Signed up to speak. The signup sheet is still available. Um, let me explain the rules we'll follow during the signup if you're interested in speaking about any of the topics that are on today's agenda. If you've signed up to speak, um, the secretary, our secretary, will call forward speakers from the signup sheet and groups of five during public comment. Everyone who has signed up to speak will be allotted up to three and a half minutes for public comment and two minutes, uh, for open comment period. At the end, the clock will indicate the amount of time remaining for each speaker, and a light will flash when there is one minute remaining,
so that speakers know when their time is running. Low. Additional time will be always be provided to help facilitate comments that may require translation. At the end of each speaker's time, we will move on to the next speaker. If a speaker is not present when their name is called, we will move on to the next speaker. Once we've done so, you cannot redeem your place in the queue. This portion of the meeting is for public comment only for agenda items that are being voted on tonight. If you accidentally signed up for a comment during this section, but wish to comment on other matters, please see one of our staff stationed in the back
who will move you to the appropriate section of the meeting. Um, so a reminder, would we move into the items that the panel will be voting on tonight? Those items are, um, only will be the items up for, uh, discussion. And so, having said that, I'd like to now call our secretary, secretary, uh, Liz Vock to call the, uh, role. Yes. Thank you. Chair Faulkner. Uh, members, when I call your name, please let us know your present. Um, panel member Marielle Ali, present panel member Adriana. Alicia, panel member Shirley Ban. Present is, I'm glad to be back at the Francis Lewis home of the Patriots.
Did, this is your album, didn't you? Were you a student here? No. No. Who, who's PTA President, PTA President, I'm sorry. Um, panel member Aaron Bogut is absent this evening. Panel member Camille Casre. Present Panel member Marjorie Dean Stag. Okay. Um, panel member Amy Fair is absent this meeting. Panel member Anita Garcia, panel member Anthony Giordano, vice chairperson. Dr. Angela Green, present, uh, panel member, uh, Faraji Hannah Jones is absent this evening.
Panel member Naveed Hassan. Present panel member? Alice Ho. Panel member Rema Isto. Okay. Okay. Um, panel member, um, Dr. Sharon Owin, present panel member Alan Ang, present panel member Nita Parsons, panel member, uh, Maisha Sapp. Maisha, SAP Present Chairperson, uh, Greg Faulkner present.
And I believe we have a new member, panel member, uh, Yadira Jimenez present. Okay. Um, Lloyd. Right. Um, let's see if we can, um, determine members Kia's whereabouts, because we are Is she here? He's, he's here. No. Re Did we need her call? Yeah, we're at 12 without members. Thank you. Um, Alice's here, Judy. All right. So, so member hope.
Yes. Thank you. All right, we can proceed. Okay. Andrea, Adriana? I did. Yeah. Okay. We are now at 13. We can Complete. Okay. So we'll proceed. Um, as was noted, we do have a new panel member and I'd like to recognize and welcome panel member Joda Jimenez to the panel. Um, we just sworn in a few moments ago, and welcome. And I wanna give you an opportunity to speak if you'd like. Thanks. I actually put something together thanks to Camille. Um, hello everyone. My name is Yera Jimenez. I'm a proud mom to a four, almost 5-year-old boy
who is also, who also happens to be a true dinosaur expert. My husband is a New York City firefighter, and I share that because I think it's important for you to know that we are a family, deeply committed to serving this city. Both my husband and I are proud products of New, of the New York City public school system, and we wholeheartedly believe in the incredible education that the DOE provides. Personally, I'm a strong believer that when you have a passion or a curiosity, you should feed it. Whether that means volunteering, organizing, or simply getting involved. My journey here actually started with concerns I had
with my son when my son was in his private center for three K. Now that he's in public school, we've navigated some challenges on the road to his IEP. Through that experience, I learned so much and have been forever humbled by the dedication and care that s school administrators and staff have poured into my little boy. I also want to say how truly appreciative I am for the warm welcome and guidance I've received in joining this panel. I am thankful for this opportunity, and I know this work is very important. Thank you. Thank you very much, panel member. We are excited to have you join us.
Um, and, uh, and, and add, um, your contribution and the richness that you're gonna bring to the panel. So, welcome to the Panel for Education Policy. Um, at this point, um, we have some recognitions that we'd like, some special recognitions that we'd like to present at this time. Um, you know, a lot of times the panel, you know, a lot of folks don't often see the work that goes on behind the scenes. We come to the panel meeting and we vote on various items and various, um, you know, resolutions. But generally before the panel meeting, there are, are hours of preparation time that go into making, um, helping us
to make informed decisions. So at this point, I'd like to recognize a few of the, um, offices and agencies that have really been supportive of the panel and really have done, gone out of their way, uh, to help facilitate the work that we're doing. Um, before coming on stage, we had the opportunity to, uh, experience some of the food that the cafeterias that, that served in the cafeteria. And we, um, actually the burritos were pretty good, weren't they? Uh, that's a, it's a, it's a, it's a new item on the, on the, uh, on the menu. So we had the chance to kind of experience that and, um, see that, you know,
school food has come a long way since the days when I was in school. It's definitely, uh, made some real advances. The amount of, um, uh, the list of things that they are not allowed to, uh, use because it's unhealthy has, has really, um, transitioned. And, um, and, and I also say that the food services folks, we had a briefing with the food services group and, um, they, they listened to our meetings, and when their complaints and items, things that come up, um, they go out the very next day and make a visit. So, in the cases where we've had students come and, and raise issues about food quality or raise issues about, um, uh, some concern about the food,
the folks go out right away and they investigate and where there's necessary to make corrections and, um, report right back to us. So we want the folks from food services, the Office of Food Services, know how much we appreciate that. And I like to ask if, uh, Chris, uh, Terry car, I think I'm pronouncing your name wrong. I pick got the mutilated, but if you're in the room, did I, I see your folks over there looking and saying, yeah, he mutilated your name. If you could please join us on the stage, we'd like to, we have something for you. We'd actually want you to accept it. Um, it's for your entire team.
So we wanna let you know how much we appreciate the work you're doing, and, uh, you know that it is noticed. Good. The next, the next group we wanna recognize is a group that we see almost every month. And, uh, we ask tough questions. And I think a lot of times they may feel that we, uh, we kind of abuse them, but we really do it because we're very familiar and we feel comfortable, and they're very patient and always willing to provide answers and support, um, their entire team. And, um, you know, they work very hard. They listen. When we have concerns, they are very easy to come back
and to take that information and come back to us with additional information. Um, so we want you to know that we notice through hard work that you do, it's not hard. It's not diff, it's difficult when you're talking about balancing numbers and budgets and purchasing and doing those kinds of things. So we wanna recognize the division of contracts and purchasing for all the work you do. And if a representative would come up, you can all that's their whole team sitting over here. So we're gonna thank you for all you do. This presentation is gonna be introduced by our vice chair, Dr. Green. Good evening, everyone. Uh, you know, a academic excellence is so important,
and it's important because that's what we're here for. Correct. So, I would like to say that we, we were able to attend a wonderful ceremony a couple of weeks ago, and it was a high school that is now going to become the HBCU High School for which, for which young people will receive college credits after completing their coursework. And there are a lot of people to, to, uh, thank for this
wonderful opportunity for our young people. Uh, I think it's one of the first or the second, first in the city. Uh, but they, we do have early college academies, but this is the first HBCU Early College Academy, and we have to thank one of our wonderful educators. This person I've known for quite some time, started out as a teacher, uh, assistant principal, a principal, uh, many roles superintendent. And now I would like to ask Dr. Sean Rucks to come up. Is he still, I don't see.
Oh, he's over there. Dr. Rucks, we wanna thank you for being part of this wonderful opportunity for our students. Because of your leadership and guidance. We know that our young people will get the best education possible for this effort. And we wanna thank you and congratulations. Thank you. Definitely. Oh, thank you. Yeah, thank you very much. You know, when we attended that ceremony, um, a lot of the alumni from some of the HBCUs in the city, um, were present. So that was really a great feeling. And I know when they, um, were all very proud of,
you know, where did you go to school? Hampton or Howard, or, or over all the colleges. And then they turned to Dr. Greener and I, and said, well, where did you go to school? And we kind of felt left out. We were like, uh, you know, city College, I'm sorry, you know, and, uh, you know, and you Buffalo what? Buffalo? So, but, uh, I'm excited. 'cause again, these kids are gonna, this is gonna be a life changing experience for these children. They're gonna graduate and, uh, they'll graduate high school with a, with a college degree. They'll have 64 college credits towards a degree. And that's exciting. So, um, I'm, I'm gonna say, Dr. Rucks, I'm gonna be really excited if next year we can do
more of these and we get an award that we have another one opening, and eventually it'll be an off one in all five boroughs. Um, that's, that's, that's a, that's something that would be a great, uh, dream that we could have that happen. It'd be exciting. So I know you're gonna do it. I hear you. You're gonna make it happen. He's over there. Okay. Um, the next item on the agenda is the approval of our minutes from the August 27th meeting. Is there a motion for unanimous consent to adopt the minutes of August 27th? Is there objection to unanimous consent? The motion is for unanimous consent. Is there objection to unanimous consent hearing?
No objection. The minutes of Octo August 27th are adopted. We're always excited to hear, um, some of the great things that are happening in our, in our schools, and we are especially happy to have with us. Um, our first deputy chancellor, Isabel Ola, this is your first, uh, I'm sure it's not your first meeting, it's your first, we're, um, getting a chance to sit with us on the stage. We're excited to have you. Welcome. And we are excited. Want to hear anything you wish to report to the, uh, public in the panel. Thank you so much. Um, chair Faulkner, uh, vice Chair, Dr. Green, and all members of PEP for welcoming,
welcoming me here tonight. Um, I also wanna thank our hosts, um, Francis Lewis High School, principal Marmer and Superintendent, two PS Q1 77, principal Duffy and PSQ eight 11, principal Avila and Superintendent Lasan, and two of our D 79 programs under, uh, superintendent s Bronx. Thank you for having us here. I wanted to start by acknowledging two safety incidents that took place last week here in Queens. One at Cordoza, where there was a shooting threat and one in Cambridge Heights, where Sanjay Samuel,
a 13-year-old student, was shot. And sadly, uh, later passed away. My heart goes out to the student's family and to both school communities. I think we could all agree this is unacceptable. It is tragic and deeply upsetting, and I wanna thank the NYPD for their quick response in both incidents, especially in preventing any type of violence at Cardozo. This is not an easy way for us to begin our meeting, but I wanna reassure you that safety is a top priority at New York City Public Schools. And to ensure that schools are prepared in case of an emergency, know that all principals
and school staff have completed their mandatory emergency readiness training. All schools have an active functioning building response team, comprised of school staff selected by the principal. This team leads the training, response and management of emergency incidents in schools. And collaboration with first responders aligns with state regulations. All schools will have, uh, complete a safety plan by the end of this month, which gets certified by NYPD. This plan outlines emergency procedures for schools, and all schools have a functioning active school safety
committee that meets monthly to review safety procedures and policies. All schools conduct 12 emergency drills to throughout the school year, four lockdowns and eight evacuation drills. And all schools have at least one school safety agent assigned to their building. Additionally, all schools have the safer access door locking system installed. This system is located at each building's main entrance and a secondary location. It utilizes an intercom with a camera that is connected to the Safety Agent's monitoring station. This allows two-way audio and visual on the agent's end visitors ring the intercom
and communicate with the safety agents in the building. And the safety agent can remotely lock the door to allow visitors in. As you may have heard, last week, we received communication from the US Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights, stating that if we did not end some specific policies and practices that they interpret as being in violation of Title ix, they would consider pulling funding. We received through the Federal Magnet School's Assistance Program first month of school, a huge thank you to our superintendents, principals, educators, and staff for all their hard work
that made the first day of school a smooth start and this entire month of success. Thank you as well to our families for entrusting your children to us and for being flexible as we make some adjustments like the cell phone policy. It has been a busy month, but for good reason, our team has been visiting schools across the five boroughs to see our programs and priorities in action. This year, we are continuing our focus on New York City reads. New York City solves Student Pathways and New York City Public School cares. And our chancellor will have more to say about these
and her commitments to student safety, educator support, and family empowerment at the state of the schools on Monday, which I know we're all very excited about. PET members. We hope to see you there on Monday. Okay. We also wanna thank the panel, which has taken incredible steps in the formation of an independent community driven advisory commission focused on improving student transportation. This Has community and elected officials all represented to brainstorm concrete
and meaningful tools for advancing our system. We know that recommendations from this independent advisory commission will be valued addition to our efforts to continuously improve. We have all important emergency bus contracts for this evening to ensure that continuation service moving Forward. We've heard the panel loud and clear in their legislative and institutional priorities. So earlier this month, in one of the many briefings our team sets up for the panel, they heard from the Office of School Food and Nutrition this evening, we were given a little taste
of the excellent student driven meal selections and recipes. This team whips up for all of our students. So thank you for that. And I appreciate Chair bna and Vice Chair Dr. Green for always honoring, looking out for prioritizing those who do so much for New York City Public Schools. So Thank, so thank you for your partnership. Thank you very much, deputy Chancellor. Appreciate it. And thank you for, um, you know, for being here and for, um, advocating on behalf of our students. Thank you. We appreciate it. Um, I wanted to open the floor to allow panel members who might wanna comment. Um, there's been a lot of correspondence
and we shared letters back and forth, the letters that we received from the federal government. You know, the irony in the office that is, uh, implementing this, this should be the very office that should be protecting all the rights of our students. But yet this is an office that is proposing to, uh, support discrimination. And, uh, I find that both sad and ironic, but maybe typical to this administration. Okay. Um, I don't know if any panel member wishes to comment. I'd like to throw the floor open and allow panel members to offer any comments at this time. Yes, chair. Yes, Ali. Thank you. Chair Faulkner, I do have a statement
that I would would like to read on behalf of Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. Go for it. Uh, but before I do that, I'm just going to kind of share a few of my own remarks, if that's okay. Sure. While I flip a statement, um, you ended your point just now around the importance of protecting the rights of all of our students. And that's something that, you know, when this came out, it hit me quite hard. Um, and I was really affected by it. So, just kind of wanting to say publicly thank you Chair Faulkner for your leadership, um, as kind of chair of the pep, um,
but also to the Department of Education for not wanting to stand down, but actually stand up and continue to advocate and protect the rights of all New York City Public School students. So, thank you. So now, a statement on behalf of Manhattan Borough President Levi. The Trump administration's efforts to withhold grant funding from our public schools are not only illegal, they are a brazen attack on the human rights and dignity. We promise to our students, especially, are vulnerable LGBTQ plus young people. As I wrote in a letter to the mayor and chair fa this week, the rights of trans youth
to participate fully and in school life is non-negotiable. And in New York City, we must send a clear message that we will not sacrifice equality and inclusion in exchange for federal dollars. The city must do everything in its power to fight this illegal order and stand firm in protecting the rights and dignity of trans youth. I am proud of the Department of Education and the Panel for Educational policy have begun pushing back in support of our public schools and our students' rights. As this fight continues, I call on the DOE
and the Panel for Educational Policy to remain steadfast in their defense of trans and gender expansive students. Thank you. Thank you very much. And I want you to thank the borough president. I did receive his letter. Um, it, it, it really meant a lot, uh, to hear from the borough president and, uh, to have his support. And, uh, so I want to thank the board president and would you, you know, pass that on, on our behalf. Um, are there any other panel members who wish to comment? I, I, yes. Uh, pama, I Thank you Chair. Um, on behalf of Comptroller Lander, um, I would like to commend the chair, uh, the Chancellor
and the entire DOE for upholding the rights of our transgender students, um, which are enshrined in state and local laws, um, against the threat of the Trump administration. And it's sad to think that we are only in whatever month nine of this administration, or eight of this administration, and we have three more years of this, and that there will be many more attempts to do this, to come. So the the way in which DOE has conducted itself in this situation is incredibly commendable.
And I'd like to say that on behalf of the comptroller, it would also be nice to think that our mayor would stand with DOE in fighting back against these horrific assaults on our L-G-T-B-Q students and against these illegal cuts to our federal funding, rather than making public statements that would strip transgender students of their rights. And I just want to call that out here and say that we should all stand against that and ensure that the Department of Education is not loan in city government
in protecting the rights of these students and fighting for our federal funding. Thank you. Thank you. Uh, any other panel? I see Shirley Alfa. Uh, good evening. Good evening everyone. Um, my name is Shirley Ben again. I represent the borough president of Queens. I would like to say that this is trying times, we have a lot of priorities, but we have to remember, we're in this together, right? We are being tested and I think that we're still to come. So we really need to pull together as a community, um,
New York City as a whole. Our communities need to pull together. 'cause if it affects one, it really affects all of us. 'cause if they come after one, they'll come out. They can come after you or me, right? So we really need to stick together and show that we are New Yorkers, uh, and we will not allow that, especially our children to be in, um, caught up in this political, um, stuff, right? We're here to make sure that our children and our communities are educated and we, we need to make sure that we really, truly stick together. Anyone else? Did I see? Um, I member SAP join.
Yeah, I, um, it's interesting how this intersects with other areas as well. Good evening. Evening, everyone. My name is, um, Isha sap, panel member sap. Um, recently, uh, my, my sibling, my eldest sibling had a, a massive stroke a few years ago. So she's, um, uh, wheelchair bound or what have you, and her husband actually said, um, they were getting rid of the, um, Haitian aids. And, um, and so the impact, um, how it intersects.
Um, so my duty may have been, okay, so AIDS are getting cut down. So do I need to spend six to 12 hours with her to make sure that her, her shifts are covered? Or do I go to pep and, um, you know, and, and so we are, we're always in that duality. Listen here, the framework for protecting black children hasn't been set. There's so many African American black children that are at the lowest end of the spectrum that still is seen the least.
And I say that because it's really hard to function when it's almost cliche that a black child will be lynched wherever. It's, it's very hard to function as a parent of a, of a African American boy because you, you're bleeding and trying to go to work and trying to do whatever you need to do throughout the day. And then you have this, this ill that has been pervasive. And I know personally, being born and raised in New York City, I feel like I'm in the middle of 1984, in the middle
of the crack epidemic when nobody was hearing that there is a problem underneath our noses and people are not being protected. So I, I feel as if that experience, and this is why it's not shocking to me, because it wasn't taken care of before. There was no pipeline put in place before to take care of our most vulnerable children. So we really have to understand that everything that is being done is not new. If you look at the paradigm, the blueprint
that has been used over centuries. So once again, when we begin to take care of our children, then we will begin to take care of all of our children. Thank you Panel member. You welcome. Did I see any other hands? Yes. Panel, but Navid Hassan, uh, thank you. And I gotta thank you also because you panel member, uh, Hassan has chaired our intergovernmental committee. So when I received these letters, I was calling Naveed and we were back and forth. So I want to thank you also for your assistance and Support. Thank, thank you. Chair. Ulner. Uh, is Mike working?
No. Can we check the audio? Hello, Chair Ner. Perfect. Thank you. Chair Bark. I wanna, uh, I I wanna really, really like deeply appreciate, uh, being involved, uh, and having the whole panel involved in, in addressing this issue in a way that really, I think moved even the DE to do, uh, much better and, and recognize the doe's position on this as being, um, the right one. Um, I think we've seen Chicago and, and when you stand up to bullies, um, you do better
for the people that live wherever you might be. So, New York City should also be defending everyone who lives here and, and all of their rights. Um, the Magnet School funding has nothing to do with the, the policies that they, they think are being, uh, violated. Uh, it's, it's for, for standing up comprehensive academically, vigorous high schools across the city, uh, and especially in underserved neighborhoods. And then cutting that, um, with something that's completely unrelated and also wrong is, is, is steeply hurtful? Um, I want to, I guess I, I wanna actually ask request the, the DOE to let us have a briefing on this topic to see
how we can involve more pushback, uh, potentially from the Attorney General of New York's office, Patricia James. Um, to actually start being, um, to take the offense on issues like this because, uh, I, I, I too feel that things will continue to get worse in the way the federal government treats New York City and our schools and our students. And so the, the more, um, we're on the front foot, the better it'll be. So, uh, if there's no, uh, objection to that, hopefully we can schedule something on talking about how we have a all of government response to, to what the federal government is trying to do
to our students. Thank you. We, we'll follow up on that request. Uh, did you Yeah, we'll follow up on that. I think then, you know, that's gonna be important. I, I also think on a related matter, uh, before we move into, uh, open comment from students, um, I think we also have to keep in mind and not forget our student, I mentioned him last month, Dylan Lopez contr, who's been held for now over a hundred days, must be approaching 130 days, was kidnapped off of streets in New York, um, is now being held in ice detention. And as we, yeah, go ahead. I'm not sure if you're gonna bring that up. Well, please, if there's an update, bring it up.
So, unfortunately, two days ago, the judge, uh, who was overseeing the immigration judge ruled that, uh, Dylan's case, uh, it has no, uh, standing, he's been ordered, removed from the country. Uh, NY A and his other legal team are, are, are looking to, uh, appeal that, but in, in the meantime, he is still in detention. Yeah. Sorry. I, I think we have No, but it's important. I think we have to, you know, things move so quickly. I think we have to keep that name, and you know, it, as time moves, it becomes very easy to forget some of the things that are happening. And I think we have to keep that name. It was reminded, was brought to, I, I was reminded of
that fact a couple of meetings ago, that it can become very easy to become numb and, and just allow things to happen. And I think we, those things present, present and keep them in our minds and, and continue to fight. And I think it's, you know, hopefully it'll get better, but it may not get better, um, soon. So we have to be prepared to fight and stand up. Um, we can't stand to, we stand up to bullying, to blackmail. Um, they're talking now about, uh, one area curriculum. What'll happen. It'll be something else that they'll tell us that we are, we pull the money. If you don't, we don't like the way
that you teach, uh, history. We'll pull the money if we don't like the way you teach a particular subject. And so we think that we have to be very firm in making sure that we are, um, united in our opposition. Um, so, um, we'll continue and we'll keep the public posted. We have some public support, um, on this and that. We all know that we have one focus, and that is to make sure that, um, all New York City Public School children are respected and, uh, valued. And that, um, we wanna make that message very clear, uh, to anyone who might be listening. Um, at this point, we're gonna open the floor to allow for public comment from our students.
And so I'll turn to our secretary to call any students who may wish to, uh, offer comment at this time. Thank You, chair F We have two students signed up for public comment. Isaiah Tanjung and Live Floris, please come to either microphone. Come on up. Isaiah, this is kind of a reunion. Isaiah. Oh, no. Okay. Before you start, Isaiah was a student member of the panel, and, uh, you know, I'm glad to see that you're remaining active and involved. Um, we miss you on the stage with us, but, uh, I'm, I'm glad to see that you still keep maintaining your activism. Go ahead.
I'm forward. Thank you. Do you want me to go first? Um, You can go if you'd like to. Um, okay. Hello everyone. I hope you, oh, He's yielded the floor. So, yeah, go ahead. Okay. Um, hello everyone. I hope you're having a great day so far. I would like to address several, several concerns focusing the bathroom access and student involve student involvement in the N-Y-C-P-S website. First, if any of you have a kid in middle school, you might know that the current bathroom policy restricts students from using the bathroom during the first and last 10 minutes of class and first and last period. In some cases, this means students who take the bus
or have urgent needs are forced to wait or must seek permission from the principal's office if a teacher allows them to leave. While I understand it's important, minimizing, minimizing disruptions and and safety in, in, in minimizing disruptions and keep and keeping everyone safe, the policy imple implement and implemented can feel impractical. A more reasonable approach would be to have monitors in front of the bathrooms. For example, the other day, my friend was almost crying 'cause her teacher wouldn't let her go to the bathroom after the bell ring.
She went to the principal's office to have him make an announcement to let kids go to the bathroom if it's an emergency. Second, I don't understand how it seems reasonable to spend the money on yonder pouches. The public school system is spending over $2.5 million on yonder pouches, and it's yonder intended to prevent cell phone usage during the day. Oh, well, essential faculties as such as bathroom, re, re, re, um, bathroom renovations or adding air conditioning to buses seem unnecessary by comparison. It's worth a reevaluation to see what's necessary
and what the students actually need. Third, involvement in student representation. Some of the student members are gonna be missing events and opportunities during the year because they're participating in making decisions, then they're required to attend these meetings. While I appreciate the intent to involve students, the student members are constantly missing things that throughout the year it is important that the student members have a meaningful voice and are including in voting rights. This issue affect, this issue is affecting them that they're putting so much work into and they're not even able to vote. Fourth, the NYC public school website is challenging
to navigate as a student, I find, I often find, I often struggle finding the, the information I need. Even adults find it difficult. Some, some rules and resources are not EAs easily accessible, but what's the point in putting them there? If students don't know the website is this, let alone how to get to them, a clear, more friendly design would be more straightforward and, and easier to navigate. It would benefit the public school system. In summary, I a review of the bathroom policies to ensure reasonable access funding towards essential
faculties, the ability for student members to vote in more access to the website for all students. Thank you. Have, have a great day. Thank you for talking. Um, on the public comment forum, I had indicated I wanted to speak on the resolution regarding ice. Um, would I wait till that portion of the meeting or can I speak on it now? Yeah. Um, during this, it would be, since that's an agenda item to be voted on, you have to re you know, will we recognize you to speak on that when we get to that item? It was just a very next item when the next item on the agenda. So if you, I we'll call you back up Yeah. To speak on the agenda item. Is there any other general comment that you wanted to make
that's not something that's being voted on tonight? Um, no. I'll record that. Okay. We'll call you back. Okay. We'll call you back up. Yeah. Some of us are having a hard time hearing the mics. It may need to either be adjusted because we're not able to hear some of the Yeah. They're saying there's an echo or something and somehow we're not. Some Say it again. Okay. Say they're gonna work, hopefully they'll work on it on this. Um, I think that's it. Yep. Okay. Okay. This time we'll move to the, uh, business portion of the meeting and we have, uh, uh, three items,
three voting items that we'll be considering. Um, the first is a res is a resolution on contracts. And I'll ask our, uh, secretary to read the resolution. Sure. The resolution. Can folks hear me? Okay? Thank you. The resolution up for approval this evening is entitled Resolution to Enter into Contract Agreements. Chair Faulkner. Okay. Is there a, a motion? Is there a second of the resolution? Second. It's moved and seconded. We'll now move to public comment. Okay. So just a reminder that this portion of public comment is only for contract items being voted on at tonight's panel meeting.
If you accidentally signed up to comment during this section, but wish to comment on other matters, please see one of our staff members near the back of the auditorium who can assist in shifting your time to open comment. Um, when I call your names, please come to one or the other of the microphones, whichever is closest to you. Um, first, Noah, you're in there. Okay. Christopher Malani. Um, Steven Minur, Peter Silverman, Christie Angel and Isha Taylor. Aisha Taylor, please come to the microphone to give your public comments.
Aisha Taylor, You can begin. Sure. Hello, So good evening everyone. My name is Chris Milani and I've been a teacher in New York City for over 20 years. Today I wanna speak about an essential safety measure that can make a real difference across our entire school system. Citywide metal, citywide metal detectors. I teach at Cardinals High School, a great school. I take tremendous pride at being part of it. Recently we're involved in an incident where a student brought a loaded gun into our building and the FBI had reports that's great that there was an alleged and attempt to harm. Thankfully, authorities intervened before tragedy struck. This indi, this incident underscores the urgent need
for a citywide investment into safety. Specifically installing, um, installing metal detectors in every school at every level in the entire city. Some may wonder about the logistics or resources involved. I believe that there are always ways to support safety through partnership, training, and community effort. The key point is that we must find an a way to implement this essential safety measure because preventing weapons from entering our schools is unnegotiable. Another factor is to consider is that when a school becomes a scanning school, it is often naively labeled as a dangerous place,
which can cause stigmatize the entire community affect real estate value and place a dark cloud over that neighborhood. Citywide scanning would eliminate that stigma, creating a safer and more equitable environment for all schools. Something to also consider the point in history. The point in history we are in, and this is not intended to be political, but we are living in an era where criminals like Luigi Manion are being celebrated everywhere, which sends a dangerous message to our youth falsely portraying that immoral or criminal behavior is admirable. This erodes our moral fabric
and influences young people in negative ways. Let's remember that metal detectors have become a part of everyday life. We see them at Yankee Stadium, city Field and other major venues. They're accepted as a standard safety measure and our schools should be no different. I urge you all to support this initiative and see it as an investment into safety. It's an essential step towards protecting our children, promoting positive values and ensuring every school is a secure place to learn. Thank you. Thank you. Greetings, uh, panel members and for all of those in attendance tonight. My name is Christie Angel. I am the president for the Citywide Council
for the District 75. I wanted to speak on behalf of parents. I am an advocate and this is for section 20. When it comes to renewing and rebidding busing contracts. I'm gonna freestyle a little bit because parents are calling our offices. They are missing work, their children are missing instruction time. Children are waiting outside. There are no buses, there are no routes. And you're asking us to allow you to write a blank check to vendors who are getting paid when parents can't even get reimbursed. This system, uh, contract is as old as the Flintstones.
It's 46 years old. I believe that we do need to rebid, we need to revision. We need to look at checks and balances. There cannot be a space where we say, okay, let's reward them with five more years. Or honestly, I think a year is pushing it. There really needs to be some kind of checks and balances when it comes to who is servicing our children. With District 75, we're the most vulnerable children. We're missing inclusion, we're missing related services. We are missing a lot of things that are happening for our children. They are dysregulated. They are unable to get the school
and do what they need to do because they're on buses for two hours when we know they shouldn't be on buses for more than 90 minutes and things of that nature. We have parents, let's take it back. Parents who are losing their jobs. Students who we, we spoke earlier about protecting rights. Let's start with faith, right? Let's start with getting inappropriate education. How can you get inappropriate education when you can't get to school? If you're not at school, you are not being serviced. You are not getting what you need. Parents are fighting, children are struggling. And we're here talking about can we extend vendors who, as I I read in your paperwork, some
of them are in court right now, some of them have violations, have left sleeping children on buses. I am here to beg you no more. We don't want anymore fix it. Do not reward bad behavior. We don't do it for our children. We're not gonna do it for vendors. You guys know this is a broken system. It is 46 years old. Think about that. That's like cousins to some of us, a niece, to some of us, it's old. Please, please, please consider our children. Consider our parents and fix it. Do not vote Yes to extend for some long program or period of time for these vendors
who aren't even trained sensitively correctly for our children on these buses. We don't have summer programming, we don't have afterschool programming. Children are missing field trips. I am here to beg you, please consider checks and balances to make this fair for our children and our families. Thank you. Thank you very much. Ooh, the fire off that mic. I don't know. I want to go next. Geez. Oh, that was good. Uh, woo. So good evening Cha uh, chair Faulkner, deputy chancellor team, members of the panel and fellow advocates. My name is Aisha Taylor
and I'm a former CC District 10 president of Proud Bronx Parent Ian, a US Air Force veteran. Now a special education teaches serving exceptional high school students at 7 5 4 x Bronx Wood District 75, right? Yeah, please clap that up. 'cause that's big, right? Um, my students are often cast aside, underestimated, labeled as disabled. But I see every day that they are deeply gifted geniuses who learn various learn through various linguistic fonts, as I like to call it, brilliant, capable, and exceptional.
They deserve culturally responsive and sustainable support. Now, unfortunately, delayed school busing is denying them even the most basic access to their education. Our student, our students are more than data and metrics and numbers they are right now. Okay? We can't just keep calling the future. They are right now, they are present in our faces, right? So every time a yellow bus arrives 45 minutes late or doesn't show up at all, it tells my students, many of whom experience multiple core morbidities, intersectional, and marginalized barriers, that their time
and their learning doesn't matter. That their needs are negotiable, that their access to education is optional, that their legal accommodations are also optional, but their rights are not options. Inconsistent. Busing doesn't just cost minutes. It costs routes, regulations, classroom instructions, therapeutic services, and above all their dignity. When my students arrive late, dysregulated, hungry, or overwhelmed, they miss critical time in their most structured, supportive space. We spend the rest of the day helping them recover instead of helping them grow and elevate. I urge this panel to treat busing not
as a transportation issue, but as an equity issue. D 75 families in the Bronx already face enough barriers. Vote yes on six and 23 for safety and respect for all students. Provide adequate safety training for bus mats and drivers, uh, cultivate students centered routes and hold vendors and OPT accountable. Thank you for your time, consideration and commitment. Thank, thank you. Good evening. My name is Peter Silverman. I'm a lawyer. I represent Consolidated Bus Transit, pioneer Transit to the largest providers of school, bus transportation
to the city of New York. Today I speak on behalf of the legacy transportation companies in support of our contract extension. Now, I've heard the last two speakers. I understand there are people that are upset. I understand there are people that, uh, like to bash the school bus companies and blame them for everything that goes wrong. But let's look at what we're doing here. And by the way, I understand, uh, Mr. Chairman, that you invited the vendors to come here today to give their point of view. Uh, and I understand there's a two minute limit. I have trouble saying hello for two minutes, so I'd ask you
to give me the courtesy of some extension of time. No, you have to adhere to the rules. Yep. So look, this is a complex capital and labor intensive industry. We transport 150,000 students each day, over 18,888 routes. The routes are designated and designed by the Office of Pupil Transportation and the Department of Education Stop by stop. We follow the instructions. We're on time when we, most of the time
there are traffic incidents perhaps that delay, but I understand from the statistics that the Department of Education maintains that complaints represent less than 2% of the bus routes. 98% are running on time. Now, the 2% hurts and we know that, and perhaps there's a way to correct it, and there may be more funding required for the board to provide more routes, more buses and do things of that nature. But let's talk about where we are today.
In a perfect world, five years ago after COVID, our contracts were extended for a five year term. And at that point in time, most folks believed that there would be legislation that would in fact permit what we call employee protection provisions. To be inserted, your time Is expired, So you don't want to hear anymore, sir, your time Has expired. I know you have difficulty with keeping to, um, time, but the time has expired. You did invite the vendors. I'm not gonna Argue your time has expired. Alright, sir, thank you for the invitation.
Certainly. You're welcome. Yeah, Mayan, you're welcome to submit any, as anyone is welcome to submit written comments to the panel, um, Steven Mintzer, and then next, um, let me call up to Tamara Farrell, Maggie Sanchez, Whitney Toussant, Anna Brim and Sean Crowley. Yeah, because I'm just like, bro, what? Yeah, how dare you come in person to see that B******t. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with You. My name is is is that Mike on please? It's on, it's on. Hear me Now we can. Good
Evening. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you. My name is Anna Brem and I'm an advocate of Advocates for Children of New York. While tonight's agenda includes contracts on a number of important topics, I'm using my limited time tonight to speak about contracts 20 and 21. The emergency contracts for bus service, for school age, and pre-K students year after year, a FC hears from hundreds of families struggling with busing because of a transportation system and bus contracts that are not equipped to support our city students and their families challenges. Getting consistent, reliable school bus service in place
not only impacts students' education, but also takes a financial and emotional toll on families and makes it even more difficult to raise a family in New York City. The issues vary, but the strain on families is enormous. There's no bus service. Service is inconsistent. The bus is getting their child to school late or requiring them to leave early. The bus rides excessively long. There's no bus paraprofessional or nurse or there's no bus service home from after school or the full day of summer rising. These issues disproportionately impact students with disabilities, students who are homeless, students in foster care, who are all more likely
to attend school far from where they live and must rely on bus service as a result. This back to school season has been no different. We've already received dozens of calls. Take for example, the high schooler with autism whose bus arrives up to an hour late every day, leaving him dysregulated and missing valuable class time. Or the third grader with Down syndrome uses a wheelchair and who's still waiting for a bus company to choose to take on his bus route as his parents struggles to find alternative ways to get him to school in the interim. So many of these issues are rooted in drastically outdated contracts. We understand that a widespread, excuse me.
We appreciate the strong statements that PEP members have made about the importance of making changes to the 45-year-old contracts and improving bus service. We understand that a widespread disruption in bus service would be devastating for students and families. So we understand that the emergency contracts for bus service must be approved tonight, but students and families cannot afford for the city to continue extending bus contracts in their current form again and again. While tonight's emergency contracts are needed going forward, the PEP should insist on an extension
of the contracts of no longer than one year. This will give the time necessary to get the state level change needed for the city to rebid the contracts. The PEP should not approve a longer term extension. We need the contracts rebid as soon as possible. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Okay, thank you. Good evening panelists. My name is Tamara Ferrell and I serve as the BPA on CEC, um, in District eight. But tonight I'm here as a district, uh, 75 parent. I check all the boxes when it comes to problems with New York City's busing system. My son was scheduled for a six 30 pickup
when school doesn't start until eight 15. That's absurd, especially since he lives close by. On top of that, instead of being on a short bus that is I-E-I-E-P required, he was placed on a large bus. That same bus was transporting children as young as five and as old as 21 years old. Together, I've stood outside from six 20 to almost 7:00 AM um, waiting on waiting only to end up taking him to school myself. When I finally spoke to the bus driver, I was told that the bus came at six 15, even though my pickup was at 6:30 AM
and even when he was reassigned, the driver sometimes sped off past, past us while we're standing outside or arrived 45 minutes late without a single phone call. My child would arrive to school late or sometimes he would be marked absent. Um, the school warned me about excessive absences, but I, how do I keep a job if I have to keep worrying about the bus company not doing their part? Can you still hear me? Why is this outta focus? Um, this is not a luxury. Safe, reliable busing is like a basic necessity, and yet parents are left begging for updates, dealing with rude staff, and sometimes trying
to fill in the gaps ourselves. That's why I strongly opposed a five year contract extension. Um, accountability has to be yearly. If a company cannot meet the needs of our children, they should not be guaranteed years of business. Our children keep this system running, yet they are being mistreated. I urge you, no five year deals make it one year at a time and make performance, um, and make performance matter. Our children deserves better busing. Please vote No. Thank you. Thank you. Mike. You don't even pay attention long enough to,
I think we still haven't heard from Maggie Sanchez. Whitney Toussant and then we have Sean Crowley Joseph, um, sorry, I just have Joseph as the name Berg, Wanda Bains and Quan McLean. My name is Maggie Sanchez. I'm the co-president of the Citywide Council on Special Education. I'm here in my personal capacity. The majority of concerns we hear from families are regarding busting issues and the missing related services and instruction that students have to face without a bus every single day. I am very supportive of contracts six and 23.
I support a yes vote to contracts 20 and 21. But as you know, families have asked repeatedly that the contracts be fixed before any longer extensions or rebids. Most importantly, we must keep adding pressure for, um, bill S 10 18, a 84 40 to pass that to pass. Uh, the, the bill is stuck right now in the New York State Senate Finance Committee. So we need to add pressure for that to move forward.
And to finally pass, um, this legislature, the bill would rectify the dis destabilizing effects of the removal of the employee protection provision. EPP from N-Y-C-D-O-E contracts with school bus workers, school bus workers perform critical work in this city and should be paid and, and, uh, protected. As, as such much more oversight also needs to be put on school bus vendors with contracts that keep getting approved.
So more oversight is needed for those vendors that keep getting the, the, the money, um, that is approved. Um, because we are seeing how there's no, um, buses are keep breaking down. Very important Bill on the set. Thank you. I thank you. Um, hi. Greetings everyone. Thanks Chair Faulkner and the rest of the, uh, panel for education policy. I'm here to speak out on the contracts for, uh, 21 and 22. Um, yes to those contracts. But please, like everyone else here has said before me, there need to be some more checks and balances
and we should not just rubber stamp a five year contract. Um, I also want to speak to the attorney that was here for the bus companies. Um, if you wanna speak longer than two minutes, organize with other people behind you and you can pass the comments back. That's how you get past the two minutes and 30 seconds. Um, so I am carrying on some comments, um, from my colleagues before, um, we would like the vendors to be held responsible for safety. Provide the bus monitors with multi-language emergency contact cards to collect on the start date of each route. Are each bus team changed since OPT does not mail these home
or publish the translation site on the website. Reward good vendors who assign an employee to double check vehicles for sleeping children as they are being parked and who can, and also vendors who can innovate color code or other systems for getting the right child to the right school. Adjust the penalties for failure to provide climate control on the bus. The current contracts only charge five times the fine for hot K to 12 buses that they charge for hot pre-K and early intervention buses. This incentivizes managers to assign the hottest buses
to the smallest children that does not make sense. Require bus company owners and their management to attend and pass refresher courses on such topics as protocols for accidents and incidents, due process and seniority rights to prevent attrition and burnout of bus workers. Correct terminology for students disability classifications and their medical codes. Protocols for serving a variety of school types on half days, Regents week and non-federal holidays. Completion of bus evacuation drills and cooperation with school administrators.
Relevant state transportation and education laws. Also, we need, um, more representation for our vulnerable kids. I just have a text from a parent who has a child in a D 75 program and a Horizon program where they have door-to-door busing and these children still have not been assigned a route. Also monitor the completion of state and locally mandated twice a year refresher courses for the attendance and the drivers. Uh, especially child children who will need a EpiPen. Children who have autism and other disability classifications and provide plans and timelines to make sure the vehicles and the people that are hired to staff them are working
appropriately in the way they're supposed to. Thank you so much. Hey, thank you. Yes, you can. Any you want? Go ahead. You can begin. Good Evening Chancellor and mem, um, panel members in our community. My name is Anna Rivera. I'm speaking for Maria Belise. Okay. My, um, this I am, uh, she is a district 75. You close to mic. It's hard to hear. We're around hard time here. Okay. She's a District 75 representative and a CEC eight and I am the parent of a a a parent Afterschool programs are essential
for all students, yet many of our DC 37 children are excluded because there is no school buses services for afterschool programs that can drop them off at home once the program ends. Our DC 37 students cannot safely use public transportations and families are left facing impossible choices between keeping a job and being able to pick up your children. There is issue of equality. General education students have transportation access these opportunities in our district. 30, uh, 75 students deserve the same.
Transportation is not a luxury. It is a necessary. That is why I strongly oppose extended the transportation contract for five years if they do not include services for afterschool programs. For the my district, stu District 75 students, we cannot lock into long term contracts that ignore the needs of our most valuable children. Our children deserve our best and the best companies have to do better by including them. Eliminating our student is not an exclusion.
It's our responsibility urged you to you, to, um, ize this service, including should not remain just a word. It must be put into action. Thank you. On behalf of Ms. Belise, Thank you. My name is Joseph and, uh, I would like to thank you all for allowing me the opportunity to speak. I am a parent of a student that's in the system. Um, but before I begin, uh, I'd like to thank all the folks that proceeded me, uh, regarding the busing issue. There is no other points I could drive home.
Um, relating to that, I think that you, uh, ladies articulated the issues in each and every issue in, in, in the best way possible. So I'm not gonna be redundant in trying to repeat, you know, everything that was stated. I, I believe that you guys have, uh, got the point, so to speak. Um, but I just want to, uh, speak, you know, personally relating to, uh, my child who is in the system, and he has been in the system for approximately 15 and a half years, since he was 24 months
old in early intervention. He has been taking the bus. He will be 18 years old, uh, next Friday. Um, and for the most part, um, the busing system has been consistent with him co consistently bad. Um, you know, it it to all the issues that these young ladies were speaking about regarding, you know, uh, the buses being laid or picking him up early. I mean, the, the last semester he was being picked up at six 15, uh, six 30, and his school is only 20 minutes away from the house.
I, I, I didn't understand that. Um, but, you know, sometimes it feels like we are, uh, you know, we are, we're being held hostage to, uh, you know, what the bus companies want to do. Um, and it's sad. It really is. I mean, you know, as a former state employee who worked for O-P-W-D-D, um, you know, I, I see some similarities to the, to the Willowbrook situation. You know, the way that they're treating our, our, uh, our students, you know, uh, relating to the busing. I mean, um, there's no compassion,
there's, there's no caring. It's just numbers. Um, so I, I'm just going to give a quick overview of what occurred with my son this semester. So he was initially placed on a route and, um, you know, for the first week, week and a half of school, you know, picking him up, taking him consistently, they were taking him to the wrong location. But, um, you know, that location took care of him and basically said, you know, we'll put in a, put in a busing change request. So they did. So hate
To do this, but your time has expired. But what I'd like you to do, if you could, um, put your testimony into writing and get it to us Sure. Uh, get it to the panel. Absolutely. I'll also announce that, you know, the, the Pupil Transportation Advisory Commission will be holding public hearings. So if you leave your name, we'll make sure that you get notification of those public hearings. We're also gonna be setting up a, uh, website where you can actually send in comments and members of the public and also, um, participate. So we're gonna open up a lot of avenues to hear from parents, so we appreciate it. And, um, thank
You. You know, I think that the, the other parents covered everything I wanted to say anyway, So I appreciate you. I appreciate your comments as well. Yeah, I was just thinking when you mentioned your son, I was just thinking that a child who started bus service when this contract was initiated is now 51 years old. So that might speak to some of the things we are hearing next speaker. Thank you. Um, good evening, pet members. My name is Nyberg and I'm the Executive director of New York Appleseed. Hi. Hi. Um, we're an organization that advocates for integrated and equitable schools and communities across New York City.
I am here tonight to speak on the issue of school transportation. I do not mind being a bit redundant. Um, while it's important that this body approve the emergency contracts on tonight's agenda, uh, I believe it's 20 and 21 to ensure students and families continue receiving thing, receiving the services they need. I also urge you to maintain the momentum and urgency around improving Yellow Bus service more broadly. In particular, I call on this body to ensure that the city does not extend current outdated bus contracts for more than one year. We need new contracts that can deliver high quality, safe
and reliable bus service, not just for some students, but for all. On Monday, there was a Road to Better Bus and Coalition, uh, held a rally on the steps of City Hall. Um, some of you may have been in attendance. Uh, it was alongside support of elected officials and advocacy groups. But most importantly, we heard directly from parents, many of whom have endured these transportation challenges that you've heard from this evening for years, the steps, um, were filled behind. The speakers were filled with concerned and frustrated parents. These were parents of students with disabilities,
parents whose first language may not be English parents, who have experienced firsthand the daily uncertainty and hardship of getting their children to school safely, reliably, and on time at the rally, the demands were clear busing that is on time, every day contracts that support after school, summer and weekend busing in a modernized system that puts students and families first. There is real momentum this year to address decades of neglect in student transportation, um, as a newly appointed. And thank you for, um, being a member of the People Transportation Advisory Commission.
I'm encouraged by the opportunity to work with others this year in shaping robust and forward-looking recommendations that can deliver better busing system that our students actually deserve. Thank you for your time and, uh, continued attention to this critical. And I wanna thank you for agreeing to serve on the commission, and I want to thank you for that rally. Um, I had a chance to attend, and it was really informative. I learned a great deal. Um, we've spoken a couple of times and I wanna thank you for your help and guidance and helping to put this, uh, uh, commission together in the work that we're doing, uh, moving forward. So thank you very much. Absolutely. Oh, thank you. And Nave
and Rema for the work that you've been doing as well. Sure. Great. Thank you. Thank you. Sean Crowley here. Uh, I represent, uh, first student in Logan Buss, and I just wanna, uh, give some highlights. We provided and uploaded our statement. I'd urge all to take a look at it. It gets in the weeds of what has been negotiated, a contract negotiations that have been going on over for over a year for a five year extension. Obviously, uh, the industry has been working in good faith with the ci, with, with the department to get a contract done. I wanna highlight a couple of the points we have.
Uh, what's in it for parents? Maintaining consistent driver's assignments, forces familiarity and trust. There's comfort with drivers, especially for special education students supports emotional stability and creates safety. Right, supportive and a supportive experience for students. Something, uh, parents could be able to track applications. GPS requirements. We're gonna have customer service staffing and, uh, contractors are, are committed to appearing at, uh, parent meetings, strength and accountability, and open up clear lines of communications. What's in it for students? Students benefit from knowing their drivers by name.
The routes for a sense, again, safety and predictability. Uh, the, with respect to schools drivers, drivers with deep familiarity of the routes, reduce delays, improve timing and performance with respect to our drivers and extension, protect the livelihood of over 12,000 union employees in this industry who are dependent on a continued access to pensions, health and welfare benefits. We have labor peace and stability in the industry that has been ravaged with a driver shortage. Uh, uh, and this will ensure con continuity of services and retention of skilled employees with respect to
what I heard in terms of checks and balances, what's in it for the dec, the city regulatory reporting requirements and strengthening the oversight and transparency. Uh, liquidated Jams provisions for non-compliance enforcement accountability, giving contractors a strong financial incentive to adhere to strictly to performance standards. Doer, DOE Reserve has the right to pull routes from continued non-compliance operators, uh, further strengthening accountability and resources leverage, leveraging new technology. The industry is committed right now to bringing on two, two,
uh, approximately 200 electric vehicles. You all familiar with the environmental, uh, benefits that'll be associated with that. MWBE spending requirements will result in over 340 million in contract spending going to MWBE, uh, vendors, um, I'd urge all to, you know, take a look at that statement and, uh, we'll, we'll, we'll, happy to be coming back here and, and, and, and speaking with the, the panelists. Thank you, Mr. Chair for giving me the time. Okay. Thank you. Um, you know, I, I do wanna say this to, um, the two, the bus the bus vendors.
I appreciate your coming and listening to the parents. Um, I think that's an important first step, um, that you listen to some of the concerns that have been raised and some of the concerns that are that, that we hear repeatedly. We've been hearing some of these things for years. I think that's an important first step. Um, when we, uh, set up the People Transportation Advisory Commission, we will invite you to come and offer comment at that time. Um, but I think that it is, I, I do appreciate your, um, taking the time to be here. I want you to know that. Um, and I think that hopefully we can establish a collaboration.
I don't think that we need to reinvent the wheel. I think some of the concerns that I've heard, particularly at the rally, are things that we should be able to do. And, uh, so hopefully if we work together, we can reach some kind of an agreement where both walk away feeling that we've accomplished something for the children in the city. So, thank you. Mm-hmm. Make sure. Yes, sir. Good evening Panel members. My name is, uh, Steven Mintzer. I am a, uh, former district center special educator, and currently the UFT Special Education Liaison for Brooklyn Schools, and all schools in district 95 across the five boroughs. And I'm obviously speaking on the busing issue.
Um, I just wanna note, um, that, you know, it's been a bit repetitive here, but, um, currently I have, and my former student over here, so, um, currently I have open escalations with OPT for students not attending school yet. Today's date, 14 of the school year. Uh, we have students that are medically fragile that have not attended school yet this year, or they have been offered limo sync, uh, to get to school, um, without the needs being met. We have, um, these contracts don't allow for us to
negotiate what the best needs of our students are. And I know that we are working on it and we're getting there. But, um, we need to be particular in meeting our IEP driven needs for our students, our afterschool needs. Um, we have an investment in, I love you too, buddy. Um, we have an investment in Special Olympics where students can't attend afterschool practice or go to events. That's a partnership. We have, um, tutoring and, uh, enrichment services that students can't attend 'cause they don't live in their communities. Um, and I just really wanna note that every year for the third year in a row that I've been in this role, um,
the majority of my complaints are staffing vacancies and staffing vacancies through the busing companies. And, um, at this point, it is the most tiresome complaints to get done because we are negotiating through OPT, through our districts. And, um, at the end of the day, we're held to the, the busing companies that have no, there's no, um, consistency with how they, uh, deal with their violations, how they staff their programs. And at this point, you know, we're just throwing our hands up in the air while kids don't get serviced. Um, and I appreciate you guys hearing this today from all
the parents, um, even from the busing companies. 'cause I hope they are planning to do good here, um, and meet the needs of our children. But at the end of the day, we have to do better and spending 50 years with the same contracts, um, we need to fix that. Thank you. Thank You. Uh, sorry. Um, also for a comment on this, um, item n uh, Quan McLean, Sarah. Okay. This is too small. Uh, Sarah Kato, Erica Gonzalez, Viel, Angela Harris and, um, Lila Torres.
Did you wanna come back and speak about the bus contracts, or did you let us know what you had to say when you spoke earlier? Um, you're, you're here for the, you're here for the, um, for this portion of the agenda. So come right up if you like. Hi, I am Sarah from Parents to Preschool Transportation. I barely have to talk about the contracts tonight because the community has it covered. Um, so I'll just briefly say on 20 and 21, it's okay for now, but we want school bus contracts to reflect what the families and staff know is needed. So please keep listening
and also see written comments for a start from our Collective parent network. Um, item two has some related services. I know we're, it's just a heads up. We're hearing issues with transmittals for bus powers from agencies like RCM. Uh, when the, these providers are underpaid, it hurts students. I think you should, um, the city, the school system has to look into hiring, uh, more like DOE Paris and six and 23. Of course. Um, every transit activist knows that
there was a time that some white people threw rocks at yellow buses carrying black children and called that parental judgment or rights. And today, uh, we have a group place that tries to recruit and fundraise on the basis of prejudice against other people's kids. Well, a real parent group wants all students safe on and off the bus. Whatever busting we have today is partly thanks to those brave families 50 and 60 years ago, and some anti-racist drivers who stayed strong. We asked the families of the L-G-B-T-Q-I-A youth
and staff to stay strong too, because you ultimately help all youth kids are constantly told, if you don't do X, Y, or Z, you're gay. So they fight subway, surf, or get sexually exploited. The best cure would be if they had the ability to know there's nothing wrong with being gay and they have nothing to prove. Friends, if you care about access to sports, don't scapegoat trans athletes help the, that group that's working to spread the PSAL resources around
help district 75 hold their Special Olympics and swimming lessons. The majority here know it's fiction to blame one group of students for anything that's rotten in this world. Goodnight. And I also have to thank you for agreeing to serve on the, uh, on the commission to help improve bus service and also for your 20 years of involvement in this area. Whenever, whenever I started asking questions about how do we fix this bus problem, your name was the one that kept coming up. So I really appreciate your willingness to assist us in help with this, uh, project. All right. Last call for comments on this item.
Erica Gonzalez Milagro, Angela Harris and Lela Torres. Hello. Can you hear me? Yeah. Hi. Um, these contracts need to be more flexible for the workers that take our children to school. Oh, wait, sorry. I meant for anyone taking our children to school, because yes, by anyone, I mean parents of multiple children, working parents who have to miss work to take their children to school. These contracts are very old. We have to choose between afterschool programs and Saturday programs. That's not fair. What about, wait, I voted wrong. Okay.
What about, um, equity and access? There is no access. This is ridiculous. Like access, meaning from, from the house to the school. This is ridiculous. As a best parent, I am not having it. And I'm really sorry for that. As a parent leader, I can say to the parents, go to the app, go to the school liaison, et cetera. But hey, this is not working. And I'm not going to tell you why. Because everyone in this room already knows what I mean. Sleeping children tiring route, um, routes, et cetera. Parents having panic attacks because they don't know where their child, where their kids are at. I am always advocating for parents on busing.
I went, um, with some parents to Albany. Um, on June I spoke on a press conference, but now I am in the boat with them. Um, if you ask me, this is ridiculous. I am taking three children to school that are not my children because I am a very hands-on parent and I have some time that I can manage. Um, but the other parents don't have it like I do. Um, I have to change my work schedule to accommodate my babies. And no, they're not my children. You have, um, my IEP parents missing work and some worried asking, where are my children? Why did the bus take my child to the elementary school instead of their middle school?
Um, there is an imbalance, um, between district liaisons, um, school, um, school liaisons, OOPT liaison. There needs to be more accountability. Lemme repeat this, this, there needs to be more accountability. Thank you. Okay, thank you. I think that concludes public comment on this item. Oh, do we have one more? Were you signed up? Do we have the translation happening? Yes. Okay. Sorry. We've to finish everything. I'm sorry. Okay. I have it written here. Okay. Force the new Translate. It Vendors must maintain and provide data on vehicle features such as age,
working seat belts, working, dout, climate control, wheelchair lifts and straps, et cetera, which are health and safety mandates. Provide plans and timeline for electrification and retrofitting. Any bus based bidding for special education routes must show ownership of or access to at least one vehicle designed for one student and of items such as booster and safety seats that are not past their expiration date and that are compatible with the type of seats on the available buses. N-Y-C-P-S must work with the vendors to achieve over an
over a hundred percent staffing rate for their routes using all available DOE and DOT platforms work to pass EPP law in Albany. Give more routes to vendors who initiate or cooperate with efforts to expose N-Y-C-P-S and CUNY students to career paths into the yellow bus workforce such as District 75 work sites that N-Y-C-S-B-S mandate employers to cooperate with, offering permanent work status to any driver, mechanic, or attendant who is at risk of losing TPS
and protections from harassment by non-local enfor non-local law enforcement also relates to resolution. D. Thank you. Um, hello again. I would like to say how in September, usually things with buses aren't like very great. Um, it would be like very likely that there'd be a few problems for the first few weeks, but from my past experience, it lasts longer than that. I had a bus for half of second grade and third grade, but somehow I've had about over 10, had over 10 buses, um, because of various problems. I hope that doesn't happen again this year if I have a bus.
But hoping a problem's gonna resolve itself doesn't change the fact that it's happened multiple times and most likely will happen again. There are many different problems right now, but let's start with one. So many small buses have over 20 students on them. Yes, I'm talking about those small buses with like six seats and no air conditioning. This needs to be fixed not in five years when the kids who are advocating for a change have already graduated. Um, it doesn't make sense how we're not spending money on air conditioning and school buses when the adults are voting on it, but the kids are the ones who are sitting in the hot buses. It doesn't matter what you guys are saying.
If you're saying it doesn't, it's not worth the money. 'cause you're not the ones who are sitting in the hot buses. I got sick one day in summer school 'cause I was on a hot bus right after gym. I was sick for a few weeks. Like, I don't know if that was exactly the problem, but I felt like I was gonna pass out. I'm not exaggerating it. I don't think any of you have had to sit on a hot bus, going to work for about an hour or a bumpy bus with like problems with the wheels or something. But it's not fair how we're not spending money on that. But we're spending $2.5 million on yonder pouches when kids aren't locking their phones.
It doesn't make sense to me. I don't understand how it's not a concerning problem to most of you. Some of you, I don't know your opinions, um, but please vote. No, I don't want this contract for five more years. What grade would I be in? It doesn't matter. I would be in like, it. I, the, the brain isn't braining. I would be in whatever grade and I would be so much older than the time that right now I'm advocating for this. It's okay. Um, for the time right now where I'm advocating for the bus and I'm not getting it. And I am so many more kids who don't wanna speak.
They're nervous to speak. Some adults are nervous to speak. I'm trying right now to help the kids in my district, throughout the public school system. And, um, and my voice isn't being heard. So please vote. No. I don't want this contract for five more years. I don't think you should either. Thank you so much. Okay. Okay. Thank you everyone for coming out. Those are offered public comment. We appreciate it. I want you to know the panel. Uh, we were listening very closely to your comments and, um, you know, so I, I wanna appreciate you for coming out. There'll be more engagement on the whole question of buses and contracts.
So please, uh, stand by and make sure that you know, you, uh, participate in those ongoing conversations. Um, at this point, I'd like to open the floor to panel members who may wish to comment on the resolution general member, uh, vice chair Green. Yeah. Good evening, everyone. Uh, I just wanna briefly say, you know, I, I have to, uh, I'd like to say thank you to the, uh, the gentleman in charge of the busing, the bus, uh, CEOI believe, uh, who spoke. And he outlined his goals and objectives on what he wants to see happen on the buses. And I think that's a good idea because, um, you know, that's what parents wanna hear.
That's what teachers wanna hear. So we just wanna make sure that, I guess you'd have checks and balances for those types of things. And one of the things that, you know, might be a great idea is to have the training, uh, for, for staff members, for bus drivers, for B bus staff who we need to protect. So training is very important and I noticed that a lot of people don't get good training, but we also might need to have, uh, more buses on the road, more buses that are equipped, right? Uh, with, for the 21st century, yes. You know, uh, as I was a kid,
we didn't have air conditioning on buses, so, and that was more than those 46 years ago. But, uh, so, so those are the things that need to happen and the bus companies have to be, uh, responsible for those things. But most importantly, the, the routing has to be a collaboration. So that, I hope that with the Department of Education, uh, members who are scheduling buses and the bus companies themselves, that there is a lot of, uh, collaboration going on in connection. And I'd like to just say, I, I'd like to end by saying, um,
you know, do, do the bus drivers have a dispatch? Are they able to talk to a dispatcher to say, oh, this is what's happening. You know, just like the regular buses, you know, you hear the bus drivers speaking in there, talking on the radio. So that might be something to implement if that's not happening now. And, um, you know, uh, most importantly, I would, I would ask all members who deal with busing or any kind of coalition, ride the bus, ride the bus one day, take a trip with the children, and then you can make informed decisions. Thank you.
Okay. Any other panel members wish to speak? Yep. Panel member Parson. Hello, my name is Bernita Parsons and the Bronx CEC rep. Um, so nice to see some of the Bronx representatives out here tonight. And speaking of, in regards to our bus services, um, I want to comment on the attorney that came out this evening on Consolidated and I understand. And the CEO thank you for so much for coming out and at least representing for the busing. However, there needs to be more compliance.
And I know you are billing your hours this evening for tonight's meeting, and I hope that you use that money to help our students on the bus. Especially, I see that y'all have money allocated to, um, special education and that billable hours could go to some ACS or some new bus drivers or something instead of you spending your billable hours being here this evening. And I know you had to make your statement and that's valid. However, 46 years or 50 years of this continuously happening
and you coming out here and speaking your mind is unfair to my child that has survived your bus. So I hope before we make a decision on the next contract, that you have everything in line, all your I's and T's dotted, um, and hopefully that my son would get to school on time and not lose instructional time based on your billable hours. Thank you. Any other panel members? Any other panel members wish to comment? Yes, panel member Cass, and then Kind panel a liar. Next.
Good evening, everyone. Camille cassette, Brooklyn Borough President Appointee. I wanna thank all of the CEC leaders, past and present and the parents who spoke tonight and shared your stories. Thanks to those who sent in written comments. Um, I've read all of them and those who attended the busing rally at City Hall this past Monday. I stood there with you and I stand with you now. I believe we should keep voting on monthly emergency contracts. I will not vote yes on any bus contract longer than one year. We must support Senate Bill S 10 18
and get this past ASAP. Please call your Senators and Assembly people and tell them how you want them to vote to our advocates. Please keep the pressure on. Our children need to be prioritized, especially those who attend D 75 programs. It's disgraceful how our families and children are being treated. Children have a right to be in school on time every day. There are too many excuses and I know we can do better. We need to meet the needs of our children. Now. Thank you all for your ongoing partnership and support of our children.
Your voices are being heard. Thank you. Panel member, uh, panel will lie. Thank you Chair on behalf of the comptroller. Um, I want to thank the parents who came here this evening, um, to speak truth to their experiences with school bus transportation in New York City. The stories we have heard from parents and advocates tonight are testament to the urgent need not to agree to five year bus contract extensions that the bus companies are seeking. And how shameful is it that parents even need
to be here tonight begging for their children to get what should simply be routine, consistent, safe transportation to school on time every day, transportation that would allow them to attend afterschool programs and not have to leave summarizing in the middle of the day. Shameful, even if it means going to emergency contracts every two months, as PEP is voting on tonight forever,
we cannot give in to the bus companies who are driven only by profit. They don't care about our children. They care about making money and their demand to maintain the status quo. They're simply, they said it tonight. They're simply willing to pay for their violations and just continue business as usual, causing harm to our students and their families, violating their legal rights, and creating inequities and access to services and programs such as afterschool. A one year extension would allow the time needed to pass the state legislation on Epps
and recure these contracts. This cannot wait until 2030. None of the promises mentioned tonight by the bus companies require a five-year contract. They should be standard no matter what, and they should not use threats of bus strikes to force us into long-term contracts. Our steadfast goal must be to make the service improvements needed, extend service to afterschool and summer rising, make needed upgrades such as universal air conditioning and electrification and better protections
and conditions for drivers and attendance. Thank you. Thank you very much. Panel member? Yes, panel member s What did I, Oh, go on. Oh, I didn't see a panel member. Garcia. I didn't see your hand. Good evening. My name is Anita Garcia. Um, I just wanted to say that especially with, um, co-chair, co-chair person, green said it's been a long time since I had to deal personally with busing situations, but I know that we, I mean, you can't imagine the story. I could tell some of your parents about busing years ago
for even my child. But we, if we have to have a short extension, all right. But there are so many things that need to be done for our, not only for our children, but just for education in general. We have to work on transportation, pupil transportation, and those of us who had to deal with busing for integration, you can't imagine the horror stories I could tell. So therefore, hopefully we can talk about
getting things done for long-term transportation contracts. So I would love to be a part of that. But even if we just get some information so that we can, um, help to speed this along because five year contracts should not be voted on right now. Yeah. Thank you. Any other? Who is the Penem sap and then I'll come back to you. Oh, good evening. I Is this on? So I think, um, that this is a great opportunity
for the bus companies to be here and to see this as an opportunity. When you see a community of parents who are telling you exactly what it is, there shouldn't be any contracts that go on that this panel has to look at that can, that cannot be examined. We have to at least examine what is going on. And we're not in an industrial age anymore. Information moves very, very fast. And I wanted to respond being, um, underrepresented.
When we talk about the low numbers of 2% that may have the issues, you may have the 2% right in this audience. This is your 2%. 2%. So here it is. And I think, again, tonight is a great opportunity to listen to the feedback, to hear what the parents' firsthand experiences are with the buses. And then we're able to make an informed decision. You're hearing it exactly from the horse's mouth. There's no middleman. People are telling you what it is. And I think it's a wonderful opportunity to see tonight
as a opportunity to make the necessary changes from the people who it impacts the most. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Panel member. Yep. Panel Panama Ano, Yeah. Just quickly As the Wall Street guy on this, uh, on this board as that, uh, quoted as sometimes, um, I really sincerely appreciate the, the bus companies coming here. And it's, it's hard coming into, uh, into, into, uh, territory where you're not necessarily gonna be welcomed. But I have to say, I've been on this point, that balloon was spinning up there for about two hours just now. I felt like that that balloon that's been spinning there
for three years, I've been hearing about the buses. The buses, the buses in business showing up is half the battle. We are not getting the kids to show up. That's the first step. I'm about security protecting them once they're there and getting them there three hours, 90 minutes is insane. I mean, this is just right now, even if we have to call upon the MTA and as I understand the Department of Corrections to fit in, to fill in, if we cannot, uh, work out a proper contract, it's time. It's time. Um, it's time to do the right thing. Profit is profit. I love profit. I believe in profit.
But we have our children here at stake and that is vital, right? Showing up is half the battle. Let's get 'em the kids to school. Yeah. Do I, I see. Oh yeah. I can't see the Rema. Is that Rema? Yeah, Sima. How, I'm sorry. I couldn't see. Hi. Good evening. Um, so I too want to thank the bus companies and all the parents, the advocates, the students that have spoken about busing. Um, that's how I got on this panel by coming, following them all around the city, talking about how terrible bus service is that said,
So we would love to hear bus company's plans to address the issues. So if we need more drivers, what is your retention plan? What is your hiring plan? How is your plan working over the last X amount of years? I do see that we have bonuses and we have other things that we advertise in places like the DMV and outside of our companies and on buses. But what is the return on the investment? Because we still don't have enough drivers for the routes that we have. We still have students not getting to school. Um, you mentioned 1%, so I'd appreciate maybe if OPT would like to define 1%
for us, because last check, last I checked, we have 85% of more than 15 minute delays. And then we have companies that line up with each different interval. But we have at least 85% of students that are arriving at least 15 minutes late to school. And this is not from the time that they're supposed to be picked up at their house. This is from the session start time. So we're talking about being okay with students missing the first half of their first period class. Now, just to contextualize this, I had two students last year who had math first period. And I had two buses and one bus was regularly late.
And so the second student, that student would get to school late, the next student. And they both started failing math in the middle of the year. So I just wanna explain that when we talk about 1%, 1% is like a 45 minute delay. It's not a 15 minute delay. And 15 minutes is in instructional time that is affecting students' grades. So I really want us to be careful about when we start to talk about numbers and percentages, because additionally, OPT data is based on an AGARRO contract. When they're getting calls to their call center, I challenge you to provide us with your data about your call centers.
Because what I hear from parents on the ground is that they can't reach a bus company the first week of school and they don't bother calling OPT anymore because they can't get a resolution, they can't get the route information. And most parents just take their students to school or keep them home the first week. So the second week is like the second first week of September. And so now we're seeing delays well into October. And now at parent, teacher, your students actually not doing well. But you know what, don't worry. We have a code 29. The school's not gonna get in trouble for the lateness 'cause it's the bus company. But in January, we're gonna get those promotion and doubt letters where now our students are not receiving
the education that the school got paid for, the teachers, the staff, the bus companies got paid to take them, and the parents are stuck footing the bill to either get students to school, keep them home, provide the education they're not getting or advocate for more. So I just want us to really contextualize when we start talking about numbers that these numbers are skewed. We don't have numbers for your call centers. We don't have numbers for your dispatch. And I can tell you as a parent who had a first children, right, who had a consolidated route,
it was a terrible experience last year. And, and I'm, I work very closely with your leadership and I'm very grateful because they have been wonderful partners in trying to rectify the issues. But these contracts create a condition that perpetuates the issues. And so it's, it depends on who you know and how you know them if you're gonna get your kids to school. Meanwhile, I have kids that can't get to school the entire year and, and it's not fair. And so I just want everybody to understand, when we talk about numbers, there's lots of numbers missing. And 1% of students, what's 1%
of 172,000 students that take the bus? 'cause that's what our last RFP said. I I, I, it's not acceptable. And all of those students that we're talking about, those are not gen ed routes. We're talking about special education students that are federally mandated to receive these services. And we are in violation of state law and it is unfair to ask us for hundreds of millions of dollars to not get kids to school. Are are there any other additional comments from panel members? Anyone who might wanna follow that last comment, uh, would be brave or not? I, I'm certainly not. Um, so, um,
but I think that put the, uh, exclamation point on on this conversation. Um, I just wanna remind the panel that the motion that's before us is to extend, this is an emergency contract. Um, it's not a long-term contract. I think we've been very clear what our position is on a long-term contract. I think we've been very clear repeatedly that a five-year contract is not even in the, in the, in the up for consideration. So I think that's been made very clear. Um, and, uh, you know, and I'm, and I, again, I want to thank the bus company. You know, I, I offered that, I made that comment last month. And I have to say, I was not
expecting that they would show up. So I am grateful that you did show up and I'll ask you to work with us. Um, you know, there is a lot of passion. Well, well, um, we, we gotta adhere to our schedule, you know, so, uh, you know, let's, let's work together and let's see how we can make this all happen. You will get additional time when we have the, the panel, the bus, the commission. There'll be a lot more time for discussion and feedback. Um, I wanna announce also that the union, uh, that represents the drivers has also joined the commission and is gonna be a part of it. And several of our elected officials have joined the union.
We had some great conversations with the, uh, driver's union, um, and they're gonna be, uh, very active participants in this, um, uh, commission. And, uh, some of our elected officials have reached out to us and also asked to be part of this commission. So there is a lot of momentum to change and improve. And, um, I think at the end of the day when we make these changes and improvement, I think the bus companies will be happy as well, uh, because they'll be delivering good service. Uh, folks will be happy. And when that happens, I think they'll be a lot of excitement about extending a much longer contract because people will feel that the service that's being provided is actually very good. Um, I know when I joined this panel, the very first, um,
as my neighbors, so people started to find out I was on the panel, those were the complaints I got. Um, and, you know, I had to look at a parent who said it. My son is got an IEP, he's supposed to be on the bus for an hour. He has now been on the bus for three hours, and I still don't know where he is. And what am I saying to a parent, you know, who's really worried in that way? And, um, and that's not, it's not an unusual story. We hear it repeatedly. And so, um, I think there are enough of us in the room that could put our heads together to figure out a way to, to find a way out, a way out of this, uh, problem. So, um, are we ready to vote, um, on the contracts?
Um, okay. Uh, did you have a comment? Okay, so let's proceed to vote. Um, do, do we wanna do unanimous consent or we do wanna have a roll call? Okay. Is there a motion for unanimous consent? So moved. Is, is there Objection to unanimous consent without objection. So what are the contracts? Uh, are, are approved? Okay. We'll move on to the next item. And thank you for the conversation. I think it was a good, I think it was a good discussion. So I want to thank you all for that. Um, very, it was very good. Um, we next have a resolution, um, opposing ICE immigration enforcement policies in New York
City, secretary of la you please present the resolution. Yes, the resolution up for approval is entitled Resolution of the New York City Panel for Educational Policy Opposing Ice Immigration Enforcement Policies. Chair Faulkner. Sure. We now open the floor for, uh, public comment. Oh, As I call your names, please step forward, uh, to the microphones. Um, You wanna, you wanna highlight? You mean the, um, Did we have a motion to consider the Resolution? Oh, I'm sorry. That, yeah, my fault first. You're right. Is, uh, we need a motion to consider the resolution.
I jumped ahead. Is there second? Okay, second. Motion is, uh, on the floor. Um, there were some amendments to the resolution, um, that I, I don't know if they went out, but there were some amendments in some of the language. Nothing drastic, um, just areas that would improve the resolution, so. All right. Um, for comment on this section, we have, um, uh, Katie Kovich, um, Maggie Sanchez, Gavin Healy, uh, Kamara Hudson, Whitney t
and Annabelle Ruggiero to begin with. I should point it before you speak there, one of the things we added was a, a provision for a safe card. I don't know if that was included. Okay. In the one. Okay. So we can proceed then. Katie Kovich, I work for the United Federation of Teachers as their English Language Learner specialist. And I am here to ask for your support of this re resolution. As UFT President Michael Mogra has stated, once children enter our classrooms, they are our children, and we will do everything possible to protect them and to keep them safe. Last year, many members that I heard from were grateful
to the Chancellor, um, for our, for our and to the city, for our strong protections and protocols should ice seek to enter our classrooms. We're also grateful for the training and resources provided by Project Open Arms. But this year, our communities continue to be afraid and with good reason. They're afraid as the ground shifts below them and they're no longer, we are no longer sure of what rights we have and what what rights are going to be taken away. And that fear seeps into our classrooms. It affects all of us because we all know someone.
This resolution I'm urging you to support because it calls for adding clarity, adding guidance, and more supports to all schools so that all educators will know the tools that they have at their fingertips to make sure that students are safe. It calls for additional training. It will be important if this resolution is passed to make sure that that training goes to every single school in our city. The resolution also wisely calls for collaboration with community-based organizations. And if this resolution passes, it's going to be important
that every school knows what community organizations are available in their neighborhoods that they can work with and connect parents to. So in short, I urge the panel to pass this resolution so that all of us together can cont can continue to make our families and students feel safe, and we can bring joy back to our schools. Thank you very much. Thank you. Um, hello again. Uh, Matt. My name is Maggie Sanchez. I am the co-president of the Citywide Council on Special Education. I'm here in my personal capacity.
Uh, thank you so much for this resolution. Uh, I just wanted to quickly highlight, uh, that there have been instances where either school staff or district staff have used the current climate of fear against families, ADV e either advocating for, uh, their supports and services that their students with disabilities need or, um, or, or simply just going about their day in school. So I wanna emphasize that
not all administrations, school administrators are supportive. Um, and I'm glad that this, this resolution is, is coming to the floor and that is gonna be voted on. Um, but I wanna just highlight to the panel, the realities on the ground that there is an extreme climate of fear where families are not going to the grocery store. They're not the, the kids are not going to the schools. And unfortunately, it, and it can be,
and it is being perpetrated by school staff at some pro at some schools, and there's no way to hold those particular people accountable. Now, I must say that there have been schools and there are educators, and there are school staff that are extremely supportive and that go above and beyond for these students. But you cannot, you, it's unacceptable that a district rep holds it against a parent
in any sort of level, in any sort of way. The, the, the parent advocating for a service and, and supports that their child needs. And then asking the parent and, and saying to the parent, literally that they need to kind of, you know, take whatever they they can get because of the situa the immigration situation and asking, asking them if they're illegal. It's unacceptable. And I hope that, uh, the chancellor sees
that, and the chancellor takes account more accountability on that and goes a little bit against the mayor on his racist. And, and, and just the attacks that is going on in my community protect the, the ma the students, uh, and their families. Thank you. I Just, I just wanna say we are gonna have somebody reach out to you right now, because if you're saying that there's school staff that are not following policy, that is something that we, that need to, needs to be brought to our attention. So I think a d Yeah, well, he's waving right over there. Why don't you connect with this gentleman and let us know who that is and we'll deal with that. Can I just point out something? Can I just put really quickly, really quickly on
That point? Well, well, hold on. What are you gonna point out, Right? So how can I give that information to any of, of you if the parent is not willing to come forward because of fear? Yes, I, um, I would like to speak on this because in addition, I'm here tonight as Secretary of the pep, but my day job is general counsel for New York City Public Schools. The chancellor has been unambiguous about our policies to protect and support all of our students and families, including our immigrant communities.
My team in particular has been out in the field. We've given hundreds of trainings to thousands of school staff and leaders. Um, and we are paying very close attention to make sure all of our staff know and are clear on what all of our students and staff rights and obligations are. If you're running into a problem, especially in this space, please feel free to reach out to my offices on our website, ask Legal. I fully recognize that many people are anxious about sharing their name
or identifying information at this time. Um, if someone who's a friend can make an initial contact with my office, we can speak offline and make sure that, um, people are clear on what our policies and requirements are. Okay, Thank you. Thank you. Uh, next speaker. Um, good evening. Uh, my name is Gavin Healy. I'm a member of CCE C two, but I'm here, um, speaking on my personal behalf and not on behalf of the CEC. Um, I'm also, I'm also, uh, you can, you can, you can run the clock 'cause I'm,
I'm also a former attorney, but, um, but I'm not charging anyone for my time tonight, so two and a half minutes should be plenty. Um, I, I've spoken on the subject before, and in CC two recently, we passed a resolution, which is, I, I think in a, kind of, in, in the, in the same vein, um, seeking protection for our students, seeking legal supports for our students and their families. And, um, you know, trying to do something to kind of, um, address this, this climate of, of extreme fear, um, that, you know, is gripping many of our communities.
And, um, so I I, I'm deeply appreciative of the panel for bringing this resolution, and I hope it passes, uh, unanimously. Um, I also want to thank, um, our schools for what they are doing to, to educate families. Um, and, and thank our chancellor for also for, for speaking out. And, um, particularly when we have some, you know, cases of, of students who have been abducted by ICE and, you know, some deported, some with family members who have been abducted and or deported. And, um, and so it's a really, you know, crucial
that we address this, this issue and we address it quickly and we address it with a really loud and unanimous voice. Um, and so while I'm deeply appreciative of what, what our schools, school-based staff are doing, what our chancellor is doing, what our, um, city council is doing, what our PEP is doing, um, unfortunately there's, there's another sort of problem here. And that's, um, under a system of mayoral control of the New York City public school system. We have a mayor who is not on the same page. We have a mayor who is, you know, sitting on a,
on a, on a sofa, on a talk show with Tom Holman, um, you know, a corrupt, um, fascist, let's just say it. Um, and, and I think that contributes to this atmosphere of fear. And so as much as the schools, school-based staff can educate parents, if the city's leader and ultimately the leader of the New York City public schools is standing with ice, you know, it only goes so far. So I wanna particularly urge those of you on the pep who are appointees of the mayor, to use that position to remonstrate with that mayor
and tell the mayor that that's not acceptable. And, you know, if you're gonna stand up here tonight as a mayoral appointee, I think you really need to give him that message. Thank you. Alright. Hi everyone. Good evening. Um, Whitney Tusan. I am de co-president of CEC 30 in Queens, but I'm here representing myself in my individual capacity, but I know my fellow council members agree with me on what I'm about to say. Um, in March, our council passed the resolution to support our immigrant families and ensure that New York City public schools remain safe for all. In District 30, we have a large population of immigrant
and asylum seeker families, and a lot of families that are mixed status households. We've heard from them, the parents are worried about taking their children to school and are now concerned with ICE and how our community members have been taken from their hearings and literally taken off the street. We now have parents asking for information in relation to how safe they are taking their children to school, parents sharing information in WhatsApp, chats, text messages about seeing ICE on their block,
ice near the school, ice in their neighborhoods. We have parents that now volunteer to take other children to school because they are, these parents are worried about their safety. We have parents that are now asking for information about standby guardianship in case they are apprehended by ice while their children are at school. And this is in order to keep their child with a trusted family friend, or I mean, trusted friend or family member to keep that child out of foster care. We really appreciate this resolution and I wanna elevate what Gavin said as well.
If you are a mayoral appointee and you can talk to Mayor Adams, please tell him to refrain from the xenophobia. We are a city of immigrants, and these vulnerable populations need to understand that they are being protected. And I like what this young lady said earlier today. You know, we have to protect all of our children. You know, I'm a black woman. I look racially ambiguous. This southern accent is my saving grace. 'cause if they're snatching black and brown people off the street, these people look just like me. And we need to do better for these families. So again, thank you for this resolution tonight.
Please make sure the school staff are following what they're supposed to follow. Ms. Fleck, appreciate you stepping up and talking about what your role is, being the legal counsel and talking about how parents can reach out to you all this will really empower parents and my community to do so. Thank you for this resolution. I hope it passes unanimously and I really hope that we do the most and the best that we can to protect these vulnerable populations. Y'all have a nice evening. I'll see you again later tonight. Thank you. Sure. Is Isaiah, attend June on Ms. Lift. Ms. Yes. Coming out. Hello, I am Annabelle Ruggiero
and I'm a local rabble-rouser. This is an excerpt from my testimony I gave last month to the CCHS board in favor of their anti-ice resolution. That resolution passed unanimously. It seems like every week I get to hear about another kid ripped from our schools and lost into a torturous shell game. Every time I ask myself, why does our city, city allowed this to happen? We literally have brown shirts roaming our streets, abducting people. We have ice agents prowling outside of courtrooms to pounce on immigrants whose cases have been dismissed. Our country has had not one,
but two concentration camps that we throw immigrants into. What our country is doing right now is the literal definition of depravity. The moral thing for all of us to do is defy the federal government, federal funding be damned. What if it was your own child picked up by ice? Would you be okay if your community stood back and twilled their thumbs? Or do you want your community to fight tooth and nail? After the anti-ice resolution passed and the meeting adjourned, Debbie Cross came up to me and said that I changed her vote to be in favor of the resolution. This surprised me. She's a prominent member of place, which tends to be, have a conservative streak.
I appreciate her vulnerability in sharing that with me, and I respect her deeply for it. Thinking about how I managed to venture, I realized something. While I built a logical argument for defying ice, I was also attempting to evoke empathy in a listener. The listener. In other words, just as Debbie Cross did, if you can imagine yourself in the shoes of a parent whose child was abducted, um, abducted from what should be a bastion of safety for all students, what you must do becomes clear. You must defy ice. You must defy Trump.
You must defy xenophobia. Thank you. Thank you. Um, okay. Uh, Kamara Hudson, Isaiah Tanjung, Mitch ov Quan McLean, uh, Sarah Kato and Michael Loeb. Please come to the microphone. I wanna recognize Isaiah because we, uh, had to move you to this section, and we also wanna let the students kind of get here early. I know you might have to, you know, things to do. No worries. It's Okay. Okay. Thank you. Um, so I want to thank the panel first for introducing this resolution.
It's, of course, a meaningful to see, a clear commitment to making sure all students, regardless of immigration status, to feel welcome and able to focus on their education. I'm aware that the resolution highlights stronger protocols, staff training and collaboration with community organizations. However, at the same time as a student, I think it would be very meaningful if we could see how these protections will take shape in our daily lives. For example, will families refuse clear information in multiple languages about what these protections mean? Will students know where to go if they or their families need help? And will schools like Francis Lewis build direct connections
with community organizations that support immigrant families? These steps would make the commitments in the resolution, not only a policy on paper, but also something that students can feel and rely on every day. I strongly support this resolution, and I hope its promises will be made visible in our classrooms, hallways, and school communities. Thank you. Thank you very much. From a panel member. Um, Um, my name is Mitch. Um, evening all. I am a parent of an NYC public school student and an N-Y-C-P-S graduate myself. I came here to do my parts supporting this resolution to keep ice from abducting more
of our students and families. No federal funding is worth sacrificing the future of our community, especially the kids who need our support most. And it seems like you're on board both for the immigrant and trans kids. So, um, good. Uh, I build my time for others to share their stories. Respectfully, go cyclones. Okay. Thank you. First. Thank you. Um, next speaker? Yes, Good evening. It's me again. I'm coming this time as a, um, CEC panel member.
Um, my last term, I served on, uh, as a D seven five panel member in district seven, and now I'm on eight. And, um, my time on seven and here on eight, I have been doing walkthroughs and finding out that the bathrooms for D seven five schools are not accessible. Um, I have to walk through some of them sideways. Um, I'm a little heavy, but I'm not that big to have to walk through sideways. It's very narrow and, um, they cannot, and if it's, if they have children with wheelchairs, they can't get through to change them or w whatever it is that is
stopping them from using the bathroom. I have a lot of the students that are in District 75, they have to go into the, uh, the other site that they're co-located in, just to use the water fountain. Um, so I'm having those issues and I don't know, you know, I'm advocating for them to have a bathroom that's accessible, but I don't know what to do or how to go about that. So I'm coming to y'all for help and assistance. Thank you. All right. I think that appears to be all on the, on the ice resolution. Do we have another, sorry, go ahead.
Um, I have a statement from Michael Loeb who was attending on Zoom and was unable to speak in person. Is that all right? I, um, I don't believe we've got him signed up or someone on his behalf, so if he can submit his statement via email, we can put it into the record. Uh, you called out his name just a minute ago, and I'm going to, I have the statement to read on his behalf. Well, Can you check? We don't normally do that. Fair enough. Yeah, I know Sarah go, we'll come back, Sarah. All right. Sorry. Um, I just wanted to reconnect the issue of, um,
being welcoming to, um, people no matter where they were born, immigrant families and immigrant staff, um, how it connects back to the issue of student transportation. I'm, I'm hearing an echo. Is it okay? Okay. Okay, good. Oh, okay. There we go. Um, so just a couple of quick points. Uh, the parents who have a child on a special education route, the emergency bus contract card that we need to sign reference, you know, is a place where they can list
for adults who could receive the child from the bus, and that would give parents another safety valve. Um, but again, some companies know to give it to the workers. A lot of the union workers know to ask for it and give it to the parents. Um, and the, uh, correct translation doesn't exist on the website. Um, plus you need to, uh, add the new languages that have been added. And plus, even within those languages, we exclude a lot
of the, uh, common languages in the Bronx of, you know, African languages and so forth. The other piece is that there are many, many SC bus drivers and attendance and mechanics who were born somewhere else and may or may not have permanent status right now, but they have done their training and they have been dedicated for years, decades in many cases. And we cannot continue to be complacent about the courts gonna do this or that about TPS.
I would really, really like to see, um, the school board submit, um, one of those friend of the court briefs, something, you know, take some proactive steps to get ahead of it because there could be an alarming drop in the already precarious number of school bus professionals that we have to solve these problems we've been talking about all night. So, um, those were the main two. The other one is, of course, the language access, lack of language access at the OPT
$13 million call center. That's it. Okay. Thank you. Okay, so the, the, the last gentleman who wanted to speak, make a statement on behalf of you didn't use all of your time. You, you had a minute and a half. So I'm gonna give you a minute and a half to make that person's statement. That's the compromise. You got it. So, um, we'll give you a minute and a half to, uh, I'll do my best. Um, the statement was provided in Spanish and English. Uh, in the interest of time, I will go through as fast I can. Um, uh,
yeah, public school, Spanish, um, high school MA in Brooklyn College. Cia, thank you very much. Now can you, some you, you're gonna interpret, oh, uh, okay. And, and you sort of found a loophole here, because I gotta give you more time now because of interpretation services. So that was a good one. But, uh, go ahead. Alright. Yeah, yeah, I know that. Hello, my name is like Michael Loeb. I speak as the father of a student at Murrow High School teacher in a bilingual school administrator for education of students with disabilities, professor of bilingual education at the Brooklyn College, and someone who frequently goes to immigration courts and has seen the Savage government agents,
kidnapping fam partners and, and families. This is a very ugly chapter in the story of our country. And with our cowardly mayor, our city. There's much fear in immigrant communities. Communication with parents is the most important thing. It pained me to see the opening message from the chancellor didn't even mention that tax on migrants. She did not explain that all children have the right to an education without regard to their status as immigrants. It is not too late. Messages can be sent and meetings conducted. I'm in favor of the proposal against the abuses of ice. I also want to thank you for intervening with respect
to the threat from the president to take away magnet funding. We need to protect all our students. Thank you and thank you. Okay. We we'll, is that everybody? Yes. We'll, we'll now open the floor for public, uh, for panel member comments. Yeah. Panel member, I Thank you, chair. The comptroller wholeheartedly supports this resolution. And thanks you, chair and panel member Hassan and the other members who worked on developing this resolution as the resolution specifically asked for the support of elected officials, including the comptroller.
Um, the comptroller has repeatedly called out ICE's, despicable and illegal abductions and deportations taking place in our city, and the heartbreaking humanitarian crisis unfolding inside Federal Plaza daily. Most recently today when he witnessed a mother being violently pushed to the ground by an ice agent with her children crying in the background. As mentioned previously by panel member Hassan, today we have learned that New York City public school student, Dylan Lopez confers, has lost his immigration case
and is possibly facing deportation. So this resolution cannot come soon enough. The comptroller hopes that the continued advocacy from Pep and from all corners of our city will help stop children and their parents from being kidnapped from their immigration hearings and locked away without access to legal representation. As a city, we must ensure that we provide students and families and young people, many of whom are here unaccompanied with the legal resources they need to defend themselves against our federal government. Thank
You. Thank you. And I also wanna make note of the fact that not only does controller speak up, but he puts his body on the line, um, and physically as, as well as Ani Williams, the public advocate. Um, you know, who, um, aren't just talking but actually standing there and actually, um, facing them down. And I think that's what we all have to be prepared to do, to face down, um, the intimidation, um, and say that at least in New York City, we're not gonna allow it. So, uh, are there any additional panel members who wish to comment yet? Panel member, uh, Hassan. Chair Faulkner. Um, I would like to thank the entire panel
for it support I, both in January and since and before on this issue, and the Chancellor all as well in recognizing that our schools are for all children, um, that live in New York City. Um, regardless of any, anything in immigration status, gender identity, whatever the case might be, children have a right for, uh, full education. Um, we've been hearing so many terrifying stories, including the video that I saw today. It's hard to watch a mother wailing being separated from her kids by a nice agent that clearly has no regard for any decency or law.
Um, and there was no reason to, to react violently to a parent, um, that was not causing, initiating the situation. Um, and I really wanna uplift the work that so many people who are doing court watch are doing in all of these federal buildings, including the comptroller, um, who doesn't need to be there. And he doesn't, he goes every day anyway. Um, and I have the good fortune to meet 20 or 30 of them, uh, at, at a get together last week. Uh, some of the most amazing people you'll ever see, right? They, they literally do this out of, uh, empathy, kindness.
And I hope that we can uplift that as an example of what New York City really is and should be. And I want people to understand that there's no way to live in a city with so many people in it, if you don't feel for everyone else who's around you. Um, it could be you in in trouble one day and, and hopefully, uh, we'll all stand up and defend you too. Um, so I'm asking everyone to, uh, vote for this resolution as everyone else has, and I don't think there's any, any issues with that. Um, I forget that, uh, I didn't ask to be a co-sponsor on the other resolution. I'll do that too. Um, I think there's still time for people
to add their name to the, to co-sponsor on this. Yeah. Uh, we added a clause, which is not on the pep site yet, but it's in our edits, um, to have safe passage policies developed in collaboration with all the community organizations that are doing a lot of the work in every neighborhood so that families and kids feel safe going to school. Schools so far have been safe for me. It's a personal red line. Ice agents haven't entered schools yet, and hopefully they never will, but they are on streets near schools, um, and they are harassing, uh, adults at work sites.
Um, not really caring about immigration status and just picking up people based on their skin color. Uh, and that's been ruled, uh, a legal thing to do by the Supreme Court. So, uh, another horrible thing happening thanks to our federal government. Um, so, uh, thank you so much and let's continue to do this work as long as it takes until we can change federal policies. Council member Ali. Thank you, chair Faulkner. Um, I just wanted to kind of highlight a theme that I think we've all picked up on this evening, but, but honestly, I think, um, since January, um, which is that of community, um, that when there's an attack against one,
it's an attack against all of us. And so with that, I'd like to, uh, be added as a co-sponsor to this resolution. You know, whether our family has arrived a hundred years ago or eight months ago, we are all immigrants, and I think we need to remember that. And whether our families came here voluntarily or whether our families were torn apart and kidnapped and brought to unknown lands. So, um, I am the daughter of an immigrant. My mom was an immigrant, and she came to this country as a teenager and went to New York City public schools. So this really speaks quite personally to me. We need to keep ice out of our schools.
And I also just kind of wanna end this, uh, I guess intervention, just highlighting and, um, noting that of course, uh, Manhattan Borough President also supports this resolution. So again, I would like to be added as a co-sponsor. Thank you. If there are any others who have, who have not been, uh, signed on previously as a co-sponsor, if you wanna just indicate that to us now, um, I think there'd be a few. Um, I, is there any, anyone? So just sort of indicate or let, let us know and we'll add you as a co-sponsor. Um, yes. Alright. Yep. Hand member Giardano
Chair. Yeah, I'd like to be, uh, answer this, uh, answer as co-sponsor on both. Um, I mean, I wanna give you chair and you nave such credit for being such great leaders in this issue and standing up clearly. Um, like, as I mentioned before, other times, my wife's an immigration attorney. I've seen how arbitrary and capricious the immigration process is. How do we villainize and demonize people for a process that is crazy in our country? Uh, it just doesn't make sense. So, um, with that, I'd like to be added. And after comments, I would request that we, uh, we make a motion to, um, adopt this by unanimous consent.
Sure. Mm-hmm. Is any additional comments? Yes. Can Member Owin, Sharon Owin? Um, I'm, I'm appalled. I'm sitting here and I'm listening to the comments and I'm appalled. Whatever happened to a community of care. You know, as a former principal, I always use that as a mission to create a community of care. Because when you care, you are gonna do everything in your power to ensure that your students, your children are safe. And I, I can't imagine, and it's happening that anyone in the school would call ICE
on children, on the families in their schools. That's appalling to me. Mm-hmm. And something should be done to those people. Right now, someone just spoke about how our children are having a hard time going to school and, and they're afraid to go to school. In some communities where white supremacists and ice are ravaging neighborhoods, community advocates have gotten together to escort their children to school. Why do we have to do that? We should not be at Ward this way. And, you know, I'm, I'm just very, very appalled at, at what I'm hearing. I I, I'm, as an educator for 40 years, retired principal, New York City.
I, I just can't imagine. I would be, I would be devastated if I had a staff member that did that, and I would really, really deal with that person, uh, as well. So let's, let's get this resolution going and we have to protect our children. Doesn't matter where they come from or where they live, or who they, who, you know, what the, where they're coming from or what they look like. I'm appalled. Like really, I'm really, really upset about it'll take Yes. That adults would do that to children and families. And those are the same people who will go and eat in the restaurants and enjoy the food of the people they're calling on.
Yeah. I, I'm, I'm appalled. And, and, you know, and, and, and citizens ought not feel so comfortable. 'cause I've heard word outta this administration talking about if we don't like what you say or how you behave, um, that you might find yourself targeted as well. So I think that we all have to pay attention to some of the things that are happening in the national, uh, administration. Yes, the lawyer Always, always a good opportunity to make sure that everyone's clear on our policies. New York City Public School policies, um, non-local law enforcement is not permitted entry into New York City public school buildings
unless they have a judicial warrant, meaning they've gone in front of a judge and been able to demonstrate probable cause that there is a justification to come into our school. Students have a right to privacy in our school buildings, um, and we are doing everything in our power to keep it that way. So hope everyone is very clear what our policies are. Great. Thank you very much. Uh, are there any other comments? Yeah, Rema, kinda on my, Um, so, uh, obviously definitely for the resolution, but I do have a request, um, that we make sure that we
codify all of our policies in writing. Um, so for example, like busing is the common theme that we just make sure that we also have a policy codified in writing for ICE for the bus staff, so that in the event that this happens, which it did happen, and there was a bus that was pulled over by ICE in Brooklyn that we're able to, um, provide in writing to all of the bus staff who may not have a direct contact at a school, um, what the protocol is, who they can escalate to. 'cause we have, you know, the office of general counsel, what is the number, who is the person that they call if they're on a route at
6:00 PM and there's nobody else. Um, so that's one request. And the other is just, um, just wanna mention that it was said that the other thing is if it's, it's if they have a judicial warrant or if they don't feel safe. So I I just wanted that, No, I'm sorry, that's not correct. Okay. 'cause that, that was mentioned by the mayor. And, and I just wanna say, and I just wanna say it out loud so that we can say out loud that that's not a thing. And I'm with that. Right. Our policy, and this is, it's, it's not just something we made up. This is what we believe federal, local, and state law require. Um, which is that without a judicial warrant,
we do not permit entry into our buildings. Period. That's very comforting. Thank you. Okay. Any, any other comments? So do we wanna refer back panel? Do you wanna restate your motion? Motion for unanimous? It's been seconded that the resolution be adopted by unanimous consent. Is there objection to the adoption of this resolution? By unanimous consent, seeing no objection, so ordered the resolution is adopted. Congratulations. Our next, uh, resolution is the resolution on the Atlantic Acknowledgement Resolution. And I'll ask Secretary to present the resolution. Resolution up for approval is entitled The Land
Acknowledgement Resolution. Is there a motion to, uh, adopt the resolution? Motion then? Is there a second? Seconded. We'll now move to, uh, public comment on the resolution. Um, signed up for public comment. For this portion of the agenda are Kamara Hudson and Annabel Ruggiero Begin. All right. Um, so I must admit my first reaction to this resolution. When I saw the title, I generally thought to myself, oh God, someone's proposing a milk toast gesture as a substitute for actual justice. Then I actually read it. The good stuff's not the title. I want to particularly note the following. We pledge to incorporate indigenous history, perspectives,
and voices into our educational curriculum and practices. That said, I do think the most important step towards justice cannot be carried out by via resolution. Don't get me wrong, words are important. Actions are also important. I believe our words and actions stem from our own beliefs and how we view the world. As a result, I believe the most important aspect of justice is to ensure these restorative acts stem from consistent morals and logic. If, um, these restorative acts must stem from acceptance of the horrible acts of genocide, our forefathers have carried out against the lenape peoples
and other Native Americans. If you have not before, I encourage all to embrace this fact, mull it over, and see what contradictions arise from it. Explore how that acceptance sheds new light on the more recent past and the events of today, you might find just find like I have, that we still commit the same crimes as our forefathers as to how we continue to co commit genocidal acts. I believe there's something fundamentally wrong with, um, with the ideals that permeate our culture. There is a toxin in ideal ideological air We breathe. Our society carries a poison poisonous axiom
that commands us to strip empathy from our hearts and to view it as anti antithetical to logic. We must purge this poison from our minds. For logic is one of the tools to that use to build liberal democracy without empathy, we blind ourselves to ways our logic fails to live life, liberty, and justice for all. Thank you. Thank you actually, and I think you make an, you made an important point is that it's can't be an empty gesture that has to be real and backed up with, um, real, um, education and real commitment. Um, you know, we're, we're at a time where're in a country
where we're being told to, to sort of things to create a different history. And that history doesn't matter. And I think it's important that we take every opportunity to note that history matters and that, um, we keep these, uh, messages forward as stite what we are hearing from the national government trying to translate or change the things, some of the historical events and, and pretend that certain things in our history did not happen. Taking down of, uh, you know, uh, uh, rearranging the Smithsonian Institute to take out certain information, um, we have to really fight against that.
And I think this is one example of us saying, no, we're gonna keep putting our history forward and the things that we were involved in and, and continue to do that. And I agree with you a hundred percent. It can't be empty gesture. It has to be real. We have to make connections to those communities to lend epi people. We have to make connections to that community and, uh, make this a real meaningful, uh, gesture. Thank you. Any other panel members? Pen Hassan Forgot to do that earlier. And, and you mentioned the point that I was gonna bring up is that this is an issue that we, it might be the next thing that the federal government comes
after the New York City Public School's on Yeah. Is that if we're teaching this, they'll cut a different grant. And, and, and we can't let that happen. So we have to make sure that we preserve. And I, I think the schools have done a very good job in New York City standing up for the people who live here and for just decency and not changing curriculum, uh, at the request of the federal government. Right. Um, and we should set an example for the rest of the country. And I think we, we are doing that in this process. Thank you. And, and you know, we're not alone. There are a number of school districts that have, have really created these land acknowledgements and actually read them in public at graduations and its ceremonies.
Um, they read that history so that people are aware, um, so that most New Yorkers are they aware of the, the native communities that really inhabited this land and that we understand that and that we're aware of it and we respect it. Um, we think that's important and that is also important in terms of relates to other historical events and history that we have to continue to make sure that we remind the public and remind, uh, folks that these are things that took place. Um, so that's really important. And by that way, October 13th is actually Native American history, uh, month in to be celebrated in New York City.
So, uh, we wanna recognize that as well. Um, any other, yeah. Pen. Thank you Chair. Um, the comptroller supports this resolution, and it is especially important in the face of the Trump administration's attacks on DEI initiatives and the proposed freeze on federal grants, which according to a recent analysis by the Brookings Institution, would cut more than $23 billion in funding to native communities for health, law enforcement, education, and key social services. The cuts would violate treaty obligations to tribal nations
and impact nearly every tribe across the United States, including here in New York. Among the words and phrases that the Trump administration is using as screens in making their funding cuts are the terms indigenous community, native American and tribal. We must stand together as this resolution does and support our native peoples against these attacks on their sovereignty and on the rights of our children to learn the true history of our country. Thank you. Thank you. Any other, you know, Panama Ali?
Um, I would like to be Thank you Chair Faulkner. I would like to be added as a co-sponsor, please, to this resolution. Sure. Um, and I'd also like to invite all of our panel members up to my part of the neighborhood, um, up in Inwood where, uh, Inwood Hill Park, um, there are some remnants of Native American caves, um, as well as kind of historical landmarks of the lepe people. Thank you. Great. Yeah. Add your name. Okay. We'll leave it open even if we adjourn. We'll leave it open and then you can add your name. Uh, we'll leave it open for, uh, the rest of the evening and you can add your name, um, um, afterwards.
Um, any other comments or are we ready to vote? Okay. Is there a motion? Is there a motion to do unanimous, unanimous Consent, Please. If I share, green has made a motion for unanimous consent. Is there a second on the motion to unanimous consent? So, uh, there was a second. Um, is there any objection to unanimous consent? Seeing no objection, the motion is adopted. Thank you very much. Um, I think this was an important statement from our, um, panel in education policy. Well, we reached that portion of the meeting for open public comment, so if there are any members of the public well who signed up who wish to, uh,
make open comment where this is the time that you have the opportunity to do that. Um, before I call the names of folks who have signed up for public comment, I wanna make sure we've got an accurate public record. Um, member East Cardo, thank you for raising the point, um, about a rumor regarding a, the stop of a school bus. Um, as far as N-Y-C-P-S knows, we're aware of an incident, but it did not involve ice. Um, and there was a lot of misinformation circulating that day. So we wanted to make sure folks are clear about those facts and that we have, um, trained bus drivers just
as we've trained all of our school staff about our policies and how to implement them. Thank you. Um, okay. For public comment, please. Um, Anita Brow, Christopher Milani, Cecilia Durbin, um, Alexis Kalo Unitas, uh, and Christy Angel to start, please Begin. Thank you. Um, hello. I'm here to thank the New York City Public School Administration and you all for doing the right legal thing in standing by our trans and non-binary students.
As the federal government continues their attacks on our kids, this federal government's heartless playbook is consistent to force institutions to make impossible choices between standing up for the most vulnerable or risk losing money we all know is needed. This is a strategy designed to divide us. They want us to think, if we just throw this small group of human beings under the bus, everyone else will be saved. They've tried this with medical providers, with cities, with colleges, broadcasters, and now they're trying it with our public schools. We know it is a false choice. We have seen what happens when
institutions give into these bullies. The bullies are not mollified, the demand more flesh and more sacrifice. We also know what happens when people band together and push back. Look at what happened when Chicago pushed back against the deployment of the National Guard. We are doing the right, you are doing the right thing. And standing up now and staying strong banding together makes us all safer. Capitulating and caving leaves not only trans and undocumented kids more vulnerable, but whomever, whomever the bully decides to blame next when they turn. When it turns out villainizing innocent children simply
trying to live their lives doesn't solve the issues of our country. Instead, I cheer for Liz Vlad's letter. Thank you so much, um, asking for any real connection between the money they're trying to steal from our children and the scapegoating aimed at the few children who are just trying to be their best selves every day. Please go to the state government and ask them to put the money, put money behind the anti-discrimination laws of New York State Fund our schools better to remo to remove this scarcity mindset that leaves us choosing between children, which children the federal
government will let down. Don't stop fighting. Don't let these monsters divide us with their cruelty. You are, we are community, and we are, and we are here for all of our children no matter where, how, or in what circumstances they were born. That is truly the promise of public schools. Hi, good evening, chair Faulkner and Esteem members of the panel. My name is Alexis k I'm a proud district 30 public school parent and a CEC 30 member. I'm speaking as an individual with the understanding that there is no hierarchy of oppression. Thank you, aud Lord. I'd like to read an adaptation
of Martin Nie Mueller's famous poem. First they came for the transgender community, and I spoke up immediately, even though I'm straight in cis because I've read the rest of the damn poem. In all seriousness, I wanna thank the New York City, DOE Chancellor Aviles Ramos, and members of this panel for reaffirming their support of all students. Our children are entitled to a safe school environment, yet the rhetoric coming from Washington and embarrassingly being parroted by Mayor Adams is actually making school an unsafe place for transgender non-conforming and non-binary students.
The letter sent by federal DOE office for a civil rights acting, excuse me, office for civil rights acting secretary Craig Trainor inappropriately asserts that the New York City doe's guidelines to support transgender and gender expansive students, allows students to quote, move in and move out of intimate facilities, refer reserved for both sexes on a day-to-day basis simply by asserting a change in their gender identity. End quote. This is absurd and completely ignores the actual lived realities of transgender and gender expansive students. Transgender people have existed since the dawn of time.
Their identities are not unstable or changed impulsively. Their sense of who they are is fundamental and central to their very existence. Transgender youth are not asking for special treatment. They're simply asking to live their true lives. Our country could stand to address actual threats to children, poverty, inequitable access to healthcare, food insecurity, ice separating families, and the number one health threat to children. Gun violence do not allow the federal government to scapegoat any community. If we are to recall the actual words of Martin e Moeller, we know from history that the Trump administration
will not stop here. Who will he attempt to sacrifice? Next? I thank you for standing strong in your affirmations of transgender gender, non-conforming and non-binary youth. And of all New York City children. I encourage the DOE to request Governor Hoel and the state legislature to fill any funding gaps. Now in going forward, I thank you for your time. Thank you For public comment. Open public comment. Isha Taylor, Tamara Farrell, Maggie Sanchez, Gavin Healy. Gavin, you arrived first at the microphone. So I, I'll I'll refer to Maggie. I'll refer To Maggie. I saw you sort
of slowing your gate to, you know, so, so sorry. Okay. Whoever. Oh, okay. Um, oh. So regarding the Pupil Transportation Advisor Advisory Commission, uh, the ptac, thank you for forming this, uh, important commission. I would've preferred these meetings to be, uh, to to have been public meetings. Um, and would've rather for, uh, it to be made it to be made into a committee instead of a commission.
I would prefer that. Um, but, uh, with, with will the, um, will a report be made available, available to the public on the work that the commission is doing? And can the public receive a summary of the work that's taking place and how students and families, um, like mine can contribute? Thank you. Sure. They, they haven't actually met yet, so, um, I think some of those questions will be decided by the group when they have their first meeting. Thank you. Um, thank you Chair Faulkner. Thank you panel.
Um, I, I can only imagine how, um, alarming it was, um, chair Faulkner to receive a, a letter addressed to you personally, um, threatening, uh, the New York City public schools with loss of the, of the magnet, uh, program funding. Um, so I wanna thank you for your response. Uh, I wanna thank, um, Ms. Vladeck for, for her letter, um, which was, I thought, I thought was the appropriate response at the time was, was, was very good. I also wanna thank Chancellor, um, Illa Ramos for, for her comments. Um, which I think, um, you know, as she mentioned,
this is putting a, a target on the back of students. And, and we have a, you know, an, an initiative in New York City public schools called Respect for All. And there's a reason why it's respect for all and not, it's not respect for some, um, so it's a respect for all students. Um, but the alarming thing was that despite all that, um, you know, our, our mayor, and I'm sorry, I'm gonna call it the mayor again. Um, but we're in a system of mayoral control. And our mayor made comments that, that put a target on students' backs. That that, you know, echoed that repeated that that
language of scapegoating a group of, of vulnerable students. And, and it was unacceptable. Um, it's unacceptable that the mayor of New York City would make those kinds of comments, would undermine city and state law, which provides those protections. Um, it was, it was self-serving, it was sad, it was disgraceful. And I think that the panel, um, you know, as a body where the majority of members are appointed by the mayor needs to, to be very, very forceful and say that those comments do not represent
this, this panel. Um, because if, if you don't, I mean, as, as, as the, you know, as the poem as my CC colleague from District 30 said, if the poem says, you know, um, you know, they came after those students and, and you need to speak up for those students. Thank you. Yeah. By the way, we, I have to say that Yes, you're right. When I got that letter, it was kind of a surprising 'cause I got a phone call that I got a letter from the federal government and I was like, you know, my, you know what, you know, so I have to say, in all transparency, I called you as a lawyer.
I said, Gavin, I got this letter. And, uh, so I want to thank you for your advice also. I really appreciate it because, um, it was a little intimidating when I got a phone call saying, there's a letter from the feds, and I'd like, what is that? What would I do? Um, so, but, you know, we were able to talk and I was, so I really appreciate that, you know, gave some, um, some really good advice. I, I think in terms of the other comments, I think the, the, the panel here is a unanimous body has made a very forceful comment on our vote. I think our vote makes a very powerful statement about where we stand as a group. And the DOE Department of Education has historically,
throughout this whole process, you know, this is the first incident you've had your issues with around your CC and the department was standing strong, even the former chancellor. So I think it's very clear where we stand and are very clear where, where, what our position is. And it's not gonna change, and we're not gonna be intimidated and, and basically blackmailed that if you don't do this, we will withdraw funding that's blackmail. Um, and that we're not going to go for that. And if it happens in this instance next month, it'll be change your curriculum on this area or, or stop teaching this or stop.
And, and, and so once we give in, there'll be no end to it. And I think what's nice is the other cities, you know, we weren't the only city. It went to Chicago and, and, and the city in Virginia. And we all pretty much saying the same thing, that we're not gonna be intimidated by, by, um, pressure tactics from an authoritarian leader. Thank you for that. If, um, I hope you don't get another letter, but if you do, you, you can call me again. I Suspect I might wanna get one this week from after this and meeting. So You, you can call me too, right? I can call, that's right. That's right. Uh, Whitney Toussant, Annabel Ruggiero. Laura Simpson.
Mitch Salty co. Hi, good evening. My name is Whitney Toussant. I am the co-president of District 30 in Queens. Um, I'm speaking as an individual, um, and a parent in the school district. And I'm gonna say, again, I'm speaking as an individual because I am going to be respectfully disrespectful toward the letter that we got. Ms. Lueck. I really appreciate your response and how you, um, handled it. Um, this letter was sent with hate. And like my colleague said earlier, it was sent to see, um, who they could attack first and get away with. I really appreciate that we are standing up for our trans
and, um, our trans and non-binary students. We need to protect them. They're a vulnerable community. If they come after them first, we are next. Like chair. Faulkner just said, if we are told to stop teaching or having policies that protect these children, we are next. Um, and I am grateful that we responded in the way that we responded. Thank you for sending that letter. There is no nexus between how we treat our transgender and gender nonconforming students to this funding. It was meant to intimidate, attack us and then see who they could get away with treated first.
And then to even say that these children would change who they are from day to day, just to tiptoe in other bathrooms that are not meant for them. That that's weird. It's weird to say it's weird that our mayor acted like that was normal. It's weird that people think they can dehumanize people that they do not think are human and they do not want to validate their expense. I mean, their lived experience. It's weird. We need to start calling these people weird. Saying what they're asking us is weird. How they wanna implement this stuff is weird. If there's a little girl that looks like a little girl that acts like a little girl who is little girl
and wants to go into the little girl's restroom, we are not gonna keep them out. And asking someone to stand there and be the panty police is weird. And that is what we need to start telling these people how weird they are, how hateful they are, put them in their place because they are trying to see what line they can cross next and who they're gonna come after next. So I thank you all for standing against this level of hatred and making sure our vulnerable students are safe, because if they come after them, they're coming after us next. So thank you for that. Goodnight. Maybe When they release the files,
we'll find out how way they are. Tell the mayor to stop upholding those hateful comments. 'cause uh, he did the wrong thing there. Thank you. Not really in trouble. Yes, Chair Faulkner, I'm sorry for whatever letter you received after this. Um, in 2023, Michael Knowles issued a clarion call. Transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely. Record breaking numbers of anti L-G-B-T-Q laws have been proposed in past, in the years since 2020. Last year, a study published in nature showed a causal link between antiquer legislation
and rates of suicidality in trans and gender diverse youth. By April this year, 850 antique bills have been proposed, waking the record. In the wake of Kirk's assassination, the Wall Street Journal falsely published that transgender ideology was engraved on the bullets before the suspect that was apprehended. Representative Nancy Mace claimed a insert slur for a trans person shot Kirk. The only trans person involved in was the assassin's roommate. Her involvement was to hand over evidence to the police.
Now, multiple Congress people are calling for the institutionalization of all trans people, yet data on the percentage of trans people who commit acts of mass violence range from zero point 11% to 1.67%. At worst, we commit mass violence at the same rate as the general population is because of these violent politics statements of intent and countless injustices that lead me to this conclusion. Trans people are facing a genocide in the United States in furtherance of this genocide. The Republican administration is trying
to bring the hammer down on literal children. Empathy dictates that there is one path here to avoid the mistakes of our forefather Perry. The hammers blow, but also repost with a moral clarity that cuts right to the heart. You must do this not only to defend trans people, but for immigrants, for the, for the lenape, for racialized minorities, Palestinians, and every people that face obliteration by the fascist demi urge. Your defiance alone is not sufficient to fail this beast, but a thousand blows striking true will. Thank you. Hi, I am Laura Simpson. Um, is that okay? Got it.
Okay. I am, uh, secretary of CEC 30. Um, but I'm speaking for myself as a mom too in Jackson Heights. Um, The federal government is punishing New York City schools for refusing to follow acting assistant secretary trainers, discriminatory directives. These aren't other people's children. Trans children are all of our children, our family members, our friends, our neighbors, our community. They are us and we are them. When we abandon any child to political bullying, we fail as a community.
In district thirties, diverse schools, I've watched how protecting every student makes all of our students stronger and safer. It's not easy to do the right thing when you feel the heed, and it's not gonna get easier as we face punishment for basic human decency. As a parent, um, I fully and unreservedly support CC'S thirties, um, resolutions both the existing resolution one 90 and the newest upcoming resolution and call on New York City to stand firm, continue affirming all students' identities,
uphold transgender guidelines that follow New York City's New York state law and maintain curriculum that respects every child's experience. And I wanna urge this panel continue to resist the trainer directives completely fight legally to restore funding, work with our state and city officials to backfill any federal cuts, no matter political pressure, no matter who's trying to curry favor with Washington. That demonstration of cowardice has no place in our children's lives. These families trust us. We can't let them down. Thank you very much, Uh, counsel. Um, it took RC C3 sessions to pass
what you managed with a very quick unanimous vote. What can I say? But well played. Um, I'm not going to keep people here unduly late. Uh, so my only other comments are, please consider allowing people to, uh, give statements through Zoom that would've, uh, mitigated a lot of this confusion earlier today. And, um, to Ms. Simpson's earlier comment. Yeah, it, the money that we are being threatened, the money that they're threatening to withhold from the federal government came from us in the first place.
New York State gives a lot. Consider, consider doing what we can to hold onto it so that we don't have to do this back and forth. If that's what it comes down to. Protect the kids, protect the families. Let's go. Thank, thank you for those comments. Appreciate it. Uh, Sarah Kato and Michael Loeb, who I think is not here. Oh, don't even, Okay. Anyone's name, who we've called who has not come to speak yet and signed up for this section. Yep. Please come down if you, you must have signed up. If I've called your name, please come to the microphone. If I haven't, um, please send us comment in writing
that we can enter into the record. Good evening, everybody. My name is Trina Neil Mitchell. I signed up for, I should have signed up under contracts. I'm here as well. I'm a queensboro president, appointing to CEC 29. And I am, uh, but I'm standing here making a comment as a parent of a student at Cardozo High School. I be, before I make that comment, I just wanted to say that our CCC 29 is meeting on, uh, our calendar meeting on October 14th. And it would be incredible to have all of you, any of you,
every one of you, come out to support us because we're gonna yield a moment to, um, for Sandy to, to, um, give our community some space to grieve, to mourn, to empower each other. IS 59 is the school that Sandy graduated from before going on to Campus Magnet. So we feel like we need to give our community space to come out and speak and celebrate his life. And so if you would come out on the 14th to the tri-campus, that, um, that would be an incredible show of unity and strength. But, um, as the mom of a,
of a 14-year-old student at Benjamin Cardoza, it, it really, I felt compelled to be out here. I thought, I know I had, we had one teacher, but I thought our PTA would really show up. 'cause I know we have this thing going on where we w we don't wanna be a scanning school for whatever that looks like. But it's important. Uh, I wrote this 'cause I feel myself getting emotional already. Um, I wanna share what the, during the start of the school year, it felt like, um, from the ground up during the first week of school, our students were standing on the long line. And some, my kids talked about missing homeroom and first period and a little bit of second period
as they stood online to get those pouches and secure their phones. And we know millions were spent to get those phones, but it reduced a distraction. And I was a supporter of that. And I'm on board with that until we get to that morning. That morning on Monday when a 16-year-old boy walked into our school with a loaded semi-automatic gun gun. And because he still had access to some form of technology, he was able to post on social media that threat that he was gonna shoot up our school. And FBI and NYPD responded quickly and no lies were lost. I thank God for that. But as a mom,
and I know we were on some so school community and parents were all, we are all still scared. We're still shaking. And what happened for us, we weren't brief that night. I don't know how there's a, there's a, there's a principal on this panel, but I don't know how, as a principal, you go to head and you go to bed and you put your head on that pillow and not touch base with us, the school community. So we're anxiety filled and we're wondering what's supposed to happen the next day. Grateful to God that we get to welcome our babies back in the door. But what goes on from here, we didn't get spoken to,
we didn't have, we were informed that the next day at 11:30 AM midday, we would have a zoom, but a capacity, a total capacity of 300 at a time, could join the zoom with a school community of over 3000. I don't know if that's policy or not, but it felt incredibly hard because then 8 0 5 comes and the kids have to report to homeschool. And then the anxiety is, do you send them, what are they walking into? Will they be scanned? Will they, what is the coming? So no contact, no briefing, no speaking to us,
the parents, the caregivers. It is unbelievable what that feels like on top of the possibility that your child could have died. And then are, are they, they're expected still to walk back into that school. And still on a day-to-day basis, we wonder, is there gonna be a copycat? Is there gonna be somebody else that feels bold enough to go into that school because they know they can. And then there's children who speak up and say, we saw guns, we saw, we saw things in our school already. So we know that threat is there and it'll continue to be there. But my question is, we need my statement,
my plea is we need policy that prioritizes prevention over optics. If we can invest millions in phone pouches, we can invest in real safety measures, metal detectors, thorough entry protocols and crisis response that includes parents as partners and not afterthoughts. Our children deserve to feel safe when they walk into school. And parents deserve leadership that respects and protects us. I still put on my hat as a, a parent leader and still, still gotta sit there and grieve and hug
and cry with my community. Kung October 14th when we sit before them. But now I'm also conflicted as a mother who every day has to speak life into my boy who's afraid to walk into his high school while we talk about policy and whether it still looks okay to have a scanner there. This is ridiculous. Their lives matter. All of their lives matter. And we shouldn't have to debate whether the skin is gonna be there or not. It should be there. It should be there until we know that there's another way that we can be okay, that I can be okay going to work, knowing
at least they were checked something Are gonna have somebody from DOE staff connect with you. Um, they're headed your way now. Um, you know, um, we will follow up. Um, and we were just asking about the, uh, you know, the meeting that you've invited us to. I know some of us would definitely like to be there. I'd like to attend. Um, so, um, I guess some DOE people are making their way, um, fill them in on all this stuff. We will definitely follow up and thank you for, um, you know, coming out and for your, um, plea. I think we were all, you know, very moved by your comments
and um, and I know, I know it had to be very difficult for you to, you know, to, to to come here and to make the statements that you made. So we really appreciate it. Um, but we're definitely gonna follow up and I, I see this deal with people making their way to you now. So, um, we'll definitely, um, follow up with you and make sure that we see some action. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Um, one of our, I wanted to ask her a question. Yeah. Did you, um, hear from parents that don't want a Okay.
It's, it's ridiculous because this debate about, we had a teacher here tonight, it's a great school. We have parents who attended the school that serve on the PTAI serve on their PTA recording secretary. I just, you get there, you are excited about the history of the school and of course we, people are not gonna believe that it's a horrible school just because, and who cares if they do? If our kids get to live? I can't believe we're having a debate like this with parents. We wanna look good and then,
and then something gets through the door and then you can't un you, you, you can't take it back. You fought against the scanners being there and you are okay with your child walking in there and being afraid. They're learning afraid. I'm speaking to my 14-year-old this morning, and if you could each drop in the conversation that I'm having with him, look me, you can't, your phone is going in a pouch, right? But you don't have to be afraid. It's not like, you know what he said, at least we could, like, if something does happen
or don't even get to text goodbye or, I love you because it's locked in there, right? And so this, he, what if he doesn't have, what if that boy didn't have access to his phone? What if he didn't post that before he went? And beyond that there was something that moved this 16-year-old to feel this way and nobody who's looking into that, that threat is still there. Who's looking into the why? Because even though he is removed from the school,
there's still what ever moved him to that point that's still in the building, that's waiting for all of our children who are entering that building. There's a lot. I mean, I think, um, you did somebody from DOE. Yeah. So let, let's connect and then let's follow up. Um, there will definitely be some follow up here. So again, thank you for your presentation. Appreciate it. Alright. Still for public comment. Um, Jenna Kaki or Kaci, I'm sorry. Um, Erica Gonzalez, Angela Harris and Lela Torres. Hi. Thank you. I'm Jenna Capi.
Uh, I'm here to speak, um, up for the safety and wellbeing of transgender and gender expansive kids in our school. Uh, thank you to the panel for speaking so passionately in defense of our children and our core values tonight. Uh, I'm a parent of two children attending public schools here in Queens in District 30. I was born and raised in New York City. Proud product of New York City Public Schools. My mom was a science teacher, high school science teacher for over 20 years. Um, and I'm proud to continue the tradition of sending my kids to New York City Public Schools. Uh, this is my first time speaking at one of these meetings. I felt compelled to be here as a parent
and as a member of the L-G-B-T-Q-I community because this is a moment that we need to stand together united against hateful speech and threats. Uh, and more than that, I feel it's the time to articulate and celebrate the kind of community that we wanna build and the kind of place that we wanna raise our kids and our families. That is a place of love and belonging and includes protecting all kids from bullying and from being made to feel less, from being made to feel that they're not full members of a community. Uh, this is an opportunity to stand firm in our values, uh,
so that transgender, expansive kids can feel comfortable and safe in the simple and fundamental ways that show they belong in our cured for. I so appreciate the remarks made earlier tonight in support of trans kids in the New York City. Doe's willingness to stand up to these baseless claims from the federal government. Uh, frankly, there are universities and law firms across the country that could learn a lesson from you all tonight. Uh, thank you so much for continuing to protect our children and our families. Thank you. Thank you. Erica Gonzalez, Angela Harris, Lila Torres. Okay. That appears to conclude public comment this evening.
Okay, great. Thank you everyone for your comments and for, um, coming out and for staying with us. Um, we, are there any panel members who wish to make any final comment? Panel member Giordano. So, today's tonight's meeting, uh, should be called, uh, right side of History Night, because I think we made a lot of votes that were, that are gonna show in a really trying time in our history. This board was created in 1842, and I've been on the board for three years, and I'm very proud to be on this board tonight. We fight amongst ourselves. We have come from different backgrounds,
we have different opinions, and, uh, I'm really proud of what we've done tonight. Two things like that to specifically hold up, uh, regarding transgender students. There's a fantastic book by the head of the political, uh, political Science Department of Brooklyn College, who is a transgender man. Uh, Paisley. Korah. The name of the book is, sex Is As Sex Does. Uh, it's phenomenal. Regarding legislation regarding transgender, I urge everybody else, uh, and let's continue to be on the right side of issues. I've talked about this in the last three meetings.
We gotta get our kids to school, but then we gotta protect our kids. And the fact that we're shuffling around scanners to and from different schools to cover every single federal building, every single city building has a scanner when you walk through the building. Why would we have our most important commodity, our children? Do we not have the scanner in every school? Period. Point blank. Let's, we were on the right side of history tonight. Let's continue to be on the right side of history. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Okay. Uh, Shirley Panama. Alban. Sorry. I'm sorry. She, It's fine. I, no, it's okay. Shirley's fine. I'm okay with that.
Um, I just wanna say again, my name is Shirley Obert. I represent the Queen's Borough President's office. Um, I'm his appointee. Um, I would like to also say my comments is also a reflection of, um, my counterpart, the CEC representative Adriana Alice Air. And before I made the comments that I wanna make a comment, I want to thank for everybody coming out and expressing their concerns and issues, and also gave suggestions, right, to make the system better. How could we better protect our system? And, um, and I thank, um, the CEC representatives,
even though most of the time you're representing yourself, but you are also representing the communities and what they're feeling. And the two incidents that was brought up today, I'm gonna ask, um, she's my sister, but Trina for thank you for making those comments and making it aware of how we are feeling in the Borough of Queens. Thank you so much. And Whitney always coming out and representing her community. So I would like to also say, also give thanks to Francis Lewis High School for their culinary students. The students are awesome, and they're one of that.
The Honey Garlic Chicken is the one that is, uh, was made by the culinary here. That's now on the menu for the school food. So thank you so much. And this is what our city, our scholars across the city are wonderful, and we want to continue with that climate. So here goes my comments. Um, we are in an environment where promises and threats and actions were made, and we have individuals who didn't take it seriously. More importantly, we have individuals who said, it's not gonna ha it doesn't affect me, affect those people. Well, those people are in our city.
Those people are in our communities. Those people are in our schools. Those people are our family. Now, people are surprised because some of these things are coming into fruition and it's not affecting those people, but it's affecting all of us. And I think we have seen it very clear tonight that what happens in our schools affect the communities where that building stands and vice versa. What happens across New York City communities affect our schools. So it's very important that we, again, in our goal
and mission and, and vision to provide high quality, equitable education and provide all services, enrichment activities, resources, and opportunities to all our children. We need to do it together. And we need to create that visible force field to say, no, not here. Right? We need to protect all of us. We have to nip it in the bud. And the chair had touched on it. If we continue to placate or look the other way, it's just going to get worse. It's going to get worse. We really, really need to stand together as a city. And I am, you know, news lead, very professional,
but I'll be damned. We are on the road to hands may tale. I we are not, I'm not going, I'm not gonna stand by that it going there. Our civil liberties are constantly being threatened and our children and our families, we need to do something. Not here in this city. Not here in this state. Thank you, Pam. Did you want Pam, Louisiana. Good evening everyone. Uh, my name is Adriana Ali. She her, I'm here for Queen CECs. This is an exciting year for education in the World's Borough. We are especially proud to welcome three new schools
that reflect our collective commitment to preparing students for the future. Doors opened at the Northwell School of Health Sciences in Woodside, um, a groundbreaking partnership creating direct pathways into healthcare careers. Doors also opened at the HBCU Early College Prep High School, which offers a first of its kind model for earning an associate degree alongside a high school diploma. And the third being the Queen's international high school or secondary school to serve our newly arrived multilingual learners, ensuring that they receive a supportive and academically rigorous education beyond our classrooms.
Queens continues to thrive as a global model of cultural vitality and economic development from our celebrated transformation of LaGuardia Airport and the dedication of community-based organizations like Empower My Hood, that host an annual college fair in Southeast Queens. Was one coming up in a few weeks. Separately, I'd also like to be added as a co-sponsor to both of tonight's resolutions. Thank you. And Chair Faulkner and Ms. Vladeck. I want to thank you both for your responses to the federal hate mail that we received. Lastly, I would like to thank the CEC leaders that I see in the room tonight.
Quentin from CEC 28, Ms. Trina from CEC 29 with special thanks for her. Incredibly moving comments tonight. Thank you Trina and Ms. Whitney from CEC 30. Thank you all for joining us this evening. I hope you all have a happy and safe school year and see you next month. Thank you. Um, yeah, you stay for the meeting. No? Yeah, I just want to, uh, the principal of the school principal, I just wanna thank you for staying for the entire meeting. Um, and, you know, thanks for thanks. Thank you for hosting us. The food was wonderful.
Um, I had several of the, uh, banana pudding things. They were really, it was really good. Um, yeah, it was excellent. Prepared by students. Prepared by students. So, uh, so I want to thank you, but again, thank you for the hospitality. We've been here before and I want to thank you, you know, especially for staying for the entire, uh, meeting. I appreciate it. Um, anybody else, any other comments? Yes, PanAm of Hasan. Hello. Oh, thank, thank you Chair. Paul. Uh, I wanna recognize what I think is the first time it's ever happened, everything we've voted on past unanimously, so, wow.
Yeah. That's history. I would, And I, and, and, and, and I, I bring that up because I think we, we, we don't recognize our, our relatively new office of policy and advocacy that has been doing so much work mm-hmm. Uh, to help all of us work together. Mm-hmm. And, and, and iron out issues and, and come to consensus really. And not come here and start fighting. So there, there's 2, 2, 2 lost. They don't like attention. For some reason, they work in the shadows. But thank you so much, and thank you Chair, uh, chair Faulkner, uh, for, for really, uh, fostering an environment of listening and collaboration.
Yeah, thank you. And, uh, vice chair, the vice chair gets the, uh, Final comments. Uh, am I, okay. So, uh, I have to agree with, um, panel member Hassan. Uh, our panel has transformed and I believe under the leadership of our chair, you know, no divisive between the panel members, but instead cohesiveness. And I think it's great and, uh, it looks good. But I really wanna speak to the parent who was so, uh, passionate.
The la the lady in the green, beautiful green jacket. Uh, yes. I, I'm speaking specifically to you and any, any other parent who feels what I feel, uh, and what you feel. Yes, I am a former principal. Retired. There are, there's another retired principal, two retired principals on this panel. Yes. We feel what you said. No, we didn't lay our heads down at night until all our children were safe. And I, everything you feel, we feel not only the principals, but I I'm sure all panel members.
But what I, what I can say as a credit to our students and our school staff is that luckily it was, it was spoken of or it was revealed, and no one in that school got hurt by the child who had the weapon. There has been, and I'm gonna knock on the wood, no fatalities within our schools because of the hard work of the staff, the school safety, most importantly the children,
because they are snitches, which is the best thing going every time I, there was a weapon in my school, it was because a student stepped up and they are the ones with their eyes and ears to tell us what's happening. I applaud our young people, regardless of how we think they are, they are looking towards safety for others. I've been a principal of one of the, one of the most dangerous schools in the city when I first started.
And that was a school with scanners. It had scanners, uh, uh, you know, metal detectors. And, uh, everyone was trying to, like you said, get rid of them because it had a bad look. Like you said, I did not care. I felt the scanners kept us safe. The, the metal detectors kept us safe. You can ask for random scanning in your school as you are the parent leader in that building, or one of the parent leaders in your district request. The random scanning. Correct. Dr. Owin, Dr.
Owin was in the school with us, with me, and we had to request that, or the school safety requested that we never felt it was a foreign object. And we never felt afraid to have them. We do not care about what it looks like. We know we wanna make sure our students are safe. We don't have glass doors that they can just, anybody can break through. So parents make your voices heard, but most importantly, know that you are protected. We don't, we don't wanna say God, and we don't wanna, you know, say prayer in the schools. But we have been blessed that none
of these things have happened in the New York City schools. Thank you. Well, thank you. And, um, also I want to thank Deputy Chancellor for, for joining us. I hope you enjoyed it. And we want to come back, um, on stage with us. We, yo, well, great. Great, great. Please, please. We, uh, thank you. And, um, with that, I also want to make note, um, October 1st is beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. And I wanna wish everyone a great month. Uh, we're in it. I'm sorry.
Uh oh. Don't do a resolution. Don't write. I'm sorry. I read. I thought it was, I thought it began on the first. Okay. I'm sorry. I apologize. And, uh, happy Jewish New Year to our friends. Did I get that one right? Happy Jewish New Year. And remember October 13th is, uh, uh, indigenous Peoples Month. And with that, um, our next meeting of the Panel for Education Policy. If you enjoyed this, we invite you to come on October 29th. Um, raise your voice again. I'm sure there'll be other issues and things that we'll want to talk about. So, Wednesday, October 29th, it'll be in Manhattan at the, um, school of Food and Finance High School in Manhattan.
So we look forward to seeing you all there. And with that, if there's no other business before the panel, this meeting is adjourned.