Read without ads and support Scribd by becoming a Scribd Premium Reader.

Language:

Download

Go BackAdd Note

Link

Embed

Save for later

Advance CEC questions for Chancellor Walcott

Question Number 1:

District 1 has a limited number of seats available for our own students, yet every year more of these seats are filled with out of district students entering charter schools,high schools and specialty schools (ie: citywide G and T) that are housed withinD1

buildings. District 1 K-3 is growing at a record rate, for example Kindergarten hasgrown by 20%, but when these kids get to middle school age we are concerned therewon't be enough spots for them in D1 schools. I ask that D1 children be givenenrollment priority in all current and future schools within the boundaries of D1,including citywide programs. This is a solution that is basically free and will help todiversify the schools within our district. Would you be willing to institute this policy?

Question Number 2:

As the Chancellor of the NYC Department of Education how will you accomplishthe task of meaningfully educating our children in NYC public schools, when:1) over the last three (3) years class size has increased by ten percent (10%);2) each year there is a growing number of kindergarten students on waiting lists;3) although there is always attrition our mayor has been threatening to lay-off more than 6,000 teachers or 1 out of 12 classroom teachers;4) a significant number of our schools are losing Title 1 funding as the stimulus package under President Obama expires at the end of this academic year; and 5) it is anticipated that on top of all of the cuts in recent years, the nextacademic school year will deliver an additional 5% or $515,000,000.00 cut infunding to NYC Public Schools. How will these factors influence decisions regarding class size, enrichment, academicintervention and support? MIDDLE SCHOOL

District 1 parents/guardians are empowered to choose where their child will attend schoolrather than that decision being determined solely by their physical address. With student population growth in District 1 Elementary Schools rising, how will the above cuts effectthe Middle Schools within District 1 – will additional Middle Schools be developed andif so when, when and how long will this take?

Question Number 3:

Admissions In 1991, the former Community School Board removed all school attendancezones in order to create a choice-based admissions program in the District, thatwould increase opportunities for equity and decrease racial isolation, and improvethe academic outcomes of all students by inviting the cultural, socioeconomic,and ethnic diversity of the community into its schools and classrooms.Even after the NYC DOE centralized the administration in 2004, District One hasremained a school-of-choice district with no attendance zones, unlike any other district in NYC.We have, as a CEC and district community, lobbied and collaborated with theDoE to regain most of the policy that centralization put at risk- (parent choice,sibling preference, Pre-k to K continuity) yet there is no "fairness factor" thatwould grant all children equal access to schools that reflect our wholeneighborhood.The data shows that, since information is not universally and equally accessibleand transparent , choice alone segregates, and our community schools areincreasingly segregated by race and class.ie: the web based school locator gives a false zoned school for D One addresses ,and calling the referenced OSE phone number is worse.We have held countless meetings, rallies, petitions, letter writing, phone, emailand fax campaigns to ask OSE to reinstate our diversity basedadmission program but have always been told that diversity is not a "program"that DoE can accommodate.Yet, controlled choice admission simultaneously promote diversity and equity,stability, school improvement, student achievement, meaningful choice, and theefficient utilization of school facilities.

Question Number 4:

Update on common core curriculum and performance based standards2015 implementation, will it be complete? How many tests will incorporate them? Arethey all highstakes- social promotion?Is it true that opinion based writing will be replaced with research and evidence basedwriting? What online tools will be allowed and/certified for the research? We don't haveenough libraries or computer savvy families, how will online research practice be taught?During the Chancellor's Parent Leadership Conference on June 6th it was also explainedthat reading information and non-fiction texts will replace narratives. If these twochanges away from creative writing are true how are our children supposed to becomecollege and career ready through becoming creative thinkers? Air conditioner manuals asa good goal for CCS to prove the need for factual understanding can not replace acreative and critical opinion!If all literacy teachers will be included in the CCS (science, humanities, history..) willthat also mean that those teachers will be evaluated by the students' results?CCS are said to be fewer, clearer and higher.Aren't we simplifying and reducing choices schools and kids have today?Over and underachieving students need engagement and ownership over their curriculum.How do you think we can achieve that? Do you believe that the CCS are the solution or are they simply the next best thing and are we looking further?true- 16 new tests?true- all tests on line by 2014?true- spending one billion $ this capital plan, over 1/2 of that NEXT YEAR alone,, to getready for these on line tests?

Question Number 5:

While Charter Schools serve less than 10% of NYC’s school children their promise wasthat they would be a source of innovation and reform for all NYC’s schools. How arethese promised "innovations" and reforms documented and disseminated to the 90% or more PS schools?Can you give us some examples of some of the innovations, reforms or best practicesthat have originated in NYC Charters and have been implemented in our District OneSchools?