With that, I will begin the meeting. I'll ask our secretary to please call the roll. Alancia. Present. Altman. Present. Let me just interrupt. We have some competition with the... I think our air conditioning's not working, so we have a lot of fans, a lot of noise. So you're really going to have to speak into the microphones, and I'll say the same for the audience when we get to the public comment section. So please, be sure to speak very close to the mic so that we can actually hear everybody. I'm sorry, go ahead. Altman. Bogan. Present. Barrelli. Present. Cassaretty. Present. Dr. Collins.
Present. Deanstag. Present. Fair. Present. Garcia. Giordano. Present. Vice Chair Dr. Green. Present. Hannah Jones. Present. Hassan. Ho. Izquierdo. Jimenez. Present. Dr. Adwin. Present. Ong. Present. Parsons. Present. Sap. Present. Chair Faulkner. Present. Chancellor Samuels. Present. Representing Comptroller. And our two students. Tanjoon. Present. Raisa. Present. We have 18 present. That's a quorum. We now have a quorum, and therefore, I am happy to officially call this meeting to order. And our first order of business, as always,
is to hear from our chancellor. So, Chancellor, we're happy to hear from you and welcome you to the meeting. All right. Thank you, Chair Faulkner. Good evening, everyone, and thank you for being here. I want to especially thank, of course, Chair Faulkner and Vice Chair Dr. Green. Yes, sure. And all the panel members for your time commitment and your dedication to NYC Public Schools. To our hosts, thank you to Michael Patriti School, Principal Tabitas, and Superintendent Palton, I see you out there.
As well as to the Richard H. Hungerford School, and Principal McHugh and Superintendent McCoy. Thank you so much for all you do. This is my, I don't know now, I know I can't keep track of how many times I've been to Staten Island, but one thing I do know since I've been chancellor, so you know I love you all, but one thing I do know was that this was the first PEP meeting that I had in January was held here. And so it feels great to be back. And so as we
near the end of May, I also want to acknowledge AAPI Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month. Look, this is a busy season, busy time of year. One of the things that I remember when I became a principal was usually as a teacher, June, you're winding down the year and it's great, you're looking forward to the summer. As a principal, it's not like that. While everybody is winding down, you're planning for summer, you're planning for next year, you're trying to hire teachers, and in many ways, it's kind of similar as chancellor, right? I'm trying to get through this budget
cycle. I'm trying to think about what's next. But there's not any clear delineation, no summer that I can look forward to necessarily. So, but schools are finishing up the last month of school, and graduations, end of year celebrations are on the horizon, but that doesn't mean that learning stops. On the contrary, this month is a critical time for academic growth, enrichment opportunities, and social and emotional development. And every single day counts. As the weather gets nicer, I ask
that we work together as a community to ensure that all of our kids are showing up to schools every day. They don't want to miss out, and we don't want them to miss out either. Let's make sure every child, every day, attends their NYC public schools. I want to also share some important updates about the state budget and other legislative priorities for New York City public schools. We're aware that the state legislature is, as we speak, taking the necessary next steps for passing a state budget. Some of that legislation
became available today. We are still reviewing the bills, but we are pleased to see meaningful steps in the right direction. For example, we're updating the foundation aid formula to better reflect the needs of our most vulnerable students. This will ensure essential resources can be provided where they are most needed. Continuity in school governance system is absolutely critical to our stability
for our students, and that's why we're pleased with the move towards the extension of mayoral control for two years. Finally, beyond the state budget, we are really pleased to see the State Senate take steps towards moving forward with important legislation regarding school busing in New York City this week. The legislation, in addition to providing our bus drivers with a certain amount of job security, is a very important step for
us in taking thisIn improving our bus service through a new contract. I know the panel has been very, very influential and following this topic very closely, and you are vocal in your support for a better approach for school busing. This is not just important to the panel, it is also important to me and NYC public schools in general. I thank the Senate and look forward to continued discussion on this very important topic, that when done well, will lead
to real access for our young people, specifically our students with disabilities. And now, as we proceed to our meeting, I want to thank the PEP. This work could not happen without you, and so thank you so much for your partnership. Thank you very much, Chancellor. It's really important. Well, first I want to thank the panel as well. Join in thanking the panel for the work. I read a memo recently that showed the number of hours and time that members of the panel put in in meetings, and so I just wanted to let you know that it's noticed, and recognize all of you for the work that you've been doing,
especially the last two months. I think we've had a particularly busy last two months. We've had meetings that go past midnight. And so I just want to say thank you to the panel. You all hung in there, and that's very much appreciated. Last month, I just want to follow up on a bit of business. I remember when we came into the meeting, we saw a delegation of young people from Francis Lewis High School who presented about the need for renovations on their football field. And we promised that we would visit, and I did actually visit the school. And I can report back that the
impact that we had on the students was tremendous. What they witnessed, and it was I think the very next day after attending our panel meeting and actually advocating for the change. Actually, there was work being done on stage thanks to Noah and his team and the crew. They were all beginning to make the phone calls. So when the students arrived at school the next day, they saw work happening on the field. So when I got to the school, they were basically saying how they really valued what was done, and they were very thankful and grateful, and I got all of the thank you, and it was really due to the staff and following up. And I just want to say the tremendous impact that that had on
students understanding that coming to the panel and speaking to us did matter, and that it really had a tremendous-- I felt really a great sense of satisfaction in watching their excitement. The teachers were telling me how the kids were going back and saying, "Look, they're working. It actually mattered that we came to the Panel for Education Policy." So I think that's exciting. I see some young people in the audience, so brush up your speeches. So it does matter what you say when you come here. And I just thought that was a great story, and I wanted to share it with all of you. I also want to thank the Chancellor made
note of Staten Island, and I also want to thank the Petrides campus, the staff. We come here quite often because you treat us so well. And, so I want to thank you. I don't know if the prin-- Is the principal here? Renee? Yeah. Would the principal stand up? We want to acknowledge you and thank you. Thank you for everything. I think we'll do it more formally at some point, because we have come here quite a bit, and we always feel welcome and appreciated, and I want you to know the panel appreciates that sense from your entire staff. The minute we walk in the door, we feel like we're welcome, and that means a lot, so appreciate it.
Thank you very much. At this point, we're going to turn to our student speakers. I was giving you a good segue here. So I turn to our student speakers. To go to Isaiah, you're our senior member. So do you go first, or do we have your new member speak? Yeah. I'll go first. See, he said yes right away. Go ahead. Isaiah Tanjoon, student panel member. Good evening, everyone. My name is Isaiah Tanjoon, a senior at Francis Lewis High School, and a proud student leader. I'd like to first speak on the busing contract. While I recognize that this item is only an extension and not a change with the company or provider, I'd also like to take the opportunity to share my thoughts and insights on the New York City Public School
busing system from a student perspective. Firstly, as we know, busing isn't a convenience, it's a necessity that is tied directly to educational access. Students are the ones who must bear the impact of missed instructional time, stress, and lateness when buses are inconsistent with pickup and drop-off times. Additionally, I would also like to raise concerns on air conditioning on school buses. Still many board buses with either no air conditioning or air conditioning that simply doesn't do the job. Even when a bus is equipped with an AC system, students can still experience uncomfortable temperatures during long rides,
delays, or heavy traffic, particularly during the upcoming late spring and summer, where outside temperatures can exceed 90 degrees. This can be especially challenging for the students with IEPs, student in temporary housing, and students with disabilities, who collectively make up the vast majority of New York City student bus ridership. Families of students with disabilities already juggle enough struggles. Getting their child to school should not be one of them. On that note, I would like to transition into the co-location of D75 School, Staten Island Rise Academy. It's important that we recognize the value
of accessible, specialized learning environments and services for students with disabilities. Ensuring that some of the highest-need students in our school community have the access they need to these supports is critical, and conversations around this issue should continue to be grounded in transparency, inclusion, and most importantly, community feedback, especially from the families of students who are most directly impacted by this. Finally, as the end of year approaches, and as I close out my time on the PEP, I would like to thank Chair Faulkner, Chancellor Samuels, fellow panelists, and most importantly, the community, for giving me the opportunity to represent my
fellow students across New York City.When I first stepped into this role last year, I had no idea what to expect. But I quickly learned just how much student voice matters in shaping educational policy and student day-to-day experiences. As I head off to college and begin the next chapter of my life, the lessons I learned from this experience will forever stay with me. And even when I'm no longer a student myself, the student voice will forever be the guiding heartbeat of my advocacy. Thank you. Isaiah, thank you so much. I cannot tell you how proud we are of you. I remember your first day on the panel,
and you were the rookie. You weren't as confident in your presentation. You were learning. And just a few moments ago, I said, "Well, who should I call first?" He said, "Call me first." And it's really great to see that transition, that they come in, the students come in, and they're learning and feeling their place. And now, the confidence that you had in your presentation and the words that you say and how you have worked with the panel and actually added to the panel is really very evident. So we thank you for being a representative of these students, the almost one million students in New York City.
I have every confidence that you will one day return to us, and we'll introduce you, and we'll say, "Remember when he was a student panelist? And now he's holding some high public policy position, maybe a congressman." It could happen. And I'm glad you said that. I want you to remember your time on the panel. This is the last meeting you'll have on the stage with us, but you're going to be here next month, and we'll get a chance to more formally say goodbye. So thank you. Thank you for your service. Thank you. And now we have the newest member stepping on board, and that's Razaa Saeed. We welcome you to the Panel for Education Policy, and the floor is now yours.
Good evening, everyone. Hello, my name is Razaa Saeed, and I'm a senior at Institute for Health Professions at Cambria Heights. As a student leader who cares about diversity, inclusion, and equity, and a member of the Chancellor's Student Advisory Council, I would like to speak about two important issues today, artificial intelligence and limited cultural clubs within New York City public schools. These issues might seem separate, but they both speak to the need for strong relationships and community. CSAC participated in a listening session
where we shared student views on AI, a major topic of concern among students across New York City. When creating the new guidance, here are things students feel are important. AI can be useful when used as a learning support tool rather than a replacement for thinking. AI can help students learn new languages by translating words, practicing vocabularies, and generating practice tests or quizzes, which helps students prepare for exams in a more interactive way.
In subjects like maths, when a teacher is not available, it can break down steps and explain how to solve problems. It is also useful for choosing the right tone and structure for professional emails. Students also raise concerns that AI can become harmful when they rely on it too much. Many now use it for quick answers instead of struggling through problems and learning the process themselves. Like in the past, students had to research, think critically, use dictionaries, and explore different perspective to fully understand a
topic. Now, we can search for an instant answer. This can affect students' cognitive thinking and problem-solving abilities over time, our ability to meet standards in reading, writing, and math problem-solving, and building analytical skills needed for college and future careers. One possible solution is clear boundaries and encouraging AI use as a support tool for brainstorming or organizing ideas. Teachers could also strengthen discussion-based learning, handwritten assignments, and step-by-step
problem-solving to build critical thinking and analytical skills. Grading should place emphasis on students' thinking process, effort, and originality, rather than the perfect answer. Encouraging curiosity and making learning more enjoyable show us students our own thinking process can be more creative than AI. Also, a lot of school technology is outdated, unreliable, or barely functional. Benefiting from AI tools is difficult without proper infrastructure and equal access to
technology. One priority should be updating basic technology because many schools still struggle with unreliable Wi-Fi, outdated computers, limited device, and technical issues that already interfere with everyday learning. If schools expand AI without addressing foundational problems, it can increase inequity because students in underfunded schools may not have the same access or opportunities as others. Once schools have reliable technology, AI can be integrated in a
more meaningful way as a tool to support learning rather than creating additional barriers. Another concern is that AI can affect emotional and social development. AI chatbots tend to agree with users even when they may be wrong. This can make it harder for students to handle disagreement or understand different viewpoints in real life. One way schools could address this issue is by creating more dialogue-based programs like peer discussion spaces where
students can practice respectful communication and learn how to engage with different perspective in real-life settings. Expand student-led discussion circles and cultural and affinity clubs that encourage open conversation about social issues, identity, and personal experiences. These spaces help students strengthen empathy and confidence in expressing our opinions while learning how to respectfully disagree. The availability of cultural and affinity clubs in smaller schools, especially for students
who belong to underrepresented groups, deserves more attention. For example, while my school has a very diverse student population, some cultural groups are much smaller than others. Because of this imbalance, students from smaller cultural groups often struggle to find spaces where they feel represented or connected to their identity. Creating a club in school is moreComplicated than it seems. It requires a minimum number of student representative approval from
administration and a faculty advisor willing to supervise major obstacles in schools. Even when students are interested, participation may fluctuate due to academic pressure, scheduling conflicts, or lack of awareness. My CSAC Diversity & Inclusion Policy Group has been designing a toolkit for affinity groups in NYC public schools. For example, to create a Black Student Union, Asian Student Alliance, and/or GSA for LGBTQ+ students and allies. The goal is to make
affinity groups more accessible and help students embrace their identities and strengthen their voice within their school communities. We envision inter-campus affinity network allowing students from smaller schools to connect, similar to how PSL brings students together through athletics. This model could create communities for students from different campuses to collaborate. Virtual meetings, district-wide events, and shared leadership opportunities could make these groups sustainable, even when individual schools do not have enough students to maintain a
club on their own. Whether through culturally responsive affinity spaces or the use of AI in school education, schools must prioritize ethical and balanced approaches that support students rather than replace genuine human connection and guidance. Technology should be used to enhance learning and accessibility, and students' identities, voice, and needs must be fully recognized across the system. Lastly, I want to thank you for letting me
share my views with the panel for this evening. It's been a goal of mine before graduating. Okay. Thank you very much, Panel Member Saeed. I think you made some important observations and comments regarding co-curricular activities and the importance of co-curricular activities in our schools. So we'll definitely follow up with you and perhaps get some ideas regarding that. I don't know if I can contribute a lot around the AI stuff. It's really confusing to me. I got criticized last month because I had a Yahoo account, so I think I should remain silent on anything dealing with technology. So we will now move on to
old business. We have two items of old business, and if you can guess, those are approval of minutes, the minutes from our April 29th meeting, and the minutes from our May 6th meeting. Is there a motion to approve the minutes of these two meetings by unanimous consent? So moved. Is there objection to unanimous consent? Hearing no objection to unanimous consent, it is so ordered. The minutes of our April 29th meeting and the minutes of our May 6th meeting are adopted. Thank you. We'll now move on to open student comment. So what'll happen now is you'll be called up
in groups of five. I don't think we have groups of five, but you'll be called up to speak, and you'll have a two-and-a-half minute time available to you. And you'll get a warning when that time is about to expire, and our secretary will begin that process by calling you up at this point. So can we get a call up our student speakers? The one student, Mr. Vinnie Dong. Okay. So Vinnie, because we know you so well, we're reducing your time to a minute and a half. He won't let that pass, no. Okay. I can't believe that. Okay, Vinnie. Go ahead. Good afternoon. My name is Vinnie Dong, and I'm a sophomore at Queens High School
for the Sciences. Today, I am here to speak on two issues. I am here to speak about school food and transportation. When I stood here about five months ago in January, I spoke about the very same things when I was advocating for my new school building. Today, I see on the agenda the resolution to support food equity. No student should have to eat school food coming in in tiny tin cans that's reheated and reheated. No student should have to be
able to see other schools, see that they have a functioning kitchen, actual edible food, while they are eating depressing boxed lunches. No student should have to drink water from a water fountain that's leaded or tastes like watered-down milk. These institutional issues will hopefully be addressed by this resolution. I should be able to go to any school without a kitchen or satellite programs and see that students are enjoying their meals. We cannot control the
experience of students outside of school, so let's make sure that they're eating something sufficient in the schools. Now, the second issue I am here to talk about is transportation. We all heard about the LIRR strikes recently. What we aren't speaking about is, how about for the students that live further away from, let's say, the subway? How about for the students who live in the Far East Side of Queens, where the F train doesn't reach? There's no subways, bad buses.
Every time when there is instability in transportation, students don't feel welcome. How are we supposed to be chronically present if the trains aren't? How can we be chronically present if the buses aren't? How can we be expected to show up on time if the trains won't show up? This is not an issue for the train drivers that went on strike. It is not an issue for the MTA, but it is a questionThat has to be asked, what is going on with the transportation? That'll be all. Thank you.
Thank you, Vinnie. I will comment on one item you brought up. You brought up, discussed something about water quality, and I know this came up at one of our meetings. We did have people go out and test water. We're going to issue the report, and we had people go out and test the water in, I believe it was all of the high school? The Brooklyn schools. In all Brooklyn schools. So, we'll see if we need to expand that, but we did, based on some comments that came out at one of our meetings, we did send people out to test and found that the water passed the test, in other words. So, we
will follow up. If you have specific areas or locations, let us know. We will follow up and make sure that those items are addressed, and we'll be issuing that report very shortly. Yeah. How about asbestos? I can't hear you. Asbestos. Asbestos? I think they do regular testing, but if there are areas that you know of or hear about or suspect, you should just communicate that to us. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, great. Thank you. That concludes our student speakers. We'll now move to the resolutions contract... Not contract. We'll now move to the business of the meeting. Our first business is school utilization proposals.
I'd like to turn to our utilization committee to introduce the resolution. Where is our utilization chair? Yes, our very capable utilization chair, if you can just present the resolutions for consideration. Thank you. I don't think that's close enough. Thank you, Chair Faulkner. Good evening, everyone. Adriana Alicea, she/her, here for Queens CECs, but representing the utilization committee. This evening, we will be hearing about the proposed opening and co-location of P089R at R018, a new site of existing District 75
school, Staten Island Rise Academy. 75R089 with PS 18, the John J. Whittier- Whittier ... School, 31R018 in building R018 in the 2026-2027 school year. Thank you very much. Before we open the floor to public comment, I'd like to open the floor for superintendent comments. I see someone coming down the aisle. Are there any? If you could just make your way to the microphone, and we'll recognize you. As soon as you get there, you're recognized to speak. All right. Good afternoon.
Yeah. And welcome back to Staten Island. Thank you. Chair Faulkner, at least it's not AOL. All right. Just going to say that. Hey- Oh ... I thought... Wait a minute, wait a minute. I actually- I actually thought when I did the Yahoo, I was upgrading from AOL. I had the AOL. Could be worse. Hey. All right. So it brings me great pleasure to speak on this co-location with P89 with PS 18. We have enjoyed a lot of strong partnerships with our friends in District 75. I was a principal in District 75 for 11 and a half
years, proudly serving the most severe students in New York City, and I know the magic that can happen when we put our students with IEPs with our students in a general ed setting. There are opportunities that are created, and we look forward to creating more of those opportunities for our students on Staten Island that have IEPs. Not to mention that Dr. Deanna, who I've known my entire career, was on my C30 when I became a principal, and I know her heart, and I know we'll do right by our students in
District 75 in our D31 schools. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you, Dr. Pulten. And here in Staten Island, here in Staten Island, it's family. Andy Crystal representing Dr. Keisha McCoy, the proud superintendent of District 75. Deeply appreciate the collaborative and life-giving relationship that our students recommended for District 75 have with the community schools in District 31. There's been a partnership and a collaboration, a commitment from the beginning, and I would be remiss if I didn't recognize the amazing team members of the Rise Academy who are here today, clapping in the background,
excited to meet the need in Staten Island for students with disabilities who are recommended for District 75 placements. We're deeply grateful for the partnership and ask for your support. Thank you very much. I'll now turn it back to the committee to introduce for me a motion to consider. Chair? Motion to consider the proposal. Is there a second? It's been moved and seconded that we consider this proposal. We will now move to public comment. There are no speakers signed up for public comment. Okay. We will now move to panel member comment. Deborah. Deborah, where? I can't see. Oh, I'm sor- I can... Yes, go ahead. Hi. As the Staten Island representative on the panel, I wanted to speak to this
proposal. I did go to the joint public hearing, and it was so refreshing to hear every single facet and person be in support of this. I could tell you that co-location makes a huge difference in our community, and it begins in our schools. And just to tell you a quick story, my daughter was a District 75 student and now is integrated back into District 31 in Staten Island Tech. In her school, they co-located with P-37 District 75 students. She told me just today that she
developed a friendship with one of those students, and that they actually call each other queen, and how you doing? And she said that it is just a wonderful show of compassion and friendship that could span across different levels of disabilities. And when you can see that in the school, you will start to see that in the playground, you will start to see that in your community and at the food store. Staten Island is one family, and I am so happy to see the support of co-location and showing the power, and the
results of that it works, and that it works well And for both sections and for both students, they are gaining something and learning something from each other. So I'm in full support of this, and I can't wait to have more of this. Thank you. Okay, Panel Member Gollot, also Staten Island rep, would you like to speak? I feel the same way that Deborah feels. District 31, D-75, our special ed community, and our general ed community have always gotten together and worked together on every single thing that we've done, and it's always worked. We share space.
We go to each other's meetings in the community, and this is only another example of how well things go between our D-75 schools and our D-31 schools. So I also am in favor of this proposal, and I can't wait to see how it turns out. I'm sure it'll be amazing. Thank you. Great. Thank you, panel members. Are there any panel members who wish to speak? Now that we've heard from our Staten Island representatives, any other panel members wish to speak? Panel Member Borelli, also you're a Staten Island resident,
do you wish to say anything? If you wish to. You're not- I'd love to. Yeah. Yes. I just want to say how supportive I am of this. My wife is a D-75 teacher here on Staten Island, and she works at a number of sites. Most of them are co-located, so this is an issue that I do get to hear about quite frequently, the good and the bad, and just happy to support it. Thank you. Great. Thank you. Any other panel members? I don't see any other hands. Let's proceed, I assume now, to a vote. Is there a motion for unanimous consent on this resolution? So moved. It's been moved and seconded that this motion be adopted by unanimous
consent. Excuse me? Okay, yes. Is there objection to unanimous consent? Seeing no objection to unanimous consent, the motion is adopted. Congratulations. Thank you very much. I always say this, it is also a tribute to the work that's been done by the folks in the community, by the staff, when you get the panel to agree to do something unanimously in unanimous consent, how important that is and significant it is, and it's a testament to the work that's been done. So thank you very much for your efforts in helping us to achieve that, and allowing the secretary not to have to call the roll. I'm sure the secretary appreciates that as well. So thank you.
Our next item on the agenda is consideration of contracts, and I'll turn to our contract committee chair, Faradji Hanna-Jones. Where's Faradji? There you are, sir. Hello. Yes. My name is Faradji Hanna-Jones. I'm the contract committee chair. We are in the process of scheduling our next contract committee for next month, so you will be getting some information about that. Our current contracts that we have are generally released to the public eight days before our PEP meeting. Am I right about that?
No, not eight days to the public? 10 days. All right. Correction. 10 days before the PEP meeting. The panel will consider the resolution to enter into contracts. Public comment on the contracts will take place before the panel votes. We have our school utilization propo- Never mind. That is it. Okay. The secretary went and didn't add. The resolution up for consideration is entitled The Resolution for S- sorry, To Enter Into Contracts Agreement for Items 1 through 28. Is there a second to the resolution? Is there a second on the motion?
Seconded by Panel Member Garcia. We will now move to public comment on the resolution. There are no speakers signed up for public comment. Okay. We'll now move to panel member comments on the resolution. Are there any panel member comments? Yes, Panel Member Cassaratti. Hey, good evening, everyone. Camille Cassaratti, Brooklyn Borough President appointee. I want to talk briefly about the emergency busing contracts. I just want to say, I'm sure it's frustrating for you all. It's frustrating for me, too, to see these emergency bus
contracts every two months. But these contracts matter enormously for student safety, stability, and learning time. So I'm going to be voting yes, but once again, I'm urging our state legislators to pass the Senate Bill 1018 and the Assembly Bill 8440. Our students deserve consistent, safe transportation, our families deserve reliability, and our bus drivers deserve respect. Please call your senator and assembly person tonight.
Time is of the essence. Leave a voicemail saying you support Senate Bill 1018 and Assembly Bill A-8440. The Senate will be voting in the coming days, hopefully before the session ends, and we need everybody's support for this. So thank you so much. Okay. Thank you. Are there any additional comments from panel members? Yes. I can't see the hand. Yeah, Panel Member Alisea. Good evening again, everyone. Adriana Alisea, she, her, still here for Queens CECs. I have a few concerns specifically about
contract agenda item number two, and it's more so concerns with how we are proceeding with protecting our students' data and our students' privacy. This contract agenda says-That the recommended vendor services introduce shifts in pedagogy and provide direction on efficient and effective ways to use student data to inform instructional practices and improve student achievement. I'm very confused as to why we are entering into contracts or working with any vendors who are
going to use our students' data in any form or fashion when we were recently audited, and the state has found that our protections for our students' data and privacy are lacking. They have been found wanting. So I just hope that the conversations that we have surrounding contracts, or proposed contracts rather, do not get only sucked into the conversation about AI. There are other things that are happening that put our students at risk. Thank you. Thank you. Any other panel comments? Panel member comments? I don't see any additional hands. Let's proceed to a vote. Secretary will call the roll. Alicea? No on two, yes to everything else.
Altman? No on two, yes to everything else. Boggan? Yes to all. Borelli? Yes. Cassaretty? Yes to all. Dr. Collins? Yes to all. Dean-Stagg? Yes to all. Fair? Yes to all. Garcia? Giordano? Yes to all. Vice Chair Dr. Green? Yes to all. Hannah Jones? Yes to all. Jimenez? Yes to all. Dr. Odwan? Yes to all. Ong? Yes to all. Parsons? Yes to all. Sab? Yes. Chair Faulkner? Yes to all. The motion carries. Items one, three through 28 pass unanimously. Item two had two no's. Yeah. Okay, great. Thank you very much, panel members. We will now move to several resolutions which we have on the
agenda. The first resolution I'll ask secretary to present, and then we will open up for public comment. The first resolution up for consideration is entitled the resolution to support food equity, in-house kitchen facilities, and staff funding for New York City public schools. And I'll first recognize the maker of the motion, panel member Altman, if you'd like to offer any comments before we proceed to open it up for the public. Yes. Thank you so much. Sure. So I actually wrote this. Usually I just speak, but I really wanted to make sure that I encompassed everything and the importance of this resolution and the reason why I wrote it.
When circumstances exist for months, years, or even decades, the questions on why we ended up here become less. They fade away into complacency and compliance. It is the way it is. But should it be? Are there other options and new opportunities that make us re-ask the question, can we do better? The Satellite Food Program is one of these programs. In a system as massive and complex as a New York City public school, it's amazing how it functions feeding over one million students, both in public
and charter schools every single day. I struggle just deciding what to make for dinner or what groceries I need for the week, and how much will it cost? And that last question, I think we all feel that. Food costs have increased 25% in the last five years in New York City. That's sourced from the Comptroller's office. A city that is already notoriously known for how expensive it is to just exist here, and we all feel that strain. School food has become more crucial than ever, but it's
unequal. Some schools have choice, fresh salad bars, multiple options, selections, and friendly staff to serve, customize, and even cater to students' needs on demand, fostering a healthy food culture and conversation. While other sites, specifically 408 of them, 50,000 students lack the space in their schools or the funding due to small sizes or other reasons. The New York City Public School Office of Food and Nutrition has found a way
to feed these students daily through feeder sites and their staff, creating these meals to be transported to the receiver sites. There's a lot of moving parts in this process, and it comes with its own set of constraints and limitations. They can do so much more if they were in-house, in the school to provide the same equitable fresh food experience that the other 950,000 students enjoy every day in the city. Imagine buying a house, either pre-built or bought, but without
a kitchen. Would you want to live there? But that's what schools are to many students. It's a second home, and for some students, it's their only home. Compliance, more and more school buildings are retrofitted from office spaces, where some schools have the kitchenware but lack the staff funding. And I'm going to repeat that number. There are 408 schools and 50,000 students that do not have in-house kitchen facilities or fresh daily food. My resolution asks the School Construction Authority to partner and collaborate with the Office of Food Nutrition to solve this
problem that has existed under the radar for decades, providing solutions to these students so they know that they're not less than or forgotten. Thank you. Thank you very much, panel member. And I also want to just comment on the work that you've been doing as chair of our Committee on Food and Nutrition Services. You've been out in the community, you've been out talking to folks, you've been meeting with people in this very short period of time and culminating in this resolution. So I just want to let you know that we recognize your work and recognize the commitment, and that it is having an impact. And I think I'm pretty confident I speak for the entire panel in saying thank you for
your work and the work that you've been doing over the last few months. Thank you very much. Are there any panel member-- Well, let's go to public comment. We have Vinnie Dong signed up. I don't- We can move on. Yeah. Is Vinnie here? No, Vinnie's gone. Okay. Other panel members who wish to comment? Okay. I'd be happy to entertain a motion for unanimous consent to adopt this resolution. Is there a motion? Sorry. Yes. Yes. Okay. I'm sorry, I stole your thunder. I'm sorry. It's been moved and seconded that this motion be adopted by unanimous consent. Is there objection to unanimous consent? Second. Okay, hearing no objection to unanimous consent, the motion is adopted again, and thank you very much, panel member.
Okay. The next resolution is the resolution on class size compliance law. The next resolution up for consideration is entitled the Resolution for a Comprehensive Class Size Law Compliance Plan. And I'm the author of the resolution, so I recognize myself. And I'm going to forego speaking. I think this resolution's self-evident. It's about really, one, being thankful for the work that the department has already been doing on reducing class sizes, and really recognizes the importance of reducing class size on the academic achievement of our students. And so I think it's important for the panel to-- When we're doing
resolutions, I think it's important that the panel take positions, and has been noted that when we take these positions, it does have an impact on public policy, and so that's the purpose of, they aren't just passing things to pass resolutions. They actually do have some significance, and in some cases, get picked up by the media, and then adds to the ability to move policy forward. So are there any public comments on the resolution? Public sign-ups? There are no public sign-ups for the resolution. Are any panel members interested in commenting on the resolution? Yes, panel member. I know we spoke about this, but, as of today, I did not see the updated
amendment that we agreed on. So I just wanted to, while we're here, to make a motion to amend the resolution to add that line, "Let it be resolved that any class size mandate compliance does not compete for the existing space allocated to provide federally mandated IEP services for special education students, which require privacy during its sessions." Sure. Is there an objection if we incorporate that into the original resolution? Okay. So we'll incorporate that into the original resolution, and we'll now vote on the amended resolution. Is there a motion for unanimous consent? Or did you want to
comment? Yeah, I only just wanted to say that I would like to co-sponsor both of those resolutions. Okay. You know what we'll do as a policy, we will allow co-sponsorship to remain open 24 hours after the meeting of adoption, so this way people who might not have had a chance will be able to do that. So we'll just make that a policy going forward, that if you haven't had a chance to see it or review it, you can co-sponsor and sign on within 24 hours after the resolution's adopted. Are there any other comments? Okay, let's proceed to-- Is there a conflict of interest if I ask for a unanimous
resolution on my own resolution? That seems unfair, I guess. I hope not. Oh, I just heard the lawyer say it's okay. So, is there a motion for unanimous consent on the adoption of the resolution? So moved. Okay. Is there objection to unanimous consent? Hearing no objection to unanimous consent, the motion is adopted, the resolution is adopted. Thank you very much. By the way, I should note we're about to make history. I'm looking at my time here, and so let's hit that goal and make some history here. We'll now move to general public comment. The first group of speakers, Daniel Master,
Jessica Vadur, Anita Lermant, Jimmy Amadeo, Tanaya Nasir Frederick, and Riley Pimpinelli. You can begin as soon as you are at the mic. Okay. My name's Dan Master. I'm legal counsel to Staten Islands Borough President Vito Fossella, and this is his testimony. I may need an extra minute for my- Excuse me? Staten Islanders were happy to hear about- I didn't hear your last comment. I need a-- I have to let you know that that won't be granted. You need to stay within the timeframe. Okay. Timeframe is two and a half minute. Staten Islanders were happy to hear about the opening of a new public arts high school in New York City, the Bronx School of Hip Hop,
because Staten Islanders appreciate arts and arts education. But as we celebrated this announcement, we're somewhat dismayed because this will be the sixth New York City public arts high school in the Bronx, where Staten Island's been requesting a standalone public arts high school for many years, and we've received nothing. The city's failure to act is even more puzzling given the stated policy of the Panel for Educational Policy that you want to promote equity in educationThat's what we want. Why is it that the other boroughs have multiple standalone public arts high
schools, well, as many as six in other boroughs, we don't have one? Staten Island's population of 505,000 people, we're as large as the city of Miami, but no school for the arts? Then why does the Bronx, with a population of 1.4 million, less than three times the size of the population of Staten Island, merit six public arts high schools to Staten Island's none? There is no metric that justifies this. The PEP bylaws also say that they try to ensure that all students have equal access to opportunity and resources needed to reach full
potential, unquote. Staten Island students deserve the same opportunities and resources you've already given to every student in every one of the other four boroughs. Every elected official on Staten Island, Republicans and Democrats, supports this proposal. We've already scoped out a possible site for the school where the city would not have to purchase the land. In fact, a draft feasibility report of an arts high school proposal for a site at Snug Harbor was already performed by the SCA, and I would just like to read their key finding. Quote, "The proposed performing arts school at Snug Harbor represents a
unique-" Excuse me. Your time has expired. "... compelling opportunity-" Excuse me. Speaker's time has expired. What you could do, if you could send us that testimony, and I'm going to refer it to our school utilization committee. I think this is-- Unless the panel members dispute. Say it again? Okay. So because I haven't heard of this, but I was not unaware of this, so I'm glad that you're bringing it to us. We'll refer it to committee. We'll take a look at it. You can also send it to our-- Well, I think you're going to make a connection so that we get a copy of it, and we'll follow up. Okay. Next- I'll end up- Next ... approximately 18 copies, if you would like. Okay. Well, just leave them. You can leave them with the folks in the back.
Okay. Okay, and I think our chair is coming down to connect with you. Okay, next speaker. Good afternoon, panel. My name is Jessica Vidor, and I am the president and CEO at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden. And just to follow, this past fall, the Department of Education commissioned a feasibility report prepared by the School Construction Authority architects, and the report makes something very clear, and that is that Snug Harbor presents a rare and a very compelling opportunity to create a performing arts high
school unlike any other in New York City. Our campus is already a living, breathing ecosystem of the arts, and students at Snug Harbor would be surrounded by museums, galleries, theaters, and working artists, learning not just in classrooms, but in an immersive, creative environment that exists nowhere else in the city. The report confirms that this setting offers extraordinary educational potential, while also acknowledging that realizing this vision will require continued coordination, thoughtful planning, and a strong partnership moving forward. The vision is very well-supported by our
elected officials in Staten Island, including Borough President Fossella, council members Hanks, Morano, and Carr, along with our state elected officials as well. They've all recognized the importance of bringing a performing arts high school to Staten Island, and really what matters is what comes next. We're asking the panel, and the policy committee, and the School Construction Authority to continue forward engaging deeply with Snug Harbor, with our board of directors, and with our community stakeholders to build on this report and move the vision
closer to a reality. Because this isn't just about a school, it's about access, it's about equity, and it's about ensuring that Staten Island students have the same opportunities as their peers across New York City. And at Snug Harbor, we are ready, we're committed, and we believe deeply in what this could become. But we've waited long enough, and we're asking you to ensure that this does not become just another study that sits on a shelf, but a project that moves forward with an urgency in partnership with our community. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Anita Laramont, and I am the chair of
the board of Snug Harbor and a Staten Island resident. I'm really happy to speak to the panel on education policy to advocate for continued dialogue and exploration with DOE to explore the feasibility of siting a performing arts high school here at Snug Harbor. As has been discussed, a feasibility assessment was completed last fall, but we haven't seen any movement since that occurred. We're mindful that there's been a change of administration, but we'd like this dialogue to continue. The feasibility study highlighted a number of areas that would require
additional discussion with Snug Harbor, and our board would need to understand both the program contemplated, including its size, how it would fit into our campus, whether solely through using existing facilities or by exploring the notion of building new space, and how the project would be financed. Without much more detail, we really can't discharge our fiduciary responsibilities as overseers of the campus. We would very much like to resume a dialogue to explore issues raised in the feasibility study, particularly focused on the potential size of the
school and how DOE and Snug Harbor might be able to work to deliberate on the project. We're asking that DOE pick up where it left off so that we can get to a place of understanding how this project, which has been stated as a borough president- and elected local officials'- priority, might advance. We stand ready to work with DOE on this effort. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Riley on behalf of Magma Math, and before anything else, I want to say what this city has built deserves massive recognition. NYC Solves made a bet on New York
City's students, a bet they are capable of deep mathematical thinking.That they deserve instruction built around their reasoning, not just their answers. That real student-to-student, idea-to-idea conversation can be the engine of a math classroom, and that bet is paying off. And the numbers tell a story. Magma Math is now active across 12 New York City districts, 10 schools in District 19, 29 in District 27, and growing everywhere in between. Magma is the show your work math classroom tool. Schools are choosing Magma regardless of which core curriculum they use,
because Magma doesn't compete with great curriculum, it amplifies it. Student thinking becomes visible, visible thinking sparks discourse, and discourse builds mathematicians. This is exactly what NYC Solve set out to create, and you are creating it. With Magma Math, three in four teachers report stronger student engagement, nine out of 10 say they are more effective in the classroom. And now Magma Math carries ESSA Level 2 certification, federally recognized, independently verified proof that our approach produces real measurable gains for students. We're proud of that recognition,
but more than that, we're proud of the partnership that made it meaningful. New York City students are winning, their teachers are winning, the Knicks are winning, this initiative is winning. We celebrate you, and we are committed to making sure every school in this city gets to experience what you've built here. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. I got to confess with you, at first we thought you said Magna, Maga Math. Magma. Magna. Magma Math. Okay, good. Yes. Good. Good. I'm glad you clarified that because I was already saying, "Wait a minute, what's going on here?" Okay. Yes. Hi, my name's Tanaya. I'm with the Collaborative Research Center for Resilience, and we are
training our focus on the ed tech vendor landscape. And I know you've heard a lot about AI guidelines and criticism of them, but I just want to keep the flavor of that criticism in your ears. The guidelines stamp a red light on student data being used to train AI models, and while that seems reasonable, it also reflects what seems to be a lack of understanding on the part of DOE in terms of what currently contracted vendors are doing. And there's two prominent examples that I know of for this, in which this sort of slippery semantic terrain,
there's this terrain on which vendors are proposing to comply with these guardrails. HMH claims that their AI supports, such as Writeable and Grammarade, don't collect student writing samples, but the company does readily admit to collecting the AI-generated feedback on students' writing. This feedback reiterates and evaluates the student's writing. So the company's training their models on sensitive information while claiming they don't. The AI reading tutor Amira makes the distinction between training their models on students' recorded voices and training their models on the recorded vowel sounds that students are producing.
We could argue that such a distinction is meaningless, especially when we keep in mind that the issue isn't just privacy, but whether we choose to accept a reality where students are providing free labor for the benefit of companies. By the framework's own AI definition on top of the guidance, many AI-enabled products exist because their function is to collect data from many sources and make sense of it. That capability is the product. Building systems whose core purpose or capability is data aggregation, especially in AI-enabled assessment-based ed tech, and then deploying them inside a
system that serves children, is itself an opening to surveillance, regardless of whether any individual vendor intends that use. All right, I'm out of time. Thanks. Okay, great. Thank you. Good evening panel, everyone in the audience. My name is Jimmy Amadeo, and my colleague Katherine Chango. We're here representing Consolidated Bus, Borough Transit, and S&T Bus to deliver the message that we are concerned with getting students to school on time and safely. If anyone's having a hard time with that, I want to be there for them. So please communicate, let me help. Thank you.
Thank you. That's it. That concludes our public speaker list. We'll now move to panel member comments. Panel member Sapp, did you want to comment? Saying that the gentleman from the bus company spoke a few times, and I was just wondering how readily available is this information for people to follow up, if that was his objective? Yeah, I get... Well, he's directed it. Did you want to comment? I guess the question is, how would people get in contact with you if they wanted to reach out? I've been attending these meetings. Anyone can access me. I've been attending multiple Zoom meetings, district meetings, any busing and
communication meetings online, handing out my card, just trying to get something going, and I'm here at any time giving out cell phone, emails, and anyone can reach me at any time. Okay. Is there a general email that you would have that's public or something that you would want to make available? Um- I think that's what... Is that what the panel member's asking? Yes. Yeah. I have a personal email. Well, we won't want your personal email. I wouldn't do that. But if you have a business communication email or maybe one of the things that might help is if you set up a communication vehicle and when you come, you can hand that out and public members, parents
who might have complaints or concerns, you would be able to catalog those. Sure. Without a doubt. And then I guess if I have the access now, can I just leave the telephone number? Yeah. You have the telephone number for the company is 718-346-9600. Sure. That's for Consolidated. Again, anything we can do- So I guess this would be a request. One of the things that would help is to set up a general line that parents that want to reach outUm, in general could reach out and communicate concerns, latenesses, or any other issues. That way... And then in some ways we might even
be able to access that to look at how the complaints come in and begin to monitor. Is that something, panel member? Is that sort of, or did you want to add something else? Yes. We- Go to the mic. I can't- I just, you know, true transparency, the optics of you showing up is one thing. The purposefulness of giving the information where it needs to be so people can actually reach out is something totally different. So I think you should just create a channel where people can call you even if
you're not there. Without a doubt. That's the number they can call. That goes straight to dispatch. We have people manning those phone calls, uh, in our department. They obviously have contact with OPT any issues that they have. And if you do call that number, you could always ask for Jimmy. I'm there, they'll connect it with me, and I take it personally that I will take care of their issues. Great. You can always call and ask for Jimmy, please. Okay, yeah. Point of information? Solidarity covers what routes, what areas? Do we know that? Because that's your- Well, let's not do that here. That's a lot. That's complicated. Well- We can follow up with you and let you know what the...
It's not a simple, you know, as that. Any other panel member comments? Yes, Panel Member Cassaratti. Staten Island reps. With regard to? I'm not understanding your question. I was saying, if the Staten Island reps would like to speak first, I'm happy to step aside. Is there any... We normally didn't show preference with public comment to- Okay ... general representation. That's- Just trying to be polite ... I prefer. Good evening, everybody. So, Camille Cassaratti, Brooklyn Borough President appointee. I just wanted to flag that on our next
PEP meeting, which is going to be June 17th in Brooklyn, we will be voting on four modifications and amendments to chancellor's regulations. As you may or may not know, the DOE is regularly updating regulations. Some of these might be due to changes in the law, or they might be due to public comment feedback, just changes in process and procedure. And so in this case, we are going to be looking at Chancellor's Regulation A210, which is the standards for attendance
programs. A450, which is involuntary transfer procedures, A655, school and district leadership teams, and A750, child abuse and maltreatment prevention. Right now there's an open public comment period and substantive revisions can be made until June 2nd. So while your comments can be accepted throughout, up until the time of our meeting, during our meeting,
if you do have something that you would like to see, and discussions about making those changes happen, they really need to get submitted before June 2nd. I know that a few of you have made comments through the PEP written public feedback comment form, and I saw those, and I forwarded them to the appropriate emails for the public comment. So, please do take the time to review. They're on the PEP
webpage under the June 17th meeting. So just realize, while the DOE is constantly looking at chancellor's regulations, it's unlikely that there will be revisions to these any time in the near future, after this date. So please, please, please, do pay attention to these really important policies and procedures and email your comments directly to the email that is provided. All four of the regulations have different email
addresses and just for example, A210, the email address is regulationa-210@schools.nyc.gov, and they all follow that same format. So, thank you so much. Thank you. Okay. Any other panel member? Yes. To counsel- D'Agnolo ... to the counsel from Vito Fossella's office. In December of this year, the night before we approved the Bronx Hip Hop High School, I met Mr. Divine Diggs at Assemblyman Fossella's event, and he has personally come back to Staten Island to give back to the community.
So I would like to, after the meeting, perhaps connect you. And if you don't know, Mr. Divine Diggs is the business manager and the brother of the RZA, the business manager for the Wu-Tang Clan, and really desperately wants to work hard with the community, so I'd definitely like to connect you. And definitely would be interested in working with you on a school for performing arts. Any other comment? Yes, panel member. Good evening, everyone. I just wanted to take a moment to uplift an elementary school that I think really should be acknowledged for the great work that they do with the-... um, preschool students.
So I know that early childhood education is near and dear to a lot of us, especially the current administration, and for that reason, I'd like to shout out the Elias Howe School, which is PS 51 in Hell's Kitchen. There is kindness, professionalism, and transparency at all times. Since my son started there, in pre-K, I have never once worried about his safety, happiness, or educational experience, and I know for any parent to have that good feeling is really just priceless. Principal Stephanie Lucas, Assistant Principal Dana Shattin, and their
team should be the standard for all early childhood education programs across New York City, because every one of our babies deserves the same love, care, and quality education, regardless of their community or location within the five boroughs. Thank you. Thank you very much, panel member. And I'd also remind panel members that we have a tradition, well, maybe it's not a tradition, but something we do practice, that we do recognize formally those groups that have done significant service. And panel members, if you have anyone that you feel merits that kind of recognition, you should present it
to us. We'll do the vetting and then perhaps bring them to a panel meeting and do a more formal thank you if they're doing great work that should be recognized. So that process is available to everybody, and I know one or two panel members have taken advantage of that. We've made some recognitions, and it means a lot to the folks that people are paying attention, and especially that the panel is paying attention to the work that's being done. Are there any other panel member comments? Yes, Panel Member Alicea? Good evening again, everyone. It's- Hello? Yes. Good evening again, everyone.
Adriana Alicea, she/her, here for Queens CECs. A few months ago, I made a comment at one of our meetings that I feel that it is deeply inappropriate for any of our vendors or prospective vendors to use this space to either advertise their products or, and especially make unsubstantiated claims about their products. I think that in the future, if any vendor is coming and making comments about the meaningful gains that they have seen with this product or the meaningful gains that other schools that have
utilized this product have seen, I think it's imperative that they provide that data to the panel. We've seen multiple times where members of the public have been able to do so, and I think that if you run an ed tech company and you are interested in having your tech be in our schools, you should be able to very easily provide very simple metrics, very simple data that proves your concept. Further to that, please bring more books into our schools. Thanks. Good night, everyone. Sure. Yeah. Okay. Are there any panel member comment? Yes, Panel Member Altman. This is just a general comment, because we are at the end of our term on the
panel. So I just wanted to say that it's been both a privilege and a pleasure to serve on the panel. And parents, you have the power to get involved, to serve in community positions. It's a lot of work, but it's also a lot of reward. You get to change lives every day. You get to be in the rooms where things happen. You're not just complaining, you're collaborating. You're actually making the changes that you want to see in the world and making it a better place. I just want to say, consider getting involved in your PTA, your SLT, the CEC 31, the
PEP. There are many layers and levels of involvement, and I just wanted to say it's been an honor serving, and I just wish that more parents get involved- Just one ... because you can make the changes you want to see for your students and for your children. Thank you. Thank you very much, panel member. And just following up on that there, you mentioned ways of getting involved with the panel. I will say again, if you're interested, all the panel committees are open to public participation. So if there's a topic in an area that you're interested in, you're certainly invited to connect with me and indicate an interest in a particular committee, and we'll assign you to that committee.
So there are multiple ways of the public being involved, for parents to get involved in drawing the panel closer to the community and closer particularly to parent engagement. It's very important. We acknowledge, and I think we've had to acknowledge in order to be able to accept the challenge of doing better, that we have not always in the past done as great around parent engagement. But that we're making improvements to improve our parent engagement process. This is all under the moniker with our chancellor and with the mayor of how we create a school governance that is
cooperative, where we're working together, as a community, and I think this is all in that same spirit. So I will formally let you know that all of our panel committees are open, and we invite you to participate with the panel. Join us, work with us, critique us, criticize us when we need it. It makes us do better. Sometimes it's hard to hear, but it actually does... We listen very carefully to what's being said. Difficult dialogue is sometimes very important because what it does is, if you take it to heart, you can come back and do something that's a little bit
better. So I hope that you will take that challenge and run with it. Any other panel member comments? I don't see any other panel member comments because we're about to make history. If there are no other panel member comments, it is 7:49 in the evening. Let's go. And, so seeing that there is no other further business before tonight's meeting of the Panel for Education Policy, our next meeting is June 17th at Prospect Heights High School, and if we are able to do this when we come to Staten Island, I propose
that all of our meetings be held in Staten Island. But that meeting is adjourned.