Call to order formally the Wednesday March 12th meeting of the Panel for Education policy. Um, please note that the meeting is being live streamed over the internet and recorded for posting on the New York City Public School's website, uh, with a transcript and minutes of action to follow. If you signed up to for public comment on an issue related to your student or your school's, uh, personnel, please speak with a member of the New York City Public School staff in the audience. Those individuals will be able to take down detailed specific information
and provide direct follow up. If you wish to, um, engage with the panel directly, you can always, uh, reach us. Um, um, you can always reach out to us at, uh, through our website. It's really, you know, we enjoy hearing from members of the public. Um, having said that, I'd now like to call our secretary, secretary Nathan, please call the role. Sure. Um, please, um, indicate if you're present when I call the names. Um, Marielle Ali. Present, Adriana Ali. Present. PB Shaday Arnold Present.
Shirley Ban Present. Aaron Boad is absent. Camille Retti Present. Marjorie Dsag. Present. Amy Fair Present? Anita Garcia Present Anthony Giordano on his way. Uh, vice chair. Dr. Angela Green, present. Navid Hassam. Present. Alice Ho present? Rema iso, uh, Dr. Darling Meme. Present. Dr. Sharon Owin.
Present Alan Ong Absent. Maisha Zapp Present Tom Shepherd Present. Venus Sen is absent. Uh, Manny Tre and chair Gregory Faulkner. Present, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 14 14, 15, 16. There are 16 voting members present. So we have a quorum, um, on behalf of comp controller. Brad Lander is Lara Lara la
And is the chancellor coming tonight? Kenita. So Kenita, you purpose standing in for the Chancellor? And I don't believe our student members are here tonight. Is that true? No, I can see them. Okay. Okay, great. Thank you. Therefore, our first order of business this evening will be the approval of minutes from our, um, February 26th meeting. Is there a motion for unanimous consent to adopt the minutes from February 26th? Is there, so move then. Seconded. Is there any objection to unanimous consent on the approval of the minutes of February 26th? Seeing no objection, the minutes
of February 26th are adopted. Um, you know, I I, before we move into sort of our, our, our business section, I just wanted to take, as I always like to do, take a moment to thank members of the panel for the work that has been done this month and last month. I know that last month we had two meetings and I think we're headed that we're headed that way, this, uh, month also. So I want to thank the panel for the work. Lots of engagement meetings, lots of, uh, school tours. And, uh, so I think a lot of times people think that the work of the panel takes place only on
this night at this meeting. And, uh, I think it's important for them to know that all of you devote considerable hours and of time and work and, uh, and doing work outside of the, uh, normal meetings. I just wanted to express my appreciation for the work that you've been doing, um, throughout this past, um, uh, you know, month in this past weeks. Um, let me, as we move into the, uh, procedure that we'll follow up for public comment, um, I wanted to, um, sort of lay out the rules, uh, for public comment during this, uh, presentation during public comment periods.
Everyone who has signed up to speak on a specific agenda item will be a allocated up to two and a half minutes. I'll ask our secretary, secretary, Nathan to, uh, call forward speakers from the signup sheets and keep an eye on the clock to ensure that speakers finish their comments within the allotted time. Additional time will be allow allocated to provide for necessary assistance to help facilitate comments that might require translation. We will call speakers up in groups of five. The clock will indicate the amount of time remaining for each speaker, and a light will flash when that, uh,
when there is one minute remaining. So speakers will know that their time is about to expire and will begin to, uh, conclude their comments at conclusion of each speaker's time. We'll move on to the next speaker. If a speaker's not here when their time is, when the name is called, we will move on to the next speaker. Once you're, you, once we've done so, you will not be able to redeem your place in the queue. This portion of the, uh, public comment is only for agenda items being voted on at tonight's 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 stationed by the microphone who will move you to the open comment section. Again, comments during this section of the meeting are only for those resolutions or proposals up for, uh, consideration at tonight's meeting, um, the next sort of businesses. Um, we will first hear from our, uh, student comments. Are there any student comments that might, yes, there's one student signed up. Uh, d Is our student signed up to speak? Steve, coming on? No, we just signed up. Um, what?
Hi. Hi, how are you? Hi, my name is Divan. That's okay. Welcome. Welcome to the panel. My name is Greg. So welcome to the panel. Thank you. A deep breath. I would like to do a speech about my school. Which, which school is that? Aa, Philip Rand's for School for Humanity. Great. Great. Do you like the school? Yes. A lot. What do you like about the school? I like about the school is that they give us
good education and they teach us the things that we will need to learn to be able to get through the grade. Great. And what is your teacher's name? Ms. Wilkerson. Is she a good teacher? No. Don't answer that. Don't, I don't wanna get you in trouble. Okay. Is there anything else you'd like us to know? Is there something we can make the school better You? Yes. Uh oh. Uh, middle school is getting more of the attention instead
of elementary. Okay. I would like for elementary to be getting some more attention. Be Great. You, you Academics and Great. You do. You're doing a very good job. I want to thank you for coming and speaking to the panel. And, and I wanna make note that, you know, we hope that this will be something that as you get older, that this level of engagement and civic engagement and coming to meetings and, and making the voice
of your community heard is gonna be very important. Who's, who's the lady standing behind you? My Mom. Okay, mom, thank you. Thank you, mom. And I, I think, I think, I think what you're doing is important in encouraging that level of participation with your, with your daughter. And, uh, hopefully it'll continue. And so I want to thank you. Thank you. Sure. Thank you. Thanks. So I, I think that there are no other, um, student commenters. Um, so we'll move on to the first item on the agenda, which is the, um, the first voting item, which will be the consideration of amendments
to the panel bylaws. Um, secretary Nathan, could you introduce the resolution? Sure. The resolution up for approval is entitled Resolution to Amend the Bylaws Pursuant to February 24th, unanimous Committee recommendation. Okay. Is there a motion to, um, accept this, uh, amendment all moved? Is there a second? Second? Who moved? And second. It'll now move to public comment. Um, Kimberly, wait. No, no, sorry. Johan, Johanna Borkin, Shaki Carmichael,
Launa Gray, and Qui Manley. You can make your way down to the microphone and if you would introduce yourself before you begin speaking, that would be great as well. Hi, my name is Qui Manley. Um, I am here to speak on behalf of PSIS 76. So I'm a new parent at this school. It's my first time I, I'm gonna interrupt you. This is, you're, you're a little bit of headache again, I'm sorry. We welcome those comments, but those will come when we have a motion. I guess that'll be under the proposals for school utilization. Okay. And, uh, we'll get a chance, but I appreciate that enthusiasm.
Okay. So, uh, please signed up, but so can I come back later? Yeah, you signed up for, you signed up inadvertently to speak about the panel bylaws. Okay. Um, so we'll call you, we'll move you to that appropriate section, and then we'll call on you to come up. All right. Thank you so, and speak at that time. All thank you. Okay, great. Thank you. Is there anyone else that signed up for public comment on bylaws? I mean, I go, I can go. Thanks. Okay. Okay. Nope. So, so then we'll move now to panel member comments. Are there any panel members who have, uh, comments regarding the, um, amendment opposed amendments to the, uh, bylaws? Yes. Panel Member Shepherd. Thank you. Chair Faulkner. Um,
I guess I would just have a kind of simple request, um, in the documentation and things that were done online. Um, it's not really clear about what the changes in bylaws are. It just has like posted what those bylaws, what the bylaw, what we're voting on. Mm-hmm. But it doesn't indicate what we like, what we're changing. Um, and I think there's no real clarity about what the changes in bylaws are, and I just think it might be important for the community to understand that. So I was just wondering if, um,
we could take a moment and do that. Okay. Yes. Pen. Um, I had the same concern that Tom had, but I did actually notice that in the internal paperwork that we received, um, there were marks on the side and there were, um, line items and bread and it was much clearer. So, um, I think for the sake of transparency for the public, um, we should probably table this just just to, I'm not tabling it,
I'm just talking right now. But, um, other things that I noticed is there's, um, well, if we could put page numbers, that would be helpful too for, for the sake of reference. 'cause now I don't know where this is, but it, there's a point in here that talks about during our briefings, um, there's no recording allowed. And so I wonder if that includes the AI note takers because, you know, I like to be there
for the bulk of the briefings. Um, but a lot of people are not there and there's a lot of AI note takers popping up. And so to me that line item means that that's not allowed. So I just wanted some clarity there. Um, and then another thing, and I'm sorry that I wasn't more actively involved in the design and comments here. The meeting times that you all were meeting just wasn't working for me and I didn't have enough notice to schedule it. Um, but it would be great if we could add,
have hybrid public comments. Say that Again? Like, just have a hybrid public comment opportunity. I know that some of the names that, uh, Liz called, I'm sorry, Judy called, um, had been texting me saying, did they institute hybrid public comment? They just like assumed it had happened. She's asking For a hybrid meeting, basically. Is that you're, or just a hybrid? No, I'm nothing for hybrid public comment. Okay. Like, just that the people Who want to make comments could sign up. Okay. And make comments for public. So, so any panel could, that could be a recommendation
that you could make as a recommendation to the committee that they consider that. So that would be proposal that you would wanna put forward and you would, you know, certainly have an opportunity to do that. I understand that these were sent out, um, well in advance even, and there was, and we didn't receive, from my understanding, there were, there were no comments from any panel member and they were sent out. At least I'm gonna be generous and say a month ago. And we did not receive any public comment during that time. So even if, even if a person's not able to attend the meeting, um, there were opportunities available for members of the panel to make comment, uh, regarding that.
However, um, this is really at the pleasure of the panel. So is there a motion or do we move on for further discussion? What is the panel's interest in at this point? Um, chair Walker? Yes. Um, I move that we table a vote on changes to the bylaws until our April 23rd meeting. Okay. Is there a second to the motion to table? Is there a second? Um, we'll move on. Is there any, I assume no discussion. Let's just move on to a vote on the motion to table. Um, the secretary, please call the roll. I will call your names. And a yes vote is in favor of tabling and no is to continue tonight with the vote.
Um, member Ali? Yes. Member Ali. Say yes. Um, member Arnold? No. Member bin? No. Uh, member Casre? Yes. Member Deans? No. Member Fair? No. Member Garcia? No. Member Green? No. Member Hassan? Yes. Uh, member Ho? No. Uh, member Meme. Upstate Member Owin? No.
A member. Sap? No. Member Shepherd? Yes. Member. Um, and Sheriff Faulkner. And I just wanna make, has anybody else, I don't think anyone else has shown up in the interim, right? 2, 4, 5, 6. Um, I, I'm gonna abstain. Uh, the motion does not carry. There are six in favor. Eight opposed? And two abstentions. So the motion to table fails, that means we'll continue a discussion on the, uh, on the amendment, on the, um, amendments of the bylaws. Chair Walker? Yes.
Thank you. Um, I think what I, the, the only thing that I'll add is, is for the sake of transparency. And it's not whether I agree with the changes to the bylaws or not. Um, I just think because of the way that it's presented to the community, um, that it's not clear to them what those changes are. Um, I would not be in favor of supporting changes to the bylaws at this time. Thank you. Okay. Are there any additional comments? Yes. Item Alban. So The reason why I didn't wanna table, 'cause this was tabled since October, you know,
we had discussions since October about these amended changes. We had a bylaws committee meeting February 24th. It's recorded, it's put in on the platform and between now and then, there was plenty of times to add more amendments or any other questions. I'm like, this is October. We're in March. That's a long tabling. We, I wanted to table it last time. So everybody has an opportunity to participate in the bylaws amendments. 'cause it affects all of us, right. The more, but you know, it's March now and some of these, most, some of these amendments are
to bring us current and to be in compliance with the law Council. We should here and track. So it is available. Yeah. We're just checking. But the changes were highlighted in the, to the public and they were high, the changes were highlighted in red. Yeah, I, I printed out the online document. They're on the, under the bylaws committee, um, of February 24th. But that was not the announcement. Yeah. That went out. I know note the public announcement for this meeting
where the documents are attached on the agenda. The agenda item that is attached, the agenda item that is attached to this agenda for this evening does not have any of the comments on it. I can pass this down to you if you wanna see it. Okay. Yeah. Chair, partner. Is there any further discussion? Yeah. Yeah. The only reason why I bring it up that way is I'm looking at the website literally like right now. And, you know, when we have proposed changes
to chancellor's regulations, um, we clearly indicate what those changes are. Right? And in this document, those changes are not like, highlighted so to the community, they don't know what those changes are at all. And I just, you know, the, the changes to the bylaws don't just affect us. It affects the community and their interaction with us. And, um, that's why the only reason why I asked for it to be tabled and I intend to vote no is not about whether I agree with it or not.
I just think for the sake of transparency, um, that the community understands exactly what those changes are like we do with everything else, right. And, um, you know, it just creates a, a, a place where everybody understands what it is we're doing. And right now that we don't see that, the community doesn't see that. Okay. Are there any additional comments? So It was posted in the wrong place apparently because the red line is under the bylaws committee with the proposed changes. You know, I don't, I don't know, but it should have been everyone,
everyone to be able to see it. That's where it got posted. I was told, uh, instead of, uh, with the docs, but I understand what you're saying, but it is posted online. If you go to the bylaws committee, uh, and the rec the meeting, the meeting committee reading is recorded and the, the proposed changes are highlighted in read there. So, yeah. So one of the things we're saying is that, um, it was available to panel members. Your, your concern panel member cast ready is that the public wasn't aware of that point, but that panel members would've been aware of that. In other words, you were able to, Members were not aware. I mean, I No, I
Understand. I, yeah. Mine is a public public transparency. So, in effect, you aware that the Red Line version was there? No, I found it after because I was searching all of the place. Okay. No, I counted it in one of Noah's emails. Okay. I didn't find it online. Alright, any other comments? Okay. Are we ready for the question then? Okay. Let's proceed to a vote. And we're also joined by, um, panel member, um, Anthony Giordano. Uh, I will call the role on the, by the resolution to adopt amendments to the bylaws, um,
and indicate how you wish when I call your wish to vote when I call your name. Um, member Ali? Yes. Member Ali. Say yes. Member. Um, Arnold? Yes. Excuse me. Member bin? Yes. Member Boad. Oh, he is not here. Sorry. That's why he just, um, member, uh, RETTI Abstain. Uh, member Dsag? Yes. Member Fair? Yes. Member Garcia? Yes. Uh, member Giordano? Yes.
Uh, vice Chair Green? Yes. Member Hassan? Yes. Uh, member Ho. Yes. Member Memay. Yes. Uh, member Owin? Yes. Um, member Sap. Yes. Member Shepherd Abstain. Um, and Chair Faulkner? Yes. I vote of 15 in favor. And two Abstentions. The motion carries. Great. Thank you. Um, panel members for the discussion and for the observations. Um, what I will say is, if in the future we notice
that there may be a gap in communication, um, please let us know in advance of the meeting. So if there's an area where we could do better at communicating, um, it would be really great if you reach out to us, reach out to the staff and say, Hey, you know, I noticed that for panel members, the red lined area is very visible and, and, and it knows the changes. But for the public, we, um, uh, failed to be able to do that. So it would be really helpful if in the future, um, communicate that, um, so that we're not sort of coming to the panel meeting and we, we could have taken corrective action,
I think had we known earlier. So I just want to, uh, make an appeal to panel members to please help us in that area. Panel member Alban. I'm sorry, I just wanna add it's a living document 'cause there's more amendments I would like to see. So there's still time every month, whatever. We can always make amendments, um, to the bylaws, so just wanna keep that in mind as well. Yes. Again, thank you. Um, we're now moving to the, um, proposals for school utilization. And I'll ask our secretary to please present the resolution for proposals, uh, significant proposals for school utilization. Sure. Manhattan, Uh, the resolution up for approval is entitled Resolution
to Approve Changes in School Utilization, which comprises Items one, the Proposed Gray Truncation, A PS 76 A Philip Randolph zero 3M 0 7 6 from a K through eight school to a K through six through eight, excuse me, to, to a six through eight school reciting of Mott Hall 2 0 3 M 8 7 62 from building M1 65 to building zero seven M 0 7 6, and merger of grade six through eight of PS 76
with Mohole two and grade expansion of Mohole two from a six through eight school to a six through 12 school, beginning in the 20 25 20 26 school year to the proposed grade truncation of PS 180, Hugo Newman zero 3M 1 180 from a K through eight school to a K through five school in building M1 80 in the 2025 through 2026 school. Year three, the proposed reciting
of PSM 2 26 75 M 2 26 from building M 0 7 6 to building M1 80 and co-location with PS 180, Hugo Newman zero 3M 180 in the 2025 through 2026 school. Year four, the proposed reciting of new design middle school zero five M five 14 from building M1 95 to building M1 54
and co-location with PS 1 54, Harriet Tubman zero five M1 54 in the 20 25, 20 26 school year. And five, the proposed opening and co-location of P 0 79 M at M 0 98. A new site of existing District 75 school PSM 79 Harran School 75 M 0 7 9 with PS 98 AK Koch zero six M 98
in building M 98, beginning in the 20 25, 20 26 school year. Okay. Is there a motion from the panel to, uh, consider these, uh, resolution? Is there a motion? So moved. Is there a second to the motion to consider? Did I hear a second? Yes, yes. Second. Okay. Uh, we'll now move to public comments on the resolution. I will, um, call the first five speakers, David Baum, Kathy Tonys, Marie Rosa, Natalie Brasington, and Maryam Opa. You can make your way to the microphone and just please introduce yourself.
Oh, yes. Wait, before we get the speakers, should we have the superintendent speak? I, Yes, I apologize. Yes, I thank you. So sup? Yes, superintendents, you're welcome to speak. Yes. Superintendent, I'm gonna ask you to limit your comments at two and a half minutes. Yes. We need, we need the superintendent's mikes to be activated. Great. Hello. Welcome, Bob. I'm superintendent. Yep. Good evening. Members of the Panel for Educational Policy and the Manhattan Community. My name is Danielle Do Mango, and I serve as the Chief of School Support under the Division of School Leadership. In my, my role, I support districts within the boroughs
of Queens, Staten Island, and Manhattan. Prior to this position, I was a superintendent for 13 years and a middle school principal. I'm here to speak to you in support of the District three proposals, which we believe will serve as a pivotal step towards improving educational opportunities for our students in Harlem. We recognize that change, particularly in communities with strong school traditions, can be difficult and may bring with it concerns. I want to assure you that this proposal is the result of thoughtful collaboration and deep community engagement,
and it is aimed at ensuring a stronger, more sustainable future for our students. New York City Public Schools has been working closely with the Harlem community stakeholders since the 2022 2023 school year to address the needs of schools in Harlem, specifically related to low enrollment at the elementary and middle school levels. Over this time, we have been guided by the principles of opportunity and community voice and input. The comprehensive set of proposals presented here tonight, which have been developed in partnership with the Harlem Working Group, which includes representatives from the six community school
district three schools in Harlem. This group includes school principals, UFT representatives, PTA, presidents, and other community stakeholders. Our efforts have been aligned with feedback gathered through multiple channels, including community meetings, school leadership, team meetings, focus group discussions, staff meetings, meetings with CE C3, and elected officials, as well as building walkthroughs. These engagements have shaped the proposal presented to you tonight, and the changes we're proposing AIM to address real community concerns while ensuring that students across Harlem have access
to high quality educational options. The proposed changes involve three primary initiatives, each of which have been carefully designed to address the role, low enrollment and resource challenges that some of our schools are currently facing. Collectively, these three proposals, which will address under enrollment at 2K to eight schools, bring a high demand middle school to Harlem, create a six to 12 option in Harlem, and provide a district 75 program with better facilities to support the growth of the program and meaningful inclusion opportunities.
The proposal to truncate, excuse Me, superintendent, your time's expired. Thank you. Good evening, begin. Good evening. My name is KA Lewis Saint and I'm the superintendent of District 75. This is, uh, a pleasure and a privilege to come before you members of the pep, just to again, advocate on behalf of our student in District 75. I must first start again by thanking you for the shift in mindset, because I remember when I started about 10 years ago,
I really had to come in and strongly advocate on behalf of my children, I mean my students. And it was a time when District 75 were not always welcome in certain school communities. Because of your support and the support of our colleagues across the New York City public school system and our parents and families, we have rebranded the district. We have improved the district from within. Tony, I am here to speak to you about two proposals
to support some co-location of two District 75 school, 2 2 6 2 26 at PS 76 and, um, 70 9:00 AM at PS 98. Our principals are here, principal Jody's here. We have spent a good amount of time engaging with the two school communities. They are welcoming. They want to welcome the district 75 student there. I say thank you to all already to PS 76
and PS 98. We have met with them. We have answered their question. We have addressed their concern. The only thing that needs to be done right now is for our children to walk in in September with Smile in their faces and really eagerness and willingness to, uh, integrate those school communities. I think it's about, um, equity, it's about fairness, because we don't want them while they live in those communities, as you know, to have to travel far away
to access education. So thank you again, and I'm asking that you support those two proposals. Great. Thank you. Right at two minutes and a half. Thank you. Okay, we'll now move to public comment on the, uh, resolution. Um, I will call the speakers again. Hmm. Is there another superintendent coming to speak? Hi. Yes. Yes, there is. Good evening speaking now. Evening. Uh, my name is Sean Davenport. I'm the proud superintendent of Harlem Community School, district five. Uh, we have a proposal for resetting of new design middle school oh five M five 14 to a location
of oh five M1 54. Uh, new design is a standalone 68 middle school on the west side of Harlem, and unfortunately, uh, surrounded by three other middle schools in the same location due to a challenging enrollment. And, uh, we like to reset new design middle school to PS 1 54 in Central Harlem where there are no standalone middle schools there. And also 1 54 has a, a thriving, I'm sorry, new design has a Thriving Horizon program and we like to move that program closer to PS 1 33
that has an Elementary Horizon program, so our students have a shorter distance to travel in those programs. Um, this resiting will also, uh, serve as a feeder pattern for students in 1 54 to go to new design middle school and stay in their same building, same community. And we've already seen an increase, uh, in applications for those students in 1 54 to attend, uh, new design middle school, uh, with the overcrowding in the district. And, uh, one of our other locations. This move can potentially provide opportunities for us to tackle class size, um, mandates
and 2, 2 2 schools that share location, uh, if this move comes to fruition. Thank you. Thank you. District three, Are there any other, did I miss anyone? Any other superintendents? No. Okay. Public comment District three, but Please spoke. Okay. Yeah, he had to reach, So there was the speaker from District three. Uh, alright. Okay. Okay. I will call the speakers, um, David Thumb, Kathy tos, Marie Rosa, Natalie Brasington,
and Maryam Opa. You could make your way down to the microphone and introduce yourself before you begin speaking. Thank you. I don't need it. Um, I don't even need a mic. Okay. Um, I'm from PS 76, and I have to say that I'm not new to this. This is the fourth time I've watched a PEP come into middle to middle Harlem and say, look, we are gonna take over your school. We're gonna do this, we're gonna do that. It's not fair. The attitude that they have towards the parents and my school is horrendous. All right. Um, the October 21st meeting, my parents tried
to get in, they couldn't get in. They weren't, they were denied access to it. I know this because I had to be to be redirected to another link because the original link for the Zoom meeting wouldn't let me in. The thing that's been mentioned over and over and over again is that our parents are not involved. Well, you're not letting us be involved. My question is, why, since the very beginning have they not had one meeting where all the staff, all the students that are interested, and all the members of the school communities from all three
schools that are going to be affected by the tation of 76, the truncation of 180 and the relocation of Mont Hall two to our building didn't come to our building to see what's happening in our building. The first time PEP people came was last week. They walked through the school last week. I don't think you've been fair to PS 76, and I hate to say this, but this is something that I have observed over and over and over again since 1983 when I first started
working in District five. So I think you need to be more cognizant of who you're talking to and who you're dealing with, because my parents care. My parents came out today with their children so they can see how they're being treated. Thank you. Thank, Thank you for your comments. Thank you. No, we don't need take, we're only taking in person testimony at this point. Thank you. I'm Okay. Uh, the next group of speakers, well wait. Oh, is someone here? This Next group isn't done. We have, uh, I'm Natalie and that's Mary Opa. Okay. If you just may, sorry, I didn't see people at the microphone. Nope, that's okay. There was a David
before me. Is he here or no? I guess I called David. Um, so you can start, if we don't, we don't dig exactly to the order. All right. Well, good evening. Uh, my name's Natalie Brasington. I'm a parent of two students at PS 180, and it's with a heavy heart that tonight I'm, um, here to ask you to please approve the proposals to truncate the six through eight grades at PS 180. Uh, recite PS Uh, M 2 66, trunk eight PS 76, and recite Mod Hall. Our students in Harlem, the Harlem section of District three, deserve the same enrichment opportunities
and academic rigor to compete with any school in the nation. We simply cannot guarantee these programs and practices they need if they're constantly fighting under enrollment and the accompanying funding shortfalls. Today in PS 180 building, hydroponic Row lab is sitting dormant and not being utilized as a dynamic tool for STEM learning. Our beautiful school library has essentially become a storage closet because these spaces need to serve two different school populations under our current structure. They're unusable and cannot afford. We cannot afford to onboard personnel with credentials for both elementary and middle school.
This opportunity cost robs every student of both age groups. We have the potential to reactivate these programs with a fully enrolled elementary school as our per pupil funding increases and quality applicants with a a singular credential can, um, be considered As a member of the Harlem Working Group, I've had the honor of getting to know school leaders from our Harlem schools, and I deeply respect the legacy of, of our Harlem schools and, um, personally understand the vital role that public schools play in building community. If I had heard of a plausible action plan
to disrupt the under enrollment trends at 76 and one eighties middle schools, I would be ad I would not be advocating for the policy that will result in their closure enrichment. Opportunities that draw schools in, um, simply are not sustainable under the current structure and the size. Despite t efforts, the attendance has not grown. Our children will not gain the experiences they need to unleash their innate talent and capacities and allow them to make their rightful space in specialized high schools in magnet programs if they don't have and have the power to chart their futures. Utilizing, uniting our elementary programs is feeders into a
standalone middle school of excellent academic reputation with robust program offerings. Has the pen potential to draw far more families to our elementary school as an organic launch point into our vibrant Harlem D three public school ecosystem. These are the systemic shifts, um, these systemic shifts that come possible under the framework of this current proposal. Our local public, Excuse me, I'm sorry. Your time is Expired. Oh, shoot. Okay. Well, oh, I'm glad you I had a lot more, but I thought something else was my head that way. Um, okay. You okay? I am Maryam Opa. This is difficult, um, to give under two minutes and 30 seconds.
But, um, good evening panel for educational policy members, families and community leaders. I am opa, the PSIS 180 parent coordinator, a parent community member, and PS 180 is a truly special place. It is small, close knit school where no child goes unnoticed. From the age of four students grow up in an environment of familiarity and community building lasting relationships with their teachers, with their teachers and peers. Families appreciate the stability and convenience of having all their children in one building reinforcing a sense of belonging, which is important. However, while PS 180 provides warmth, the connection has faced challenges in delivering the
academic rigor enrichment opportunities necessary for student success. Performance indicators, including test scores, reflect the need for stronger academic preparedness. The school also lacks a robust selection of extracurricular activities such as clubs, arts programs, music leadership opportunities that are essential for well-rounded education. Additionally, there are limited advanced learning programs, so challenge students who need greater academic stimulation. This is why many believe that as difficult as it may be, the proposed vocation should offer students a more enriched, academically rigorous middle school experience.
Transitioning to a, a standalone high school like Mott Hall will provide stronger academic programming, expanded extracurricular activities, improved high school preparation, and insurance students are well equipped for future success. I also have a deep personal connection to the school as both my children attended and they love the school. They still come every moment they can get. So I fully understand why families feel deeply connected, but as the heart of the conversation, a critical question I have to ask, are we prior prioritizing comfort? Are we prioritizing opportunity as parents, educators, and advocates? Our ultimate goal must always be to provide the best
possible education for our children. Thank you. Thank, thank you very much. Um, I, I noted some of you, you know, can Natalie Have my 45 seconds? Uh, unfortunately no. But let me, let me offer this for, for, for some of you who have, um, lengthier comments, you can send those comments, um, to go to our website, there's an opportunity to draw public comments, um, so that if you have more complete comments and you wanna make sure that they get to the panel, there is a vehicle to make that happen. Um, and, um, I wanna encourage people to do that. Um, the, the reason we have a time is because, you know, we have a large number of speakers
and we wanna be able to give, you know, a attention if we, you know, when we have a large number of speakers who wish to make comment. So I want to thank everyone for at least, uh, respecting the two and a half, uh, a minute time limit. Thank you. Careful. Yes. I just Wanna acknowledge that, uh, the previous speaker actually did send her comments through the public comment form, and so thank you. I did see That. Okay, great. Okay. And they're being read so we'll. Yep. Yes. Uh, yes. Uh, you can begin. Uh, good evening everyone. Thank you for having me. Um, this is my first time doing any of this,
so bear with me. But, um, I am in full support of the truncation of the middle school to high school in Harlem. I live in Harlem, like I live right up the street. I'm in support of children thriving and develop, developing critical thinking. So whether we're in, you know, a historic school, um, with low attendance or a new school with, uh, labs that can be developed, I think that the goal is to teach our children to critically think and welcome them in whatever building we are so
that we can get our children to the next level. Like they are our next level leaders. So if we just come together and give them the tools that They need, I think that We can all thrive. That's it. Great. Thank you. And congratulations on your first, uh, your first time coming to the panel and we hope you'll come back. Thank you. Okay. The next group of speakers, um, is Sika Burrows, Janaya Lewis, Akia Burgess, Charles DeBerry, and Zakia DeGraff Nicoson.
And if you would, make your way down to the microphone and introduce yourself when you begin speaking. No. Are any of those five names in the auditorium right now? Oh, okay. Great. Thank you. No, thank you. Hello. Okay. Yeah, you can be good. Mines is gonna be very short. Um, good evening. I am a parent at PSIS 180. I have three of, I have four children. Three of my children graduated from, uh, PS 180 middle school. They went there, they started in kindergarten and pre-K,
and they went all the way up until eighth grade. I have three kids that graduated from it, and they're doing very well. One is in college, the other two are in doing well in high school. Um, I have a full child. She's in second grade. Um, okay, so what I wanted to say is that, um, I've always been student oriented. I just, I try to do what's best for the children. I try to support the school in any way that is best for the children. Um, okay, so I have wrote, I said I have always been student oriented
and stand by doing what's best for our students as a whole. We love our Jaguar babies and we only want the best for them. Them, while I initially opposed a truncation of our middle school. I will only stand by decision moving forward with the same principles that we lead with our students that are upheld by putting the resources back into the elementary schools and strengthening them, strengthening them by building community partnerships and supporting our, um, middle school students in their new,
um, school environments. That's it. Thank you. Thank you very much for your comment. You, you can begin. Good evening, everyone. My name is Zakiya DeGraff Nicholson. I am a parent of PSIS 180. Um, I am also a PTA board member and a SLT member of my child's school, which is in the second grade briefly on my school. In a nutshell, it's a wonderful place for a child to enter and thrive. Um, I love my school because I love the community within a community
of which we built, um, within the school, um, of Harlem. And I love the teachers. I love my principal, and I'm grateful for everything that my child has learned in that school, starting from pre-K on to second grade. My, uh, my opinion tonight is as the panel, um, I thank you for bringing this to the limelight, but I just oppose and speak to you tonight and ask you as you make your decision tonight, please keep in mind what is best for our children.
We want our children to have the best education possible, but along with that comes with resources and an action plan. And I think because my school is in Harlem, I'm asking you because I see the lack of resources and I see the lack of an action plan. So I'm asking you as you make your decision tonight, think on what is the next steps and the action that you will take and be consistent in that support into my school, which is in Harlem. So I thank you for this time,
but please consider the children's, um, education and what they need, um, at the forefront and what you'll do as a member sitting up there on that panel. On the board. Thank you. Thank, thank you very much. Good evening everyone. Um, I'm the proud principal of our beloved PSIS 180 A three K through eight school located in Harlem. And it is with a mixture of nostalgia and optimism that I address you today regarding the potential closure of our middle school, leaving only elementary grades in our building. While I understand this decision was not made lightly,
and it came after thorough deliberation with the best interest of our students at heart, as it was decided in our Harlem working group, which we engaged and talked about how we could address the low enrollment in our Harlem schools. It was a decision made to focus our efforts and resources on expanding and enriching programming for our elementary students. This shift would allow us to create a more robust and comprehensive educational experience for our younger learners, laying a stronger foundation for their future academic success. Now I wanna take the remainder of my time to acknowledge how amazing our middle school students are.
It's an incredible middle school where they have been an integral part of our community. They brought energy, curiosity, and a spirit of growth to enrich our school environment in countless ways. So it would not be without a sense of loss should this proposal pass that we would bid farewell to this chapter in our school's history. However, as an educator, a Harlem resident for many years, born and raised, I have to think about the opportunities that would await our middle school students, should they have opportunities to go to larger schools. It's my hope that these schools would then offer them a broad array of academic programs, extracurricular activities,
and social experiences that will support their continued growth and development. And I'm confident with the amazing staff that I have at PSIS 180, that they will thrive in any setting that they're in and use the skills and values that they have cultivated here with us. I'm grateful for the community support and trust as we try to navigate this transition. And no matter what it is, we will remain Jaguar strong. If this proposal does pass together, we will ensure that our school community receives the best possible education. We will continue to celebrate the achievements of our current students, our former students
as they embark on new journeys. Thank you for your attention and support. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Charles DeBerry. I'm the proud Penn of PSIS 76, the KDA school. I'm also the president of nypa, the New York City Elementary Principals Association, and I spent this morning in Washington DC lobbying for all of our students and children in New York City, as we are trying to make sure that funding continues. The funding continues for, for Title One, title two, title four IDEA.
And there's also funding for emotional support. The emotional support is very important. Uh, as you can understand this evening, the parents and staff of PS 76, uh, feeling some loss. Uh, for 22 years, I've tried to lead, lead the community, and, uh, it, you know, it's not easy when you have to give up, uh, your school. Uh, I do wanna talk about the hard working group. Uh, when we began to discuss how can we best help the children and families in Harlem, uh, there were several things thrown on the table. And, um, we came, one of the ideas we came up
with was moving and having a, uh, standalone middle school. That is what the committee, uh, decided that would be best for Harlem. And so tonight, as you consider this proposal, uh, understand there are a lot of good things in here. For a lot of schools, the PS 76 family will feel some loss. But it is my hope that you make a decision that is best for the children, the families, and the community of Harlem. Thank you. Thank you very much. The next group of speakers to make their way down
to the microphone is Calera Salas, uh, Yuna Kim, Ima Jardi, Karen Marro, and Kimberly Brown. Good evening, everybody. Ramirez. Um, I'm here to talk as a Harlem parent, um, not just as a Harlem parent, but also a former CEC president as well as a former PEP member. I will say our Harlem superintendents have the hardest job than most superintendents across the city, because Harlem schools are consistently disenfranchised
and consistently being labeled as bad. But as you can see here tonight, we have leaders in our schools as well as in our districts that are about the kids, for the kids, and will consistently be fighting for the kids. Whatever happens in South Harlem affects Central Harlem, affects East Harlem. We are all Harlem, and we're gonna stand together to fight for our schools. And I'm not saying these decisions are easy, but I am saying that CECs have a responsibility to consistently engage school communities. And as pep members, you also have responsibilities
to engage these communities and engage superintendents when they have proposals. When I sat in those seats, sometimes I'd spend six, eight months, one-on-one meetings with parents and teachers in the community, UFT district leaders, UFT, chapter leaders, PA presidents. Clearly there are schools here that feel disenfranchised and not heard by the people that are making these decisions and the people in power. So I wanna make that known in this space. The Harlem proposal is a hard one, and it's been a conversation that's been happening
for three superintendents now, probably, um, with a multitude of people coming in and out. But what I have heard consistently these last couple of years is that the people that have not been at the table are the residents of Harlem, and are the parents in Harlem and are the children in Harlem. So I wanna be very clear that independent of what you think, and I know this proposal was very thoughtful, at the end of the day, we have not done our job for the Harlem community. Thank you. I, Hello. Um,
my name is Una Kim, and I'm the mother of a seventh grade boy at Mod Hall two, as well as three alums, two girls, and one boy. And I'd like to throw my support behind Mod Hall two's move and expansion since all four of them really love their middle school. And I think that is not common. The diversity and warmth among the, along with solid academics is so valuable to me for my kids to experience since they're in a system that often yields very lopsided demographics, whether in elementary, middle, or high school. When we were new to the area, my oldest chose Mont Hall two because it was so warm, she instantly loved it.
And the, and so my next daughter and I immediately ranked it as our, at our, as the top of her middle school list, even after schools could no longer see, uh, where students ranked their schools. My older son and I chose likewise because the girls both loved it so much. Um, even though I, I wouldn't call Model Hall to a stressful school, the girls appreciated being able to put in extra time to do quality work on projects and assignments and to learn concepts. Well, the older one has done well and is graduating from Cornell Architecture School and it,
after attending Stuyvesant, the other daughter was a straight A student at Beacon and is still one at Syracuse. Our 16-year-old boy is at Brooklyn Tech. And while he struggles with academics, um, we did find out he has a DHD and that became apparent in eighth grade. So that speaks to the rigor of Mont, how to, while our youngest child has mild A DHD and is socially awkward, he's getting challenged and supported by his teachers, continu continually. He loves his teachers, his friends, and, um, and the opportunities at school. I think modal two is definitely worth expanding and would fit well in our, in our neighborhood.
'cause I live, uh, uh, four blocks from PS 76. Um, and I think it'd be valuable there. I've been able to see, uh, the school serve a variety of personalities and learning abilities. And, um, I joined as treasurer this year because I feel hopeful for the school and this leadership and in and am in indebted to the school. Thank you. Thank you very much. Hi, my name is Karen Marrows and I'm a mother of a seventh grader in Mod Hall too. I understand all the emotion in the room, but I can assure you ladies, in PS 76, the instability of our, of us not knowing
where our kids are gonna go or who they're gonna be under or if we are even ahead of education, is also unnerving. And it is horrifying for us as well. Okay, so you are, you are, we are in the same boat, but the reality is we will not have the money. They do not have the enrollment. PS 180 does not have the enrollment, and we will not have the money. Trump is cutting everything. And if you say, oh, no, no, no, we'll still give it to the state. Oh sure, they can use it for education
and then cut Medicaid, and then you are gonna have a room full of people saying, I want medical care. The state will not be able to do it. This is not the first time that schools have been closed and it cannot be the last. There is so much instability with the schools. We have found not only amazing teachers, but amazing teachers that are run by a principal who is a up man, stands up for the students, stands up for the teachers, stands up for the parents, and that is what we need to go forward to.
In addition to that, all of PS 180 and PS 76 will have an opportunity to have their children go into that school. Their instability is lowered from that. They have a few years until they have to figure it out. It's mathematically this works to move the school to move MOT Hall into PS 76. Thank you. Good, good evening. Uh, my name is Ima Jardi. I am the principal of P 2 2 6. We've been at 76 for many, many years. Our side is a side of about 60 students with special needs.
We have grades K two, and I am in favor of the reciting of P 2 2 6 to 180. The reason is we are, um, placed in the third floor of the building of P 76, and we share the floor with the middle school students. You can see kindergarten and second graders these tall, and then of course, you can see the middle students that they are this tall. One of the big problems that we have is that we share the bathrooms. Many of our students wear diapers as they have severe, um, special needs.
And we have to share the bathrooms. So when we share the bathroom and we have to share diapers, the middle school students have to wait. The cry of our students also bother the middle school students. So I think that if we are recited in 180 where we would be in one floor, it would be much more appropriate for PP 2 2 6 M. Thank you very much. Thank you. Um, good evening everyone. My name is Kimberly Brown and I'm a parent of a fifth grade student at PSIS 76, um, where we all know that this is a very emotional moment for everybody here
and everybody involved that this is going to affect. Um, I'm against the ation of, um, P-S-I-I-S 76 for a few reasons. Um, it is greatly affecting our elementary school, and I'm gonna try to stay and keep my emotions down concerning this. Um, my daughter has started in PSIS 76. Since pre-K, she has grown, she has developed into a wonderful fifth grade student. And I owe that all to the students, the principals
and the assistant principals of this school. Um, where I understand that this whole process might not be greatly affecting her because she's in fifth grade and will be graduating. Um, it's gonna affect a whole bunch of other students that are going to be going to that school in the coming years. Um, I wanna address one comment that some people were making where it concerns the Harlem Working Group. I am not only a parent, but I am also the PTA President for the last two years. And I had, when the Harlem Working Group came into play, they did not invite me as the president of the, of the PTA
to these sessions to be able to discuss the effects that this, um, proposal was going to take part of. So I can go back and relay these to the parents that attended the school. And I believe that is greatly unfair to us as a school community in, in order to be able to make these decisions accurately and how it affects them, I also wanna let them know that there are great members of the community that attend and work within our school that's gonna be also affected about that. And not once were they also included in the decision about
having this ation take part. And I hope for the sake of the incoming kids that don't wanna go to PS IS 76, excuse me, and the kids that are there now, that this ation does not go into play. Thank you. Thank You for your comment. The next group of speakers, if you make your way down to the microphone, uh, Rena Ortega, Shacha Carmichael, Davina Dewar, Deidre Garrett Scott, and Quist Manley. Those speakers are present. Make your way to the microphone
There. Any particular water you can start. If you get to the microphone first, you can start. Just introduce yourself. Thank You. Good evening, everyone. My name is Deirdre Gary Scott. As a former member of the CEC, born and raised in Harlem and now a resident of the Upper West Side, I stand strong in support of Mo Hall two's expansion into a high school. Throughout my involvement with the school as a parent, I have witnessed firsthand how Mo Hall two nurtures young minds empower students and prepares them for long-term, ex long-term success.
Harlem deserves a highly quality high school that truly reflects the excellence, ambition, and potential of its students. The expansion of Mod Hall two will provide students with the opportunity to continue their academic journey in a rigorous, supportive environment, while allowing families to nurture their children's growth within the community that they cherish. I urge Pep to approve this vital expansion,
which is Criti, which is a critical step in ensuring lasting opportunities for the Harlem community and Harlem students to thrive. This is not just a proposal, it's an investment in the Harlem future of students. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Shaki Carmichael. I'm the parent of Kyrie Carmichael. My child started PS 76 3 years ago and has flourished immensely. PS 76 works regular rigorously to meet my son's IEP needs and supports him in any area.
He struggles. Since transferring my child from charter school to PS 76, I've gained hope that my child can prosper in all academics thanks to the patients and dedication of the teachers and school staff. Closing PS 76 means uprooting my student, uprooting our students from all that they've known, sorry, from all that they've known since three K closing. PS 76 means I'll go back to hope that my child will receive the support he needs wherever he is forced to attend. Next, attend. That's it. Thank you very much.
Hello, my name is Davina Dewar. Um, I was a formal student of Ace Fido School for Humanities. Uh, I have four children. All my children attended ace, Phil Rendor School for Humanities. Um, my oldest child, he graduated from near in fifth grade, he went to Columbia Secondary. I hear a lot of parents out here, not really, how could I say it, being refused of the information and being educated on their districts. District three do have schools that do have six to 12 grade.
District five do have schools that are sixth to 12th grade. My son graduated from one of those schools, which was Columbia Secondary, and that's right on hundred and 24th Street in Amsterdam. So I I I think y'all don't understand, I'm a born and raised Harlem resident as well. I was born in St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital. But with that being said, I just want y'all to be informed. This is erasing history. Mont Hall two can be wonderful. I'm not saying it's not, but let's stop closing Harlem schools and try opening more of Harlem schools.
PS 76 do have the funding. If it's that, please give us a idea of keeping the kids in Mont Hall or transferring them to us to give us enrollment and actually making that, building a whole building for the six to 12, because that building is prepared and you won't have to do reconstruction. So I asked the panel to really listen and think about our young youth early child development. That is where the education is. That is where it starts. Us parents have came to the staff and told them from PS 76, I gave a meeting in April 20, um, 2024 for MA gave a town hall meeting
for our parents and the community come out. We had over six sign in sheets and parents came out. The community came out. It's a big safety and security hazard. So if y'all put this school in the middle of it, y'all have watley that is gonna affect Frederick Douglas. Two that is going to affect it is schools that it is going to affect. Not only that it's going to affect, it's a safety and security hazard. You have gangs going on in wa inside of high schools right now, not in middle school so much, but it is there. And it started at Watley. Real quickly, you're gonna have Frederick Douglas.
I mean, you're gonna have, um, t Lincoln Project Douglas Projects, all of these projects being combined for a high school because according to Kaon is not emerge. It's, I mean, it's, it's where all students could be accepted. And then y'all telling them that it's gonna be transportation. Thank you. Your time has expired. Just please keep in mind, it's a security. We hear you. Thank you. Please. Hello. Goodnight everyone. My name is be Keith Manley, as I mentioned before, and I am against the proposal of merging PS 76. I'm a new parent, my children, I have two children, Sophia
and Noha, and they have thrived tremendously in this short time that they have been in this Harlem school. I think that from my observation tonight, everybody has their emotions running high. And the most important voices are the voices of the children who said that they don't want this merger to happen. So I think that we need to listen, like everyone said, we need to listen to the community, listen to the voices of the children, and listen to what they actually need. There are, like was mentioned before, there are schools that is in the same area, that if they were to merge right next door,
there is a high school that if they were to merge, it would be a conflict. So we need to think about those things, not just have a decision, make a decision and put it onto Harlem. People, we know what we want. Listen to what we want. Listen to the children and think about the interest. Don't think about, oh, we need this now, because what's gonna happen to our kids, our kids? Everybody's gonna think that their kids is most important and the future of their kids is most important. Listen to the voices of the children. They don't want this to happen. Make the funding more, more for the children of PS 76
and open the doors for them and find a solution that is not with the merging of PS 76 for the other schools. That is what I have to say. And have a good night. Thank you. And the last speakers who've signed up is Sarah Bennis, Shire Dalberg, and Christopher Arley. Good evening. My name is Sarah Benni Shire. Dalberg, thank you so much. You pronounced it perfectly. Uh, I'm a parent and also a community member in Harlem, and I wanna ask you to approve these proposals. A lot has changed in the city in the last 20 years, including the fact that parents can choose
where they want their kids to go to school. And even though my family chose for my child to go to elementary school in the northern part of District three at PS 180 and PS 180 5, most parents, by the time we get to middle school, our kids have left our neighborhood. We don't have a lot of options for middle schools and high schools in district three that are fully enrolled with all the resources that our kids are entitled to. What has also shifted recently is an investment in more leaders in the northern part of the district
who are talented, experienced from the neighborhood, committed to the neighborhood. And we need to support the leaders in our Harlem schools in the northern part of this district by approving this proposal that gives our schools a chance of competing with all the charters that are in our neighborhood. So I urge you to please support the expansion of Mod Hall two and reciting to the northern part of the district so that our kids can have that as another option for middle school and high school, and that you applaud the imperfect, messy
and disenfranchising process. We've all been going through, at least district three, superintendent had the courage to try this because what's been happening over the last 20 years has been unacceptable. The northern part of the district, our zip code determines the quality of our schools and access to resources for our children. So at least we are doing something in a changing landscape that allows us to have a chance to have families come back to Harlem Middle School families and high school families come into our public schools
and repopulate district three in grade six through 12. Please vote in support of this proposal. Good evening. Um, I understand the discomfort in losing a community school and the grief, uh, there's a lot of love and a lot of fight in Harlem, but all that emotion and attachment can't be, can't supersede the benefit of an international bachelorate program in Harlem. That's a secondary school. Someone mentioned that we already have a secondary school. I would love to invite, um, I would love to invite, um,
an audit of the student body at Columbia Secondary to see really what the, how reflective that community is of the, of the Harlem community of I need to really give voice here to the leadership at Mott Hall two and that, and let y'all know that expanding MOT Hall two, a secondary school means that Harlem wins an incredible leadership team that is going to make sure that the quality of the secondary school, uh, secondary, uh, education school is going to be phenomenal.
Um, it would be a loss for us not to have it. And finally, I'd like to just point out that the p the children, the elementary school children that would be moved from the i, the PS ISPS 76 building over to 180. It's 76 children. 76 children that now have to go around the corner. And already you have some support from the very students that we're talking about that the building would be better. And, um, that is my vote of support for this. My son is a seven. I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself.
My name's Yoyo and my son is a seventh grade, uh, student at Mott Hall. And I cannot wait to see what will happen to Mott Hall when it is not in a space where it's busting at the seams with, uh, students and with possibility and with talent. The teachers and the staff there are incredible. And Har Central Harlem just deserves this group of people leading the next, the next what happens at ps, uh, at this building, uh, in Central Harlem. Thank you.
And we have, um, Marlon Lowe has, You can speak I was called early. My name is Chris Ali. Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, you then, Mr. Lowe. Thank you. You, Um, I am the school counselor at PS 76 and just sitting here that's listening to everyone talk. It's the climate that you see and it's the system that we all are fighting against. If we look at it, we all fighting against each other from the same district to get one thing that we want all our children to thrive. But during that, we are fighting with each other. We trying to pull each other out of a barrel and we losing each other.
So I think it's not fair for PS 76 parents not to be involved in some of these conversations, but also understand what the parents from my hall is saying, that, let's move up. Let's build. Mm-hmm. So we gotta come together as a one unit, not just keep fighting with each other and bring everybody to the table at one time. You know, the marketing thing about the schools to helping schools build up my hall had to do it. Uh, 1 65 had to do it. So these things that was put into the resource that these schools did get, PS 76 didn't get it or got it too late, and now they're trying to catch up. And I think all that's not fair. And think about it before we move forward. Thank
Absolutely. Um, good evening everybody. My name is Marlon Lowe and I'm the proud principal of Mod Hall two. Um, I actually, um, you may, lemme see if you got it on camera. You may notice somewhere in my sweater vest tonight. I promise you it is not actually for the pep meeting. Um, I was actually downtown today because one of our dynamic sixth graders qualified for the New York City spelling Bee. Um, and we are very proud of that. Um, I also wanna highlight this is the second year in a row, um, that MOT Halli is represented at
the New York City spelling Bee. Um, and I think these two young people, um, by the way, one of whom is in walking distance to Pier 76 and lives that close to the school. The other one, um, because MOT Hall two has always served Harlem. Um, the second one, um, actually in attendance tonight in the audience to actually get this over the finish line. And I think these young people represent the dynamic inspirational community that the superintendent and their team really wants to bring to Harlem to serve everybody, including, and we definitely sympathize with
and understand what the 76 community is experiencing. I felt the emotion from principal Deb Berry, I felt the emotion from Principal Burgess. These are colleagues that I've worked with for years. We're all in difficult situations, but I'm almost isolating that because that's one part of this. But I wanna get back to this part about these young people. And they're incredible potential. And I'm just telling you, we are the dynamic community. We've always been since the inception. I didn't create this, I inherited it at 25 years old. By the way, I'm not gonna tell you my age today. However, what I am gonna say is we've been, uh,
dynamic ever since we've actually been merged before. A lot of people don't know this because we're quiet. We don't ask for the publicity, we don't ask for the meetings. We do the work because we just wanna serve the children. And one of our foundational beliefs is send them through the door. We will do what we need to do, and we will make sure success is the only option because it is the only option for our families. So whatever you decide tonight, somebody said it best, please do what's in the interest of the scholars. And one thing we can tell you from MOT Hall too is we will do our absolute best for all.
We consulted with the Harlem Working Group. We consulted with other constituents in the community to really make this possible. We worked with the district, our families were extremely patient and had to endure a lot of delay. And I really want to thank them for that. I wanna thank my staff. And again, I just wanna express that this is for everybody and family. Facebook, your time is expired a minute. A sec. No, no, you don't. But, but, but, but I have an off you. Can we meet this dynamic speller that you said is in the audience today? Where, come on. Can you come up to the mic? Great. Thank you for that. I appreciate it.
Congratulations and congratulations to the school. Yeah. Great word. Panel member wants you to spell something. Let's get the panel member to spell it. Uh, let's, let's compete after the two of you to compete and see what would happen. Okay. Uh, that is the end of the public speakers. Okay, great. So we will now, um, open the floor to panel member comments and we'll begin with panel members from the Effective Borough of Manhattan. And it's, I'll recognize both panel member, uh, Navid Hassan
and panel member, uh, Ali. Marielle Ali. Great. Yeah, we're gonna fight about who was born where now. Thank you. Uh, chair Faulkner. Um, I, I wanna thank everyone who, uh, has come out, uh, in, uh, representing their schools, especially the students. It's always nice to see, uh, the people who are most directly impacted, uh, participate in their futures, uh, and the parents. Uh, I, I always love to see and hear from all of you. And, uh, we have, uh, actually three separate district proposals. But all, a lot of the comments are about district three
because that is possibly the most complicated intricate, uh, process we've been considering for quite some time now. And the feedback I've gotten has been, um, has been lacking. Uh, we really have one really big issue at, uh, at district level. And that is mainly that we have no representation on the CEC from the part of the district that we're changing, right? So if the people are not regularly in a position to make authoritative decisions and seats of, of, of some, some power, uh,
they may be overlooked. And, and we've heard from many of them that they, they were unable to hear from PS 76 families in, in a meaningful way. And this is troubling, right? If there's a school that when it was approached back about 15 months ago, had 300 students in it, and you hear no feedback, that's, that's not a good sign, right? There should be some enthusiastic things being said one way or the other. And, and that, that had put a lot of, uh, uh, patience. Like I had to think about this.
And so we as a pep, uh, have made some strong requests of the DOE, uh, uh, going forward than how they'll behave. But I'll talk about them in a little bit. We went to a walkthrough at the school, uh, last week. We saw a beautiful school with many full classrooms at school. Uh, that, that it just made me sad that we had to consider, uh, doing what we are thinking about doing in this meeting, uh, for a zoned elementary school with a history in the neighborhood. Uh, and, uh, during this meeting, we had seven or eight different elected officials representatives show up
and ask some very basic questions that honestly should have been answered for them, uh, a long time ago. Um, another point that came up is, uh, why the school couldn't have had other schools merged into it to support it in a building that had already had a building that has no other charter schools. It's not co-located, uh, with any non-public school. Uh, it, it was a good opportunity for them. And I hear this, um, there's, uh, uh, as many people have said in this meeting, uh, meeting 0.4 miles away, a building M1 25 that has another secondary school in it, Columbia Secondary.
And in this very meeting we're about to make space in that, uh, building for potential growth for their school. So they were setting up issues around enrollment in very close proximity to each other. So these are all things that require time. So one of the things that we've asked the DOE and the district and fa and every, and all of us on the pep is what can we do to prevent this type of situation from arising where there's more transparency and and more authority at the CEC level? That is the only way we have genuine
engagement guaranteed, right? People sitting there that are from the neighborhoods that are, that are impacted, that have some way of changing what's about to happen to them. Uh, so there was talk of stabilizing no more significant changes in the district for the next school year, and also a quarterly reporting schedule for the impacts of the changes if we approve them today for, for the next year. So this is something that I spoke with the CEC presidents at District three. Uh, they were thankful that we are collaborating as a pep with them in this way. And, and I look forward to working
with them on this going forward to make sure that this happens. Uh, and there are other pep members that will have more to say on this. Uh, for district five and six, uh, there are, uh, less, uh, ambitious, let's say proposals, and they all seem to be, uh, in, in good order. And I have, uh, every, uh, uh, intention to vote yes on those. Uh, but I'm still thinking about the District three ones and, and it's, it's weighing heavy on my heart. So thank you. Thank you. Panel member. Panel member Ali. Thank you. Good evening, everyone. Firstly, just to thank you to, um, all the members
of the community that have come out today. Um, from the parents to the principals to, you know, our, our children, our students. Thank you. Regardless on of where you sit on the D three proposals. I think, you know, as Chair Faulkner said, thank you for coming out and kind of raising your points and, and, you know, sharing your perspectives with that. I, um, want to recognize, um, a couple of things. One, and then I think kind
of panel member Hassan talked a a bit to this just now around the, what seems to be the lack of engagement, um, from the PS 76 family. Um, it's disheartening, it is unacceptable that members of the PS 76 family were left out of this process. Um, you know, we talk about, you know, engagement and, you know, um, bringing members of the community and, and, and bringing everyone out. But how can we do that if we're hearing directly from parents saying they couldn't
join the joint public hearing meetings, you know, there were lists and petitions that they shared and sent asking and hearing and saying, please don't close our schools. We need to be engaging our families and communities. Not once the proposal is drafted, but from the beginning of the process, from the beginning of the conversation. Um, and then I'm looking this way because I'm pointing my comments to our colleagues at the Department of Education. The, the other thing that, um, just, just to kind of wanna talk about is around we really need a public commitment. Um, this is a really hard proposal,
and it's also weighing quite heavily on me as well. Um, like many of the families from PS 76, I also have a very close connection to a school in District six where I went to school, my father went to school, and so many members of my family also went to school. So I, I can imagine what some of this feels like at the same time. So it's not one or the other, but at the same time, I think it's important that we recognize the importance of bringing a middle school to Harlem and the opportunities that that can bring and giving the space the so needed space
that our children in the D 75 school also need for their learning. I guess I'll kind of close with, with this, you know, this speaks to a larger issue that we have. It's not just D three, it's something that's happening across a lot of the school utilization proposals. And although I am newer to this space, the first thing that I noticed was the lack of transparency, clarity in this whole process. Um, I have called, and I have asked several times what is the, the framework for how we engage in these school utilization proposals. And I really look forward to hearing more about that.
So my questions are, how is the Department of Education engaging and working with CECs Principals, s SLTs, PTAs, and the wider school communities to support these schools be before the proposal is drafted? Right? How are we working with our CECs when these proposals are drafted and really engaging them and getting their feedback in from the beginning? And I guess I'll close with, um, a letter that, uh, members of the PEP have drafted calling on. There's kind of three big points, kind of highlighting a bit
of what I've spoken about today. One, we are asking for the Office of district planning and the wider DOE community to intentionally I'll emphasize that word, work with community education councils on finding collaborative and productive avenues for engaging specific school communities while concurrently working with superintendent offices to provide CECs with the resources they need. Bring utilization proposals to CEC votes prior to them coming to the panel for consideration. And lastly, accountability. We want to see quarterly updates on the status of all
of the approved changes in school utilization. Thank you. Thank, thank you. Thank you very much. Panel member for Bill, panel member Ali and panel, but her son for that, uh, for your leadership and for those comments. I know there are several other members. Well, is it for question or for comments? Well, there are other Manhattan members. I need to recognize all the members from Manhattan first. So, um, yes, panel member darling. Uh, good. I'm just former member of CC three. And I would like to say something that, uh, like as a member
of CCI will always, um, uh, little bit surprised that this, uh, uh, changes. Uh, I know that that was, uh, uh, Harlen working group, which is a little bit as a members of CC know more about this what's happened, but little bit, uh, giving you light on this, what's happened on CC C3, I know that we have several meetings on these proposals, even meeting with, uh, school, uh, 76 at this time, nobody, nobody from the community come
to testify to talk with the CC about this. Especially, they was invited and the meeting was for actually would, was for them. So this is not like as a member, a member, I come to the school last week, we just talk about this long time. So this is not true that nobody, you know, was, was open to the community with this. But first of all, I would like to thank you, principal, the barrier for being there and so long time provide this community. And the last one, I would like to say something which is,
which is which I look like, uh, it's something like, like, like matrix. So the school author office should also take care what's happened with the empty space, same time when they make merging or closing, because again, we have empty space in one 60, uh, five schools. And again, nobody know what's happened with this space. So are we could for the records, if the office working together with this, uh, consider also what to do and talk to the community, what to do with, with empty spaces. Thank you.
Okay, great. Uh, is there any other Manhattan member that I don't wanna bypass the Manhattan, our customers allowed of members from the effective Bureau to have an opportunity to weigh in First Mar Marrie? Yeah. Gentleman with tack. I wanted everybody who was gonna close up. Can you hear me? Hello? Yeah. Hello. Hi, I am Marjorie Tack. I represent the 75. As you all know that I'm very passionate about opening new schools in Manhattan or the, the different borrowers for the 75 as a parent of, for the last, my son will be 40 next month. So you can imagine how long I've been in in the system
and I also have a younger one, that's why I'm still here. But what people don't understand, having a D 75 placement in the past would make most people leave the city because there were, we could not find a good placement. And if slowly but surely we more schools been opening up, they were not the greatest. I gotta admit that I myself left and came back. But I gotta say with the new superintendent, we have, I have been nothing but happy to see more schools in communities where they never existed.
When you have a child with special needs and us parents, we know about that feeling. This is the kid that you, I don't wanna say you care the most about it, but then you put a vulnerable child on the school bus for two hours not knowing what is happening, how the child feels. We are never okay. I have to be totally honest, we are never okay until we have that kid back. So now by diminishing by, uh, the ride that you have to hope that the school bus comes then coming from all the way from
Upper West side to come to the lower part of Manhattan, where most of the schools are, you have to pass the bridge, um, traffic tunnel plus everything else. So we need to open more D 75 schools where they are needed. And D 75 is not going away. By the way, if you look at the statistics, autism, when my son was diagnosed, he was one out 153. Now, if I'm not mistaken, it is one out of 36. Do the math. And you're gonna see with early intervention
and D 75 schools, this is what's gonna be needed. And I am very happy that we are doing, we are on the right track. Thank you. Uh, lemme see panel member Vin, I saw her hand first and then I'll go around. Actually, yours was first, but do you mind I, let me, yeah, I actually do mind. Yeah. Um, and, and I'm not trying to be difficult, but, um, I wanted to, to just speak to the regulation, right, because there's a regulation involved with this that I, I feel it's important to address. Sure.
Go ahead. Thank you Chair Faulkner. Um, so what I've been hearing tonight is, um, people from the neighborhood having an issue, not necessarily with what's happening, but the way that it's happening, right? And that by definition is disenfranchisement. Being disenfranchised is not about whether we do the right thing or not. It's about whether the people that are directly impacted by something are involved with, like their own like environment, their own situation.
And this is one that I've been talking about for years. There is a regulation, a chancellor's regulation, a one 90, and the purpose of that regulation is to define what these changes in school utilization look like. And, um, when you hear from a com, like, I've been hearing a lot Harlem, you know, Harlem working group Harlem work, and I'm like, who's that? Right? Like a one 90 was designed to engage without education councils as part of this process right?
Now, whether the hauling working the Harlem Working Group came out of CC three or not, is it actually not the point? The point is that nowhere in this conversation that I hear that CC three was engaged nowhere in this conversation. Like, there's not even a member of CC three in the community that's impacted by this. Like, that's been said already. So it just feels to me like we're doing the right thing the wrong way in a way that disenfranchises people in their communities.
And like I said, I bring up that regulation because I think as a panel, we have an opportunity here to like visit a one 90 to make sure that, and, and panel members, Hassan and Ali mentioned this earlier, that may be changing the regulation in a way where like, sign off from a CEC is a, like a part of this process, right? It's how you ensure that people that are impacted by something have a voice in what happens.
So, um, you know, I'm not gonna say that I'm not sure how I feel about the proposal or not. Like it sounds like everybody, you know, like everybody wants what's right for their students, right? For their kids. The, the main issue here is you have people that are saying, no, we were literally locked out of the meeting. Yeah. We have people that are saying that, you know, you know, we're disenfranchised. We have people that are saying that people from Harlem were not part of this. People from Harlem CCCs,
we're not part of this conversation. And then we find out that there's actually nobody from Harlem on CC three. Yeah. Right? So I just want us to consider those types of things even moving forward. And maybe for us, that looks at revisiting a one 90 and making the process itself robust, making the process itself inclusive of the communities that are directly impacted. And, and I see the chair of our utilization committee nodding. So I think that's a collaboration with our c the committee and our chair to, to really address some of those concerns. I think Pam, memo Alman was next. Am I correct? Yes. Yes.
So my comment is in aligned with, um, how members Hassan and Ali, um, we need to define engagement, right? Engagement means something different to everybody. But I'll tell you what, engagement is not, you are not gonna talk to talk at or dismiss stakeholders. That is not engagement, right? True partnership. The chancellor wants to develop true partnerships. And as partners, we all understand, especially the families, the scholars, stakeholders, we're not always going to get what I want.
And we are not always going to agree, but all partners, all stakeholders should feel heard, appreciated, and valued whether they agree or not agree. And, and that's a lot of the time's problem here. They're not being being heard, and that's where they're being disenfranchised and not valued. Their opinions doesn't matter. You know, when we speak to stakeholders, especially scholars and families, you know, we should approach, like, this is what we like to do, instead of this is what we are doing, right? This is stimulating conversations, you know,
making sure this is what we are thinking about doing. What do you think are the best approach or situation? So they feel like they are partners in this work and they are partners in this work. We should also make sure they know, understand the what, why, and how and when this process is happening, what we would like it to happen. You know, engagement also in both parties, more outside needs to be civil. Otherwise, no one is truly listening. It's okay to disagree and someone who doesn't see it your way is not the enemy. And like a lot lie in this, in the climate, you don't agree
with me, you are the enemy. No. We see things differently. And I'm gonna speak for, if you don't mind, chair, on the behalf of the panel educational policy, we wanna hear everybody. We want to hear from you. We wanna hear everything because you may bring a situation or a solution or idea that we don't see, right? You are the eyes and ears. So all of us need to listen to everybody. And, um, you may not bring it out. You, we, you may bring out something that we may not have seen or understand or, or highlight something that will make our decision more effective, right?
A flourishing New York City Public Schools has true polish, true partnerships and solid foundations. That means we have to have real effective engagement. And we need to choose our words carefully because we know there's a lot of passion for us parent leaders. We are here because of the passion for what we do, right? Because obviously it's not about the money. So, so we need to, you know, make sure that when we talk to each other, especially when we speak to stakeholders, um, that are affecting communities, that we hear from everybody.
Yes, most of us understand. We're not always gonna get what we want, but they need to feel valued and part of the conversation and the teamwork and the partnership. Okay, thank you. That was that. So, um, I would like to echo, uh, what panel member Ali and Panel Member Shepherd was, um, was stating. I, it's, I just situate. Um, it's highly emotional. And, um, we also have to take in consideration the, his, the historic context of being disenfranchised
and how we show up for people historically have who have been left out of the conversation. So in that way, we're not all created equal, and we have to, I I even with, with with how we're gonna move forward, um, with Mont Hall P 76, we need a blueprint, a code of conduct that parents can follow. So the next time we meet as pep, even if schools are merging,
we have this, that, and the other. I would like to hear parents say, although I did not get this this time, or these students did not get it this way, what did happen was a conversation where I felt as if I had agency, I was able, the parents, my fellow parents were able to have to feel as if every step of the way it was a transparent interaction. And then decisions were made beyond that. So we really need to commit.
And whether it's DOE or, um, any type of of committee that we have to do better with parents who have historically been disenfranchised because that hits different than just a school is changing, or we have to move our children, we have to do better. And as we have the black curriculum that is now taking hold and and is being, um, given in the schools, we have to also talk about how that black curriculum impacts policy
and how the black curriculum is implemented outside of school. And the first thing that has to change is how black parents are failing, disconnected and disenfranchised. Okay. Thank you. Panel member. Panel member council Reddy. Thank you. Um, Camille Caster, borough President, uh, appointee for Brooklyn. Uh, so I walked PSIS 76 last week and saw really beautiful things happening in the school. Full classrooms, great work on the walls, major successes by students, A lot of love between students and staff.
Um, D three built a big and complicated proposal on the backs of PSIS 76 Families. Parents keep saying that they have not been invited to the table. Um, not even the PTA president was involved, which is really grossly unacceptable. Um, the joint public hearing notes show far more parents opposing the closure, um, than we've heard from today, which is fine. Not everybody is able to physically be in this space,
which is why we need hybrid public comments. Um, the the school staff was also saying that they were not involved. Um, as a system, we need to involve the people that are being directly impacted. People are going to make positive changes when those in positions of authority, the DOE, the pep do things with them, with the PSIS community rather than to them or for them. There needs to be a lot more work done here to engage the parents, uh, before a decision is made.
And at this point, I am leaning towards voting notes to this proposal. Okay. Um, a member Garcia, Good evening. I just wanted to, everyone has said what needs to be said, but I just want the parents, the teachers, superintendents, the all of us on the pep, all of us come from different mindsets. And if as panel member Shirley said that some of sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but you have to be able
to see something from another person's point of view. So those of us who been administrative, been teachers, been parents, been counselors, those of us who have various sides that we come from, there has to be a meeting of the minds. Even if we don't agree we are, we should be able to listen to one another and get the other person's point of view. So someone who's graduated from a particular school,
their children have, they lived in a community. Those of us who've been principals or teachers or deans or pep members been in district 75. Those people who have had co schools that have been co-located, that is really a very difficult situation because it's like having two women in the same kitchen kitchen. And those of us who are women understand when you have two women in the same kitchen. So when you have co-locations and you have a couple of principals in the same
place, it's not easy. So you really have to be able to look how to make the place better, whatever school it is, if you can make it better. And I just visited my former school the other day and just saw the dreams. I had my ap, who's a principal now, she had made them come to fruition. You really can do, you make, you can make wonders in a school if everybody's not fighting each other. If every parent doesn't see the teacher, the principal,
the pep as their enemy, as you said, we can't be enemies. And the kids and the students, the scholars, you could tell 'em old, if I say kids right, you can't make them help them thrive. If everyone is an enemy, it just doesn't work. So I am agree in agreement if we could possibly have more transparency, but also if we could just see things from another person's point of view as opposed to being on a soap opera
and telling this one off and, and, and it just doesn't work out for students like that. We have to be on one accord. Thank you Panel member. Joy Donald, I'm not mad that you forgot that I'm a Manhattan member surround, I feel like citywide anyway, but, um, um, I'm certainly concerned I feeled you more like Brooklyn. I'm certainly concerned. I was born in Brooklyn. I lived at four of the five boroughs, so yes. But, uh, I'm certainly concerned if stakeholders were left out of the process, but I really wanna thank everyone who came here tonight, uh, with really cogent
and thoughtful comments. Um, it seems like there is a, and I heard a bunch of, a bunch of different statements made. Uh, this is emotional. Most of us of our parents here, we know the emotion of your children's in, uh, education being so paramount. We get it. It's painful. I've been on this board two and a half years. Every one of these is painful because we know that there's gonna be people hurt and people are concerned and people who are stressed out from this process along the way. Um, but I heard other things structure. This board is dealing with the structure
that was created 20 years ago. We're writing some wrongs that are difficult. These are difficult measures to take. Um, and there's a lot of thought that's put into it, and it's not easy for us either when we know that there are people who are really, really upset about this. Um, we heard critical thinking, critical thinking. This is critically thought about her investment in Harlem, investment in Harlem's future. There seems to be agreement that this is a good investment in Harlem's future. Um, so I am, I'm leaning towards supporting this. I'm concerned, and I want to hear more about, um,
making sure that all the stakeholders are included. But, um, I just wanna say we care about the Jaguar babies too. We really do. Um, and thank you very much. Thank you very much for being such a, a, a thoughtful Audience tonight. Okay. Uh, are there any other panel, uh, members, panel member, vice chair that you wanna Good evening everyone. Uh, I'm a Harlem resident as well. Uh, I, I feel really, I feel mixed because I hear parents saying they were disenfranchised, and that's very upsetting. Then I hear some parents saying they support this,
uh, these mergers. I know it's difficult for everyone, but I think that everyone here in this audience, all the parents, all the young people who spoke, I have to hand it to you because you handled it so well. Everyone said their emotions were high, but no one came in here and acted a fool. Everyone behaved so well, and we've seen some really bad actors and we have not seen that here tonight. The principal of the MO Hall School, he said, you didn't hear about this before. I think it was the principal of the MO Hall School.
He said, you might not have heard about this because, you know, we not that loud with it. We, you know, we do what we do, we make it work. And that's what residents of Harlem do. That's what our parents have to do. That's what our teachers have to do. They have to make it work regardless. If we don't like the, the, the outcome or the situation, we make it work. That's what we need to do. I know that in my role as an educator, I had to make it work. Sometimes we got a dollar and we had to make $2 or we got 15 cents. We know, right?
But I, I applaud you all who spoke because regardless, we need to get better at making sure that no one is disenfranchised. You know, I don't like to hear that. We have to make sure that our parents in this room, this will never happen again. Where you don't know what's going on in your district. I always say, you know, I learned this from a, a superintendent and he used to say, well, is it good for children? Is this good for children? From what I hear, it's good for children,
whether it's some children, whether it's all children, but it always has to be. We have to make it good for children. So I give you all a round of applause. I think we need to give this audience a round. Thank you. Vice chair. Um, yeah. Oh, I'm sorry. Yes. Thank you. Hi everyone. Adriana Ali. Adriana Ali here for Queen cc's. She, her, um, in the spirit of making sure that this type of disenfranchisement never happens again. I suggest that we start now and I motion to table the vote regarding the proposed grade ation of PS 76. Second.
Okay, should have a second. We'll Second. Okay. We'll proceed to a vote on the motion to table. Um, secretary, would you please call the roll? Yes. When I call your name, please indicate how you wish to vote. A yes vote is in favor of tabling and no is to keep it on the, um, calendar for this evening. Um, member Ali, no, member Ali Saya. Yes. Member Arnold? No. Member bin? Yes. Do you Want me to pass? Okay. Yeah, let me think about it. Okay. Um, member Retti,
um, yes, yes. To table member Dean Stag. No. Member Fair Member Garcia? No. Member Giordano? No. Vice Chair Green? No. Member Hassan? Yes. Member Ho No. Member Meme? No. Member Owin. Member sap. No. Member Shepherd. Yes. Um, go back to Member Alban. Yes.
And Chair Faulkner. No. Uh, the motion fails. Five yes votes and 12 no votes. Chair Faulker. Yes. Panel hit. Thank you. Um, I just want us to think about something for a second If we're going to sit here and say that disenfranchising communities is wrong, and then when the opportunity arises to fix that, that we vote no. Yep. Um, then I, I see a, like I said, this just my opinion,
but I just see a problem with that because it says that, you know, where where is our commitment to that engagement really? So that, like I said, I I, but it's Really fair question. Panel members vote. Each panel member is entitled to vote mm-hmm. Absolutely. On, on the way that they feel. I think it, it, it really is unfair to, to cast a judgment or make a judgment about how people cast their vote. Everybody has an opportunity. We, we just talked about how there may be different opinions. I think people's opinions and their right to be, to have a different opinion, has to be respected and, well, the thing I disrespect Well,
well, I I just think it's, you know, we, we should not really question people's motivation in terms of how they vote. I didn't question any vote, so, well, that's the way I heard it, so I sure recall the question. Okay. So, well, I'd just like to, before we now recognize you in a second, um, I think it's important for the parents, um, that are here to know our job as a panel is to listen carefully to the comments and to the things that are being said. And one of the things that I hear repeatedly is when these proposals come forward, concerns about the lack of parent engagement.
And I think when we hear these proposals after proposal, so, so it really sends a message to us that we have to do better. I think that there is a letter that's being circulated among panel members that I'm gonna ask panel members to pick up and to review and to sign. And it, and it supports some of the things that were outlined by panel members. Uh, uh, nave Hassan and panel member Mary l Ali had outlined some of those proposals. I think this is something that I would encourage every panel member to take this letter, to take a look at it. We can make revisions, but I, but I think it's really important that we look at
where we go from here. And that is that we, we really want to, you know, we, we can disagree on whether a proposal de merits of a particular proposal, but I, but I think the one thing we want to hear is that people come away feeling that they were respected, that they were listened, they were valued. I also was very concerned when I heard the PTA president of a particular school is not engaged in a decision that affects their school. Um, that resonated with me that we ought to make sure that that never hap that type
of conversation never happens again. And, uh, so I think that's important. And I also am concerned when I hear that there is not a member of the Harlem community as part of the local CEC. And, um, so, so I think that there's some challenges that we ought own and we ought to accept and look at ways that we can, uh, correct some of these concerns. So with that, um, no, we're gonna proceed to a vote now. Um, I'll let secretary please call the roll. Yeah, I'm sorry. Yes. Is it that the first SUP, is there any way that we, the first school proposal
with the 76 in March, you can't hear me? I'm sorry. That first school utilization proposal, is it possible, can we break it in half? Why? Because it is like multiple, no, can't break it in Half. No, it's, it's, it's a unitary proposal. Yeah. Okay. Let's proceed to a vote question on the motion. Uh, no, no, because we, we offered panel an opportunity to change the letter. Yeah. Um, I will call the roll and if you wish to vote differently on any of the, um, five
subparts to this resolution, please let me know. Um, when I call your name, um, member Ali Yes. To all, yes. To all, um, member Ali Saya? No. To the first Yes. To the rest. So no. To the proposal about, um, PS 76. Yes. Okay. Um, member Arnold? Yes. To all member bin? Yes. Except for the first proposal. I I have seen, um, member Retti No.
To 76 Yes. To the others member Deans? Yes. To all member Fair Member Garcia? Yes. To all Member Giordano? Yes. To all Vice Chair Green, yes. To all member Hassan. Uh, yes. The District five proposal, yes. To the District six proposal. And conditioned on us having this in place as a new behavior
of the district planning and the districts and the DOE with the, with the pep, uh, uh, yes. To the District three proposal. Okay. I have to go over. So yes. To all of them. Yes. Yes. Well, Yes, but, but he's, but he's throwing out some challenges that he'd like to see as meet. So I, I would like us to agree on this. Look at a one 90 and not be back here in a month doing the same Thing. Yeah. Okay. Um, member ho I agree with na, so yes. To all, but let's, we're going, okay. Um, member meme.
Uh, yes. And I would like to add those some also Yes. To all. Okay. Like just one comment after Yes. Member Owin. Yes. Member sap. Yes. Member Shepherd. Um, I abstain from the, uh, district three proposal and Yes, they Was, so that's on PS 76. Yes. 76 I abstained And Chair Faulkner. Yes. So on the PS
76 proposal, all of the motion, all of the, um, proposals passed, um, they, they are all unanimous except for the PS 76 District three proposal. And I will count that right now. There's 17 people, right? So 17 in 13 in favor of the PS 76 proposal to nose and to abstention. So That also passes. Okay, great. Thank you very much. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Thank you all very much. Uh, panel member. Yes. Brief comment, uh, Brief comments. I would
like to, uh, address this to pep members that, uh, committee take education council district three actually pass resolution supporting transparency in decision making. And, uh, That's not in order right now. Let, let No, no, no. I would like to tell you that this, this, yeah, We're out of order right now. That's not, uh, the next item. Well, we'll recognize you possibly during, during an open session panel member open session. You'll be able to make that comment. Okay. Let's give people a chance to leave and then we'll proceed with the next item on the agenda. Yeah, No, You're right. No, We can't, I didn't see what we knew what was fine.
Okay. You can do that to an open comment. Yeah. Comment, Understanding how, okay. We Gotta, we're gonna restart shortly. Um, if people can, So they gonna hear it because sometimes she's right here. And then Chair fakin. Yeah, just yeah. Panel member. Um, wait, wait till everybody's, um, we ask if people, um, if you're leaving, leave quietly so we can, could the meeting I was just gonna ask maybe if we could take a five minute recess to give folks the opportunity to, to leave gracefully. Would people wanna do that? Take a five minute break to stretch your leg.
Okay. I, I, I'm hearing, I'm hearing resistance, so, um, I let question. Okay. So, um, I'm being asked that we should resume the next item on the agenda. Several panel member introduced resolutions. Um, the first resolution from, uh, panel member resolution one, I'll ask secretary to present the resolution. The first resolution up for approval is entitled Resolution Opposing a Cell Phone Ban in New York City Public Schools. Okay. Is there, um, is there a motion to introduce the resolution?
So moved. Is there a second? Second. Second. Okay. What I'd like to do is offer, um, the panel member New York Edwin Panel members with, we're doing a lot of resolution, so I'd like to, as a custom offer the panel member who's introducing the resolution and opportunity to speak first before public comment. So would you take about a minute and a half and just give us a brief overview of your, uh, resolution? Yes, thank you, chair Faulkner. Um, so the, this resolution, uh, uh, that I sponsored opposing, uh, a cell phone ban in New York City Public Schools, um,
is based on a few issues. Um, one, you know, as I I state in the resolution that, um, there's just a lot going on right now. Um, we have, um, a new administration that has targeted, um, immigrant communities and people are in fear of, uh, not being in communication with each other. Uh, and in the context of
an administration that has said that our schools are no longer safe places, um, uh, the governor has recently stated that, uh, she wants to implement a cell phone ban. Um, and there are a lot of questions around what that actually means. Um, I believe that there are ways that we can control the technology without resigning ourselves to an idea that we are controlled by the technology.
Great. Um, yeah, I just wanna say that I just want us to consider whether or not now is the appropriate time, uh, to have a conversation about, um, cell phones in schools, uh, when there's a lot of things that we're dealing with. Okay. Great. Thank you. Um, we'll now move to public comment. Uh, Clara Salas Wait On is Okay. Thank you. Um, I am in favor of this resolution. I think several CECs have already passed it locally. Um, it is a grave concern, uh, particularly if you looked at any of the data,
um, across the state. Uh, white, black and Latina parents were surveyed and asked about the cell phone po the cell phone ban, um, and the majority of the black and Latina families were against the cell phone ban. There's a lot to be said also about our children and New York City public schools. The fact that they commute, a lot of them commute on their own. My 13-year-old has been commuting on his own since he's in, in sixth grade, fifth grade. Um, and so I need him to have a device on him. Now if you look at the resolution,
I think it's very explicit that it says that during instructional time, um, the cell phones should not be used unless it's for something that has to do with instruction. Because there are teachers that use Poll Everywhere and all sorts of different, um, app applications to be able to engage their students. And I think that that's definitely productive and aligned with some people's pedagogical practices. But I think it is absolutely critical during this time when so many children feel uncertain. We have so many kids in our schools, um, that um, are either in temporary housing
or, um, are undocumented that need that sense of protection and security, um, for their parents. And I just wanna acknowledge the time that we're living right now under President Trump and that we have a gentleman that had a green card, Mamu Kil, who is currently, um, being withheld. And so some kids are gonna experience that and are gonna be fearful about that. And so in turn, having a full cell phone ban is not appropriate. Thank you. That's the only public comment. Okay. We'll move to panel member comments. Are there any panel members wish to comment? Panel member Alban, I just want to highlight and, and, um, in collaboration
and also with highlight some of, uh, panel members. She, Hussein I am for not limited use of the cell phones in the schools, of course, during instructional hours, very disruptive. But I'm not for totally banning, um, cell phones in the buildings. We, we just literally last school year amended our regs to allow cell phones in the building. So it is like going backwards. And I'm a big, uh, advocate for autonomy. Um, I would don't mind, I'm really curious
what comes from the state. Um, some guidance on, some guidance on how, um, each the school district of the state has their policies, uh, to, to implement. 'cause one size doesn't fit all right? We, we know here our own policies, one size doesn't fit all. So to have one that is to be governed around the state is gonna be very interesting to see. And also, if it does go to the effect, are we gonna get funding for it as well? You know, you put it in effect, it shouldn't be coming out of the budget of, of, of the schools to, to implement,
um, the cell phone policies. Thank you. Thank you. Are any other comments? Yeah, it was you, right? Yeah. Sap. Remember sap? You know my name. So this is an ongoing conversation. I appreciate with my, my teacher peers and my parent peers. And again, we have to be, um, very intentional with how this looks state to state. We have to be intentional with the conversation that we're having with our kids and listen to how they show up with their cell phones and what it means.
Um, I, I know for sure that I will never say, um, again and, um, not time. Okay. Uh, this is not the eighties in New York City and our kids, from what I hear from my 15-year-old, there's a sense agency with that cell phone in their hands because things move differently within the paradigm of the school, within the school's specific ecosystems
and how information moves, to my understanding, just a little personal anecdote, um, long or gone are the days where kids are going to be in classrooms sitting silently waiting for instructions. They're gonna get on those apps and find out what's going on to the left and the right of their environment so they won't go into crisis mode again. This looks different. Not only neighborhood by neighborhood, and we go back to that word agency, we go back to, to that,
to, to failing as if your voice is being heard, especially when there are a crisis situation. So I know that this looks different state to state, school to school, neighborhood to neighborhood, and we really need to be intentional That we don't do a one size fits all Chair walker. Okay. Yes. Lemme get another people haven't had to comment yet. Yeah. Good evening everybody. So I actually support this and I can just use my actual daughter guys 'cause she has a IEP and she has, she suffers from anxiety and she's had, you know, her school or just like, you know,
our schools have fights and things that go on. And in the last few months there has been different instances happened within her school. And, um, she wanted to find a way to contact me, you know what I mean? Because her anxiety was very, very high. And, uh, I was in a meeting because, you know, she can email. I thought our emails were blocked, but she emailed me saying, Mayday, I know I can't talk to you through a cell phone, but an incident happened in my school and I'm just very scared. Right? Um, and naturally they had a lockdown, which was within policy. But the one thing I've noticed as a parent, when they have lockdowns, a lot
of time the parent community doesn't get an update to say what the incident was and actually describe what the incident is so we can just be abreast of things. So until we can have better trust in our, um, school admin administration, I support this until they can find a better way to communicate back with parents so that we can know that our kids are safe. Absolutely real time. Okay. Again, I wanna get comments from Pam members who haven't spoken yet. I think I can relate to every one of these instances because this is not going anywhere. Um, luckily I do sit on the SLT of my school
and we've had these conversations with our SLT, and we too have had exactly every single statement that is stated here at the end of the days. What I really appreciated was the briefing that we got from the DOE that indicated we have to go back to basics and look at really what creates that trust. And the reminder of filling out the blue cards or the emergency response is that example of going back to basics and understanding. Do we have that information from every parent in the hands of the administrator in charge of that campus?
And that's the first and foremost thing that makes me feel more confident that the DOE is thinking about us and they're thinking of our kids, and they have trusted us as parents to look at the information of, we fill it out annually. It's a reminder. We need to fill it out a little bit more often to think the situation can happen where we want our kid to have access to the best if we are not even available for them. And that's beyond the phone. So I really did appreciate that debriefing that we got of, of, of like last month. And I, too months ago, did not have my phone.
I was anxious being up on the pep meeting floor because my phone wasn't with me. So that was a wake up call as well. But then here's the key moment that I thought this morning was the best thing that that could happen on a day that we have to make this decision. When Chalkbeat wrote the article that indicated that as of late, the chancellor today, uh, as of January I should say, um, had gone to Albany to ask Hoal, if you are going to do this, keep in perspective, the 13.5 million that is in play is not gonna be enough.
And we've got on board about 800. Last I could find, uh, the previous chancellor had about 350 schools on board with the program or the possibility of, um, of, of creating more regulations on use of phones if we're already proceeding in that progression. I don't want this to become a stalemate for the DOE if they've already taken measures like thought about what happens if INS comes into the school, or what happens when our children are feeling anxiety. It's that those blue cards exist.
It has their doctor's information, it has the insurance information, and it has three other possible guardians or people who care about that child. I really do find after almost two decades with the DOE that they are very more than thoughtful. They are consistently thinking through these measures for our kids that I do have trust. And again, I'm lucky that I'm on the SLTs. I'm on my current SLTs. We've had these conversations in my LT, we have them regularly.
That's why I almost find this to be redundant because it's already happening. If you're talking to your SLTs, in my mind, this is why I find it not useful unless it is getting us to have those conversations. And you're not, if you're not having those conversations with your kids. But I came in thinking of, no, I've been educated to other things. So I'm still pondering upon that, but that's how I stood when I came in this morning. Great. Is there any panel member who wishes to speak that hasn't had an opportunity for a first round to speak? Okay. Panel member. She on the district for the last comment. Thank you. Um, I wanna start by,
um, like fully acknowledging that, um, this resolution while I, uh, introduced it, uh, and sponsored it, um, uh, with the panel does not represent just me, right? Like, there are so many people, um, that have contributed to the language of this resolution. Like the very communities that we talk about, um, are the folks that I met with around, well,
what do you want this to look like? And, um, I want to particularly thank, um, uh, uh, people like, uh, Dr. Silas Ramirez, um, uh, and many others who have really, um, leaned into a conversation about whether or not, or, or the dynamics of, uh, access to technology and what that means, right? Um, uh, I said a little while ago, um, or the, the language of this resolution, uh, the RAs parts
of it represent the concerns we have as a community, right? But the resolved part of it represents what we would like to see as solutions, right? And the solutions part is not terribly difficult, right? It's, it's creating usage policies, right? It's, it's like creating times and spaces for when we can, when it's acceptable to use phones and when it's not. Right? Like, creating spaces within
a school where, you know what? We just not going to rock with phones at all, right? One of the places we spoke about was classrooms, right? Like, that's one of those spaces. Um, you know, and, and you know, folks have spoken about integrating, you know, it's like, it's almost like winning Rome dos the Romans do, right? It's like, if we know that kids got these phones, then how do we, maybe we can shift our thinking a little bit and say, well, how can we even incorporate the phone into education? Right? Because I know I got six kids,
and when I tell my kids no, the very first thing that they, that they start thinking and have said to me is like, why are you trying to keep me from something good? So it is, it feels like a constant battle when it doesn't have to be right? I think that, you know, and, and involving us parents like the community and what this all looks like, like it's what I wrote down in the resolution. So I, I just believe that, um, us opposing a cell phone ban in this resolution is not saying that we are somehow
challenging the state in any kind of way. It's just representing what our opinion or what our Phil or, or our philosophy is and what we would like to see as possible solutions. Thank you. Okay. Great. Let, Yeah. And I understand, I, I'm gonna have to, I guess not disagree, but there is high school and middle school and tele and phone and cell phones in classroom. You are gonna see what's gonna happen. I hate to say it like that. I know this is the time, especially with integration, uh,
integration with immigration and the things that need to be, and being in touch, I understand as a, as a grandparent especially, but we're gonna have to put some caveats on cell phones in the classroom. And how you gonna tell a group of kids, put the phone away and they tell you no, you know, some of you have, you gotta be in schools to see what happens when teachers are saying, okay, I want you and I want you to put your phone away now. And they say, no, what are you gonna do?
You are suspend them. There are so many variables to this that it's, it's almost scary because you do need cell phones nowadays. It's a different time. But I am telling you Pandora's box, it's, it's, and I, you, you need to put some caveats on it, but I don't know. I have no, in this day and age, I have no answer because of Trump's policy. I hate to, I don't wanna bring the name up, but I, there's no other, you know, this is a, a dichotomy.
I don't know what the answer is. I just thought I would say put my opinion on the table and don't, please don't slap me. Okay. Thanks chair. Okay. Yeah. Thank you. Uh, panel members and that, and, and I agree with, you know, being afraid at this. Can you hear me? Yes. Okay. Because I speak loud. Uh, I, I just have to agree with my, my colleague, uh, panel member Garcia, only because we sat in that seat and we had to deal with that. And yes, it gets scary. People don't understand unless you're really in it. And we don't wanna say ban cell phones for your children,
but I believe that we can make sure that we vote for having specific rules in our own schools like we discussed. Yeah. So to say not to wanna ban, I, I get what the, the governor is saying because prior to this, uh, prior to this governor, we had a chancellor who said, let's have cell phones in the schools. I lost my mind because, and that is so true, because she, I don't think she realized
what every school community has to go through with a cell phone. In some school communities, students use cell phones to call their friends to come to beat up the person at the school. Some use cell phones to call their parents. 'cause they were really afraid. Some use cell phones in the classrooms to do a lesson, a science lesson. I thought it was wonderful. Teachers found creative ways for the students to use their cell phones. So it's such a broad thing to discuss, but to say, to say, ban them, I know what she means. I know what she means. I know
that you might think you're thinking of your child and that only makes sense your child, no, I don't want, so parents tend to, to forget a cell phone is not gonna save your child. I told my children and the parents, if you are in danger outside, run into a store or grab an adult because you can call. By the time you're calling your mother, trust me, it's happened. Somebody snatches your cell phone. It happened before the kids get knocked upside the head and the cell phone is stolen. So there are so many different things that parents don't realize happen
because it's never happened to your child. I tell 'em, keep the cell phone in your pocket. Kids will steal your cell phone. It causes so many issues in schools. I can't even begin to tell you I can write a book. So we really need to think thoughtfully about what, when we say these things, because I know we are thinking of our community or our children or our classroom, but we have to think about a whole school community of over a million children. That means over 800 communities, uh, five boroughs through 32 districts.
So let's think carefully when we, when we discuss something like that. Thank You. Okay, Fine. Now let's proceed to a vote on, okay, We can motions. Want anybody else or no? Uh, I will call your name and please indicate how you wish to vote. Um, member Ali, um, please come back to me. Sure. Member Ali say yes. As long as that means it's in favor of them. Excuse Yes. As if you support the resolution. Yes, I support the resolution. Yes.
If you are in support of the resolution, no. If you oppose the resolution, um, member Arnold, What did you so called? Wait, wait, we lost her. I'll come back to her. Um, member bin. Um, wait, no. Member Reti abstain. Member Dean. Sta member fair, Greg. Um, Wait, I'm gonna use proposal. Listen. Oh, Because I hear what Tom is saying. I still believe in modify and in opposes.
That make sense? Right. Well, we're in the middle of let's, We're in the middle of a vote And then, and then we'll come back. Okay. Um, member Garcia Evening. Member Giordano. Yes. Vice Chair Green? No. Member Hassan? Yes. Member Ho. No. Um, what, uh, member meme. Abstain member. Owin member. Oh, no. Uh, member Sap Don't wanna van the phone.
So is that No, you don't wanna van the phone is, this is a resolution? Yes. No. Is you're opposing the, this resolution. That's okay. You don't, So It's a no if you're opposing this resolution, but yes. Is supporting the resolution, which would not ban the, which is to set up parameters. Yes. Member Shepherd. Yes. Um, okay. And next, um, and Chair Faulkner, I think, wait, who's back?
Oh, we have to come back to Member Ali. Yeah, sorry. Um, yes, I vote yes in support of the, um, resolution. Okay. And we're missing member Arnold. And now it's your turn chair Faulkner? Uh, yes. Gotta wait for me to call them. Uh, the motion does not pass. The resolution is not adopted. There were seven in favor. Three nos and six abstention and one missing chair. Faulkner, let Holdman Faye one fair. I been having a moment. Wanted to possibly propose something.
Well, no. So I heard what I wanted to say. I wanted to acknowledge what a Alice said, but I also wanted her to ensure that she heard us, what we said. We didn't distrust the DOE, but all of us don't have the same experiences in our school. So you mentioned SLT, like that's a whole topic. Everybody doesn't have full access to those things within their school and they have representation or the willingness to have that invitation. Right. Um, and there are some great schools. I love listening to how all the wonderful interaction you guys have with yours and all the wonderful updates, but we don't all have those same experiences.
Right. But I also wanna let you know, Tom, I'm still in full support. My only thing was to, because Governor Hoka put out this new update, bell to bell, can we consider sort of saying, imposing a full solve ban today, saying resolution to modify, because you're not really opposing it fully, but you do want her to incorporate some language. So would you consider that? May I? Yes. Okay. Uh, uh, panel member fair. Thank you. Um, what I will say is I think we misunderstood what I meant when I
put this resolution forward. The, the, the point of this is not a either or, it's not a, either you support a ban or not support a ban. Right? The deal here is, and I I've said this, that the, whereas parts of it represents the concerns that we have and the resolve represents possible solutions. Right? So I I I agree with you. I have no problem saying like, we would support governor gel's bell to bell thing.
Right? I, but I do think that there was a, a, a, there seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding of what the purpose of this resolution is. It's not like if you vote to oppose a cell phone ban, that we are somehow now opening schools for kids to just like, run free for all with phones. That's not the deal. Right. Because actually it's actually in the resolution what we would like to see. Right? And, and their usage policies. Like we want to define that. Right? And, and, and designated times
and spaces like we want to define that. So, so the point of this resolution wasn't to say, let's go against the governor and like oppose a cell phone ban. It was to say that we have some real concerns with the way that the governor is proposing this, and this is what we would like to see. Right? So I like, I I, I felt the need to just address it because I think that there, there was a bit of a misunderstanding. Uh, and, and I, although I think I was like, the resolution is pretty clear about what it's saying, right?
It's saying we have some issues. This is what we would like to see as solutions. So, I mean, if you want, if you want to, um, move to amend it to add the governor's bell to bell, I would have no issue with that. Um, but I would like to have the language in the resolution itself remain as it is and add that. And I would have no problem. Thank you, Garcia. Okay. It was sent. Okay. Okay. So with that clarification, am I allowed to change my vote? Can we table next? Oh, we can take, you wanna The results? Okay. I don't think you can change what's,
the results have been announced and votes have already been announced. An amendment right now would be out of order, right? Because we need to notice, can we submit from March 20? Lemme lemme just finish my comment. An amendment would have to first would've to be sent out again. So here's suggestion. Taking your suggestions, presenting them to Panel Member Shepherd. And perhaps it could be a redrafted resolution presented at the next meeting in April. Is that Well, at the next earliest up, you know. Well, if, If I don't, if we can do it in time for March 26th meeting, you know, all of the processes that it has to go through. Well, I'm not sure if that's possible,
because if we already voted down a resolution, then the process starts over. If I'm not, well, That's, that's why I'm saying that. So you would've to do it for April? It would've to be for April. May, April or May. Right. You wouldn't be able to get it on the agenda. I don't Well, March 26th is the next meeting. So April, May, April. So how much Notice? Yeah, The question is whether if you do it drafted something tomorrow and would it meet the notification requirements? And it might be tight. So if we're comfortable with April, let's, let's just move for April Point of board chair. Yes. Point of order. Um, and, uh, secretary Nathan, is there a, uh,
parliamentary procedure that allows us to reconsider a, um, motion that has not passed? Yes. It has to come from the prevailing side of the motion. So would have to be someone who voted and, uh, which I think that it exists. There would've to be somebody who voted on the prevailing side, would've to change their mind. And, and that then you could make the motion to, um, reconsider. So if I consider who voted yes, who voted no and who abstained, It would've to be somebody who the motion failed. So it would have to be someone who voted no. Okay. Okay. One more thing. Yeah. Can, if we are gonna change it, can we change the title
That that's a con That's a conversation. That's one problem. Just change the title to like a solutions Tool. That's a conversation that should happen outside of this meeting. Yeah. Where you're gonna redraft, we're not drafting it here. You're gonna get together, you're gonna redraft and see if we can come up with something that can be presented in April. Um, let's now move on to the next, um, uh, panel member resolution. And that is from Panel Member Darling. Um, we'll, we'll read it first, introduce it and then you'll be, The resolution up for approval is entitled Resolution Enhancing Multilingual Support and Communication in the New York City Public Schools
by updating Chancellor's Regulation A 6 63 to current need. Okay, is there motion to Approve? Motion? So moved. Is there a second? Okay. Uh, we'll offer the floor to panel member, darling for a minute and a half for a presentation. Thank you panel members for considering this, uh, resolution. Uh, I would like to say something that it's incredible that all counties from all districts, uh, as a, as a, uh, councilor parent Advisory Committee,
support this similar resolution. So we have support from all, all districts. Uh, I would like to thank also, uh, community districts who, and citywide councils who support this solutions. I would like to also take, uh, thank you elected officials. Thank you, um, uh, heads of our DOE for considering this. For thank you councilor. Also for noticing that, uh, this is actually, uh, end of, uh, multilingual week. And we have great, uh, information from councilors supporting all mul community.
This is support from, uh, district leaders. This is support from, uh, schools also who are take care of multilingual learners. So we have everybody on board, and that was huge process. It's, it's, it's couple, couple of years that we have all this supports. And thank you also, uh, Kenita who was there as a, uh, a leader of, um, uh, as a deputy, uh, uh, superintendent, also care about this. So we have, and, and thank you for, uh, thank you to Councillor Melendez Foti, uh, even, uh, uh, uh,
first the public councilor who show us the way how to do this. So I would like to thank you everyone for, for this initiative and support. Thank you. Thank you. Move to now public comment. Uh, I'm sorry. And, and thank you. Of course. Uh, Your time has expired. Okay, let's move to public comment. Uh, There's one person who signed up to speak, uh, Johanna Borkin, if you're still here. Okay. Okay. We'll now move to the comments. Uh, thank you Chair Faulkner. Uh, thank you. Um, member meme, uh, for introducing this resolution. Um, I've been involved in multilingual learning
as the student, uh, and as a parent, and then as the parent leader for a long time now. Uh, New York City is a very diverse community from all over the world. We speak hundreds of languages. I think 800 is the one that has more than I think, 10,000 speakers in the city. So it is, uh, much broader in terms of linguistic diversity than we see represented in our, in our decision making spaces. Um, and this, this is a huge issue for parents who are newly arrived or may not have had the advantage of learning English yet, uh, and, and their engagement in their children's education.
Um, having New York City only officially support nine languages is, is a shame, especially when New York State supports 12. Uh, so having alignment with the state at least, is a minimum requirement. And honestly, we should be well ahead of the state, given how many people here are immigrants, don't speak English at home. It's more than half who don't speak English at home. Um, so, uh, this is a good start. Uh, and I would like to see, I hope everyone supports this, and I hope we can see more development of our division of multilingual learners under dial. Uh, uh, they done amazing work. I, I wish they had more resources
and more support, uh, to grow that type of programming they have for both kids that need English language, uh, as a second, English as a new language. And also children who might want to learn, uh, another language as an American English first language speaker. This is a gift that we can give all of New York City's kids, uh, an asset that will help them immensely in their future life. And, and, and it'll be a, an outstanding, um, point of reason why people attend public schools, right? This is not something that, uh, non-public schools can offer in a way
that we can do at the DOE. So, uh, we see, we see more of this. So thank you Dr. Thanks everyone On, on information. Any other, what information, uh, Do we, does the have the, uh, uh, bill to compel the chances, the change of the chances regulation? And is there a budgetary component that goes with this resolution? It's legal. I don't think we have to compel those. What was the question? Feature the question, Right? Would this would appel change in the chancellor's regulation? Correct. Right. And it's a resolution urging that change to happen, but It's not a mandatory, and is there a budgetary component with this that we anticipate?
I would imagine printing and, well, If you're, well, if you're adding additional languages, there's always a cost. I mean, we, we have interpretation services in somewhere up where 180 languages using, we have over the phone interpretation. Um, the current re the current regulation includes nine languages plus ENG plus English, of course, that we support. So adding staff or contracts would likely have a cost. Thank you. So little Toan comments. The only thing I would like to add to
that is also strengthening stakeholders voices, right? Especially the scholars and the parent, the parent family voice, um, if they'll be able to participate and then be engaged. We just finished talking about engagement, and again, hopefully this is just the first step. Thank you, member. Any other, Um, one other thing I should add is that if there are individual requests for other languages, those requests are honored, can be honored Ca Thank you. Uh, I just wanted to share that there are over a hundred languages, different languages spoken in Brooklyn alone.
And so, uh, this resolution is definitely a step in the right direction. Um, I, I think it's really critically important that we ensure that parents are being engaged like in their home language as much as is humanly possible. Um, but very specifically at the PTA and SLT meetings as well, because the schools don't have as much, the PTAs don't have the same type of access to language supports that the principals and teachers do.
And so we're missing a big component of parent engagement when we're not helping the PTAs to communicate with their members. So, but thank you. I appreciate this resolution and I support it. Um, panel Member Shepherd. Thank you. Chair Walker. Um, I will start by saying that I do support this resolution. Um, I also want to, uh, uh, kind of in an indirect way, answer panel member Giordano's question.
Um, and New York State ed law 25 90 dash G number like one A right? Says approved standards, policies and objectives proposed by the chancellor directly related to educational achievement, student performance. So if we in a space where those outcomes are determined by whether or not we're even speaking the same language, then of course it's our job to approve these standards. So I wanted to start there because if there's any questions about whether
or not this is in our purview, I hope that 25 90 G one A answered that. Um, I do say that knowing that as a practical matter that resolutions from this panel tend to be non-binding. Um, that said, I think if we are talking about a resolution in this case, language access, right? And we all I'm sure would agree, right? That such a, such a resolution supports, right?
A standard policy or objective directly related to educational achievement, student performance, that this resolution should be binding on the deal. No, I'm, I'm just speaking a, a, an opinion and, um, um, so I, I will say that I, I do support this resolution. Um, I will also add that a resolution without resources attached to it is empty, right? When we look at a system that has a $40 billion budget,
and we've only invested 25 million into language access, right? We've, I've been in this space for a very long time, as have many of you, and we have seen how the Office of Language Access has very little resource, um, to actually, um, do what is being asked of in this res in this resolution. So I would just, um, add that if we are, if we pass this resolution tonight, um, that we use it as a way to not just advocate,
but push the Department of Education to not just accept 12 languages, right? And not just change the chancellor's regulation, right? But to attach the resources necessary to make the, the, the intent of this re this resolution real. Thank you. Chair F Yes. Okay. Just gonna make a quick try to be quick, great resolution, but I want you all to know that the, the New York City Department of Education has indeed many languages.
There's a great language access program, not privy to just principals. The parent coordinator needs to know how to be savvy enough and the PTA, because we always have, and Queens, by the way, has the greatest amount of language. Queens is over the top. And they, and I know this from experience, because when we had children come from different countries, we had to get the test that matches their language. We had to get the translation, we had to get the translator. So there's so many, uh, nuances to,
to the language part. So yes, this is a great resolution. Like Tom said, we might not be able to enforce it. You know, how do we enforce it? Trust me, it is happening. It might not happen in your school where you see it. I know it's happened in my school. Even, uh, when it came to, uh, sign language, the interpreters came out and you request them. So it is, it is happening. People, it is happening. I must say it is. Thank you. Okay. Are there any Other comments? Let's Proceed to a vote.
Um, I didn't see, oh, I didn't, I'm sorry. I didn't see you. No, thank you. Um, no, just quick, I just wanted to know if it's, um, not too late to add myself as a co-sponsor. I'd like to co-sponsor this resolution. Sure. Thank you. Ahead. Thank you. Okay. Proceed. When I call your name, indicate how you wish to vote. A yes vote is in favor of the resolution and no is opposition to the resolution. Member Ali? Yes. Member Ali. Say yes. Um, member Arnold? Yes.
Member bin? Yes. Member Casre. Yes. Member Deans? Yes. Member Fair. Member Garcia? Yes. Member Giordano? Yes. Uh, vice Chair Green? Yes. Member Hassan? Yes. Member Ho. Yes. Um, member? Yes. Member Owin? Yes. Um, member S Yes. Member Shepherd. Yes. Um, and Chair Faulkner? Yes.
So the resolution passes unanimously 17 In favor. Okay. Thank you. We will now move to general public comments. Two, three. No, she told us three resolutions. No, just two, right? Yeah. Okay. I will call, um, groups of five. If you're here and you're working your way down, just raise your hand because I, I see a lot of people left, so I'll know to wait and not call the next group.
Um, Patricia Mc McNamara, Mike Langley, um, Jason Goldberg, Kathy Tonys, and Marie Rosa. Is this a reference to the This is Resolution. This is Open County Public comment. Hello? Oh, hi. Um, okay, I'll get started 'cause I know I have a timer. Um, hello. My name is Patricia McNamara and I'm a biology teacher and UFT chapter leader at Boham Hill School for International Studies in Brooklyn. Since the beginning of the year, we have been fighting for space in our building that sits empty. A success academy that we are co-located
with has 10 empty classrooms, as their enrollment has significantly declined throughout the years. Our enrollment and the enrollment of another high school in our building digital tech have far exceeded expected enrollment on the outdated building utilization plan from 2016. We are in, we are an in demand successful schools in Brooklyn that offer diverse programs for students of all abilities. We've been trying tirelessly to have our Building utilization plan revised. We were at the December pep, if anyone remembers, um, to reflect the real enrollments on our campus. And the process has been very vague and unclear.
We think the DOE must must have much clearer guidelines and regulations for co-located schools. This could look like a revision to chancellor's regulation, A one 90 putting stipulations or time limits in place for when, but should be reviewed or maybe even an amendment to the state law. Having a bup revised should not be an impossible task, as it very much feels like right now. It seems like BPS can be amended left and right when a charter school wants space or wants to co-locate a building. But when a public school needs more space, there's no guidelines. The DOE should also be planning how to implement the class size law at schools co-located
with charter schools like ours and not plan. And the plan should not be cutting public school enrollment. Why should students who wanna attend our schools be penalized? 'cause the DOE is unable to manage school space, and charter schools are taking up classrooms as their enrollment declines citywide. Our students deserve to have smaller class sizes and the spaces in our building, but who has the power? Clearly not US classrooms are left empty while our students are receiving mandated services in the halls or in the library. We're asking the officials here tonight from the DOE to help us in getting more space for our school community. It's unfair that charter schools have so much power.
Thank you for our time and support. Thanks. May I ask you a question? Where are you located? What street? We're located, um, in Borum Hill in Brooklyn. Um, gimme the street, uh, Baltic and Court. I know. Okay, that's fine. That's by form. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Could you repeat the name of the school please? The school's called Boham Hill School for International Studies. Um, but I'm also kind of speaking on behalf of Digital Tech. They're another high school in our building, and our enrollments have both like increased. We have a graph as well.
Okay. Thank you. Um, Good evening. Uh, my name is Mike Langley. I'm the 12th grade English teacher and Union delegate, also at the Boham Hill School for International Studies at December's Pep. Uh, my colleagues and I spoke about the urgent space concerns at 2 84 Baltic Street. Um, we detailed the situation back then. There's four schools in the building, US Digital Tech, a public high school, a site of Star Academy, a district 75 school, and a K to four Success Academy Elementary School. Um, the space is allocated based on a hopelessly outdated and woefully inadequate building plan from 2016.
Uh, the numbers are totally different than they were back then. Our school, uh, our school we're over our maximum projected enrollment by nine by 72 Digital Tech over their maximum by 92 success, under their minimum by 67. Um, in the fall, the DOE senior director of space planning came to visit and found that 10 of Success Academies classrooms were sitting empty. Um, that's, that's not quite true. Some of them have been repurposed as staff offices, which is nice, but not the purpose. Um, and we're back tonight to update you with
what has been happening on, which is nothing. Nothing has changed every school day since September 5th, the students of BHS and DT walk by empty classrooms, even as their own schools are beyond capacity. Um, we haven't received any decision regarding this space. We have not been given any justification for why these classrooms remain empty. We are seven months into the year and there's no light at the end of the tunnel. Um, keeping classrooms empty, that should be put to use. It's a waste. It's insulting to the families who send children to our schools. It's disrespectful to the staff who work there. Um, there's no possible justification
for using an 8-year-old plan that doesn't reflect current realities. If I came to school every day and used lesson plans I designed eight years ago and then refused to update them based on the students in front of me, my principal would probably talk to me about finding a new line of work she'd be right. Um, this is where we were in 2016. That's how close the enrollment was. They were quite close. Now it's that far apart. Please help us change. Visit empty classrooms NYC to help. Okay. Go ahead. Okay. I'd like to come and visit. Can I speak to you after? Yes.
Okay. Okay. Sorry. That's Alright. So, yeah. Brooklyn in the house. My name is Jason Goldberg. I'm a UFT Special Representative, and I am proud to be representing this building. This this school and these members. Um, they've done an incredible organizing campaign in mobilizing parents, students, their staff. And really when we talk about inequity, this is the basis of what inequity looks like. When charter schools can take up as much space as they want and never give any back, it's like
as if they move into a building and they never move out. They take a certain number of rooms and whatever their enrollment is, they never give it back, even if that enrollment drops. But when a successful, very successful district, high school is growing, which tells you that the parents in that neighborhood and the parents in the surrounding neighborhoods believe in that school, believe in its leadership, believe in its teachers, and believe in its mission, and they are sending their children to that school. But yet they do not have the space to accommodate everybody.
And there is talk that the Office of Enrollment is talking about truncating the school so that the number of students of this very successful high school fits the space rather than making the space fit the students. I think that is shameful. I think it is shameful and it is within your power to fix. And what I am asking you as a New York City public high school parent, as a person who loves and is a product of this great city schools I came from, I graduated South Shore High School, and I think we all know that South Shore High School is another place that needs help.
I am asking you to start to address inequity here. Send a clear message to this corporate charter that they cannot just add a grade band and bring students from another school to be able, so they don't have to give up the space. Please help this very successful public high school serve its students mandate. Mandated services should not be in hallways, cheerleaders should not be in the lobby. Please help us fix this. Thank you. Uh, the Next group of speakers, Natalie Brasington, um, Miriam Opa, Janiah Lewis,
Charles DeBerry and Ra Sala. Is anyone here? No hands. Okay. I see the folks on board are about to leave. One of the panel members would like to, uh, you, you got, okay, great. Thank you. Yeah, she's coming. She's coming down. Anyway, Um, una Kim, Ima Jardi, Karen Marrows. Rena Ortega or Shaki Carmichael? Anybody? Um, Lashona. Gary Que Manley.
Sarah Ben Shire Berg. That's, Did I miss anybody's name? Who signed up? Okay, here we go. Okay. Um, that, that concludes our public comment. Uh, we will now move to Panama comments. I'm gonna remind you that this section of the program, um, is optional. We've completed what the, in terms of, uh, public comment. So I'm gonna ask panel members to be brief. Two minutes for public, uh, for panel member public comment. Okay. I saw panel member Casre
and then I'll let you know as Panel Member Shepherd. Thank you so much. Um, I just wanna speak to, uh, the BHS Families and Digital Arts. I was, uh, the CEC president of District 15 during that 2016 buck change when, uh, the BHS was able to take back two classrooms from Success Academy, you all should be aware that Success Academy had been offered their own space by the DOE and they refused it.
I dunno how, but they did. And, um, additionally, the co-location, the charter school is an elementary school and they're co-located with six to twelves. Yeah. So there's a lot of things that are not working in that building and a lot of things that have not worked for many, many years. Um, up until including one year when the Success Academy, um, administrators told the staff that if the public school did not have
their space cleaned up during the summer when they were taking over some of the spaces that everything would go in the garbage. And so they, so they threw all of their air conditioners in the garbage. Wow. Yeah. So there's a lot going on there. Um, so much for the co-location handbook, but we need to ensure that the schools that need the space are getting it. And, um, as far as I know, the charter schools are not even part of the class size mandate. So another thing to consider. Okay. Thank you member.
Thank you Chair Faulkner. So I am reminded by this meeting tonight, um, what's important, and I'm not going to say that any of what we discussed or did tonight was unimportant. That would be unfair. It would be wrong and it would be disrespectful. What I will say is, while we are considering the things that we consider tonight, I also want us to consider that we are dealing
with an adminis, a federal administration, right? That is recently as like two days ago, literally cut a billion dollars in food purchasing, uh, programs for our public schools. And what does that mean? Like in a city where the vast majority or the majority of our students live below the poverty line, access to food in our schools is going to become more challenging. What does it mean when, you know, like, like what else are we dealing with? A US Department of Education where this administration literally cut half its staff?
Like, like you got people do, running around rough shot, just dismantling the government right in front of us. And I want us to just understand that all of that has an impact on the space that we are in and the decisions that we make. And I also want to just say that we are also dealing with an administration that is canceling, for example, student loan relief programs at the same time that they are literally, if you go into any of their websites, erasing all references
to black and brown peoples. And I want us to just consider in this space as we move forward, the fact that we are in a city of eight and a half million people and almost a million of them attend New York City Public Schools. And they look to us to be able to protect them, not just give them an education, not just to feed and support them, right, but also to protect them from the very things that are like tearing it apart right in front of our eyes. So I just wanted to share my thoughts on that, and it's been sitting on my heart all
night, so thank you. Chair Walker. Thank you. Is there anyone else? Yes, member Alvin. And then, Um, I just, I'm gonna be very brief. I just, like, I, when we discuss like, bylaws and resolutions, oh, you can't hear me. When we discuss bylaws and resolutions, can we, um, make sure that everybody's on the same page? Like we're understanding, you know, you know, I think tonight we had a little bit of confusion. I don't think everybody understood. I think just take a little more time that people ask their questions to make sure we know exactly
what we voting for, you know, um, in general, just going forward. So, um, so this, we'll be on the same page. I just wanna make sure that, you know, make sure that everybody is on the same page or have all their questions answered before we move into a vote. I think, I think that was the committee's job. The, which, which committee's we have. We have a bylaws committee. No, I'm not talking just the by bylaws, resolutions, whatever that has been, you know, uh, just a little bit longer to make sure that if some people have questions or understanding, because sometimes, um, if we don't fully understand
what the vote is or what we are proposing, we may not vote the way we, uh, intend to vote. That's all I'm saying. I, but that's the briefings. I'm just trying to follow. We, let's talk about lines. Yeah. Um, yeah. Thank you and good evening everyone. Uh, I'd like to echo panel member Shepherd's comments. Um, earlier today, panel member Igo, who's unfortunately not here today, reminded me that today is the 30th 35th anniversary of the Capitol Crawl. On the 12th of March, 1990, over a thousand people
with disabilities crawled up the steps of Congress to demonstrate how inaccessible buildings, inaccessible architecture, really creates barriers to everyday life. And what's worse is that a lack of accessibility creates a lack of dignified options available to folks with disabilities. In protest of the status quo, they demanded the passage of the Americans with Disability Acts, also known as the a DA. They put their bodies on the line to create a better future, a more accessible future, a more equitable future. A better future, right? Say that twice. The current federal administration intends
to erase DEI as a concept. Killing an idea is impossible. We know that. But that doesn't mean that they're not going to continue to try. As a millennial, I've lived through a lot of historic events and I never have to ask myself what I do in these moments because there's only one answer for me. And that is to do whatever it takes, anything that it takes to protect Title One, anything it takes to protect IDEA. Anything it takes to get equitable bus contracts, anything that it takes to protect the future. Thank You. Thank you. Uh, who was next?
I don't remember. Thank you. Thank you, chair Poner. And thanks to everyone who's still here and sticking around and listening from home. Um, there's a Roman land bark to all those that observe. We're in the middle of, uh, the month right now. Uh, and, uh, the days are getting longer thanks to the time change. It's very unfortunate. Um, I'm sorry to always be here at the end of the meeting with terrible news about federal immigration policies, but we are seeing some very dark things coming down, including during this meeting. The Justice Department subpoenaed our shelters, uh, for all
of the aliens living inside of them. And to includes families with students in schools. I struggle to, to, to, to rally with our system-wide response. I don't even know what to ask the DOE to do in this situation, right? This is a city hall responsibility. We have, uh, someone who's absent and, and, uh, volunteers and nonprofits and elected officials who care are coming together trying to glue together a support network for them. But if ICE comes to a shelter, um, I'm short of physically blocking them from going in there. I don't know what we can do. Support your school's families.
Please, uh, make sure your principal is given all the information to them that they need. If they're not getting the material, uh, let someone in project Open arms know, uh, everyone should have their rights cards with them and, and find a legal organization that will support them. There's so many great lawyers doing pro bono work right now. Uh, the other bad thing that happened on this front is Denver Public Schools had sued, uh, DHS, uh, the Homeland Security, uh, to reinstate the Sensitive Sites memo. Unfortunately, the judge did not agree with their standing on this.
And, and so schools might still be, uh, vulnerable, been asked to find private spaces in schools where they, people can hide essentially from ice, should they come into the schools. It hasn't happened yet, but just the fear of these types of threats is causing huge problems with attendance. Parents being scared of going outside. Uh, freedom of movement is, is not a thing in New York City right now. And that's not how I wanna live and as a New Yorker. So, um, please come and organize with us and we, we can try to figure out a solution. Thank you.
Thank you. I don't see any other hands. Okay. So we've reached the end of our meeting. Uh, the next, uh, panel for Education policy meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 26th, 2025 at the Bronx Career and College Prep High School. Um, look forward to seeing you all there. Until then, this meeting is adjourned. Ladies. Yeah, we need be down.