising student voices, especially those that are often underrepresented. I believe every student in New York City deserves a high quality education, safe and inclusive school environments, and access to opportunities which help them reach their full potential. I'm committed to addressing issues that directly impact my peers, including academic equity, access to resources, and promoting EO student teacher relationships. Being part of the PEP is an incredible opportunity to not only advocate for nearly 1 million students across New York City, but to ensure that our voices are heard and valued in the decisions which impact our education. My advocacy will act as a bridge between the student body and this panel, whether through direct communication or public speaking, I'll passionately work to make sure the thoughts, concerns, and ideas of all of my peers are represented in the face. I am thrilled to contribute to the important work of, of the TEP and to collaborate with all of you in creating a stronger, more equitable education system for all of the students of New York City. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve and to make a difference. Thank, thank you panel member. Thank you. Council member Gentlemen. D Shan. Thanks. Good evening everyone. I'm Dalia Diaz Chan and an 11th grader at the high school for language and diplomacy. And I couldn't be more excited to start my journey of advocacy at the pep this year. In the past, I have been a student of schools big and small, well-funded and underfunded, as well as attended school internationally. This broadened experience on schooling allows me to serve as a passionate yet temperate leader for New York City students, as I am in confident in my convictions, but weigh in many aspects of contention before cementing my opinions, which is something you may see from me as I continue to serve on this panel. I take my role as a student representative of the most populous district to heart and strive to communicate the multifaceted views of students within the DOE. But as someone who has had to adapt to a new country's environment myself, I'm especially focused on sharing the voices of English language learners while on this panel. My goals while serving here are to expand educational support for English language learners, students, as well as adoption of beneficial programs and partnerships throughout DOE schools. And lastly, to create an encouraging environment for students to not just grow, but thrive in. Thank you very much. Thank you, Paul. Are there any other, are there any students in the audience, any, any New York City public school students in the audience? You don't, you think you're very well represented by these two individuals here. You know, the, the, our panel members, our, our student panel members represent. They, they have a largest constituency than any of us. They represent a million students. And, uh, that's a, you feel the way to that responsibility. Um, so when you speak, you know, we, we really, uh, understand that you're reflecting the voice and the word and the feelings of your fellow students. And so we really, um, are excited to have you here. Um, it's a voice that, since we haven't had a panel, student panels for a while has been missing and we're glad that you're gonna be here to fulfill that voice. So welcome to the panel. Um, our next item of the business is to approve the minutes of our December 18th meeting. Is there a motion for unanimous consent to adopt the minutes of December 18th? So moved. Is there a second to the motion of unanimous? Is there Objection to unanimous consent. Seeing no objection to unanimous consent. The minutes of December 18th or adopted. Um, we will now move to, um, Comments from Student Representative Open Forum for our students. Um, are there any students who've signed up to speak? I believe there is one student who has signed up to speak. And forgive me if I get the name wrong. It looks like you f Zang as a student speaker. Are, are you present? Oh, there are a few others. I Oh, Okay. Okay, good. Okay. I will, I see, um, there are students who wanna speak about school utilization. You wanna do those, please? Yeah. Lemme yeah. Okay. Um, I will call several names. So if you could work your way down to the microphone. Um, Camille Peralta, Andrea Rodriguez, Haley Volkmar. I said Camille Peralta and, um, Azzoni Almeida. And if you could just say your name when you, before you start speaking, that would be great. Okay. Hello, My name is Camille Peralta. I am a student of IS 77. I am a member of the Student Council Newspaper Club and I am a seventh grade representative. I am an immigrant myself. I arrived to this country five months ago and I've gotten a very warm welcome by the entire community that is I 77. I do not understand why we're putting a school for welcoming immigrants in a place where they're already doing that. Don't get me wrong. The idea is very good. And I understand the importance of helping new immigrants who adapt to many new challenges. However, it stops being a good idea when the student, parents and teachers do not supporting and it's still being forced to happen. Um, sorry. Okay. For the past few months, stakeholders have been voicing their concerns. We are grateful for the time you've given us to do that, that you have given us to do that. After listening to our concerns, if you still vote for our co-location, I'll feel like it will feel like our voices and opinions do not matter. We already feel betrayed by the proposal of the new school. Includes We already, oh, sorry. We already feel betrayed that the proposal of the new school includes much more founding pursuant than IS 77 receives. Are the immigrants in I seven IS 77 The serving of re less researcher? Oh, sorry. I'm so sorry. I wanna second take time. Are the immigrants at IS 77 less deserving of resources than those attending this new school? We ask for you, for you to believe in us to believe in our teachers and sup and support our school in increasing enrollment. We need time to grow. Don't bring a new school to divide our resources and compete against us. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Hello, my name is Haley Volkmar and I'm a student at I 77. I feel like that we as students shouldn't have to suffer the consequences of having to cut down our time for eating, playing in gym, and doing activities that we enjoy. On top of the three grades that we have, the pe the people that are trying to implement this new school are trying to add seven new grades on top of what we have with completely new people, which would mean that we would have less time to eat and our time would play. Playing in the gym would be shortened. We will also be losing valuable time to communicate with people around us, such as teachers and students. This will also cut into our lessons because of different passing periods and leading, which leads to us getting distracted and also going back to our lunch topic, our lunch periods will be cut less to less than 30 minutes. Who expects children to eat in less than 15 minutes? That's basically impossible with your friends around, which is all the time during lunch. As someone who personally prioritizes academic academics, more than anything, our classes will be cut in half giving us as students no time to do work or study as well as a this. The reason I chose IS 77 was because my family felt comfortable here with all the amazing staff and students. And I personally feel like adding a new school will disrupt that. Thank you. Thank you. Um, hi. I'm an I 70 student, I 77 student, and I think that the high school coming is a bad idea. As a student who has anxiety, I'm scared of what I might go through. Again. Bush leaders put us through so much with the constant fights, lockdowns and shelter ins. When the high school would dismiss for their, um, you know, for them their, their dismissal. Sometimes we would have, they would have fights outside, so we would have to stay in longer, not really knowing why. Um, one day a high schooler even brought in a weapon and was walking around the floors of 77 and not their floor that they were assigned. And it was really scary for me and super horrific knowing that someone was in the building and that they were able to hurt me. And, um, knowing that this new school, um, with different kids can hurt me or my friends, makes me super scared. And I honestly dread to going to school because I thought something bad would happen to me. And I personally do not want that for my sister who will be here for another year. And for the past five months I've been here in the school without the high school. It has been super wonderful for me and I've never felt safer and more comfortable while I've been here. I've felt safe walking through the halls alone just to go to the bathroom. And I felt even safer just going up the staircase knowing I wouldn't run into anybody who would possibly hurt me. And I just want to know that why would IS 77 have to suffer Going through all this again, just for you guys to have like, um, seven new grades in there when we could just expand. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Good evening everyone. My name is Andrea Rodriguez and I come from Los International High School. And first of all, I want to say to all I 77, sorry for her, all the experiences that you had from the last high school. But I just wanted to tell you my perspective of, uh, international high school. International high schools are, uh, schools that focus on students who are immigrants as I am to prepare them for a better future, not only academically, but um, not only for themself, but for the whole community outside of our school. Um, since the first day that we come to school, they prepare us. They tell us the school community rules, outcomes, and they, they guide us to ha to have, sorry. They, I they guide us to becomes the better version of ourself version, sorry, the better version of ourself. And I think the safety in is 77 and with the new Queens international community, it's not gonna be the same as you guys felt, as you guys had with the life high. Thank you so much. Thank you. Um, there's Matthew Ra, uh, Victoria EDA and Lila Torres. Hello, I'm Matthew Tavares and I'm one of the many students representing IS 77. And after research and discussion with my fellow students, I can say with certainty that this proposal will create significant challenges for our school. Allow me to explain why IS 77 is one of the largest and most diverse schools in the area with students from Hispanic, Asian, black, white, native Hawaiian, and Indian backgrounds. This diversity is our strength. Bringing us together and creating an environment where everyone is valued and included. The proposed co-location will have a direct and negative impact on the daily lives of students. It'll overcome our lunchrooms, forcing us to shorten lunch periods and cutting edge at a time we rely on to eat, exercise, visit the library or simply take a break. We have already experienced this and it left students feeling rushed and stressed. We'll struggle to balance their academic and personal needs. This proposal is not only unpopular among student, but our parents have expressed concerns about the impact on their children's education. Even teachers are against the co-location. You need to take the the concern seriously. Our voices are an essential part of this conversation. We believe I 77 deserves more time and more opportunities for every student to thrive. Thank you. Thank You. Hey, hey adults. I have to tell you, these students are doing some great testimony. You're gonna have to really, uh, when it comes time for the, uh, regular testimony, step up your game. They're doing a great job. Yeah. Um, hi, my name is Lila Torres. Um, I'm here to say something about school lunch and buses. So I'd like to start off with the school lunches. Um, in my school, I'm student council president and almost every day I have kids coming up to me saying, can you fix the school lunch? Can we do something about the lunch? Can we do something about school lunch? Over and over again. I see like a repetitive issue. And, um, I know that it's like, not that I snap my fingers and the lunches change to whatever kids want. And I know it has to be a certain health code, certain sugar, certain sodium. And, um, not all kids like the school lunch, but some kids honestly do. But it would be better for most kids to like the school lunch than almost none. I propose that we do like surveys for the school lunches. And I would say thank you for having people come to my school and check out the lunches and might solve the problem with moldy food and frozen food. But it's not changing anything about the school lunches. We have QR codes on the walls that we can't even use. We can't pull out our phones and scan them. So why do we even have them on the walls at this point? Um, and the food is like getting inspected, but it's really not helping at all. We've done school taste testing and stuff for the kids. They said they would change that. I think I was in third grade. I'm in fifth grade now. It's been about two years and nothing has happened at all. Um, and I would propose we do something like write a survey of things that kids can't eat and at school and have them do something off of that and actually change the food because I feel like we're saying we're gonna do something over and over again when nothing's happening. And, um, I've been saying over and over again, even since I was like little that I needed a school bus. I wrote a letter to the former Chancellor Banks and I live about two and a half miles out of the district. I don't have a bus. I don't get how it's fair that kids that live like a block away whose parents have cars. Even if they don't, they live close to the school and they get a bus. And I live pretty, not that far, but taking public transportation, it is far and I don't get why I don't get a bus. It's honestly not fair. I've been asking for maybe two years or so, maybe more. Um, and it's wasting time going on the bus and train doing this over and over again. Either I miss school if I miss the bus and train or I say, um, or I get late. So, um, oh my gosh. Um, so I don't have a bus anymore 'cause my brother graduated. I got a bus because he had one. I got it for a year. And it might not seem like a big deal to some people who have buses, but it's a really big problem. And I'm just asking if kids who need a bus can please get one. Not saying for kids that live out of the borough or something to get a bus, but I'm, I've been saying this for a long time and I would hope this would be the last time I'm saying this, but I, it's pretty sure I'm not gonna be. But thank you. Have a good, have a great rest of your day. Good evening. My opinion to the co-location is that we do not want it in 77. The co-location would make it so that the school would have to be way more crowded, as we know from the past, adding a lot more, even a lot more students e even they can technically fit. It doesn't actually make sense. Yes, we can squeeze 1,469 students in the building, but we still only have one auditorium, one cafeteria, and one gym. It's unfair to these new students. And IS 70 sevens are immigrants too. What about us? You can't send new immigrants middle school to us and they can't learn at I 77. You can, you can give this funding to our school with the new students to i i 77 to and everyone that can help. Thank you for your time. Thank you. I think there's one other student name that I overlooked. Niani Almeda. She spoke or is that, oh, okay. Great. Thank you. Just wanted to make sure we, we got everybody touch base with all the students and they all had an opportunity to speak. Uh, that is the extent of the students who have signed up to speak. Okay, great. Thank you very much. Thank you students. Um, you can all now go do your homework. That's why we let you speak first so you can get time to go home and, and do your schoolwork. Um, but no, thank you seriously for coming out. And I think, you know, um, starting to getting involved in civic engagement, which is one of the pillars that the New York City school system has adopted. Um, this is all part of it. This is all part of being a good citizen and, uh, participation in speaking out and making your voices heard. So, um, thank you all and you know, we were listening very carefully, um, to all of the comments that were made by the, uh, students. So I appreciate you coming out. Um, we're gonna take a pause now for a, uh, I guess an arts interlude. Um, the arts committee, um, of the department is, uh, here to make their annual presentation. And so I'll turn the floor over to them. Dr. Um, turn the floor over to George Young and Courtney. Um, bode, are you present? Yes. Okay. Welcome. Come forward. This is a once a year presentation that we receive from this group, and we're always happy to receive you. So the floor is yours, Leon. There we go. Good evening everyone. My name is Paul Thompson. I'm the Executive director of the Arts Office. Uh, I just want to go on the record and say that the students who spoke were incredible. Thank you so much. Um, Usually when the arts office shows up these days, we have a band, we have dance. I, we didn't work it out yet. I know we could do some potential improv. Yes, maybe. But, um, tonight we're here to, to, to give more, I think, uh, words of encouragement and notes on our work. Um, so good evening, uh, chancellor Aviles Ramos, uh, senior Deputy Chancellor Weissberg, uh, members of the panel for education policy, members of the arts community, um, members of the Arts Committee, DOE, uh, leadership and Esteem Guest, I am honored to be here tonight to introduce the work of the arts office for the 24 25 school year. Over the past two years, the Arts Office has taken a deliberate and energizing approach to rethinking its work with a clear focus on fostering a more inclusive collaborative vision. Central to this effort is ensuring that the arts office fully advocates and activates its resources and programs across the entire school system. We have concentrated on analyzing the arts office historical initiatives, identifying areas for growth, and crafting a strategy that brings greater unity and coherence to our work. The collaborative relationship we share with the Arts committee, and in some cases its decades long. Dedicated members has been instrumental in helping us shape our work. Their insights, advocacy and steadfast commitment have enriched our efforts, ensured that our strategies are informed by diverse perspectives and a deep understanding of the arts, education, history, and landscape across New York City. This new direction we've adopted aims to ensure that our work supports and reflects a diverse range of voices, talents, and artistic perspectives. Fostering a sense of belonging and inclusivity at every level of the student and teacher experience. Central to our strategy is an emphasis on the interconnectedness of our initiatives and collaborative effort of the Arts Office team. Our priority is not just to design new programs, but to ensure that both new and existing programs are aligned to support and amplify others' goals. Creating a seamless web of opportunities for students, educators, and artists. By aligning our objectives across various initiatives, we aim to break down silos and foster collaboration, innovation, and cross pollination of ideas within the greater New York City Arts and Arts education community. Allow me please to briefly highlight some of our key initiatives for this school year. Expanding access and equity, we are working tirelessly to close the opportunity gap by ensuring arts programs reach every borough, every neighborhood, and every student. This includes increasing partnerships with community arts organizations, securing resources for underserved schools, and providing professional development for educators that deliver, uh, culturally responsive arts instruction. Second, the Arts hub. A cornerstone of our new approach is the Arts Hub, which plays a pivotal role in our vision. The Arts Hub serves as an incubation space providing a dynamic environment where new areas can be developed, tested, and refined. This allows us to continually improve and then extend these beta tested projects to other sites. It brings together artists, educators, and thought leaders to collaborate, share resources, and explore innovative approaches to arts education. By leveraging the Arts Hub, we aim to cultivate a culture of creativity and experimentation that drives our initiatives forward. Third, student-centered showcases and celebrations. This year we will continue to pro provide platforms for students to showcase their talents throughout citywide exhibitions, performances, and festivals. These events are not only a celebration of their hard work, but also an opportunity for families, communities to come together in support of our young artists. Fourth, cultivating Talent through Principal Fellows. Our focus on cultivating talent has been essential in embedding the arts within school, curricula within the ulti. With the ultimate goal of building a robust network of school-based partners. The Principal Fellows Initiative has been central to this effort, strategically fostering leadership within the principalship to create sustainable conditions for social emotional learning, and to open up new opportunities for students to experience the healing power of the arts. Our principal fellows work, uh, as our principal fellows work to build schools that integrate the SEL benefits of the arts into their core initiative missions. We envision a future where arts programs connect schools, both within and across districts, creating a daisy chain of schools working together to establish continuous pathways and specific arts disciplines. Five, supporting arts educators. None of this work would be possible with our, our incredible arts educators. We increasingly support them through enhanced training, mentorship programs, and new curricular resources to ensure they can continue to inspire and guide their students moving forward. Our commitment remains steadfast in building a more inclusive, interconnected, and sustainable frame framework for arts education. Through strategic partnerships, innovative initiatives like the Arts Hub, and a focus on creating lasting pathways for students, we are poised to transform the landscape of the arts office in New York City. Our goal is to ensure that every student has the opportunity to explore, develop, and showcase their artistic talents, creating a brighter and more creative future for all. Thank you for your continued support for the arts. Together we can ensure that every student in New York City has an opportunity to discover their voice, tell their story, and reach their fullest potential. Uh, in closing, I just wanna thank a member of our office, uh, our director of Development, Audrey St. Clair, who is pivotal, um, in really making sure that we put our presentation together and that we were aligned, uh, minus the interpretive dance that may come later. Um, I also wanna take the time to just thank and introduce the co-chairs of the art committee, uh, Courtney Body and George Young. Thank you. Thank, thank you very much for your, uh, for your presentation and, and let you know that we were looking forward to the interpretive dance. So hopefully, uh, when we repeat this next year, we'll have, uh, we'll have the full value of everything that you guys have to, to offer. But again, thanks for the work you do. Um, we appreciate you being here. And we look, I guess we'll see you a year from now. Uh, this, oh, I'm sorry. Oh, wait, wait. But there's more. Okay. I'm sorry. Don't, I'm sorry. There is more. You are very diplomatic 'cause I, uh, you know, I'm sorry. Please, please proceed. Yes, first of all, good evening. And, uh, Paul, I had known I was coming after those students, I would've stayed home. They were absolutely bad. Well, you could trump them if you did an interpreted dance. Oh, no, nevermind. All I gotta say is Dr. King would be very proud students. You were outstanding. You were certainly outstanding. Yes. Good evening. My name is George Young and it is my great honor to be one of the co-chairs of the Arts Educational Advisory Committee to the pep I can recall so well the day that the arts changed my life. It was in Baltimore, Maryland where I grew up, and I heard a performance by the great pianist Andre Watts. I was hooked and it turned my life around. And that is the day I fell in love with music. This was particularly important because Mr. Watts was the first black male concert pianist. I heard all the others had been white. After being a New York City music teacher and assistant principal and principal for 40 years, I am still in love with the arts. And because of this love, it is important for me to make certain that all children receive a strong strategic art education. One of the many pleasures of being an arts co-chair is the gift of meeting many talented art supporters. Therefore, it is my honor to introduce the other co-chair, Ms. Courtney Body. Good evening. My name is Courtney J Body. I'm Vice President Education and School Engagement at the New Victory where that's located on 42nd Street, where we believe that extraordinary performing arts should be a part of everyone's life from the earliest years onward. I had the good fortune of growing up in a, a school and a town where I trusted adults like my parents and teachers to bring me and introduce me to different kinds of arts experiences, both at home and at school. And out of all of my experiences, theater spoke the loudest to me and shaped who I am and what I've become. And I'm so, so curious about your earliest memory of engaging in the arts as a kid. If you can think about what that experience was at this moment, if you could picture it, do you recall, uh, what, where that experience took place? What did you see? What did you do? How did it make you feel? Who actually was there with you? Was it your other peers, other adults, family? Do you recall the exact adult who facilitated that experience? How do you think that experience and subsequent arts engagement has shaped, has shaped you to who you are today? I know who it's shaped me to be here right now. According to Americans for the Arts, 92%, that's nine in every 10 Americans agree that everyone deserves a quality arts education. But only 51% believe that everyone has an equal access to the arts in their community. It's my honor to be a part of this distinguished body. The Arts Education Advisory Committee is made up of school leaders, certified arts teachers, directors of higher education programs, cultural arts workers, funders and more who have seen the firsthand impact of arts engagement on our New York City students. We wanna thank the Arts committee for their steadfast laser focused, uh, advocacy, ensuring that New York Public Schools provide quality ed arts education for every single student with a deep understanding of the complexities of the larger school system in the United States. There are some representatives here. We are about 30 to 40 people, um, between us and the arts office. We just wanted to wave for the people to let you know, like there's, these are the folks who are here, but we're representing a much larger, uh, group. The Arts Committee is dedicated to advocating for creative solutions for the city to establish a realistic, equitable foundation for the Art for Arts in, uh, instruction in every New York City Public school to support pathways to a bright and bold future for all of our students. It is our collective responsibility to ensure the arts are vibrant in new, in New York Public school system. We you all on the panel, you all in this room. The Arts committee. The arts office, we can be the trusted adults who ensure that arts engagement for all of our New York City schools, um, across the entire city, Guided by the federal, um, succeeds act, longstanding history of advocacy and Chancellor Ramos vision. It has been stated. She stated last week the arts are sold for our children and how important the arts are for all of our students. We must prioritize equity and, uh, universal access to culturally responsive art education as a core component of a well-rounded education. We, we applaud the incredible work and unwavering support of the arts office under the leadership of Paul Thompson toward advertising these, advancing these goals. We invigorate by his, uh, newly coined phrase at the 2324 Arts report launch event. The arts are not a nice to have. They are a must to have. Right? Remember that Paul? And certainly, uh, you really coined that beautifully. The success of the Principal Fellows Program. Embedding the arts office team of the Arts Hub, Mr. Thompson and his team are opening access to principals, school leaders, teachers, students, and directly engaged in deep artistic practice with professional artists such as Michelle, uh, in the Gay Oce and Jason Moran. These, uh, artistic collaborations are a part of a larger goal to stimulate leaders hearts and minds, better to understand how they center the arts in their buildings. The following are straightforward and explicit ways that the Arts Committee is building on its recommendations presented to the panel last year to initiate several projects in the collaboration with the Arts Office leadership. These projects supports the ongoing maintenance and growth capacity for sustainable arts education for all New York City students. Alright, let's move into the next slide. So, in the 21st century, the scope of arts, learning and choices for our students must include media arts. While media arts, teaching and learning currently take place in the overall system, the arts committee and the arts office are dedicated to creating a promising pathway to expand the New York State Arts Education Teacher's license to include media arts. Media arts are film like documentary, scripted music videos, et cetera. Graphic communications like graphic novels, magazines, graphic design, digital arts, like video games and animation and other merging technologies. Incorporating the rich creative field of media arts more concretely into the overall education programming can create support for students to use technology to communicate ideas, stories through visual and audio elements. In addition, the media arts follow, uh, allow students to, uh, express their own and others' ideas, both as artists and art audiences. Media arts develops communication skills, perceptual and conceptual, um, understandings, critical reasoning and practical skills like editing and storyboarding. These skills are also transferrable to ELA science and math research, et cetera. And deepening the rigor of media arts instruction could also spark possible career choices for our students. According to New York City film and, and television economic impact study from 2021, the seven sectors that make up New York City's film and television industry are directly ex, uh, responsible for over a hundred thousand jobs. That's 2% of all jobs in this city, um, equaling $12.2 billion in wages and $64.1 billion in direct economic output. Students deserve to learn this artistic discipline by passionate educators. Currently, there are visual artists who are potentially, uh, practicing artists and studied in media arts, but these individuals aren't licensed in this area because a license doesn't exist. The establishment of the, uh, media arts teacher's license supports the goal of increasing the overall number of teach arts teachers in the system. And lastly, by building the pipeline for media arts, there would be more opportunities for leadership support for this additional line of arts teachers in the system. The potential increase in arts teachers will enhance, as well as expand opportunities for fulfilling the New York State Education Arts requirement for students. So, sample actions that we're taking right now is looking at the previous, um, methods that we acquired, the dance and the theater license to be a roadmap and activating media arts education field, uh, such as higher ed and cultural sector and New York State Board of Regents and legislative re uh, representatives. Um, next slide please. The Arts Committee is encouraged by the growing number of cultural arts partners in the New York City public schools. 708 cultural organizations were identified as school partners in the 20 23 24 Annual Arts Education survey. This compares to 600 cultural organizations reported in the two 2020 2 23 school year. 29% of the schools reported that they received external funding for arts, education, and cultural organizations. In the 20 23 24 annual arts report, engaging a broader, more diverse spectrum of arts partners builds stronger community partnerships. The Arts Committee seeks to increase opportunity for smaller arts organizations that have more promising visibility for potential arts partnership, especially in schools with lower levels of arts engagement. The Arts office sits in a unique position to understand both the arts education of the New York City public schools and the cultural arts organization's landscape to create more equitable practices. Developing arts partnerships. The Arts Committee is dedicated to working with the arts office to build capacity for more varied pathways for small scale organizations to connect with the New York City public schools. This connection would put emphasis on actively engaging schools that have historically had lower levels of arts partnerships. Placing efforts in this arena could create synergistic and reciprocal opportunities for the small arts organization to work directly with students with deeper arts, exploration around contemporary social issues, using culturally responsive pedagogy and various art forms. This effort with the updates being made by ACEs Guide could also support leaders to have better sense of organization that mirrors the students population, such as cultural identities, gender expressions, or of plus that could empower their students to feel, seen, heard, grow confidence, build agency, and expand their own worldview. Simple actions for this goal include working closely with the arts office leadership to gain clearest picture of schools that have lower levels of cultural arts partnerships and brainstorming initiatives to make connections between smaller minority women owned businesses, enterprises, and lead opposite organizations to school leaders at the Art hub event and function. Next slide, please. Next slide. Yeah. All right. So the New York City Public School Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts is a foundational and su successful tool for quality arts instruction for our arts teachers and cultural arts organizations. It provides our educators with an exceptional guide for planning and implementation of impactful arts education programs. Updates to this Nita's document will build on two decades of proven teacher effectiveness in dance, music, theater, and visual arts instruction. And further building out the media arts blueprint in conjunction with the initiative that we just named around creating an arts, uh, media arts license. The blueprint is meant to professionally support arts teachers and school leaders to meet the needs of where arts programs are at this present time and into the future. Therefore, it is imperative that we update, build, and expand the blue, the blueprints, structure and organization to meet the ever-growing initiatives, programs and innovations within arts disciplines. Strengthening the efficacy of the blueprint documents will focus on inclusion of evolving educational po pedagogies, like social emotional learning, trauma-informed practice, and the like. Finally, to support professional learning and multi multi-modal learning, the blueprint could, uh, use various, um, mediums such as downloadable PDFs, images, videos, and more sample actions that include reviewing the previous process to create the current blueprint in the arts and forming core groups per arts discipline that will consist of local arts education experts like the, um, arts office, citywide arts directors, cultural workers, uh, cultural arts workers, and of course teachers with that proven record, uh, in successful teaching and deepening student engagement in the arts. Next slide. Certified art teachers. Um, updating the blueprint in the arts is interconnected with the next initiative. According to the annual arts report, a total of 2,799 full-time certified art teachers were employed across 1,585 schools in the 2324 school year. This is an increase of 368 full-time certified art teachers employed in schools the previous school year. The number of art teachers is moving closer to the pre pandemic levels, which the Arts committee highly recommends that this should continue to be a growing trend to surpass the pre pandemic levels. Driving toward a time when there is an arts teacher in every New York City public school. While increasing capacity for certified art teachers in our schools remains a steadfast priority to opt to optimize on the positive growing trend, the Arts Committee seeks to support strengthening the existing on ramps of arts teacher training and higher education and maintaining rigor for emerging and tenured art teachers. And some schools students education programming of being taught by Common branch classroom teachers with art skills, but are not necessarily certified arts teachers. And while we understand why this may be a practice, our students artistic and academic growth success are largely due to the strength and content and experts of their teachers. That is why it's critical that we push and have an as a priority. Certified teachers. Certified teachers are teachers that have been going to school and studying on a higher, higher level of mastering their, um, expertise in their chosen areas. Excellent. Next slide. So those are the four, uh, projects that we're currently working on. And these projects, while we're in the pursuit of advocacy and action, we also have some recommendations. There's, sorry, can you go back one? Thank you. Um, we have some recommendations and goals that the Arts Committee would like to share with the pep. Um, first one's around data transparency. We all know that data is very important. Data will tell us where our needs are and where we need to support schools. Data will also tell us where our certified teachers are, not to mention the programs that we have. So we stress the importance that we continue to work with the data that will give us a sense of where to go and where to support Next, Um, maintaining the infrastructure and staffing of the Arts office. Um, the arts office is amazing and it demonstrates overall that the importance of arts on the education of the whole child. The Arts office has continued to provide excellent leadership in schools and to, to schools and school, uh, district leaders. The presence of the Arts office is, is which is equipped with professionals in all of the arts disciplines, makes for a significant statement to our city and education community. The Arts office provides a common thread that Paul actually referred to earlier around curriculum instruction, performance opportunities, cultural exposure, and cutting edge research, which provides an artistic continuity throughout our entire school system. The arts deserve the same kind of respect as you might imagine. We think this, I hope you agree that it deserves the same kind of respect as other subject areas like math, science, and English language Arts. New York City sits in an important and strong position to have an arts office with passionate staff like Paul Thompson, like the, the team, Hannah Berson, Audrey Sinclair, the Borough Arts and Citywide Arts Directors, and their entire team. To them we say bravo, and there's always more to do Moving forward. We want to solidify the arts as a core subject. All of us know that, um, in our English language subjects and math and science, but there's a curriculum that, um, is in place to go from pre-K to all the way to the 12th grade. We certainly want to, uh, say that it is extremely important and we are working toward that with Paul Thompson in his office, that the arts become a core subject as well. That we will have curriculum in place for all students, and a curriculum that will be certainly map out what happens with the arts from pre-K all the way to the 12th grade as well. And finally sustain and increase school budgets for the arts. Maintaining a budget for to provide consistent arts programs are essential to our children's continued artistic growth. The Arts committee recommends to the panel and to the mayor to increase school budgets for the arts by a allocating more funds as part of the Fair Student Funding formula to include a requirement that these funds be spent specifically for arts programming. This is the path to more equitable access to the arts across the entire school system. Um, increasing arts, uh, budgets would also increase the, increase the number of students having access to certified arts teachers and cultural arts partnerships to have a superior education and prepare them to become college and career ready and active citizens. That was said earlier today, as well as believing that the arts in New York City, the creative capital of the world, that the arts, that they believe that the arts are for them. And last but not least, maintaining an increased art partnership. Grants arts partnerships between our New York City public schools and art organizations are extremely important in and of themselves. Students directly engage with professional and community artists based in their neighborhoods, school communities, boroughs, and around the city. The more exposure students get to working artists and shifting the energy of a classroom setting to a creative space can support different modes of learning for all students, especially, uh, non divergent learners. For the 20 24, 25 academic year, 225 out of 779, applying schools were awarded Arts Partnership grants, which is just over one fourth of the submissions. The request to add up to 3.4 million. The need is abundantly need is clear, and the Arts Committee recommends that the budget for the Arts Partnership grants is maintained, and if possible, get increased to support ongoing cultural arts programs for our pre-K to 12 grade students. All right, y'all We're coming to the end. Uh, final slide, please. All right. So we wanna thank you so much for having us and for your ongoing and enduring support for giving us the opportunity to share with you and represent the Arts education colleagues on the advisory committee. If you, anybody on the panel or anybody in this room would like to join our efforts and projects, please contact the co-chairs at Education underscore. That is underscore that little space there. There's an underscore there. tickets@newvictory.org with that subject so that the people who actually man that particular, uh, or woman, that particular, um, email address, get it to the right person, which is basically me. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Uh, we have one additional student who wanted to, uh, make a presentation. Uh, uh, Yeah. Daniel Turibio. Hello, my name is Daniel sio. I am a sixth grade student from the IS 77 Newspaper Club. I think we should not have the co-location happen because they may cut our lunch periods to 13 minutes. We'll not have much space to test, which is a big disadvantage because we might just be packed together and we could cheat and copy each other. Speaking of packed, Speaking of packed school will be overcrowded with students. Transitions from class to class would be hard in the hallway. The high schoolers could break school property and maybe large fights could break out as a result. It might even have more lockdowns because of the fights. Vaping is also bad. Vaping. Nicotine remains the most common type of substance used among eighth and 10th graders. So that means we might see smoke alarms go off. We will have very little gym time and no time for indoor recess. We need more security because I mentioned earlier, large sprites could break out. So we need adults to handle these types of problems so we can stay safe. And finally, we could have no school clubs during lunch. These are some of my reasons I disagree with plotting the high schoolers co-location. Thank you for your time to hear what I have to say. Thank you. You again, I repeat the students. You all did very well. Um, and, and I want you to know, the panel was listening very carefully to all of the points that you made. They were, uh, considering them very seriously. And I wanna thank you for all, for coming out and also invite you to continue, um, to get involved in your community and get involved in your, in issues that are important to you in your community, your community board, and other outlets for you to get involved in civic activity. I think that's, uh, very important, especially in the climate that we are in today. Um, it's very important that we have people engaged in their communities and engaged in the public life of our, uh, country. Thank you. Yes. So, on the presentation, or is it just presentation, We, we need to move forward because of, um, did, did you have a comment that you wanted to make? Yes, I did. Yeah. Um, is it via, 'cause we, you know, have a lengthy agenda and I wanna move the agenda. It's, um, TOMM, before you speak, can I just note that we're joined by Anthony Giardano? Just Okay. I'm gonna ask Pam, if you wanna make comments, take them briefly, because we have a lengthy agenda, um, and we need to move the move forward. So go ahead. Thank you, chair Faulkner. Um, it's gonna be a common theme for me tonight. Um, diversity, equity, and inclusion. And I want to thank I, uh, the arts committee for their presentation and for reminding us that for our young people, that the arts represents creative expression. And, um, you know, you asked a question like, where was it that you became interested in the arts? And, uh, I think for me it was when I was in high school, I borrowed my sister's camera and, uh, started taking pictures. And I have looked at life through a camera lens, um, for almost all of my adult life. So I do understand the importance of, uh, you know, not just an appropriate, but an enriching, um, arts education. Um, I will say that I wholeheartedly agree, um, that we do need a media arts licensing program. Um, many schools have teachers who are fans of art, they're committed to art, but that license doesn't exist. So to create that license really formalizes, um, and recognizes the work, um, that teachers will be doing. And, um, uh, the last thing I will say is take heed to the fact that in New York City, you know, you're talking about over a hundred thousand jobs and, you know, 60 billion in revenue, um, connected with media arts, and, you know, just like we, you know, go in on, you know, supporting like healthcare and those sorts of things, um, that we should be making the same kinds of investments in our education that will allow for our young people, um, to participate in, um, the media arts economy. So thank you again for your presentation. Okay. Councilman Reti. Um, I just wanted to ask a question. You, you mentioned data transparency. I just wanna ensure that, that you all know that on Info Hub, there is under governmental reports, an annual art data report, a big spreadsheet that shows every one of the schools and, um, what teachers they have there. And so, um, maybe somebody could connect with me and I'll show you where to find that if you don't already know. But if there's something missing from that, that you would like added, we could ask City Council to add whatever you want to that report. And I'm sure they'll be receptive. So, just wanted to thank you for your amazing work. And I'm also a big supporter of the arts. Um, I grew up in a family of artists and musicians and still have artists and musicians in my family. And so thank you for all you do. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Panel member. Uh, we're now gonna move into the Yes panel member. It, it can be, it can be answered at a later time, but I didn't hear anything covered about how we're gonna increase equity and access for students with disabilities, particularly in schools that don't receive fair student funding, like District 75. So we could have a conversation about that after. In the interest of time, You might even follow with a briefing of some type. Thank that. Would, that would probably be a Good deal. There's no plan. And if we don't receive additional funding, we don't have funding. All of our funding is restricted. I, I think that's a, an important comment. So let's, let's, uh, move on. 'cause we have a lengthy business portion. Uh, we're gonna move into the business portion of the meeting, which means we're moving into the items that we'll be voting on, um, this evening. Before we move into that section, I'd like to actually read the rules that we'll be following during this portion of the meeting. During the public comment period, everyone who has signed up to speak on specific agenda items will be allotted two and a half minutes. I will ask our Secretary, secretary Nathan to call forward speakers from the signup sheets and keep the, and keep an eye on the time clock to ensure that speakers finish their public comment within the allotted time. Additional time will be provided as necessary to help facilitate comments that met require translation. We will call speakers up in groups of five. The clock will indicate the amount of time remaining for each speaker. And a, uh, a light will flash when there is one minute remaining, so the speakers will know when their time is running low. At the conclusion of each speaker's time, we will move on to the next speaker. If a speaker is not here when their name is called, we will move on to the next speaker. Once we have done so, you will not be able to redeem your place in the queue. Um, as was noted, the first item on the agenda is, um, the, uh, uh, consideration of school, school utilization proposals. But I'd like to ask if there would be a motion. We also have a resolution affirming the status of New York City Public Schools as a welcoming citywide district for all students. If, if there's no objection, I'd like to move that as the next item on the agenda. Is there any objection put in the resolution first? Yeah. Making the resolution first. Is there any objection by panel member? So without any, without objection, we'll just move that item to the next, um, item of business. And I'll ask Secretary Nathan to please, uh, uh, read the resolution. Sure. Uh, the resolution up for approval is entitled Resolution Affirming the Status of New York City Public Schools, N-Y-C-P-S as a welcoming citywide district for all students. Hana. Great. Yes. Thank you. Um, I'd like to, um, um, introduce our, um, yes. Is there a motion I'm getting, you know, excited? Is there a second? Second. Second. I'm real anxious of this. Um, I'd like to introduce the, um, person who spent a lot of time working on this. He's our chair of government relations, uh, panel member Nave Hassan, who will, um, walk us through this. And also, I recognize him as the, uh, maker of the motion. Thank you. Thank you. Uh, chair Faulkner. Uh, thank you everyone, uh, for coming out and speaking, um, on behalf of the issues that, that are important to you. Uh, this resolution came about with the support of many, many members of the Panel for Educational policy. I would like to thank each and every one of you. Um, and we have, um, a city that is largely, um, first generation or immigrant, uh, and, uh, making sure that we take care of them and represent all of their interests in with the same vigor that we represent, the interests of all of our communities. Uh, going into this, uh, new federal administration is very important to me personally. I'm an immigrant. Uh, I have refugees in my family. Uh, the school that my children attend have, uh, hundreds of newly arrived students in the last two or three years. But, um, another point I wanna make as part of the reason why we have this resolution is we have a city that has millions of people that are of, uh, not, uh, permanent status. Because our federal immigration system is fundamentally broken, people can come and follow the law and do all of the right things and still not be documented residents of New York City. It could be decades before anything happens, uh, in their favor. So this resolution represents the interest of more than just people that have come in the last two or three years. Uh, and, and, uh, I hope that we recognize that, uh, without, uh, being strongly vocal in support of all New York City residents, we will have a hard time functioning as a city. Uh, these are people that do all of the things, uh, uh, that are needed to make the city run, uh, for, for each of us. And, uh, making sure that the families of students who are enrolled in our schools feel safe and comfortable attending on a regular basis is supremely important. Attendance is something that schools are held accountable to. Uh, test scores are something that schools are held accountable to on, on, on, on a relatively numerical basis. So we need to make sure that we, as a panel, as a Board of Education strongly put forth our, uh, support for them, uh, make sure that they have all of the resources available to them to, uh, know their rights, that we know their rights, and, and, uh, follow all of the pre-existing guidelines that are in place from, uh, prior presidential administrations in terms of protecting kids from non-local law enforcement authorities. So, um, I ha I hope that we have some public speakers on this, but, uh, if not, uh, I'll pass it back to Chair Faulkner, and, and we can have any further discussion on this. But o obviously, hopefully we'll hear from other panel members as well. Thank you. Sure. Thank you. Um, at, at this point, we'll, um, open the floor to public comment on the resolution. Um, I believe there was only one speaker signed up. Um, Michael Sill. I will just check while he comes up. Hello everyone. Mm-hmm. My name is Michael Sill. I am the Assistant Secretary of the United Federation of Teachers. My name is Janella Hins. I'm the Vice President for Academic High Schools at the United Federation of Teachers. We stand together today in, uh, strong support of the resolution. We wanna thank Panel member Husan and all of those who are, uh, supporting this resolution today. Michael Moru recently said, once children are students in New York City public schools, they are our children. We work hard to protect them from gun violence, from hunger, from covid, from bullying, from attempts to short circuit their education. And now from any attempts to drag them outta their classrooms, to deport them, that duty to protect students is eternal. Politicians come and go, issues move to the forefront and then recede. But that duty to protect students does not change. Now, we've heard from many, many UFT members in recent weeks about what they'd be willing to do to protect their students, but they shouldn't have to. We're not lawyers. We could have been, but we chose a different path, right? The best way that the panel and the Department of Ed can allow teachers to protect students is by keeping ICE out of our schools. And so, we stand here in strong support of this resolution because we know that our schools are central to our communities. They are central to our entire city, and our schools serve as sanctuaries for our students, as well as many of the adults in the buildings. As was stated earlier, there are staff members in our buildings who may be recipients of daca, who may be under temporary protected status, and who deserve all of the protection afforded to them under the law. And so, the United Fe Federation of Teachers stands in strong support of all of the rights and benefits afforded to them under the constitution and the laws under the Sanctuary City policies that exist. Thank You. Thank you. And so, I hear that there are no other public comment. Okay. So we'll now move to panel member comments. Are there any panel members who wish to comment? Panel Member Shepherd? And then we'll just go around. Thank you, chair Faulkner. Um, I'm gonna start by first saying thank you to, uh, panel member Hassan for, um, uh, really keeping the communication going on this one. Um, it was robust. It allowed for, um, people to really give their input. And, um, I wanna say thank you, and I really appreciate that. Um, I'm gonna say that I support this resolution as a first step. Um, you know, I, I agree with the, the UFT speakers that this should not be a place that we should find ourselves in, right? Um, you know, all of us, when we step into these roles and we take an oath, right? Our primary consideration is protecting, um, this system so that it can protect students and families and educators. And, um, you know, to, to be in this place is, is very disturbing to me. But yet, here we are. And, um, um, the only thing that I'm going to add, and it's something that I look, I would, uh, happily work with, uh, this panel on, is, um, while guidance is good, right? Um, uh, you know, this is, you know, the guidance document that, you know, the Chancellor has about how we should address these things. Um, I would just respectfully submit that the closest thing to Etched in Stone is a chancellor's regulation. And, um, I would, um, ask, and I'm not gonna ask it or, um, propose it as a, an amendment to this resolution, um, because I do wanna see it pass. Um, but I will, um, just humbly ask that we also consider updating, um, applicable chances, regulations, starting with a four 12, um, to really, you know, lay out what that policy is, what those procedures are, because you can hold people accountable through the chancellor's regulation when guidance is more of a suggestion. So, um, I will just, uh, end on that. And, uh, you know, the last, the very last thing, and, uh, man, we going through a lot and, you know, I, it bothers me to know and to see, um, immigrant students under and immigrant families in our commun and immigrants in our communities, subjected to this kind of, like, hate, like our country is built on immigrants, right? Like, like it's built. It, it functions, it, it like the wheels and the gears turn because of immigrants. And, you know, to set up, you know, our immigrant communities, um, in this way is just foul. 'cause at the end of the day, like with the exception of our indigenous population, we're all immigrants. And I think that if we looked at each other in that way and start trying, stop trying to carve out which immigrants, right? And live with like an acceptance of the fact that we're all immigrants, we are all here. And at the end of the day, we all have an obligation to support each other and to protect each other. So, um, again, I stand in full support of this Resolution, and I yield back. Thank you. Thank you. Panel member. Um, who's next? I guess the next, Yeah. Thank you. Good evening, everyone. My name is Adriana. I'm here for Queen CECs. I want to echo panel member Shepherd's comments. And thank you again, panel member Hassan, for truly taking this on, doing the Bulls work of it, uh, and working with each of us to ensure that all perspectives were considered. I look forward to voting yes on this resolution in a few minutes. I want to thank the public for joining us tonight as well. And since we're in the world's borough and the powers that be are threatening our neighbors, I think it's pertinent that we learn and practice a few phrases that may be useful to us in the very near future. If you are in public and you see ice agents or other non-local law enforcement, here are a few ways that you can quickly and easily alert those around you. We're gonna play a little call in response. I'm gonna say it first. You guys are gonna say it back. Gra gra. Let's do it again. LaMi ra ra again, again, RA ra. Thank you. If you prefer discretion, you can say something like, did you see the ice cream trucks outside? Has anyone seen that? There's ice cream trucks outside? It's 14 degrees. People will know what you're talking about. I hope that we all remember that our children are watching. Our children will see who we allowed to be harmed over the next four plus years. They will see who matters and who does not to the adults around them. And while the country actually burns down around us, who, and what do they see us prioritize and give our attention to, and what we ignore and what we allow for those who choose to look away. I hope that your children are forgiving and possess short memories, because mine possesses neither, and I have no intention of letting him down. If you'll humor me, I have just one more phrase for us all to practice. No, I will not do that. No, no, absolutely. Thank you. Let's do it again. No, I will not do that. Please be vigilant. Please be aware. Please be kind. We keep us safe. We always have, and we must continue to. I look forward to hearing from everyone here tonight and from all of you. Thank you for being here. Thank you. Okay. Ro did was your hand raised? I just wanna say that Borough President is in support of protecting all students, um, all sensitive areas, and I too look forward to saying yes. And I also would love to see it, um, as a chancellor's regulation with, um, a lot more intentionality that, that we have a document that they are required to go back to, to seek guidance versus guidance being dependent on the individual being spoken to. So I appreciate, um, all the work that went into this. Legislators, previous panel members, current panel members, community members, that this is truly like a work of art that, that we all put together for, for our students. And, and I, I hope that the panel continues to, to model this type of work going forward, but with the, with the indication that these are our policy documents, these are documents that we would look to become policy and to really make a meaningful mark in our time here, that that's our job. So I, I hope that, um, that we continue the great work and I look forward to voting. Yes. Yeah. And Pam, I, I agree with you, and I think this is an, it's important for the panel member, for the panel itself to not always react, but to begin initiating, um, these types of things and to initiate, um, leadership. It's leadership. And we are the department, we are the Board of Education of the city of New York, and when we, the largest school system in the United States. And I think when we make a statement, it sends a message that has, uh, ramifications. And so I am hoping that we're gonna see a lot more there, There are reporters here that would like to speak to panel members about this resolution. So just understand the power that we have Yeah. When we choose to use it. Great. Thank you. Yes. Panel member. Um, thank you, uh, Navid for this great work. Thank you, uh, panel members for, uh, for, uh, uh, your words. I'd just like to continue, uh, regarding the council resolutions, because we also need council, uh, regulations, sorry for updating, uh, language access and communication with, uh, immigrant families. And we call, I would like to ask all panel members to look at the, uh, uh, updating, uh, council Resolution Regulation, A 6 63, uh, to currents needs. Uh, do e speak only nine language other than English. There is more, uh, even bilingual programs in the, in the, uh, our New York City public schools and, uh, even states speak 12 language other than English. And I, I would like to follow this. Uh, the communication with immigrants with your parents is also important. Thank you very much. Sure. Did you wanna pen Hasan? Go ahead. Thank you. Just to follow up on the Dr. Mann's request, we were very fortunate to have the Office of Language Access, uh, translate this resolution into all of the DOE languages. It's 10 including English, but we'll look forward to working on adding more that are representative of all of our communities. Thank you so much. Sure. Thank you, Panama. Any other pan hands on this side? You have Panama Ano. This is a subject near and dear to my heart. My beautiful wife, Alto. B Giordano is, uh, is an immigrant and an immigration attorney. And, uh, over the, she's managed to really, and I, I've now learned how crazy the immigration process is. And, uh, as a second generation Dominican, second generation Italian, they said, well, our people came here legally. Well, there were no things to prevent. My grandfather came here in 1903 and was collecting manure in three, five pound bags. There was nobody to stop him. They've made the uses is acts so egregiously and so haphazardly. I mean, I'm at the point where, give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. What we should just knock down the Statue of Liberty at this point, because we have prevented people. And, and as the pension maven on this board, we were given a report. The, the, uh, the last economic downturn was actually, uh, uh, we had a softer landing because of the immigrant population that was in fortifying the, um, uh, fortifying the workforce. We're taking the, the economy is booming because of our immigrants. This whole place. These buildings were built through our immigrants. And we yet, and everybody has to just do it to the next group. We have to be realistic and realize that we have to give, give everybody these opportunities. And these kids need to be taught properly and given every opportunity to succeed. Because, you know, my mother is a perfect example of it. She came here, she couldn't speak English. People were throwing spitballs in the back of her head, and now she owns three companies. I mean, immigrants do it better. I mean, come on. Uh, so thank you so much, Naveed, for putting this through. Um, you, you've done even more than that. You've already expanded out to the different legislators and different, uh, um, uh, uh, advocacy groups. So I'm really super impressed with the effort you did. And thank you for letting me expound upon your good work. Thank you very much. Panel members, Giardano, and I know you were kidding about tearing down the Statue of Liberty. Okay. Um, who is next? Yes. Panel member, uh, Alban Meetings later. And then go straight to the topic of, uh, if you walk into this building, right, because we should live those values of what this resolution means. But if you walk out into this building and you see the values of Francis Lewis High School, Patriots, which is my home, and I get to share with a parent member, a student, parent member is his home. Friendship, community, integrity, tolerance, acceptance. I can the list. Go on and on. We should be living these values and to protect our students, our teachers, our community members. This is what is all about. This is why we are doing this work, not just for our students, but for each other. Our our neighbors have children in this public schools. We have children in the public schools. So we need to live those values, not just talk them, but actually live it, and then we can protect one another because this together is better. I heard that in the last week. Meeting together is better. And Mayor Casre, did you wanna, I just wanna thank all of the council for working so diligently on this, um, resolution and ensuring that our students and families feel safe and protected and welcomed in our school. Um, just needs to be at the center of all of our conversations because their social, emotional health and wellbeing, um, is the foundation of their education. And just wanna let everybody know that we value very, very strongly our immigrant population and, um, looking forward to doing everything that we can to keep our schools safe and our children safe. So thank you so much. Thank you. Panel member. Is there any other, yeah, panel member, uh, Ali, Thank you Chair. Um, just want to echo, uh, a lot of the comments that are, that my fellow panel members have said. Again, big thank you to panel member Hassan for, uh, coordinating this. Um, I, I imagine this is the same for quite a number of you, but this particular resolution certainly hits home for me. Um, my mother immigrated to the US as a 13-year-old. She entered New York City Public Schools as a migrant student, and several years later, my mom became a teacher. She taught in New York City Public Schools for over 35 years. And that just goes to show you the impact of what our schools can do for all of our children. So for me, this is quite personal. And I also want to just kind of elevate and just remind not just the panel, but everyone listening, the comment that, uh, panel member Shepherd said, we're all immigrants. If we are not native indigenous people to the United States, we're all immigrants. We all came at one point or another. Regardless of how we came, we're all immigrants. And I think it's important to remember that. Um, and it is our duty to stand tall and and protect all. Thank you. Thank you. Any other panel members who wish to make comments at this time? You know, again, I also would've joined in thanking panel member Navi. I, you know, when, when, when you agreed to take on the intergovernmental relations, I never anticipated the great work, the level of work. I need you to do a great job. But just the level of work that you've been able to accomplish, um, has been tremendous. And I think this is an example of it. Um, it's putting, it's making a statement, um, on behalf of the panel. You know, uh, I'm gonna paraphrase for those who may feel that, um, some of the things that are happening nationally don't directly affect them. I think there's a poem, and I wish I was trying to look it up to get the name, that if you remain silent when they came for the others, eventually they come for you. And I think we all have to remember that what we see now, though it may not affect us directly at some point, um, we may be affected. And, and it's important for all of us to speak up and be diligent about this. Um, I, I want to thank also the DOE because you know, there the guidance that came out fairly quickly, I think that was important that the, uh, chancellor and the DOE did put out guidance in terms of, you know, what do you do if somebody shows up at the schoolhouse door? Um, I think giving, at least in initial steps, some direction w was very important. And I, you know, I want to just recognize that and thank the department for moving quickly to do that and to, um, give some guidance in terms of how we would proceed. Um, panel member Garcia, Yes. Um, someone, as you just said, someone, um, needs to remind all of us that what happens on a national level trickles down to the local level. That's right. And we are the local levels. Our children are the local level, are on the local level, and everything that goes on, you cannot close your eyes, you cannot close your ears mm-hmm. To what goes on nationally, because eventually it affects all of us. Mm-hmm. And also the issue about ice coming, those of us who had to be, especially during nine 11, when you had thousands of kids to protect that particular day, it is very easy to say, I will protect, you have to be a certain kind of person who's gonna put your life, your job, your everything on the line to protect the children that you are over overlooking, taking care of that takes a special kind of person. And we hope we have a school community filled with those kinds of people Yeah. Who will protect our children when ice knocks on your door. Yeah. That is a very serious thing. Yeah. Thank you. It it is, it is frightening. Because I remember doing, you mentioned nine 11, I was working at a college, um, at the time, and I remember federal agent coming in and saying, we want to see a list of all your students who majored in finance. And, you know, when you see a federal agent and they flash you kind of, well, I don't do, I disobey. And I, you know, we were luckily able to say, well, you have to go through this procedure and, and make sure they follow. But it is intimidating. And I know, um, that it does require that, that that guidance, um, to be able to do that. Um, I think at this point, we're ready for a vote. And what I would like to do, um, to, I think we send a powerful statement, I would like to entertain a motion that this motion be adopted by unanimous consent. Um, is that, so is there a feeling? Yes. Um, for that, um, is there a, so somebody should make that motion. I wanna give that privilege to, uh, panel member Hassan, Uh, motion to approve this re resolution with unanimous consent. Is there, Is there a second? I see a lot of seconds. I think we're, I think we all unanimously, I think y'all have 20 something seconds to that motion. Is, is there objection to unanimous consent? No hearing, no objection to unanimous consent. Um, I think we all wanna do something affirmatively. So, um, just say yes and the motion will be adopted. It's the unanimous consent. The motion is Yes. And the motion, um, the resolution is adopted. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Yes. The resolution is adopted. Thank you. Um, I, I will say for any media or any folks that are here, it is rare that we do a unanimous consent on any kind of a topic. And the entire panel is in complete agreement. So this is one of those moments, um, where we're sending a very powerful statement about where the sentiment is on the part of the, uh, New York City Board of Education. And, uh, we hope that, uh, message gets out to everyone that we are going to work to create a safe environment for our children, and, um, that, um, we're, we're gonna, you know, hold fast to that. So thank you very much, everyone. Thank you very much, panelists. And, uh, I think we did something that was really important today. Chair Faulkner. Yes. Um, I would be remiss if I didn't thank the New York Civil Liberties Union. Sure. Um, they did provide some valuable input, um, in regard to this resolution, and, um, just reminding us of the difference between an ice warrant and an actual judicial Warrant. Yeah. So I wanted to just, um, you know, thank them for their input as Well. Yeah. Thank you. Well, please, yes, And, and I guess there's a lot of things that are public education on this, which I hope that people take time to learn about everyone's rights and responsibilities in terms of, uh, living as Americans. But, uh, I, I'm personally thankful to city Council, especially the Immigration Committee. Just got a congratulations message from a council member, Alexa Vilis, who's chair of the Immigration Committee, strongly supportive and, and various, uh, immigration organizations such as New York Immigration Coalition, uh, and NY a g uh, legal advice. Uh, there were so many hands and eyes that went into the forming and forging of this Resolution. I want to thank every one of you again. Thank you. Great chair. Yes. Um, I was just wondering if there's a way that we can distribute the resolution through the schools to families. YY Yes. I think we can ask, um, Could we actually do that as a vote? It's on our site already. It's, yeah. Yeah. We just, on the website, It's gonna go publicly on the website. Um, I, I think also it would be great if we could have this sent out to the, as a release to the general community. Let's work out that detail offline. But I think we definitely get the message. So we wanna make sure that this word gets out, particularly to our schools, uh, maybe sending it out to all the, each school gets a copy, um, and we'll get the word out, um, on it. Yes. Can we just make sure that, um, the link is working, that it's in the right place? Um, because I, I was looking through for certain things for this evening, and they aren't there. Um, so if, like, if we're gonna say that we are, let's just make sure with integrity Yeah. If that happens, follow up with me and I'll follow up with staff and make sure, I mean, I, like I realized it while we were already in session. Okay. No, I got it. So, I'm, I will follow up and I'm glad you brought that to attention. I'll, I will definitely follow up and make sure that all of our systems are, are Working website And translate it on the website. We'll do, we'll take care of all that excuse. Um, Can I, Yes. I think further to panel member caster's point, is there a way that face or some office within the DOE can encourage our principals, our pa, PTAs, our, you know, president's councils, our S SLTs, to have the resolution as a downloadable document on their school's websites or on their P-A-P-T-A website, et cetera. And also to backpack those le the resolution home as you would any letter in the languages that are spoken at home. Thank you. Let, I, I think, I think we hit a sentiment let's, tomorrow we'll work out how we get this. The point is we want to, I think it's very clearly understood. We wanna make sure that this is, um, widely made available, widely communicated, um, and the protections that are available are also communicated and printed and get, get gotten out to our students. So, um, we're gonna, we'll, we'll definitely make that happen. Um, any other comments? So let's move on to the next, uh, item on the agenda, which is the consideration of, uh, school utilization proposals. Um, I'll ask our secretary to please read the, uh, resolution. The resolution up for approval is entitled Resolution to Approve Changes in School Utilization, which Comprises Items one, the proposed opening and co-location of HBCU, early College Prep 29 Q4 27 with is 2 38, Susan B. Anthony AC Academy 29 Q2 38, and PSQ 0 0 9 75 Q 0 0 9 in building Q2 38 in the 20 25 20 26 school year to the proposed opening in co-location of Queens International 24 Q 8 49 with Joseph F. Quinn, intermediate School 77 24 Q 0 77 in building Q 8 49, beginning in the 20 25, 20 26 school year. Uh, three, the proposed grade truncation of PS 0 9 9 Q Gardens 28 Q 0 99 from a K through six school to a K through five school in building Q 0 99 in the 20 25, 20 26 school year. And four, the proposed reciting of grades K through two of PS 65, the Raymond York Elementary School, 27 Q 0 65, from building Q 8 84 to building Q 5 0 9, beginning in the 20 25, 20 26 school year. Back to you. Great, Thank you. Is there a motion to adopt these resolutions from the panel? Motion Moved. Is there a second to motion to adopt? Second the motion to move. Then second, we will now move to public comment on the resolution. I will first call, um, members of Education Council and then turn to the rest of the public. Um, Manisha Jane and somebody named Connie. Is there anybody From the, this gentleman just realized that, yeah, Dr. Blake. Okay. And who is Dr. Who is he, who is he Doctor? Who is he? He president organization. Black Education. He's not elected official of principal. Uh, good evening, everyone. Um, I'm Anisha Jen, and I am a member of CC 24, and we know why we are here today to, uh, talk about the co-location issues, uh, that has been with the, uh, PS N-I-P-S-I-S 77, and I would like to support IS 77. Uh, the reasoning, we, I want them to have a chance, a fair chance to upgrade. It's, uh, like, uh, we know like we have, uh, we also hear from the student voices and that, uh, previous colocation was a failure, and now another co-location idea without giving school enough time to think or present ideas about their growth is not justified. So it is not that we do not understand why co-location idea is presented, but our question is why resources are not provided to ISI 77 for its expansion. Another thing is that, um, there would be an overlap of grades six to nine. Like, uh, IS 77 already have this grades in their school. So there would be an overlapping of grades six to nine would be detrimental to the growth of IS 77. It would create competition and comparison by parents and students, and may lead to a shift of their students to an international school which is equipped with more resources. And over a period of time, there is a possibility that ISII 77 may see a domino effect with de decline in their middle school enrollments. So, like I understand that there is an under utilization of seats in seven IS 77, and it is there, but they were not given enough time to stand back also. So, and another question is why previous, uh, colocation did not work? Like what were the shortcomings and what guarantee that I 77 has today that this colocation will work? Previously votes were casted in favor of co-location, and then why not this time we cast vote to give them chance to shine and spread their wings for a flight towards their growth. And, uh, uh, also I would like to mention as a CC 24 member, we have approved a resolution that is not in favor of co-location in our last meeting. So I would just, I would just like to like pep to think upon it. Like it's not always that, you know, uh, you have to think only about one part. You have to think about what effects it would be for them in long run. Thank you. Okay. We're gonna, we're gonna just suspend public comment for just one second. Excuse me. Uh, uh, we're gonna suspend public comment for one second and I'd like to invite the superintendents to please come up and to present, uh, comment or any school officials, any principals, any other, uh, DOE officials that need to, uh, present to please come up. Hi. Hello everyone. Good evening. I am Dr. Josephine Boez, proud superintendent of Queen South High Schools. And I'm here and I'm here to speak about the proposal to co-locate HBCU Early College Prep as Susan B. Anthony is 2 38 into in District 29. We are excited and eager to welcome HBCU Early College Prep to Queen South High Schools, HBCU. Um, early College Prep is the first of its kind in New York City. It will have a partnership with Delaware State University in which students will be afforded an associate's degree as well as a high school diploma. In the ninth grade, students will already have 11 credits, college credits, and graduate with 64 college credits. Each student will have a success mentor while teachers will be trained by DSU professors around college curriculum, students will have summer residencies and learning abroad opportunities, and these DSU professors will be teaching students both virtually and in person. It is an accelerated option for our students in Queens South to take advantage of offering our students the competitive edge. If this proposal is approved, we will have the opportunity to welcome a hundred scholars in the ninth grade in the fall, and at its full capacity. 500 students approximately priority will be given to students in District 29, followed by students in District 27 and 28. It will be led by its founder and interim acting principal, Dr. Asia Johnson, who has a track record of producing academic outcomes and establishing a rich school culture grounded in culturally response responsive pedagogy and approaches. I thank you for considering our comments. Good evening, members of the Pep and Queens community. My name is Danielle Demango, and I am the Chief of School Support within Division of School Leadership. In this capacity, I provide supports to districts and schools across many boroughs, including queens. Prior to assuming this central role, I served as a superintendent in Queens for 13 years. Over the past four months, I have worked closely supporting Superintendent Ka Valley on this proposal, and I'm here this evening to express my strong support for the proposal to open and co-locate Queens International with IS 77. In building Q 8 49, the plan to open Queen International represents New York City Public School's commitment to serving the growing number of newly enrolled multilingual learners throughout the city. As many of you know, space for a new school is very difficult to find in Queens. Since 2022, queen schools have welcomed over 9,000 newly arrived students and District 24 received the largest share of these students accounting for roughly 8% of the total across the city. Schools in the Internationals network have a proven track record of successfully serving newly enrolled multilingual learners. We are excited to offer this additional choice to our students and families. Currently, there are no international schools in Queens serving middle school students. Queens International will build on the successful strategies used in other schools within the network and take them further by becoming the first six to 12 international model in New York City, providing continuity for students and families. Furthermore, for the 20 24 20 25 school year, the demand for seats at existing high schools in the international network in Queens exceeded the number of available spaces. By introducing the six to 12 model, we can address both the Queens high school and middle school seat shortages in Queens as we evaluated potential options to open this school. Building Q 8 49 in District 24, presented an opportunity Q 8 49, currently houses IS 77, a zoned middle school, serving students in grade six to eight. It has a building utilization rate currently of 39%. Overall, there is sufficient space in building Q 8 49 to accommodate Queen International, as it has almost 900 available seats and a fourth floor that is completely unused with 29 empty rooms if approved, queen International will be fully phased in the 20 28 20 29 school year projected to serve approximately 440 to 510 students, bringing the school to a 66 to 73% utilization rate at scale. Should this proposal be approved, we are fully committed to working across New York City Public School central teams to support both principles in ensuring a smooth transition and productive co-location. We believe that the ability for Queens International to start small, beginning on the fourth floor in its opening year and have middle school students of their own, will be deeply beneficial in setting up a positive co-location. I would like to take this opportunity to commend the progress of the students and staff made it IS 77 under the leadership of Principal PIOs and remain dedicated to supporting I 77 as a high quality middle school option for the Ridgewood community. Even with Queens International and Scale, there will be excess space at Q 8 49 to support enrollment growth at IS 77. Throughout our engagement process, we have learned that IS 77 had a previous co-location experience and have expressed concerns that we've heard here this evening as well. That feedback has been invaluable and we have used it to carefully consider and address potential challenges. We are committed to ensuring a positive and supportive co-location and will work closely with both IS 77 and Queens International to foster a collaborative environment by prioritizing open communication, shared resources, and a focus on each school's unique needs. We are confident that this partnership will be a success allowing both schools to thrive and benefit from the shared space. Together, we will build a strong, unified educational community that supports every student's growth and success and paves the way for a brighter future for all students in Queens. Thank you. Good evening panel members. Uh, my name is Joe l I'm the Chief of High School Supports. Um, I want to speak in favor of the proposal to open up Queens International High School. Um, as a former principal on a shared campus, as a former teacher on a shared campus, I know firsthand the challenges and the opportunities that can come with a co-location. Um, they're very real. Um, I also wanna say that nothing pre ordains the success or the failure of a co-location other than the commitment of the people to make it work. I'm confident that the way this proposal is set up and the work that is required, that we are all committed to doing that this can be a success. Queens International will leverage the proven practices in the track record of the international schools in new, across New York City and across the country. This model will allow both Queens International and IS 77 to grow in the space in the building. International strong track record, um, of innovative practices to serve multilingual learners also takes place almost exclusively in shared campus environments as well. Superintendent Chang has extensive experience supporting these schools on shared campuses. The proposed principal, Ms. Demcheck, also has extensive experience in a complex shared campus environment as well. We've heard a lot of information about this proposal, data about enrollment data, about space availability, uh, safety data. We've heard lots of other comments about this. Fundamentally, what will make this a success is the commitment of the adults who work in the building every day and everyone who has to support those schools. We've heard the concerns and understand that the previous co-location was not a positive experience for the members of the IS 77 community. We all have a collective responsibility this time to make sure that that's different. There needs to be careful planning. The proposal reflects that. There needs to be clear communication around the proposal. The engagement process has reflected that as well. There needs to be clear support for both schools as we go forward to make this a positive experience for every young person walking into that building. I've spent my entire career working with our newest New Yorkers, including at, as the founding principal at an international high school, deeply appreciate the stance that the panel just took in support of our newest New Yorkers. I think that this proposal also reflects that commitment to supporting multilingual learners in New York City public schools, as well as in District 24. I'm confident that if we want to, we can make this into a model for how a campus can collaborate, how adults and young people on a shared building can build a success together. I want to end by sharing, and I believe this information will be provided to the panel as well, that there are letters of support for this proposal from the Queensborough President's office, from Council member Gutierrez, from State Senator Salazar, and from US Congress member Velazquez, and I believe those are going to be shared with the panel. Thank you very much. Good evening. Chair Faulkner, PEP members New York City Public School staff, as well as Q Queens community members. My name is Alan Chang, and I currently serve as the superintendent of high schools in the Consortium International is a New York City outbound network. I'm honored to be able to speak to you tonight in support of the proposal to co-locate Queens International with I 77 in building Q 8 49. And I come to you as the first generation immigrant as somebody who came to our public schools, not speaking and understanding a word of English or much about our culture. And I recognize the sacrifices that so many of our families have made to be able to immigrate to the United States. And my commitment to public schools is deeply rooted in my own personal experiences as well as the students that I've gotten to know over the past 20 years. Queens International will address a critical need in our city since 2022 alone, over 30,000 newly arrived, multilingual learners have joined New York City public schools with District 24 welcoming the larger share. Approximately 4,900 of those students were in grades six through eight at Queens lacks a middle school option, uh, in the Internationals network. The mission of Queens International is to be able to leverage students' talents, diverse cultural backgrounds, to be able to create an inclusive, collaborative and academically nourishing school community. What this school and schools in the international network have been able to do is to build in really thorough real world projects and opportunities for college, college and career exploration, where students deepen their critical thinking skills, elevate their voices, and engage with the global society. These immigrant students that are brand new to our country want to be here, want to be successful, and ultimately make our New York City stronger. This particular six to 12 model ensures continuity from middle school to high school, providing stability for students to develop language schools, meeting rigorous academic expectations, and grow into confident members of our school community. Also, this particular model builds on a 40 year history of success within the Internationals network, incorporating literacy development and social emotional support tailored for early adolescents. I wanna stress also that the submission process will be open citywide targeting newly arrived multilingual learners who've enrolled in New York City public schools. This ensures that Queens International is meant to compliment rather than compete with the I 77 dual language bilingual programs. This school will be led by Principal Elizabeth Demec, a seasoned educator with over two decades of experience, and truly one of the strongest principles in our entire superintendency. She has deep experience having been a founding principal of a tremendously successful international school in the Bronx, where there's a shared campus of seven total schools. This particular school where she led for 12 years has consistently had a graduation rate of over 90% students in temporary housing, over 50% of the student body programmatically. What this school will be able to provide is much of what she's been able to do, which is deliver advanced coursework and chemistry, calculus, physics, AP classes in Spanish, French, and seminar college courses through numerous college partnerships, as well as National Education Equity Lab, including universities like Howard, Yale, and Morehouse college readiness courses that will feature financial literacy, internships and paid apprenticeships, as well as opportunities to be able to for all students to graduate with the seal of Biliteracy as well as the, Oops, wait, hold on, hold on. Let then, Yeah. Okay, good. Thank you. Well, I'm gonna have this, we recognize that there are concerns about co-location, and I wanna state loudly and clearly that my job as a superintendent is to be able to work collaboratively with the building council, as well as with fellow superintendents to be able to support our schools. Um, we have, as a citywide superintendency schools across 44 separate campuses and successful history of collaboration, ensuring that we are working with the borough safety directors, the campus councils, as well as all members of the school community. Just as importantly are the resources that we hope to be able to bring in terms of high quality professional development and community partnerships. Finally, I want to be able to highlight that our city's commitment for success for all students compels us to be able to expand opportunities to high quality education for our New York's New Yorkers. And that this proposal demonstrates that particular commitment and creates a model of innovation, collaboration, and inclusivity. Thank you for your dedication, for and for considering this particular proposal. I look forward to being able to working with you in the coming years and making this particular vision a reality. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Good evening everyone. My name is Melissa Thompson, the Deputy Superintendent of District 27, and designee of superintendent David Norman this evening. So I'm here to discuss the existing zoned elementary school PS 65 in district 27 in Queens building number Q 8 84. This school currently serves grades three K, pre-K, and kindergarten through fifth grade. Tonight, there is a proposed reciting of the grades three K through second grade in PS 65 from its current building, Q 8 84, to a new building Q 5 0 9, starting in the 20 25 20 26 school year. The new building is located at 103 22 90 ninth Street in Queens in District 27, which is 0.4 miles from the current building in the current building Q 8 84. There are now 383 students in grades three K through fifth grade. This is a 107% utilization rate. The new building, St. Mary Gate of Heaven, Q 5 0 9 is a new lease. And under renovation, the anticipated capacity of 229 students will add needed seats and help to address overcrowding in PS 65 and in elementary grades in district 27 as a whole. New York City public Schools is proposing a three year gradual reciting, starting in the 20 2020 5 26 school year. At the request of the PS 65 School leadership team in 20 25, 26, Q 5 0 9 will serve grades three K, pre-K, and kindergarten in the next school year 2026 through 2 20 27. It will serve grades three K through first grade, and then in 20 27, 20 28, it will serve grades three K through second grade. This reciting will help alleviate overcrowding and provide space for more robust programming. For PS 65, the new site will also provide an outdoor space for students at full scale. The current building Q 8 84 will serve 135 to 165 students in total, which is a 38 to 46% utilization rate at full scale. The new building Q 5 0 9 is projected to have an enrollment of 176 to 221 students, which is a 77 to 97% utilization rate. Thank you so much for considering. Okay. Who's this? Thank you. Uh, good evening everyone. I am Dr. Asia Johnson. I am the creator and founding principal of HBCU Early College Prep. Um, it's a new school that will open in southeast Queens. Southeast Queens is a vibrant and culturally rich community, um, but like many predominantly black and brown neighborhoods, our students face systemic barriers to higher education and access. Nationally, only about 36% of black students and 23% of Hispanic students graduate college within six years compared to nearly 60% of white students and our community. In our own community. The challenges are magnified with families navigating limited resources and a lack of early college exposure. In this level of rigor, this disparity is not due to a lack of talent or potential, but a lack of opportunity. Research shows that in early college programs increase the likelihood of college enrollment and graduation, especially for students of color. Students who participate in dual enrollment or early college programs are twice as likely to earn college degree, to earn a college degree, rather than those who do not. This is why HBCU early College prep is not just important. It is essential. Uni HBCUs have been long, have long been pillars of achievement in communities of color. By exposing our students to the legacy and the academic rigor of HBCUs early on, we are giving them a headstart on the road to success. This program is about more than academics. It's about cultivating confidence, pride, and a vision for what is possible. Southeast Queens deserves a future where our children can not only dream, but also achieve. And it starts with initiatives like this in which students not only receive an associate's degree from Delaware State University, but they are also guaranteed admission after the completion of that degree. Together we can build this, we can bridge this gap and invest in our future if you allow us to flourish and co-locate in is 2 38. Thank you. Good evening, pep members and community members. My name is Elizabeth Dubchu, and in partnership with the Internationals Network for Public Schools, I'm honored to serve as co-designer and acting principal assigned of Queen International Secondary School as Sheridan Queens International is the first six through 12 school in New York City, intentionally designed to meet the diverse academic, linguistic and social emotional needs of our most newly arrived multilingual learners. As we see across our amazing New York City public school classrooms, multilingual learners are not monolithic. Multilingual learners enter our schools with vast academic and social assets regardless of their prior educational experiences. We also know, and we value that our students' voices come in many languages, many dialects, and many tones. At Queens International, we will come together to listen, to learn from, and celebrate one another's voices so that we can create an inclusive learning community where all voices have the power to lead. Our approach is rooted in the belief that education should be dynamic, relevant, and responsive to the real world through project-based learning. Our students don't just acquire English language skills. They simultaneously engage with meaningful content, solve real world problems, and apply their learnings in ways that make a tangible impact on their communities. Our communities. From internships across New York City schools to early college classes, our students are preparing for the future. They are already stepping into it as capable, confident, and compassionate leaders. As I stand before you this evening, my own voice studies with the balance of pride and humility as I draw upon my own personal and professional experiences that position me not only to lead the new school, but to be an effective and committed collaborator with the IS 77 community. I am both the granddaughter of immigrants with limited formal education, and I'm a proud parent of current New York City public school students in elementary, junior high school, and the proud mother of New York City public high school graduates. For the past 18 years, I've called Ridgewood Queens my home, and I've witnessed firsthand the strength and the resilience of this community. That's why I feel an unwavering responsibility to serve our students, our families, and our school in a way that reflects the very best of who we are and what we can achieve together. My commitment to community is furthered by my prior experience founding another internationals high school that was co-located with six other schools in my 12 years as principal, I've learned at the most successful school collaborations, school co-locations occur when communities move beyond thinking of programs and resources as serving my students to viewing them as benefiting our students. I thank you for your continued leadership, your support of tonight's pep resolution around non-local law enforcement, and our ongoing commitment to your city's students and families. Thank you. Thank you. And I want to thank all of the, uh, DOE, the superintendents and other DOE employees for your, um, comments here this evening. Um, before we move into the public comments, is there a Dr. Shingle Blake here? Uh, there was a request to have, have you come up. If you could just introduce yourself and, uh, then offer some testimony. Uh, good evening. Um, I'm Dr. Shango Blake, the president of Black Influences United. Uh, we are an organization that serve black students, influence others, and impact black children. And, um, first I want to start off by thanking, uh, members of the PEP for joining us. Last Wednesday, um, at the Black Spectrum Theater, where we heard a passionate presentation by, uh, school chancellor, um, uh, Melissa Avi Ramos. Um, and it was about the Black studies curriculum, which is now available to all schools in New York City. With that being said, um, I'm a, a proud member of the Southeast Queens community, and I'm here to, uh, put my voice, lend my voice of support to Dr. Asia Johnson and the HPCU School. Dr. Asia Johnson, uh, is a phenomenal educator, and we know that this school is gonna succeed simply because leadership matters and the leadership she has shown in moving throughout southeast Queens and engaging several stakeholders from community leaders to elected officials to parents, to potential students, has been phenomenal. I've been with her on some of those walks, along with, uh, my brother Dr. Uh, Rux, Dr. Sean Rucks. Um, and it has just been an amazing journey. So with that being said, I just wanna know that you have the support of bu you have the support of the Southeast Queens community. Let our students good with their need. I am a proud graduate of A-H-B-C-U school, and I know the culture that it brings and what it will do for our children. Thank you. Thank You. Um, so now let's re let's resume our public comment. And let me remind members of the public at, um, of the two and a half minute time limit on public comments. Um, I believe there was a Connie a, I'm sorry, with the last name. I, CCC member. CCC member. I think the, a name I have is someone named Connie. Yes. Right. Manisha, I believe spoke already. Thank you. Um, I wanna say, first of all, I 51 years old and I've lived in, uh, Ridgewood since I was in kindergarten. I moved from Brooklyn. So Ridgewood is my heart. I advocate in the state level for Ridgewood city level. I'm a 35 years volunteering in Queens and in the state. Um, with that said, I invite, if you had, give us the opportunity, give the parents the opportunity and come tour the school. The school was made for one school, not for two schools. And I don't know much about construction, but I'm gonna give you just a little, uh, image. If you take, if you, let's say you say you wanna make a house quickly, it's an emergency and you wanna put together a building. If you take an apartment, you take a basement, you take a condo, and you take a two family house and you just put it together, glue it together. That's how the school looks inside, okay? The hallways are narrow. There's not enough bathrooms. I honestly don't know how Bushwick leaders and the other school were able to live together, okay? We were promised that it would be that when the co-location with the Bushwick leaders, I did investigation. I went to Bushwick leaders. I hung out in the neighborhood for a week. I spoke to the neighbors. I spoke to the custodian. I lied. And I said, listen, I'm thinking of putting my kids here. And they said, they're, they said they were good kids. Now they come to 77 and all chaos breaks. The girls were afraid to go to the bathroom. They were the Bushwick leader. Boys were in the bathroom. Many, many trauma stories that I can be here all night, but I'm gonna go back to the basics, which is the building was made for one school, only two. I invite every pep member to pause, not take a vote, and come visit the school. 'cause that's how you will know if you should decide yes or no. There was only one pepper pep one pep member that went there for the, for the walkthrough that we were invited, and we were promised that we would meet again. And discuss it. 'cause we obviously didn't come to terms with any, any support or any decision. I'm against it. I, as an, an advocate and as a CEC member, I have to support the students and the families of IS 77. There was many things that you could do. Ridgewood has been neglected. I'm 51 years old, and the schools in Ridgewood have been neglected. The community has been neglected. Why can't we put a community school there? Why can't we put a district 75 middle school there? Why can't we put a horizon? Why can't we put a nest? I mean, I can go on with 5,000 ideas that we can do with that school, but no one is hearing. No one is hearing. So to Miss Elizabeth, which I'm not sure where she's standing, I am a true Ridgewood, uh, community leader. An advocate. I am sorry. Your time has expired. Thank you. Thank you. The first, the next group I'll be calling the, are you an education council member? Yes. Oh, 'cause you're not, are you signed up? Yes, I did sign up through the app. Okay. And your name, sir? Uh, Matthew Resio. Okay. Okay. Okay. Good evening PET members. My name is Matthew Resio, member of CEC 24. The new arrival crisis the city has been dealing with, has been occurring for the past four years. I, as 77 community has dealt with that. They have been there at the front of it. These teachers and educators and everybody in D 24, no student. There's a new arrival in our district, has ever denied any services. They were always supported through our DLT meetings, SLT meetings. They were always there to supported The job was always done. These teachers are dedicated. We don't need to duplicate the work they're doing and set competition up. Have another 6, 7, 8, trying to go to the elementary schools, pulling students, which is already being done, which done a decrease enrollment at 77. That has already been actively done, which we were promised and 77 in the community. That would never happen. They have been at every single theater school in our district. 77 has done it. They've been through three principles after, after the pandemic. They've been through a tragic death of a student with no support from the DOE to assist the students. After this tragic death, the new principal has taken over. Scores are increasing at 77, given the time this school will rebuild. Yes, there is a ton of space. We know that it's gonna be used for either this or something else. Give this school a two year breather. We have this space. We have new nest programs. We have new horizon programs. We have the biggest ELL programs in the DOE, which we still need more space for. There's, this space could be utilized for the residents of our community. It's very rare that we have this space. Our other intermediate schools are bursting at the seams due to the co-location, which we all discussed. It has hurt enrollment. People have pulled their kids out of the school creating this situation. Now, this situation was created by the DOE. The DOE told us as CEC members, this colocation is gonna benefit. 77, it destroyed 77. Then the loss of three leaders put another weight on the parent's back and the staff back. All we're asking is give this school two years to rebuild. Give them two years to breathe. Let the principal Kim take over RA raise these enrollment numbers. It can be done. We have the capacity, we need it. But you, this school needs time to breathe. There's D 14. District 14 next to us has varied underutilized capacity. We're at about 98 to 102. They're about 81, not that far off. So it's, they're coming to take the students from our community because we are the melting pot of the United States. Thank you. Thank you. I'll call the first, the next group of speakers. Jeff Matula Ahad, sorry. Ay, excuse me for the mispronunciation. Sarah Saeed, Joseph Barone and Frankie Galena Jones. If you would make your way down to the microphone. I, I let just say you don't have to go. There's a microphone in this aisle. I, so you can go to either close this microphone. Uh, good evening. Uh, committee members. Uh, my name is Jeffrey Matula. I'm a teacher at Claremont International High School, and I'm teaching in support of the opening of Queens International, uh, with a co-location with IS 77. Uh, I've been a high school educator for 21 years. I'm here to speak from experience. Uh, during the first 11 years of my career, I dedicated myself to teaching in traditional American high schools. Despite the best intentions of educators and administrators, these schools often struggled to foster meaningful learning. Students had poor attendance, behavioral challenges, and widespread skill deficiencies. Most students approach education as a mere obligation, and there was pervasive sense of entitlement that made growth difficult. Meanwhile, staff members were often overwhelmed, burnt out, and resistant to change, uh, which created an environment where progress felt unattainable. Then 10 years ago, I joined the Internationals network and my entire PERS perspective shifted. Working in this network has been transformative. The students in these schools are different. They view education as an opportunity, not a burden. Many arrive eager to master English, excel in their studies, and lay a foundation for a brighter future. Their determination and resilience are inspiring, but what truly sets these schools apart, however, is the model in the internationals. We believe in one learning model for all. This approach fosters collaboration among students and staff emphasizes experiential learning through hands-on projects and cultivates an innovative and open mindset. Staff members are encouraged to embrace continuous growth and adapt to meet the needs of a dynamic student body. This shared vision and purpose create a powerful synergy between students and educators. I believe a new international high school will not only uphold this proven model, but also serve as a source of pride for the community and the district. By providing a welcoming space for immigrant students to thrive academically and personally, we can empower them to become future leaders and contributors to society. I urge you to support the opening of Queen International. Thank you. Together is better Stand tall, protect all. As mentioned earlier, uh, good evening Esteem, members of the panel for, uh, for educational policy, educators and community members. My name is Ahad and I have the privilege of serving as a teacher and basketball coach at Claremont International High School in the Bronx. Over the years, I have worked under the exceptional leadership of Principal Demcheck, who has fostered a culture of inclusion, growth, and student-centered learning at our school. It's this experience teaching and coaching students from diverse backgrounds that fuels my belief in the transformative power of schools like Queens International Secondary School. As a teacher, I've seen firsthand how multilingual learners, many of whom have forced, has faced incredible challenges blossom when given in the right environment. As a basketball coach, I've witnessed the remarkable connections students can form, not just within their teams, but across different groups on our shared campus. These students, despite their varied languages and experiences, come together in ways that celebrate diversity, breaks down barriers, and create lifelong bonds. I understand the concerns raised by staff, families, and students at I-S-S-I-S 77, excuse me. Change can feel uncertain. But by working together, by fostering collaboration rather than division, we have the chance to create a shared school community where Middle schooler school, excuse me, where middle schoolers learn from the example of compassionate high school mentors and where high school mentors embrace leadership, empathy, and responsibility. I can confidently say that shared campuses when thoughtfully managed can thrive. At Claremont, our students support and inspire one another, creating a positive culture that extends beyond the classroom and into their everyday lives. Queens International Secondary School represents an opportunity to bring that same spirit of collaboration and mult and mutual growth to Ridgewood. Middle schoolers will benefit from the example of compassionate high school mentors and high schoolers will learn responsibility of empathy as role models. Together these students can create a school community built on understanding, respect, and shared success. I urge you to vote in favor of Queen's International Secondary School. Let's embrace this opportunity to create something extraordinary. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks. Okay. Uh, good evening panel members, but most especially students, parents, educators, and community members, especially those here representing IS 77. My name is Frankie. I'm a born and raised Brooklynite, a child of immigrants, and I've lived in Ridgewood and Bushwick for the past five years. I grew up in Prospect Heights. I am a member of the Ridgewood Tenants Union and several other community groups in the neighborhood, many of which serve the needs of recently arrived immigrants, our newest Ridgewood neighbors. I walk past the building where IS 77 is located almost every day when I go by, I see the IS 77 students on their way to and from school in each student and all of you who are still here. I see a kid like me, a New York kid, no matter where they or their parents were born, they are my neighbors. And I see myself as a part of the community that must help them thrive. So when I heard that there was a proposal to co-locate an international school alongside IS 77, I was quite simply overjoyed. Overjoyed because when I, myself was an elementary and middle schooler, I spent many hours at another school in the Internationals network, the International High School at Prospect Heights, where my mother was the principal. For over a decade, that international is co-located with three other schools, and the community in that building is truly remarkable. It is a place where students thrive. When I visited my mom at work, the high schoolers at international welcomed me warmly, treated me like a younger sibling. This is because the faculty of the school set a shining example. They were kind, welcoming and respectful to each and every student, not just in the school, but in the building. I have no doubt that the faculty and students of a Queens International would be just the same, because that is the international's way. If an international is co-located with IS 77, there is an opportunity that we can begin today for educators, parents and students and student advocates from both schools to join forces to demand the very best for the students in the building. The schools can collaborate, not compete to help every student thrive, no matter where they or their parents were born. So I am strongly in favor of co-locating these schools. Thank you. Good evening, everyone. My name is Sarah Saeed, and I am an immigrant and educator. With 13 years of experience teaching in an international high school in the Bronx, I am here to strongly support the opening of an international, middle and high school in Ridgewood. One that will serve our recent arrival immigrant students and enrich the shared educational space with IS 77. As an immigrant, I know the challenges these students face. In middle school, I experienced bullying and exclusion that made me feel unwelcomed. My parents sent me to Brooklyn International High School, 45 minutes away, where I found a school that valued me as a person and as a le as a learner and a recent arrival. That experience changed my life and inspired me to become the teacher I am today. Now, as a teacher, I have seen what international schools bring to communities. For over a decade, I have worked in a building shared by seven other schools, including a middle school without any security issues. Instead, there's collaboration, unity, and pride in our diversity. Visitors often comment on the sense of belonging and energy in our hallways. A community that celebrates diversity and creates a welcoming space for all. All thanks to our principal, Elizabeth Deek, the Internationals Network and our approach to collaborating with others and our amazing recent arrival. Students. This new school isn't just for immigrant students, it is specifically for recent arrival students. So there will be no competition. Schools like this foster unity, respect, and collaboration across communities. They provide opportunities for professional growth among teachers and show that diversity is a strength to celebrate our recent arrival. Immigrant students are resilient, are driven, are eager to learn, and are work welcoming. As you've heard, their families have made tremendous sacrifices. Knowing education is a key to their future, their their opening. The school sends a powerful message. We value these children and we, we are committed to their success. Denial of this is saying we don't welcome them just like Trump. This isn't just about a new school. It's about creating a space where every child, no matter what, Excuse me, excuse me, the we we're gonna let speakers all have an opportunity to speak. You were given an opportunity to speak and everybody, lets, excuse me, you were given an opportunity to speak without interruption. Let's give the same respect to additional to any other speaker. Okay? I'm gonna ask that you again, please come to order. Okay. Thank you. Speaker can continue. This isn't just about a new school. It's about creating a space where every child like our own, no matter where they're from, can succeed in a space that meets their needs and celebrates who they are. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening committee. My name's Joe Barone, uh, physical education teacher, health teacher, soccer coach, baseball coach, football coach, representing Claremont International High School. I fully support the intern Queen's International School because there's one leader. One leader. 'cause a lot of, I hear a lot of the conversation tonight. A lot of the grievances are against maybe your leader. It shouldn't be against the students. It shouldn't be against the new leader. So I can tell you, not theories, but I could tell you facts of who I worked for. Okay? Baseball. Right now we are in what Claremont International School is in a co-located school with a sixth to 12th grade range. Guess who benefits from that? The sixth graders, the seventh graders, the eighth graders. Why do I know that? Because Ms. Demcheck, we wanted to put a fitness program in there, a state-of-the-art workout facility. And who is using it? The sixth graders, the seventh graders, the eighth graders. Everyone, you wanna talk about health? That is health. You wanna talk about what she did with a baseball community? Okay. We weren't supposed to have two baseball teams in a high school. How many times did she get shut down? One time, two time, three time. And guess what? She didn't quit. She don't quit for her kids. So your grievances should not be against the new leader. Your grievances should be against the current leader because what she is is community. She is community. That's right. And guess what? Two baseball teams inside the building. And guess what? The community. The community, Okay. Excuse me. It's Absorbing. Excuse me. Excuse me, me again. I'm gonna say, I'm gonna ask that there people please maintain order. Sorry. I'm passionate. The speaker. Good, good. But I got the mic. But, and excuse me. Will the speaker speaker also address the chair? Sure. And not So I can tell you right now, I fully support because what I seen weren't fear tactics. What I seen were facts. What I seen was a building come together and a unify and, and somebody who unifies and not divides. So that's what you need currently in this day and age, a unifier. And this is not about competition, it's not about resources. I'm getting resources and they're, they're gonna take, when you get resources, you get resources together. And that's why I fully support Elizabeth Demcheck leading this new school. Thank you. The next group of speakers, Ishan Chandler. Miranda, Vanessa Sparks, Zuri DiMartino, uh, ju Jua Seno, and Sandra Cardi Cardillo. And please make sure to address your comments to the panel. I really don't need a microphone. Okay. Okay. My name is Vanessa Sparks. I am from Community Board 12 Education Committee. I am here to support the HBCU. That's the acronym. Let me tell you what. Historically, black College and University Preparatory Academy, however, with one caveat, I am not su dis I am not surprised, but very disappointed. Not one member from the Department of Education that reached out to the Southeast Queens Community, community Board 12 CC 29, or any other entity to formulate a search committee to find an appropriate building. So let me tell you a little bit about me. I'm a former school board member when they actually elected them, I'm a former CEC vice president. I was the first per, uh, co-president of the PTA for Queens Gateway to help Science and secondary school in 1994, where we were co-located. It wasn't the Board of Education that found a building for us. It was the parents and that community that found that location where the school construction authority played $1.5 million to acquire it. So I have history with this. I've spoken to Assemblywoman, Alicia Hyman Monday because y'all will let this school languish in that building and the school will fail, and then you will fault the administration and the southeast Queens community. Don't let, don't play that. So this is what I'm putting on. I'm unloading the clip seven days to reach out to this principal, the superintendent community board 12 chair, the Reverend Carlene Thorpe and the education chair, Latoya LaGrand, to formulate a search committee to find an appropriate building for this school. If you do not do that in seven days, we will do it ourselves and we will then get our own engineer and our own commercial realtor because we live here. So we know what's there and we will present it to you with the backing of our elected officials. Seven days, because you didn't do the right thing for the beginning. You are looking to set this school up for failure. There's no way that school will be able to flourish inside of that building. And for the parents of 77, y'all take your behinds down to tweet And Y'all take your behinds Down to need and you make the people that come to you for a vote Answer to you. Seven schools in one building is absolutely ridiculous. And you don't do it everywhere. You will never do it in Bayside. Never. Okay. Good evening. Okay. My name is Dr. Chandler Patton Miranda. I'm a former high school science teacher, a professor of education at Molloy University, a New York City public school parent and an SLT member. I'm commenting in support of the co-location of Queen's International SEC Secondary School. I've been doing research in international's network schools for the last decade. Every international school and academy I have visited has the following in common. They're safe, thriving schools filled with art, music, sports, and rigorous academics. They're schools where teachers stay for their entire careers, where alumni go on to be teachers, social workers and counselors, and they're all co-located. My research along with many others show that they are living laboratories of innovation and learning. They are schools described by my subjects as home and as family. Historically in New York City, the majority of recently arrived. Immigrant high school students who are also learning English do not graduate. The most recent data suggests that in traditional settings, fewer than half of students who enter high school as English learners will make it to graduation. Recently arrived immigrant students who attend schools in the internationals network have been in the country for fewer than four years, and they're scoring in the bottom quartile of slat and yet have twice the likelihood of graduating from high school than their peers at other schools, including really good schools with teachers with the best of intentions. One, one reason schools in the internationals network are so successful at helping recently arrived kids graduate is that they are created by and for immigrants in international schools recently arrived. Immigrant students are encouraged to speak up and speak for themselves. They hold positions of authority and leadership that are simply not available to them. In other settings, clubs, sports and other extracurriculars are created by recent arrivals. And they're culturally and linguistically relevant to that particular population of students. In other words, they are given every opportunity to participate and succeed in these schools in ways they are not able to in others. As an anthropologist of International's Network School success, I can confidently say Queen Secondary will be an asset to the community. As a parent, I can say I would be happy to send my own child to these schools and would welcome co-location with them. Please support this co-location. Thank you. Thank you. Hi everyone, to IS 77. All the teachers, our kids. You are amazing. Thank you. Thank you. Um, and, um, we, look, I always say families, family, we could say whatever we want about our school, but I will not take the disrespect of anybody saying how our leaders or it's our leaders. You don't know. Our leaders don't go there. However, you spoke about your leader. Mr. Can I remind the speaker just to address your comments to the chair and to The panel? Yes. You spoke about your leader, Elizabeth. Well, she's so great. You could keep her in the Bronx. With that said and all, and I'm trying to be as respectful as I can, um, a lot of us kids spoke here. You know, people talk about safety. I'm a dean. I'm not worried about safety. But I'll tell you what happened to our children. When we had the cafeteria, we had a co-locate where our kids have 15 to 20 minutes to eat lunch. That was a problem. Our IEP students, I'm sorry, they need extra time. And I'm not just talking about state exams. We're talking about every time they take a test, it's in the IEP. You're gonna take that away from us because it was taken away from us. You had a walkthrough with over 40 people. We were not invited. The LLT I'm part of it. When I invited two people represented us not good. And they talked about, you talked about the fourth floor. No, that's a lie. You were talking about how you needed a third floor. That shouldn't happen. Our kids, we were there. We have been there. You talk about giving the opportunity to kids that come from, um, the EL kids. We service them. We have teachers here that are amazing and service our children that should also be respected. But our space, you're gonna come in and take it. You know, they talk about I 77, the teachers being rude, the, the, the parents being rude. We just want what's right. You talk about people, folk, about all the money that will come in and we'll give it the money that's gonna come in. For who? For us. They promised us the world last time. And you know what? They even took the furniture. Okay. The other school, the co-location even took the furniture. We were left with the floor. So that was the lie. Now, if you wanna talk about leadership, I will tell you about leadership when we, okay, were left with the mess of the co-location. Um, we had Dr. Chan that left, that was the superintendent Speaker. Unfortunately, your time has expired. Could you wrap up please? Full Lap. We're being done the same, But again, I can talk. I just remind to speaker, your time has expired. I'm not sure. She came up phone And I remind speakers, please introduce yourself before you begin speaking. Good evening, panelists. I'm Sandra Cardillo. I've been teaching at IS 70 sevens for, uh, since 1999. Um, very, um, very against this particular co-location. Um, school space and planning has been very shortsighted with how we actually utilize our building. Um, 26% of our students are students with disabilities. Um, that's 108 students. Um, when you have them tested in rooms with less than 12 students, that means we need nine rooms. Um, these nine rooms, certain particular, a lot of IEPs. Any test that's more than 45 minutes, um, that can include New York State tests, which we generally have about eight to nine overflow rooms. Um, district 24 HMH exams. Um, and so we also need these rooms for testing for initial IEPs, annuals, tri-annual. Um, these need to be quiet spaces. Um, these are not rooms used consistently, but you know, actual programming, but they're used constantly. Um, 34% of our students are E-L-L-E-N-L students. Um, and most of them, the majority of them are emerging. Um, they're broken into smaller groups. They're taken to different rooms, um, to en enable them to hear pronunciation, um, and work on their language skills at their differing rates sort of things. Um, 35% of our students are ls. That's a total of 219 students. 16.7% are former ls. That's a total of 104 students. 51.7% of our kids. Total of 323. Um, our ENL, former LS and L students. Um, so us sitting over there discussing particular things about our particular students, we service them. 115 of our students are in temporary housing shelters. And our doubled up, um, talking about our particular, um, third, possibly using our third floor. We have a $250,000 grant that we were received, um, from a local politician last June. We were awarded it for a dance studio on speaking of the arts, um, on the third floor in room 3 0 7, uh, international will use 57,400, uh, dollars to 66 $600 per student. The an annual average speech, Your your time is expired On City Department of Education students is 17,000. Excuse me, your time has expired. Thank you. You can finish your sentence, but your time has expired. Okay. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Your time has expired. The next group of speakers is, uh, JSA sio, Reverend Carlene Forbes, Marzana Sidique, Yvonne Wang Solana, and Miriam Zaki. No, speaking from virtual. Um, you have to be present to speak in the meeting. Um, so the first you can speak, please just say your name before you begin, begin speaking. Hi, I'm Marzano Siki. Thank you. So I am a teacher at I 77. Uh, so good evening, students, parents, and panelists. Um, before I start, I just wanna mention that we don't really care about ourselves as teachers. We think about our students. So this is more about our students, not our leader. So thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak today. I want to address an important concern about the autonomy and safety of our students at IS 77, particularly as we navigate these perspective changes within our school community. When I first started here last year, I witnessed firsthand some of the challenges our school faced, the high school environment that the ti at that time, uh, was far from ideal. The smell of weed often lingered in the hallways. Students loitered in the staircases and fights frequently broke out outside these issues created a tense and distracting environment, not just for our older students, but especially for our younger ones. Now, as we prepare to welcome a new school into this building, I can't help but think about the potential impact on our student, on my students who still are still at a formative and vulnerable age. They need a safe and nurturing space to learn and grow. But look at the proposal. They don't feel that way. The older students often tend to dominate the space, which limits the younger students' ability to express themselves freely. They feel watched and judged and the stifles their confidence to be who they are. It is critical that we work together to ensure that our students feel protected and supported in their educational journey. Let's give our students the space to thrive by addressing the challenges of the past. It's our responsibility to ensure that boundaries are set and upheld by MA to maintain an environment where students can thrive. Autonomy is essential for their growth, but it should not come to at the cost of their comfort or safety if they have to share their environment with older students. Thank you for your attention and for your commitment to making our commun school community stronger. Thank you. You may speak. Hello? Hi. Um, I'm Yvonne Wang Langa. I'm a SLT member at IS 77. Um, and uh, I wanted to, um, just, just, um, oh gosh, I wanna just, um, first of all say that like our school is also a, you know, a ELL school. And, um, we are not saying, oh, we don't want your students, our students, because when we're family and parents, it's always our students. So we welcome them to our school. I don't understand why we would have to, you know, co-locate. I don't know how it's more developmentally appropriate to add a six to 12 when we're already a six to eight school. Um, all expanding IS 77, um, will be an easier transition for our middle schoolers to go to high school. Teachers know students very well and how to help them. We'll have stronger school culture. We'll be like a family growing together. It's cost effective use of resources. We don't have to, you know, renovate at another office, possibly at another bathroom because there's only one bathroom on the fourth floor. And I was there at the walkthrough and they were saying maybe we'll eventually go to the dirt floor because they were asked. And that's how they responded. They didn't deny that they may go into a third floor. I hope this is not a way of phasing out. I sm seven, adding another school will deter our progress. We already improved 14% in our math scores and, um, the ELL scores, you know, it takes time to, you know, get everything all together. But I think that's a major accomplishment from our principal under one year of her leadership. She hasn't got, you guys didn't even give her five years. She got one year. The other two year were covid years. And, and if you look at the data, there's no data around the covid years. So how is that fair to her? She gets one out of five years as a new principal. We welcome, we welcome your students. The immigrant students who join our school, our ELL teachers are here and they're always supporting us. And they are amazing. They'd rather take a picture during a student of the month with them than their parent. I've been there and I've seen it. Um, and then, um, also I'm upset that there's no, uh, educational peer review research backing up everything that the EIS states. There's no research. It's just, oh, everything is just oh, not expected to impact. Go read through the EIS every section's not expected to impact. How can you not impact the principles when you know they have to work together rather than working on ELL scores to improve, we're already, you know, having to set them back, let us improve, let us increase enrollment. We're af adding GNT, we're adding the, you know, more programs to our school. And I can guarantee you that enrollment next year is already up. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Miriam Zaki. I'm speaking in support of Queen's International School on an exceptional leadership of Elizabeth Demcheck. I'm a proud product of the New York City public school system, both attending high school, middle school, and college. I also started my education profession as an educator right here in Queens where I lived for 20 years in South Queens and where my parents still live. But over 26 years in education, both as a teacher and an instructional coach. I've worked in over 35 schools in New York City and currently I'm in five international schools. The international school provides an experience like no other school in New York. And the Queen International School will be no different. It will offer an unparalleled educational experience beyond academics. It will cultivate critical thinking, foster social and emotional intelligence, and empower students to become responsible global citizens who will make a positive impact on the world. I'm one of the founding teachers of a new school, well, the new school, Manhattan Science, Manhattan Hunter Science High School, and opening a building that already had four established schools. So I recognize and echo that there are challenges which co-location, however, communication and keeping students as the, as the focus of the discussion is the key to success. To that end, I wanna thank the community of IIS 77 and their members of Ridgewood community for over the couple of meetings helping us show you and share with you the international model. My hope is that we continue to foster this dialogue. Dialogue. I understand your hesitation because you had a a bad experience. I like the panel to know they had one bad experience. There's a lot of co uh, co-locations that are very successful with the international school that you've heard about today. I understand their passion about their principal. It's alive, we hear it. I would like to tell you a little bit, uh, principal Deek, she's an active member of the Ridgewood community, raising her family there, worshiping there, supporting local business and owning a home. The success, the success of this school is personal to her. It's not just another school. So I ask you to please support this proposal. Thank you. Thank You. Goodnight. The next group of speakers is Yadira. Kevin Heseltine, Claire Silvan, Sonia Sanya, and Anna Jackman. If you're at the mic and you're one of the names I called you can, you can speak. Just say your name first. Hi, my name is Jera. No, formerly known in the school as Delilah. I am the PA president at I 77. I am a parent of seven beautiful girls, Which Two already graduated from I 77. Three are about to graduate in the next two years. And I have two more at home who are probably gonna be I 77 students. Lemme tell you something. I came here in 1998 and there's one thing that stood with me, especially in from a call that was in my te my history teacher's. Well, history repeats itself because no one listened. And right now nobody's listening to our school. Nobody's listening to our students and no one is listening to our parents. I am an SLT member in our school, and believe you and me that I have heard it from every single parent that they don't want this and they don't want this. Not because your students are immigrants, because our community is a melting pot. Our school is an immigrant school. We are worried what are what is behind the school. You are literally targeting these kids with a stamp in their face in, in their, in their shirt that says, come ice, come and get us. You know why? Because our students wear a uniform that say that they belong to the DOE. Their students do not. So what tells you that when those students go out that door, that ice is not gonna be out there, um, searching for them, that they're not gonna follow them to school. You are not protecting those schools. We are. We have 29 classrooms. Yes, they're empty. Most of them on the, on the fourth floor. We only have one bathroom up there. You are bringing in 500 students. We had 300 students in I 77 last time from Bushwick leaders that destroy our school from sex in the hallway, from fights, lockdowns guns. Me as a parent outside that door, I couldn't come inside and I'm not knowing what my daughter was going through. That little girl who has anxiety, you tell me who's gonna protect because our leader over there, who is security, um, whatever. He specifically said that there will not be no more safety agents sent to I 77 for 500 students, 300 we had, and we only have three in the school. Who's gonna protect us? Who's gonna take care of us? Nobody for 500 students. We, if you want, if the deal is so worried about the seats, worry about filling up the seats. Send us those students, we'll take care of them because we already have those students in our school. We take care of those students. We protect those students. Our teachers take care of those students. Thank you. And if you worry about, and I'm so sorry, if you are worried about a another school coming in, like one of those charter schools, lemme tell you something. If I'm giving the fight right now for them, I believe you and me, a charter school will not feel in my school because until the, even if y vote yes for the school, I I'll be fighting. Thank you. Next, Victor. Ms. Hi, good evening. My name is Kevin Hesseltine and I'm the principal at Flushing International High School. And we've been collated co-located with Junior High School 180 9 for the last 20 years. Flushing International. A core tenant of all international schools is collaboration. It's the heart of our work at Flushing International and it's the heart of work at all international schools. Co-location is often discussed and as we've heard this tonight in terms of space, logistics and resources. But at its core, it's an opportunity. It's about what happens in a school when a school doesn't just share a building, but it's also about a commitment and dedication to the students and the families we serve. For two decades, our school, our schools have demonstrated the power of working together. We have not only co-existed, we have strengthened one another By pooling our resources and aligning our efforts, we've expanded opportunities for our students in ways that would've not been able to achieve alone. One of the clearest examples of this partnership is with community-based organizations like the YMCA and Chinese Planning Council. These collaborations have provided essential services from our afterschool programs to college and career readiness benefiting students across both schools. But our partnership expands. Our partnership extends beyond resources. It's about real hands-on collaboration that empowers students to make the difference in their community. An example that I'm proud of is our joint effort to co-design a new public park at our school. Students from math classes at the junior high school and our high school work side by side to develop models applying their learning in tangible ways to shape a space that would serve our entire neighborhood. That park once an idea in a classroom. Once an idea in a classroom is now the reality of a, of a symbol of what happens when students are given the chance to lead and create together. We have also advocated for physical and structural needs of our shared school building. By working with local politicians, we've successful successfully secured funding for a new gym, renovations to our library auditorium and improvements for our cafeteria. We also work together on building a dance studio that we co-share. Enhancements like this have positively impacted thousands of students in both schools. Beyond these achievements, we have fostered a strong sense of community within our building. Okay. As you consider this new school, I encourage you to embrace the possibilities that come with collaboration because okay, your, your time has expired. Okay, Thank you. Good evening. Members of the panel for education and policy, educators and community members. My name is Sonia Sinia and I'm a social worker. I'm an immigrant and I currently serve as a community school director for Bushwick campus, working with Make the Road New York. Over the past 15 years, I've had the privilege of working with immigrant youth and families. As I stand here before you, I carry their stories and the experience at some of the most unique and special schools that are part of the international network. In every international high school that I've been, that I've stepped into, I've met students that have named their schools as a home away from home. I've encountered staff that are caring, willing to listen and validate students' experiences as well as support students in their adjustments and learning about their high school journey. At a time when immigrant rights are under attack, it is imperative that we as educators, policy makers, and community advocates work together to ensure our schools remain safe, welcoming and empowering spaces for all students and their families. International network schools play unique and essential role in that educational landscape. They provide culturally responsive and linguistically supportive environments that meet the diverse needs of immigrant students. Their model addresses the importance of supporting students in group settings where students are able to learn from each other and for staff to build relationships with their student body. I have seen firsthand how these schools have nurtured and supported student growth in the, in an educational system that is meant to fail them. I've kept in contact with so many students that have graduated from some of these schools and every single one of them have mentioned how grateful they were to be a part of a network of schools that made them feel seen, supported, and heard. A network of schools that is specifically made to support recently arrived immigrant students. These are the schools where community is created and where students and families find a grounding stability as they adjust to their new life in a country away from theirs. International schools serve as lifelines for young people who often face daunting challenges, including navigating a new language culture education system, all while coping with the trauma of displacement, family reunification, and in some cases anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies. Okay, I urge you, your time has Expired To consider the opening of this international school in Queens. Thank you. Thank you. I am Dr. Claire Sylvan, retired teacher, UFT member, founder and senior Strategic advisor at International's Network. I supported the opening of international high schools in New York City, dozens of them and nationwide. I strongly support the opening of Queens International in Ridgewood to bring recently arrived adolescents, another high quality secondary experience. This school will be more accessible to Southern Queens than the existing four internationals in Queens to meet interna. The recent arrivals needs its design supports recently arrived families by providing one school for younger and older recent arrivals, making it easier on parents. Queens International's, proposed principal. Elizabeth Den Demec is an experienced leader who knows Ridgewood well. I supported her opening of Claremont in international in 2012. She's a New York City public school jewel, a consummate bridge builder. She's worked with numerous organizations across coated schools to provide a safe, welcoming environment for claremont's recent arrivals and all students in the Taft building. Immigrants serving CBOs around New York City who work hard to enroll in support recent arrivals, support this school's opening. All international schools are co-located. You've heard from the leader of Flushing International, both the leaders staff and I offered to host members of the IS 77 Q community at FIHS to see firsthand how happy and safe it is for all students. This school will recruit a specific citywide population, newly arrived students. It will not compete for the same pool of students as IS 77. There is sufficient space for both schools in the building and for IS 70 seven's growth over 30 years in the New York City public schools. 20 years at International Network. I've known many immigrant students and families. These hardworking recent arrivals want nothing more than their legally guaranteed right to an education and an opportunity to become productive and f full participants in democratic society. You've heard from our students and alumni, please support the opening of this school so more students can successfully time Has expired. So, so more students can, Your time is inspired. Thank you. The next group of speakers, Anna Jackman, David Montez, Lorraine Gittens Bridges, Roberto Rios, and I can't call the names, please let me spell the names. And Leah Pascarella. You may. I'm ready. Yeah, sure. Okay. Yeah, I've been ready. Um, IIII would not be able to sleep tonight. Uh, if I did not say this. There's a woman standing against the wall that says she, uh, uh, spoke to Ms. Caca Valley or she's representing Ms. Caval. I can guarantee you that all of our staff here does not know who this lady is. She does not represent us. Ms. Caca Valley herself is not even here. So she doesn't represent us either. We are a staff. We are a staff that's here to represent, to represent IS 77, the school building and the community that exists on Seneca Avenue. I bet you some of you probably didn't even know it's on Seneca Avenue, but here's the problem. The problem is, is if you truly wanted to collaborate, which I keep hearing that word, collaboration, I keep hearing that word collaboration. Like we're supposed to work together. Like there's supposed to be like two principals meeting together to actually come up with a plan. Except we have a principal over there that has never even introduced herself. Ms. Elizabeth Decheck, that has not even introduced herself to our staff. She hasn't introduced herself to our principal and she's only spoken to these people over here. That would be Ria Cumberbatch, Sean Rucks Max, I don't know your last name. Not important enough to me. And she's only been in communication with them. If you wanted to collaborate, you would've collaborated already. I heard one of their teachers come up here speaking real proud, real proudly speaking real loud as if that was supposed to be impressive. And that same person said, we should start collaborating today. Why today? This has been in the works for over a year. This should have been in collaboration already, but guess what, PP this is Pep. This is all I want to ask you. We have not had the proper representation through our superintendent, the last two superintendents. That's Dr. Chan. She's Ms. Chan to me. 'cause she hasn't saved a life here. She's Ms. Chan and Ms. Caval has not been here. And there's a guy named James Lahey that's supposed to be here. I don't know where he is. Is he here? Thank you. He's not here either. We have not had the proper representation to represent our school. We are calling on you asking you, you guys can help make history here. We know that co-locations always get passed every single time. We can make history here and do something different and come up with a different plan. We understand that we're only taking 39% of our building, but if we came up with a plan to actually collaborate by working with not against and on the side and forcing our principal and superintendent to say certain things and not, and not, and not collaborate with our own school, we're asking you to help save us. We're asking you please and thank you. That's Good evening. Good evening. Members of the panel. Okay, hold speaker. Just wait hold until everybody's quiet. Proceed. Could you stop the clock, please? Proceed. Proceed. Proceed. I'm aware of your time. Just proceed. Good evening. Members of the panel. My name is Lorraine Gittens Bridges. I'm here in support of the HBCU High School for Southeast Point. My son and I, we are proud graduates of the New York City Public School system. I am the former president of the President's Council for District 29. And I am also, I also served as the co-chair for the Chancellor Parent Advisory Council. I wanna thank take this time to thank, to thank the Department of Education for coming together, everybody that was involved in bringing this opportunity for this HBCU High School to our community. This is truly a dream come true for us. My son is right here, so it's not for him. Okay. And he's a graduate of Delaware State, by the way. Um, I am the first member of my family to graduate from college. My family lived below the poverty line thanks to the programs at August Martin High School that exposed me to my career and the College Access Pro, um, program in my local community. The cycle of poverty was broken in my family, like it has for so many public school graduates. Last month I attended a meeting in District 29. The principal informed us that 100% of the students lived below the poverty line. This is the same across many areas within New York City College is not affordable for many of our families. We have a collective responsibility to make sure all of our students graduate from our high schools, college and career ready. But we also have to make sure that they have access to these opportunities. That's great. And I have a track record of opposing a co-location. I I I I'm feeling the group over here from uh, 77 because I've been in those shoes before. But I joined Vanessa Sparks and Community Board 12 and calling for a opportunity to find another space for the HBCU high school because we wanna, we wanna get it in. Okay. 'cause you are never gonna hear me speak on a co-location again, but this is an opportunity that we cannot afford to pass over. It's not about us, it's about the children. And we have to make sure that this school gets into our community. So thank you for hearing. My name is Leah Pacar and I'm here to speak on behalf of supporting cl uh, queen International High School. Um, I could stand up here and say that I've worked in international school for over 10 years. I've seen the magic of it, all of those things, but a lot of that has been said today. What is resonating with me most right now is we are currently in a space where division and combativeness is the MO of everyone. And I want to just say that as someone who has worked with Elizabeth Demcheck, but also just the Internationals network in general, we are a network that builds bridges and not walls. And we invite anyone who doesn't get it to come visit. Pretty much any international school has an open door to visitors to see what we do. Um, I am very sad to hear what happened with IS 77 in the past. It sounds like a horrible experience with a co-location, but as a teacher, I know that just because something happened before doesn't mean it's gonna happen again. Every day is a new day. Every year is a new year. So I just invite everyone who is on either side to really think about opening more doors and allowing children to come together, allowing adults to come together, educators to come together because we need that. And we are public educators. I don't think of my students as mine versus yours. Every student in this city is my student. And in that mindset and that vein, we can absolutely have a successful co-location. I have taught in a co-located building for over 10 years, seven schools in the building. I understand bathroom issues, I understand all those things, but no one is trying to steal students' lunchtime. No one is trying to steal gym time. It's not gonna happen. Um, it won't be allowed to happen by pri principal Demcheck. I know that from my own experiences, so I'm sorry for what happened, but just keep your mind open and it's a gift to share a location with an international school. So I wish we lived in a city where every school could have their own campus. What, that's a dream. But unfortunately that's not the case. And I just really support this opening of Queens International and I hope that you'll support it as well. Thank you. Hi, good evening. Um, my name's Katie. Um, I am a Ridgewood resident. Um, and I am a parent. I have, um, two kids at PS 88. And, um, I've lived in Ridgewood for nearly two decades and I love my neighborhood. I also, um, am an educator with 16 years of experience at Flushing International High School. And I strongly am in favor of the co-locating of, um, Queens International. And if my children were to go to IS 77, I would be excited for them to have the opportunity to be in this school. Right. Let me speak for a moment. Thank you. Um, so Colocating, as we heard, has its challenges, but co-location, despite the feelings in the room, isn't necessarily competition. Right? There is space for both schools to dream big when you look at the numbers. IS 77 can and should continue to grow. While this small, close, close-knit collaborative community works alongside local organizations creating partnerships through internship and grants and network involvement that will benefit IS 77, these schools can both be incredible. Adding Queens International creates more educational options for Ridgewood immigrant families without preventing IS 77 from expanding its programs such as Nest or GNT programs or dual language initiatives. Koreans International brings expertise in supporting multilingual learners through proven strategies like project-based learning and integrated language support. This expertise can compliment IS 70 seven's progress and provide additional resources for multilingual learning students, um, that benefits the entire Ridgewood community. And I worry if this isn't approved, another school would come in that doesn't provide the same level of support and opportunity in collaboration. And it sounds like you understand from experience the impact of that kind of relationship. And I hope that we can ensure that our communities aren't left behind, but instead given a real chance to grow together. Thank you. Thank you. Anna Jackman, Roberto Rios, Samantha Pugh, John Harrington and Lena Angel. You can start. Just say your name please. Everybody. My name is Roberto Rios. I'm a Mexican immigrant racing Ridgewood Queens. I'm also a social worker, uh, that have been working in different international high schools, including international high school with Principal Desha. Um, uh, Ms. Desch and I, we work closely together to, uh, support families, inviting them to share the concerns, including supporting them in learning the language English, right? That was the most recorded activity that, that we worked together. Uh, we both collaborated to build relationship with parents and students. Um, I supported students who might need emotional support as well, inviting families to come to a school to help to help them with situations such as, uh, food scarcity, physical and mental health assistance and health and support. Uh, I would like to emphasize the negative stereotypes can truly hurt the international high school communities. I can only mention that in my nine years of working for international high schools, I have found parents and students being caring, humble, respectful, and family oriented. And if we have a difficult situations, we would address it as a community, always using ReSTOR practices. CLEARMONT International is located with several other schools. Each school will have a staff representative for emergency and safety purposes. Always cool, will always partic participate in safety meetings that go through the year to maintain communication with each school. Deans and administrators will communicate with us on how to proceed with the agreement protocols. Mr. Desha will empower teachers as well as students to participate in decisions on how to make classrooms safer and creating community trust. It is important to mention that the school administrator focus on preventing work that will allow teachers and staff to have flexibility in supporting patterns and students outside the classroom. As a final comment, MS is an excellent, excellent leader that listens to our concerns as well as the needs of the school community. In fact, I can assure you that having a space for these students will create an empowered, secure, and successful community. And I'm truly in favor of the new WINS International School. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Samantha, principal Power Pew. And I am here proudly to support the co-location of HBCU Prep. There are several reasons why I not only support the opening of the school, but I'm committed to be the being boots on the ground in partnership to support HBCU, prep to be the school of our ancestors wildest dreams. I stand before you as the successful educator o over 26 years here in Queens, specifically Southeast Queens. And that is because I had the opportunity to attend A-H-B-C-U. I am the first of 56 grandchildren to go to college and A-H-B-C-U named Hampton University save my life. And it is the reason that I have committed my life to helping other children like me realize their dreams. In my 26 years as an educator, I have seen firsthand the benefits and the struggles of co-location. But what I tell you is I haven't seen many leaders as strong, innovative, compassionate, collaborative, and dedicated as principal Dr. Asia Johnson. I have had the privilege and honor to be her coaching colleague for the PA past five years. When she took over a former school, the school was in dire straits and because of her vision, oh, sorry, was in dire straits, the school had low attendance, even lower achievement, and was named one of the most dangerous schools in the city. And because her vision experienced resilience, dedication, and love for her school community, she was able to not only make the school safe, but increase the graduation rates to nearing and teetering around 90%, reduce suspension rates, while at the same time keeping very high satisfaction rates from her staff, students, and family. And, and being a given and compassionate leader and colleague is her claim to fame. So I know that she would be in collaboration with any leader that she co-locate with. Lastly, I've had the honor to support Dr. Johnson during this recruitment season. I've watched families express and show the importance of such a school. One particular event stands out to me. A parent Terry Eyed, fought through crowds to meet Dr. Johnson. 'cause she said Dr. Johnson was gonna be the one to save her child's life and hers. So this school isn't about just an education, it's about saving lives. And that's why we need you to make a decision tonight, to make sure that we save many lives in our community in Southeast Queens. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. My name is John Harrington. I am the District 24 representative for the United Federation of Teachers. Uh, I'm here tonight to stand in unity and solidarity with the students', parents, and staff at IS 77 against the co-location of Queens International Highs. Let me just say, I've heard a lot of people speak wonderfully about the international program, and that is not what we're here to do to condemn that program, right? We're here for a very valid reason, right? Uh, let me, how did we get here, right? Last year? Well, no, let me go back. Three years ago, three years ago, DOE came and said, we're gonna co-locate you with Bushwick Leaders High school at 77. Trust us, it's gonna be great. Everything's gonna go smooth, everything's gonna be wonderful. Don't worry, it's gonna be great and we're gonna be there the whole time to support you. What happened? The co-location went through. Every people sort of were in support of it at the time it happened. It was terrible. And there was no support after the co-location from central DOE on that co-location, right? So when you're sitting here asking us to trust, right? When the DO e is asking us to trust, well, our tru, our trust in you has been broken in that co-location, right? So a couple of things with this one, right? The fact that we're talking about it a great program, right? I'm not saying it's not, but there are zero international high schools in New York City or the country by the proposed principal's own words. That is a six through 12 model. This would be the first of its kind. Why is it getting co-located with a public middle school that serves 30% else? The claim is that the claim is that students aren't gonna be attempted to be poached that 30% of Ls or the other Ls that live in Ridgewood. 'cause there's another school IS 93 that's only a mile away, right? The claim that students aren't gonna be poached from those schools is false. Right? Why? Because letters have already been sent to all of the feeder schools, attracting the students, asking them, wanting to get those students to go. So the idea that it's only people that are gonna arrive, that it's only people that are gonna be arriving next year, right, that aren't currently in district 24 schools, is false, right? The fact that this school is being co-located in district 24, in the area in Ridgewood, where it is, where we have no need, I'm sorry, your time. We have no need for middle school seats in that area. Your time is expired. So if you're gonna vote in favor, let me just say one last thing, please. I, I actually gave you a few seconds. One more. One last. No, well, I can't, I haven't done that for anybody else. All right. I would ask if you, if you're not gonna vote this co-location down, I would ask you to amend it so that it's a nine through 12 like every other international high school. Thank you. James Vasquez, Aida Figueroa, Edith Bach, and Melissa deas. And you can begin speaking. When you get to the microphone, just please state your name. I'm just waiting for time. Oh, okay. Time Just to be consistent. There you go. Absolutely. Thank you. Um, to this panel, I just wanted to say first and foremost, I'm so glad that that gentleman, I'm following him because he's absolutely right in making sure that we maintain focus on the issue at hand. We are not here. Um, I wanna preface my comments by saying that we do not seek to ostracize immigrant families because the families of IS 77 students, we are them. So are the teachers, so are the community leaders that serve Ridgewood New York. And to me, it would appear, it seems very interesting that this room is heavily populated with people supporting the international schools. It almost seems like, like a joke, like an incentivized, um, mission on behalf of that school to try and co-locate. We talk about, again, as Mr. Montez stated, we talk about collaboration, we talk about equity, we talk about diversity. And what I find here is that it appears, or it feels at least the sense that to a certain degree, a decision has been made. Having said this, I would also like to highlight that the one thing no one is bringing up in this conversation, or at least not in this room tonight, is the financial price tag that comes with each individual student that is going to be afforded to the newly arrived. What about those who are already there? What about those of us who are already there? There was a woman earlier who wanted to discuss the utilization of the current school at IS 77. I implore everyone on this panel today to take a word from Connie who said, come to the school, come look at the school. 90% of which is under scaffold. Things are falling apart. I don't wanna hear that. My son, who's a sixth year old, who's a sixth grader, there rather has to worry about people vaping and smoking. We, we have an, we have an obligation as a society to ensure that our children develop in an environment that's productive and one that is positive. As adults, we would not tolerate such behavior in our workplace. We would not tolerate violence. We would not tolerate the type of people and decisions who will come in to bully and strong arm us. And the only thing I can say in closing is that we are not dumb and neither are our children. And we understand the hypocrisy that has been presented in this room tonight. So I implore you to go look at the school physically, and I also encourage you to think about what you're doing and to vote this down because parents will react swiftly and fiercely if you do not. Thank you. Thank You. Good evening. My name is Adi BI am a parent member of the IS 77 community. Uh, just a few things. Many of the speakers talk about the co-location that have wonderful, it will be hard to convince that it was a good thing. We went through. We have first hand experience. It wasn't a, uh, a good experience. Um, many of the, our members, they explained why it's not a good fit, but it doesn't seem people are listening. Our concerns are not addressed. They say in co-location is beneficial. Uh, when we had previously a co-location benefic, the benefits were none. Absolutely none. Keep saying the new school is not a competition. They are right, uh, with the budget three times what they get, that IS 77, we won't be their competition. And then lastly, I would like to say I believe on a behalf of everyone in I 77 community, um, the international school will not against them. Their work is wonderful. Keep up the good work. Just not in I 77 buildings. Please, please, Please find them another building in other district like District 24 that has more space and move them there. Gentrification, COV and the previous co-location wrote down our numbers. We need time to grow. We need to, uh, we need time to fix the damage. So please vote against this colocation. Thank you. Have a good morning. Hello, my name is Melissa Berra. I am a new immigrant to the us. I am one of those new arrivals that have been mentioned here tonight. And I am a parent of an IS 77 student. And I'm a, I am here to speak against the co-location of IS 77 with an international school. I am a witness of the welcoming that I received me and my child this school year when we arrived to the us. And the great job that the staff and the teachers at IS 77 are doing to fulfill our needs and to service families like mine. I am also a witness of, from a secondhand experience of the traumatic experience that the children at IS 77 lived through the previous colocation. When I was in line to register my daughter to school, I was, um, with other parents. And I was speaking of how new every everything was to me and how afraid i I was of the, the new process. And another parents that were in line told me, oh, don't worry. It, your chi chi your child is gonna be fine. Before it was terrible. There was another school and there were gangs, and there was violence, and the police was here all the time. And they were all sorts of situation that you don't have to live through that. Now. Actually, my child was in a different school, and I am transferring my child now on seventh grade to I 77 because they are finally out of that other school that was here before. And that created all of these issues. So there's no denial that the community of I 77 suffered and is still hurting today of the previous experience that they live with their, through the co co-location. I think that now they need an opportunity to build positive experiences that can motivate other parents in the community to enroll their kids in I 77 and approving a second co-location will deny the school the opportunity to grow and thrive that they deserve. And I believe they're old because they haven't been able to grow as they should. I also believe that continuing with the proposal of the co-location will be like walking all over the morale of the community and the parents that belong to IS 77. How would they feel if this proposal is approved and how their, their kids are gonna feel once the new school comes in after they've said many, many, many times how they feel and how much they are against this proposal. So I please beg you not to approve. Good evening. My name is James Vasquez. I'm the district representative for Queens High Schools for the United Federation of Teachers. And I, I want to take a moment here to first thank the panel for the first vote. You heard my colleagues earlier this evening. It, our children, all of our children in our schools are our children. And we, it's really important that we protect them. So I thank you for that vote. Uh, I wanna also turn now to the, I have to give the Department of Education credit, which I don't often do. But in the last three years, they have been creating more seats, more actual seats for Queens high schools, the most overcrowded district throughout the borough. And so I give them credit in September, hopefully we'll be opening, hopefully we will be opening up a new site over on Northern Boulevard, 3,500 seats. So that's great. I was here last year with the panel supporting the motion picture tech. They're making sure that they got there, there, and they, they're co-located there, and they're gonna be moving into the new site. And that's really great. I'm really glad that you're opening up the, all of the proposals today are more high school seats. So that's always a great thing. And I, I, I strongly, uh, support more high school seats. I wanna first turn to the HBCU school. Let me just start, say, it is about time. It is about time. The DOE paid attention to Southeast Queens. It is about time, and I know we don't have a record yet, but it's about time that the DOE gave, uh, our students, uh, in Southeast Queens, the opportunity for high performing, uh, for high performing, uh, uh, academic, uh, success in the high schools, and then in the college. It is about time, and I want to echo what my sister said over here. Let's find them a building and let's get more kids to give that opportunity for the HBCU. So it's about time, it's a strong support for them. I also support the idea of a D 75 and P nine to be there. It's important that we serve our most vulnerable students in the city and the more seats for them as well. Let me turn if I can to Queens International. I work with all four queens International high schools in Queens. They are all co-located. They work really collaboratively. They are really good schools. We have no very few issues there. We f find ways to be able to solve problems. But let me tell you, this Department of Education screwed this up. Again, you heard from the parents in the community that they are not listening to them. You heard of the trauma that they suffered, and no one in the Department of Education listened to them. I encourage you, you heard already the proposal. The idea here is, if anything, to possibly truncate it to a nine through 12 school. That's one possibility. But I encourage you, and I encourage every leader that's here, every parent, every staff member, every student. You make sure you hold the Department of Education accountable. If this gets approved, you should be calling the Deputy Chancellor, Dan Weisberg, who's here. Danielle Demango offered support as well. Get them into your buildings and get all that support that you need. They are the ones responsible for all of our schools and all of our students. And it's about time they do something. It is not about the international schools, it's about the DOE, dropping the ball and not listening to the community. They should have done it right from the beginning. And if they would've done it right, you wouldn't be hearing them so upset. So I encourage you to support the community, get the Department of Educations, but in the schools and get them to support them. Thank you. Uh, that is the last, uh, public speaker signed up. Okay. Thank you very much. I wanna thank members of the public for coming out and offering, uh, your, uh, comments. We'll now move to panel member comments. Are there any panel? Well, first I want to go to the two representatives from Queens. Um, panel member Shirley Aban and panel member Alicia. Um, Adriana. Alicia. Alicia. Um, I'm sorry. So, like, so I don't know who wants to go first. Adriana wants me to go First. I, I can't, what's the name? What's the name? Oh, yeah, we called her a long time ago. Yeah, she, she, uh, yes, yes. But come to the mic, please. Come to The microphone, please. Hi, good evening. Um, sorry for the late message. Um, um, I'm, I'm a current parent of the sixth and eighth grade, and I 77. I, uh, part of the Ridgewood community. I went to 68. I went to 77. So, you know, I'm a proud graduate from 77. Um, with regards to the co-location, I'm definitely against it. Um, at the beginning when, um, the other school was going to co-locate, I was pro for it. Definitely give them a chance. The chance came, the chance failed. Um, I feel like it's a little slap in the face to our teachers in terms of you, you guys are stating, oh, the international school, you know, the teachers are this, the teachers are that. How about our teachers? Our teachers are great. Okay? Our teachers are great. Our teachers are compassionate. Our teachers treat us like family. Um, Ms. PIOs, she's a great principal. She's the immigrant just like us. Okay? And she has not been heard, but you know what? She's letting her parents and her students be heard because that's who ma that's how she is. She wants us to be heard. And she will fall behind us all the time. That's one thing. Another thing is, um, nobody's speaking about the, um, people speak about the original community. I'm part of original community. Have you guys seen the traffic in the morning going, getting inside 77 with this school coming in? The traffic was going to be horrendous. There's current, um, construction in the school. And with the new school coming in, there's going, that's going to hinder our kids in their education. My eighth grader, you know, she's graduating, but I still have a sixth grader. Um, why not make in, in a collaboration as people say they wanna collaborate, give the funds to 77, make this classroom smaller so our kids can have a better education, better. They have a great education. They can be better, better educators. They can be better leaders. And why not give the funds to the school in collaboration? We do not need, um, another principal in the area handing out flyers stating come into our school. So, like they said, going to parents, like they said, it seems like you guys have already made a choice and we have not been heard. So yes, you should visit our schools. You should be part of the community. If you wanna be part of the original community, be part of the community, not just talk and not just listen to outsiders, okay? With the traffic in the mornings, there's a lot of traffic. There are no school aids. And with the other school, when they were there, we didn't have extra, um, like, um, safeguards. So yes, it is a little disorienting, you know, thinking that this other school is going to come in, but the funds are not being put where they're supposed to be to IS 77. Have a good evening. Okay, so now we'll turn back to panel member comments and we'll call first on the panel members from the, uh, borough of Queens. And who's gonna go? Okay, nobody walks. I'll go first. I'll go first. I say good evening everyone. Um, for those who don't know me, my name is Shirley Oba, have the honor of representing the Queens Ball president's. Um, Donovan Richards as his appointee to the panel for educational policy. I would like to start with, I'm gonna go from each, uh, utilization proposal. I am gonna start with H-S-H-S-B, HS, HH thank you, BCU co-locating with, uh, Susan B. Anthony. And then also the proposal of having a district 75, um, in the building. So I think this is great. It was a long time. It was promised for the past three years. Um, the support is for the, to have this co-locations to happen. My first concern is in, aligned with everybody else's concern, that eventually this high school needs its own space. 'cause we want it to grow. Um, but I don't want it to stop there. I believe that all our schools in starting, if I have to start with Southeast Queens to make sure we have those opportunities for accelerated learning, to make sure we have career opportunities, they can graduate and have a job right outta high school. Put them on the right path of community. Being a, a advocate community per individuals. That's the purpose of high school, is to get them career, academic, career, um, um, prepared and civic minded. So I would like, and it's been raised and has been talked to find school, another school for H-S-B-C-U. HBCU. I don't know why. I keep wanting to add the s into it, um, into the, um, into the school. So we are looking, uh, and I would like to collaborate for everyone who to help find space. 'cause real estate is very, is a rare commodity across the city, but even more in Queens. Um, going into the next one is IS 77. And I didn't start off, I'm gonna start off that. I am in favor for all four proposals. And I'm going to list now I'm going to IS 77. I'm gonna start with the student's concerns. Yes, lunch and gym are very important. There might be the most important periods in your, in your your school day. But I'm gonna tell you this, and this is from personal experience. As a parent lunch period, gym period, your class periods will not be cut short. They will not be cut short. And I know this as personal ex experience because my daughter went to a six to 12 school. Not only it was six to 12 school, it was co-located with three other high schools, and they made it work. No periods were short. They made it work. And as doing this work for 15 years, I had the privilege of seeing co-locations. And I'm gonna highlight Springfield Gardens. We had the superintendent for South East, um, queen South High schools. There's five co-located schools in that building. And they function as one, they function as a family. So it, it can be done, right? Uh, we're just asking, and I understand there was a bad experience with Bushwick leaders. They were temporarily co-located. And maybe that why it didn't work. 'cause their building was under co, uh, renovations. So it was a temporary co-location. I went through the walkthrough again, I made sure I visit that school. The entire fourth floor is empty. Yes. And the renovations need to be paired. Most of the third floor is empty. I didn't say all, but it's, I went to the walkthrough. Most of the third floor is vacant, but it's not an issue. I didn't get outta school. Okay, so folks, again, please. Okay, well, well, but I'm gonna ask you to not interrupt the speaker. Con continue. I'm gonna ask you again not to interrupt the speaker and allow us to proceed. School utilization is 39%. And I went to the walkthrough and I visit, keep going, visit all the school, that the school, so with this co-location, IS 77 will be able to still grow. I 77 only have 5 75 currently enrolled. And the past five years, the enrollment has been declining. The, the model for the queen is the models for the queens and the model for, Okay, sir, I'm gonna ask you once again to please stop. You're Disrupting the meeting and I'm asking you to stop. No, I actually, I'm, I'm not gonna say. So the model for the Queens International for international schools are required for a small school model. Currently in starting next school year, if this gets proposed, if it gets approved, you are gonna start with sixth and ninth grade, right? It is gonna be phase in. And for this model has been very successful because the school is kept small. Now going about funding and a hearing, this, each district has their own set of teachers fundings per school. The custodian International New York City outbound schools is a citywide district. So they have their teachers, they have their fundings, and that's why it is proposed, uh, to create schools. And they, they're using their teachers. They have their own funding. I mean, the leadership knows this. Each school, each district has their funding and teachers and support system. Why would this work? Because we are here to, um, why would I'm in favor is because it will give more seats for high school and middle. We are, we need seats in every single school, both middle school and high school. Especially high school. We are very short. But again, this is a citywide school with particular scholars. Not all scholars will be able to attend this school. It's specifically for multi-language learners, English not being their first primary language. And they have to be less than four years in the New York City public schools. So there's a specific criteria to enter that school. And then along with middle school, also being citywide now, like high school for enrollment, not only ISS 77 could not only pull from the district, but they could also pull families across the city. Because middle school is starting to go middle citywide next school year. But there is room to expand. And we have the due diligence to make sure we service all our students. And this is, um, I think Mr. Vasquez, UFTT high school, we have a long standing relationship. I think he's right. Because of your bad experience. Yes. Hold your, we accountable. But you do have four, three international schools within your district. Visit them. Ask the other schools who are not international schools, how is their partnership with them? How are their partnership with them? No, you can't. No, you cannot. What's that? Uh, she'll let her finish her statement and we'll get, you'll get the information. Okay. You're, you're, could you please take your seat? Okay. So now, now I'm going to go to, I think it's district, district 27. Okay. I'm gonna ask you again to please stop. You're, you're now at this point. You are now at this point disrupting the meeting. And I'm gonna ask that you please stop. We are going to district 28 vocation, which is, uh, removing the two sixth graders, sixth grade class. So to make room for more of the fifth graders. So their peers can also be with their other sixth graders, with the other middle schools within the area. Um, everyone is in support of that ation for district 28 and now going into district 27, doing the phases of, of moving, um, three K to second grade in phases. The community is also in support of this, but they do have concerns, which I know that the DOE and the superintendent is gonna make sure that families who have multiple students in different grades will be in different sites, different buildings, and they promise to provide transportation. And also they promised to try to work, having staggered start times. So families with multiple children of the school would not be late, and it won't be a burden, um, to the community. So again, I am in favor for all four school utilization proposals. Okay, great. Thank you. Um, panel member, Alicia, panel member. Thank you. Hello, uh, my name's Adriana Ali. Alicia, um, I represent Queen CECs. Thank you all for your comments tonight. Uh, I'm gonna start with HBCU Prep. A little while earlier, Ms. Vanessa Sparks testified about her disappointment in the co-location of HBCU Early College Prep with the Susan B. Anthony Academy, but her elation with the creation of the school in itself. And I agree with you, Ms. Sparks. And following our conversation, I brought the concerns of the community and the offers of assistance, namely a search committee, which according to South Queens lore is not only possible, but has been done before. During our conversation, Ms. Sparks told me about how community members Frank Pollard and Norman George found a building for the Young Women's Leadership School because Gateway needed a permanent home. And this was like 20 ish years ago during our call. And in my conversations with folks in District 29, I heard over and over again that District 29 has been promised a new school for years now, but they were never promised a new building. And they've noticed during our school utilization proposal meeting last week, I brought these in a slew of other questions and concerns to DOE district planning, including the concerns of the community, specifically that the community wants to make sure that the HBCU early College prep is going to get its own space. And my understanding is that D 29 specifically has not received a new skill building in a number of years. The entire community is very concerned about this based on the makeup of the district with respect to demographic and other associated factors. All of those things are changing. Every person I've spoken with is very excited about the opening of this preeminent high school and hopefully preeminent institution in our city. The importance and the need for this school has never been more obvious than it is today following the Trump administration's rescinding of executive order 1 1 2, 4 6. Now, if you don't remember this from high school Executive order, 1 1 2 4 6 was signed in 19 65, 65 by LBJ, that's President Lyndon b Johnson. This order required any organization doing business with the government to affirmatively recruit and ensure that the employment practices, or that their employment practices did not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. Again, using past tense there, because that order has been rescinded. So knowing that the lingering question is whether or not the students are going to receive a dedicated space, and to their credit, the folks in district planning very quickly said that reciting HBCU Prep into a own space is under consideration. And they're interested in exploring all options to identify an appropriate building. So while I'm not sure why that outreach didn't take place already, I do trust that they will be in touch soon because this school must succeed. And it will, because the community will accept nothing less. Now, with respect to 77 q, I attended the joint public hearing, the CEC 24 meetings where this co-location was discussed, which was almost every meeting so far this year. So thank you CEC 24 for continuously holding space for concern members of the community to voice their concerns and to have the opportunity to engage with one another about those things as well. However, and very unfortunately, it seems that there is a fundamental misunderstanding of the ways that international schools work, operate, and are funded, et cetera. And the way that general education school and or community schools do Now, that is not anyone in the 77 Q'S community's fault, except for maybe school leadership, district leadership, district planning, and folks at the DOE who were involved from the very beginning. But that does not mean that they did not do all of the things that are required of them. They had all of the meetings that were required of them, and it did, it still doesn't feel like it was good enough. And during our conversation, same meeting, same SUP meeting, I explained that while the their office has done everything that they can do, that they do, it's very difficult for us to go back to the community and say, well, they've done everything that they can. And they heard that. I, I think, I hope that they heard that because I followed that up with saying that while we understand that they have done everything that they can, we need to do more. And we need to do better. Because, because while it's likely that this is going to ultimately be extremely beneficial to the widespread community, in addition to the 77 Q community, that does not change the number of people who feel slighted. It does not change the feelings. It does not change the disappointment that the children may feel. It does not change the disappointment that I know some of the parents here feel. But I do hope that this is a lesson for all of us here to ensure that in the engagement process, we're not just checking the boxes, but that we're making sure that the community, especially those who are disinterested or feel disenfranchised by this process, can tell us exactly what they need to hear or need from us to make this work or to make this feel less preppy. Thank you. No, we did not. Thank you. Okay. Okay. We'll now move to, uh, other panel members. Panel members Shepherd, and yeah, we'll come around. Thank you. Chair Faulkner. Um, Wait until he comes to order. That's what the parents Are saying. Thank you, chair Faulkner. Um, I wanna start with, um, HBCU Early College Prep and, um, you know, I'm gonna say one I've known Dr. Johnson for, um, for a number of years, uh, as the, the principal at Longwood Prep. Mm-hmm. And, um, you know, I am very happy that we are, um, creating this opportunity in Queens. Um, I will say that it is very important that I wait, You wait till people leave. Go ahead, Tom. Thank you, chair Farter. Um, you know, I'm gonna share just a really quick story. Um, number of years ago, I, um, I went to Longwood Prep, and when I met Dr. Johnson, there was an issue with, um, it was like the cafeteria gym, right? And they didn't have a dedicated gym space. And, um, just watching, um, uh, Dr. Johnson's like drive and her commitment to making sure that, um, her students had everything that they needed, um, was truly like heartwarming and inspirational for me. And, um, you know, I, uh, do stand in support, um, of HBCU, early College Prep. Um, I do want to speak now on, uh, uh, Queens International. And all I can say is this, right? Like, it's not lost on me that right before this, um, before what we're dealing with right now, um, we passed a resolution, right? And that resolution was, um, basically calling on a system to do something, do something, protect our students, do something. And, you know, we passed that by unanimous consent and the audience clapped, right? And then we're here, right? And I heard people say, right? Like, you know, I got no problem with, you know, you know, Queens International and all just not in my school. Mm-hmm. And I've heard that before. Go ahead. And I've heard that when, you know, we were having conversations during the previous administration when we were talking about students in district 75 programs, it was, I got no problem with district 75 programs and all just not in my school. Mm-hmm. So this is familiar language, right? And again, it's not lost on me that we're framing conversations in that way. We're framing conversations in the context of like putting a bad experience that you had onto people that aren't even there yet. Like, that's not lost on me, right? So I cannot in good conscience right. Vote to deny an opportunity, um, uh, for Queens International when we're talking about 39% utilization rate in the building. You know, and I, I, I think I'll just finish up with this, right? You know, People have this conversation and they structure it in a way where it's like, well sometimes, like, you know, the success of some come at the expense of others, right? But this ain't one of those times, right? This is one of those times where we got a building that's like very underutilized and can use an international program in it, right? To lift up a community with a building that's 39% utilized. So once we take our personal feeling out of this, and we really look at it as a function of the best use of space and expanding opportunities, especially for our newly arrived students, right? To me, this is a good move and I support it. And I will be voting yes. Thank you Chair folk. Thank you. Thank you. Panel member. Uh, whose hand was next? I think panel member? Uh, yes. Okay, lemme stand up. Um, I'm parent of multilingual learners students, and I support all of them. I support students from 77 school. I support students from HPCU school. And I think this deal is not the best deal. The book, this is not win-win situation. This is no win lose situation. This is lose lose situation. I'm now that I'm my area appointee, and I should say yes, it may or say yes if all the people say yes, but I say abstain because I want more time for this deal. I want more time for better solution for 77 student and better solution for international students. One of, uh, UFT representatives says there is new building. Why we can offer new multilingual and a new building. Why we can offer high school student the building who is actually prepared for also for, uh, film school. Why not? Why we don't give a chance 77 to grow up and have own high schools. We still do that. I, I'm not doing for, for clapping. I'm just, I'm just see opportunities and why we don't going Where is, uh, where is the, the put council Weisberg here? May I ask the question? Uh, no Other options are possible. No, No. This is not a, this is not a hearing or a, or a briefing. You can make your statement and then we're gonna move on. So, So, so, I don't know why. Okay. No, just, just, just, this is my question because I don't know what was the reason. I'm also curious, and I think in fact there was a briefing set up that provided you that opportunity to ask that question. Yes, sir. I was not invited. Hold on. You didn't show up. No. So Let's, I was not Invited. Please complete your statement. Complete your statement. Okay. So I'm abstained for this deal and suggest to give more time. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Who's the, uh, panel member? Hey. Hey. I just wanna say, you know, to the is seven crowd. I love the passion. I love it. I think I'm, I live in Manhattan. I grew up in Brooklyn, but I think I might be from Ridgewood because I love the flavor. I love the feeling. I, I I know that I 77 could be great because you guys have such passion and such joy. And, and look, you're not gonna like the way I vote. I'm gonna be supporting this because I think it's right. And I think that ultimately, you said it before, you are, we're all immigrants. We are all immigrants. You are, it's important for immigrants that came a little earlier. Not to forget the people before, but listen, okay, it's, it, it's an immigrant in school coming in. I'm not gonna have to do back forth. I'm saying this. I like, I love the energy. Maybe we can give you, maybe we can give you, is there a possibility that we can have? We do these utilizations and then we don't do the follow up to see how they, how they, maybe we can invite them back next January to see if I think that this is gonna be great for that school. We were there already. We were there already. We were there already. We were there already. But anyway, thank you so much. Thank you for your energy. You guys all spoke eloquently. You all spoke with passion. We love it. You guys, you were, you were specifically great. Thank you very much. Okay. Are there any other panel members who wish to comment? Okay, look, I think we're ready for the, uh, yeah, to call the vote. Um, say sorry, call the role. I'll call the role, um, and indicate if you are voting differently on any of the proposals. Um, please let me know, um, when I call your name or indicate how you're voting. Um, okay. Um, member Ali, yes. To all Member Ali, say yes to all member Arnold? Yes. To all member bin? Yes. To all Member Boad. Yes. To all member. Casre Katti. Yes. To all member Fair? Yes. To all Member Garcia? Yes. To all member, Yes. To all. Um, vice Chair Green? Yes. To all member Hassan? Yes. To all. Nothing. Nothing. I worked at I all of you. Nothing. All those people there. This nothing all Member is scared of Member Abstain for 77 and for the rest. Yes. Yeah. Member Owin. Yes. To all Member Ong. Member Sap, uh, member Sap. Can't hear the camera. Speak up. Uh, panel, uh, panel members whose name was called Member Sap. How do you vote? Oh, me? Yeah. It's very hard with the gentleman who's screaming. Yeah, we gotta ignore it. Just screaming. Can we, you said yes to all? Yes. Oh, yes. Yeah, we can hear. Why is he still in here? I couldn't hear. Um, is there, can someone escort the gentleman out? Thank you. Member Shepherd. Yes. To all And Chair Faulkner. Yes to all. So the resolution passes, um, 13, 14, 15. So, um, other than the proposal regarding, um, IS 77 and Queens International High School, um, the vote is 18 in favor, no nos and no abstentions for Queen International High School co-location with IS 77. The vote is 17 in favor, no nays and one abstention. The resolution passes. I'm now going to turn it back to, yeah, I chair Faulkner. Thank you. And I wanna thank the folks for coming out. Um, I know that CEC 24 sent us a resolution and I need to under law respond to the resolution and explain, um, our reasoning for voting, uh, to approve that proposal. Um, I think the things that stood out significantly were the, um, um, opportunity to have an international high school in Queens. I think that was a really pressing, um, opportunity for us. Um, there is ample space. I think the panel was very moved by the fact that there is ample space. And I think another consideration is the fact that we offer an offer an opportunity in Queens for multi-language learners. So, um, we did receive a resolution from, uh, CEC 24. And under the law, it's our obligation to explain our vote when we receive a resolution from a, uh, community education council. Um, so, um, that would indicate why with the reasons why we were, um, I believe in favor of fasting this resolution. Um, the next item is open form. I don't know if there are any speakers for open form. Uh, yes, there are a few speakers. Okay, sure. I will call them, um, you, Adam Shapiro, Eugene lik, um, Katie Strauss and Lamar Hughes. And if you get to the mic, you can begin speaking. Just give your name while other people are coming down. Good evening. My name is Adam Shapiro. Thank you for the opportunity to address you all. I'm coming to speak this evening as a parent and as an educator. I wanna start off by saying that extreme pendulum swings in either direction in response to student behavior, is not what's best. However, what is currently occurring in schools across the city clearly is not working. It's our collective responsibility to help our students academically, but that isn't where our responsibilities end. I know we are a system that's hyper-focused on data, but data on this topic is flawed. If building leaders don't properly enter occurrences into oars out of concern for how it will make their schools look to their superiors, the current system is not helping the students who are violating the citywide behavioral expectations. It's not helping students who are in the classes where they are, where there are repeat violations of the citywide behavioral expectations. And is putting educators and building leaders in a position to constantly triage situations instead of moving their classes and schools forward. Should a child face a suspension for calling out in class? Of course not. But what message does it send to the other students in a class when they see their peers who are repeatedly interrupting the learning process, return to class with a lollipop and a smile that doesn't set appropriate behavioral expectations. In fact, it creates a chaotic tone. It's okay for students to understand that there are negative consequences for negative behaviors and positive cons, consequences for positive behaviors. Children who grow up without healthy expectations for their behaviors become adults who fail to have healthy expectations for their behaviors. What I'm asking this body to support is the hiring of more guidance counselors and school psychologists to support students in crisis and to revise the citywide behavioral expectations to create a common sense approach to behavior management. Thank you very much for your time and consideration. Um, so the other names I called, we'll just check. Eugene Fick, Katie Strauss, and Lamar Hughes. Okay, Katie. Okay. We'll now move to panel member. Final comments. I'd ask panel members to be mindful of the time and keep them brief. Tom. Thank you, sheriff Faulkner. Um, So I just want to address, uh, two things tonight. There's one I'm gonna say for our meeting next week, but, um, uh, one of the things I want to address tonight, and I wish you know, uh, chancellor Vish Ramos was here, um, because I wanted to thank her. Um, uh, on January 10th, there was a, um, big fire at 29 10 Wallace Avenue. And, um, you know, the residents of that building, there were like over 200 of them, um, that were displaced in the middle of the night. Um, literally running out of a burning building with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Mm-hmm. Um, and, you know, the Red Cross's response and, you know, the, the emergency management folks and, you know, housing preservation and development, like, like, really came through and started that process for families. And I wanted to say thank you to, uh, to the chancellor because the chancellor was there. Um, you know, uh, Senator Jamal Bailey was there, assembly members, Z Carro, council member Riley and Borough President Gibson were all there. And we, and, and I was there all day. And I spent, uh, we all spent like a significant amount of time with these families and there were a number of them that went to PS 76 that was the like Red Cross Relief Station. And, um, I am just so Grateful that, you know, we can have intense conversations about real issues, right? And we can have differences on them, but when, and get really deep right? A like, and you are literally running out of a burning building with nothing with your baby and like your clothes on your back, um, that we found a way to like come to, you know, come through and like support each other. Um, so I really wanted to, uh, just, you know, thank everyone for, you know, stepping up to, to help that community. Um, the other thing I wanna speak about is I've been hearing from all over, um, this city, um, an issue that I think that we as a panel can start to engage with the DOE with, and that is, uh, paying vendors on time. Mm-hmm. Um, there are a lot of vendors that are saying that I'm not getting paid and I'm trying to figure out how to stay afloat long enough to be able to provide the service that I've been contracted to provide to the DOE, but I'm not getting paid. Yeah. And, um, you know, it is not good form, but it's also not good business practice, right. To enter into a contract with a vendor and then not pay them on time. Yeah. And I think we will have very serious issues with folks wanting to even do business with the DOE if we cannot pay them on time. Like we promised them that we would when we sign a contract. Sure. So with thank, with that Sheriff Faulkner, thank you. And I thank, Thank you for bringing those two first. Um, uh, I, I neglected to mention the beginning, the chancellor did speak to me and there was a conflict in scheduling, but I, and, and, uh, but I hope you will mention next week, she'll be here next week and she apologized to the panel. I hope you'll mention next week, um, that comment about the chancellor not just staying, but she, you know, making a drop in, but she stayed for some substantial time, you mentioned Yeah. Early. And I think that's important. So I hope you'll, I'll recognize you next week to bring that, um, fact up with regard to the payment that has come up before with other people. However, one of the issues is the delay in payment with the controller's office, with the controller's office, who has to process those payments. If we get 'em there on time, the controller's office actually, um, becomes a log jam in, in processing these payments. And so, um, is It processing the payments or registering the Contract? The payments get to them because the folk, the folks who've come to me say that the DOE has got those payments in on time. We're just not getting them through the controller's log jam. Um, and particularly, and that's particularly true with, uh, uh, the women and minority owned businesses who have really reached out to me and asked me to intervene that these are, are, we brought this up at a panel meeting, that there are payments that are pending and, um, even an increase at times where it, it needs the controller's office to take certain action. And that just has not happened. So I think perhaps we should revisit that and then direct that, um, you know, um, um, to the controller, because I've spoken about this, the there do is doing the work and getting the stuff the contracts are getting processed, but they're just not getting the, when you're talking about getting a check, the controller writes the checks. So, um, I wanna say Something. Yeah. Okay. Well, I don't know who's here. Well, you haven't had a chance to speak. Okay. Well, Pamela Garcia, you haven't spoken. So if it's okay, I Yeah. Had things to say. Butman, Alicia said it all. She said everything I wanted to say, but I just wanna say, I am so sorry that our audience and people don't understand that children behave like we behave. That if you wanted these co-located schools to work, and I, you know, in one, and I'm sorry that they had such a bad experience, but there are so many ways that this could benefit. IS 77. I mean, if we work together, I would love to go visit, but I guess we need to calm down before you go visit. You know? Um, it, it is, it is such a shame that that was such a, that's a shame because it really could benefit the student, especially the younger student, but it's up to the adults to make sure kids aren't getting high and doing this and blah, blah, blah. And it doesn't sound like this international school is that kind of school, but if you don't have control over your children, small, medium, large, if you don't have control, then it, it won't work. But it has to be the adults who, who it's the adults who run the show. True. And that's just it. It's the adults who run the show. True. And so, and as we saw Right, your mouth, It's the, you know, children behave Yes. Like the adults around. Yeah. That's It. Thank you. Panel members. That's my preaching for the day. Okay. Yes, Alicia. Scared. Scared. You scared? I'm sorry. It's All right. So, um, I wanna thank the last person that spoke that brought up the citywide discipline code because I've been asking about that. This is month number five and we still haven't received a response. I am grateful that Chair Faulkner did have a conversation with me about this. And I'm going to double check on everything we agreed to before I say that. Right? Or maybe you say that, but I just wanna say that we are asking, we do hear you and we know that what we're doing is not working and we're actively trying to find something that does work. Um, and I would question the, the process for the checks for vendors, is that the same process for, um, school leadership team checks for remuneration? No. No, because I'm also getting lots of complaints about parents not getting their SLT checks on companie. And so I'm just wondering like where does, where do these financial issues live? That's a d It is different process. No, I just, I just wanna verify. So I know for sure like, so if we could, if I could just find out like that process, because I've gotten multiple complaints and it's different districts, different Yeah. Individuals. Like, it's not anyone that knows, it's not same leadership. So just trying to figure out what is the systemic issue. Because if we have people volunteering their time and they're supposed to get a stipend, they should get it. Yeah. Lemme just in the school year that they, that they served CLTs come directly from the school, it comes from the school Budget. I suspected that, but I needed to verify it publicly if the Principal, right. The principal mm-hmm. Writes those checks or her secretary or her The procurement. Yeah. And, and I, and I suspect it as much so I need it. 'cause we've had that brought up here, but it's still an issue. And if you like, served in your term ended in June and we're in the next year and you still haven't gotten like, it's problematic. So I was just wondering where each issue lived so that we can address them like individually, properly. That was good. Thank you. And goodnight. Thank You. Um, I saw hands over here. I see, um, pen casre and then pen. I go last. You wanna go last? Yeah, go last. Well, okay. Panel webcast. Right. Thank you so much. Uh, I wanted to give a shout out to all of our CECs for the work that they've done on the SCA capital plan these last couple of months. Um, the work that you're all doing to ensure that our building facilities are, um, as good as they can possibly be and elevate all of the issues that you're seeing and make suggestions for new spaces, new dance rooms, cafeteria upgrades, um, HVAC replacements, all of that work is going to influence the academic success of our students and improve their self-confidence. Um, I, uh, the office of the Brooklyn Borough President has a capital plan, RESO a, uh, application that is still open right now. And I believe all of our borough presidents are doing that. Yes. Um, the Brooklyn Borough President deadline is February 20th. I would encourage, um, our principals, because they're the ones that must fill out that application to, to, uh, please submit any requests that you might have. And, uh, don't forget that City council also has RESO A funds. So speak to your senators. They sometimes have extra money that they can give for re funds and it's okay to submit the same asks over and over and over again to all different people because if your ask is a $1 million, you likely won't get that funding from one source. And so multiple sources can come together and fund your big projects. Um, another thing I wanted to mention is a few months back we had heard from, uh, CEC 13 member Dr. Um, Miriam Ellis, and she brought concerns about PSAL. Um, a number of things have come up since then, and she and I have drafted a resolution that I will share with PEP members. Um, and CECs are looking at that and hoping to pass it. It's a resolution of greater transparency and, um, just to make the system easier for parents and students to understand with the timelines. There's nothing there that is disagreeable. So I hope, um, you all will support. And lastly, I just wanna mention that, uh, we are still discussing opening contract con contract briefings or some, some form of a contract meeting to the public again. Um, so I don't know when that's going to happen, but it is in conversations and hopefully sooner than later. So thank you Chair Faulkner for supporting them. Anyone else? Me, I just wanted to acknowledge the fact that it, this, um, this was a very emotional night and I think that we need to acknowledge the fact that emotions are important and it emotions are important. And just acknowledging that these parents are not here to play. They feel what they feel and, and we have to always remember that it is, it is our job to be able to hold space for that while we do this work. As parents, we have to hold space for that as we do this work. And, um, and so what I did wanna mention today, and that also is going on, um, to be able to talk about other disparities without eliminating other disparities. Does that, does that make sense? Yes. So big up to black educators United for the black curriculum. Yes. Right. Um, uh, when we talk about systemic racism, shout out to Martin Luther King Jr. MOK day kind of feels like, sounds like milk. So I don't really like saying those initials 'cause it, it feels weird, but Martin Luther King Jr. And what he and many of his peers before and after him stood for, for these type of moments for everybody. So I don't have to step on you in order to shine. And I think a moment that we have to take under the umbrella of people of color is understanding that this has layers, and that although I have my racial heritage, I must shine light on somebody else. It becomes triggering actually, because, like echoing what Chair Faulkner Faulkner said, when it's not handled in the back office, it's not handled in the front office. So a lot of these, um, issues that we're dealing with are overlapping issues that have not been handled in the past. So we have to be hyper cognizant of the stuff that we are continuing to work on as African American people Who Still have so much systemic stuff that needs to be worked at. But we have to see the winds and we also have the hold space for other people of color who are dealing with systemic things that we have not even recovered from. So I just wanted to acknowledge that, that it's a very hard time right now to be able to manage all of that. So it became, it becomes very emotional. So I just, that's all this was about, was echoing the black curriculum because that translates to more jobs, hopefully in, in these, um, spaces of, of, uh, um, minority companies being more minority, companies being hired, more black companies being hired, and, um, and more black companies being, um, more investors that look like us. So we can really, truly do the work and close up one issue while we can, you know, continue to knock out the, the other smaller fires or whatever, um, that we are dealing with today. So I just wanted to acknowledge that and, um, I'm gonna, I'm gonna yield, thank you. Okay. Uh, any other panel members? Yes, panel member Alban. Okay. He keeps looking. So I wanted to thank and he walked out again. Um, the principal, Dr. David Marmar and his staff and the, um, his team and the school, the students of the school for allowing us to be here tonight and making it nice and welcoming. I also, uh, wanna shout out particularly, uh, the culinary scholars who provide, who, Who provided us with, um, appetizers and desserts. Yeah. So, Dr. Murer, we were saying thank you for your hospitality, um, and your staff, and we appreciate your culinary, uh, scholars and The nice appetizers and desserts that were Provided. Can we meet here? Every you feed us. We'll be back every month. Yeah, we'll be back. I also would Like to say that, um, um, Dr. Murmur Francis Lewis High School has always been a pleasure to be, uh, a Patriots. It was always great to work with the teachers, the staff, the students. Um, the past couple of years we continue, we still continue those partnerships. And like I said, last month, um, we do have gems in New York City, across the city, not just our specialized high schools. And one of those schools I said that is just as good, uh, or even better than a specialized high school, is right here at Francis Lewis High School, the home of the Patriots. And I'm not talking about New England, Francis Lewis High School, Um, Patriots. Did you attend My daughter? Did I I was the PTA president. Okay, good. Yes. This is my homeschool. This is her homeschool. It's still my school. I also wanna say, um, going back to, uh, we here and we, I know we're all in agreement. We're here to be educated advocates to youth, be youth advocate and community advocates and decisions, even though sometimes they're hard. But we are here to do the greater good by our students, right? That is the goal. We are here to service all students, all, all communities. So I would like to say upcoming elections are going, you know, we got our citywide community education councils to be followed soon by, I think the CEC, uh, panel elections pa, um, for the pep. And then you also, you can't forget our pa PTAs title one, um, also elections. And what I wanna say to this is, as parent leaders and as us as panel members, we are all volunteers. But I, those who cannot able to take up the responsibility and roles of a parent leader, but you do have a role in responsibility yourself. Please vote. Please choose parent leaders who's going to advocate for all children, not a certain subgroup. You may have passions, but we are here to represent everyone. So I'm asking, and then hold your, uh, elected the leaders. And you would do this in politics as well, accountable, right? Because for us to be successful, it takes all of us, right? Again, together is better, is the phrase that's going through the brain tonight. So please, we can't do this without you. Even if you don't step up and volunteer, please vote. Take an interest and make sure you are holding those who are, are elected to represent you or appointed to represent you. And by minimum, do that. And we could all do our parts. So that's what I have to say tonight. Thank you. Okay. Any other comments from panel members? This has been a long evening. I didn't anticipate that it was gonna be this long of an evening, but, um, that's, that's democracy and that's how it works. That we, um, you know, there were, there were some really intense conversations and, uh, guess what folks, we get to do it all again next week. Yay. Yeah. So, uh, next week, our next, uh, panel meeting will be held at Evana Childs High School on the 28th in the Bronx. We're going back to God's country, the Bronx, and we look forward to, uh, doing it all over again. With that, thank you everybody for your time and patience. This meeting is adjourned.