Proposal would empower education councils

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The debate about mayoral control of public schools in New York City is heating up in Albany. Most discussion has not focused on whether to extend the policy, but how to do so.

The state Assembly passed its version of mayoral control, a three-year extension with no major changes to the status quo, on May 18. As the Senate deliberates its approach, state Sen. Jeff Klein, whose district includes Riverdale, is pushing to empower Community Education Councils (CECs) along with the mayor.

“I’m a strong supporter of mayoral control,” Mr. Klein said in a phone interview, but “I clearly think we can do better in engaging parents.”

Mayoral control — which makes the mayor the head of the city’s school system — started in New York City in 2002. In addition to extending mayoral control for another five years, Mr. Klein’s group of breakaway Democrats is proposing to align CECs with community boards, making their borders coterminous and rolling the councils into the community boards’ education committees. Since the city currently has more community boards than CECs, the change would increase the total number of education councils, from 32 to 59. The number in the Bronx would double.

Mr. Klein said the idea is to get more parents involved at the local level. He explained that in his experience, “community boards are the place to be” for active participation, adding that the organizations are repositories of knowledge about local issues like land use.

Under the proposal from Mr. Klein and his Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), CEC members would continue to be selected the same way, by the parents’ association presidents, secretaries and treasurers. The community boards would provide outreach support and expertise on local issues to the CECs.

“I think the people who serve now are terrific, but if they served under the auspices of the community boards, they could do even better,” he said of CEC members.

Marvin Shelton, the president of District 10’s CEC, said he opposes the proposal.

Jeff Klein, mayoral control, CECs, Marvin Shelton, IDC, Gustavo Rivera, Isabel Angell
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