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THE
WEEK OF APRIL 19, 2001 |
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Parents And Laments Crowding
Queensbridge Group Wants Task Force
by Michael Efthimiades
Overcrowding, parental involvement and a law suit claiming inequality were the main subjects last Tuesday, when Schools Chancellor Harold Levy and Queens Board of Education Member Terri Thomson addressed School District 30’s President’s Council at P.S. 212 in Corona.
As he was talking to a select group of parent association heads, Levy said he tries to visit individual districts and meet with parent associations as best he can. Parents are the backbone of the system, he said, if they are involved, schools usually run well. Also, education starts in the home.
Levy admitted that not enough schools are being built so as to have seats for each child. “In Queens, we could build 30,000 seats and we will still not have enough for every student,” he allowed.
On top of the overcrowding, the Board of Education also has legal issues to deal with. Levy said that the Campaign For Fiscal Equity has filed a lawsuit because John Jackson of Washington Heights complained his child was not getting an adequate education.
Jackson hired a lawyer and filed a lawsuit seven years ago. He says every child has a right to a free public education; the state says it provides a free education—although it might not be a good one. The court ruled in Jackson’s favor.
The judge pointed out that 15 percent of teachers are uncertified, 200 schools are physically unsafe, there are few adequate books in many schools and tremendous overcrowding.
The state Education Depart-ment has appealed the decision, and the matter will now go to the Appellate Courts in about four months. Levy said that it is important that parents protest the funding inequity and demand they get their share of the funding. “Fairness dictates that we get more,” he said, pointing out that in reality New York City gets $8,700 per student (this includes federal, state and local dollars), while areas upstate get $9,700 per student.
Shifting the focus, the whole school system is based on an antiquated, agrarian model in which children have summers off to work on the farms, presumably. Levy would like to see longer school days year round.
Meanwhile, he said parents need to take ownership and must know that turning off the TV can be an act of love. He said that when kids say no to homework, parents should make them do it. Levy said that sometimes a parent must be unpopular.
During a brief question-and-answer period, a number of parents complained that the new stricter tests are overwhelming and that the curriculum in the schools is based on getting higher test scores. They said that teachers are teaching to the tests and that there is no creativity anymore.
Levy responded that standards were increased so that if one cannot pass all five regents, he or she doesn’t get a diploma. He said that President Bush wants to see a test in each grade. This is already done in New York City.
In the past, the Regents and that SATs were all that mattered for those who wanted to go on to college. Today, the theory is that all must make it through high school with a diploma. Over half of city high school graduates go on to college, he said, and 20 percent graduate late.
Parents then expressed the need for more crossing guards at various school locations.
Levy responded that crossing guards are part of the Police Department. He said that Chief Diaz is the liaison to the Board of Education on such issues. Levy will relay the message to Chief Diaz.
One parent asked if the Board of Education has looked into acquiring the buildings used by Catholic schools that were soon to close down.
Levy responded that he had contacted the Archdiocese and would try to hire some of the best teachers from the closing schools. If there are any facilities they will not need, he is willing to negotiate. However, Levy got the impression that they will use the buildings for other purposes.
Community School Board 30
After Levy left, CSB 30 established a districtwide policy on seat belt use on general and special education buses. The board requires that seat belts are provided on general buses as well as buses transporting special education students.
Prior to the vote, Vice President John Ciafone said that State Senator Serphin Maltese had proposed legislation that would require seat belts on all school buses. Ciafone said the proposed legislation is expected to pass the Senate and then be considered in the Assembly.”
“I feel there is a need for this,” stated Ciafone. “I think we need to be overly cautious with children rather than risk a situation where there is an accident and the bus rolls over.”
Board member Jeannie Basini pointed out that in many instances buses have seat belts, but children don’t wear them. She feels the resolution will call attention to the problem and set policy within District 30.
Board member Donald Stewart said that he feels seat belts are needed, but that the resolution cannot result in any district action, so he was opposed.
In other action, the Board unanimously rejected a resolution that would have authorized a halt to construction of the addition to P.S. 166 in Long Island City.
Although voted down, board members said the resolution was put on the agenda to call attention to the fact that the company contracted to do the work and the subcontractors have possibly received violations from the Buildings Department and the Department of Environmental Protection Agency.
The resolution charged that neighbors of the school had complained about deliveries being made to site in the middle of the night and that work is done before and after legal hours on weekdays and weekends. In addition, many workers do not wear proper identification, neighbors’ driveways are frequently blocked, and dirt is regularly left on private, adjacent property.
Basini pointed out that she had received complaints of deliveries being made at 2:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. She went to the area and witnessed first hand some of the violations.
Regardless, some people felt that if the resolution were to pass it would have horrendous results as it would halt construction at an overcrowded school.
Ciafone said the construction firm has angered neighbors, but there are other avenues, such as the community board or the Buildings Department, to deal with this. He feels it is not in the children’s best interest to halt construction as overcrowding is not fair. He feels the neighbors should bear with it until June, when construction is done.
The board also considered a resolution on homework. The resolution would require schools to contact the student’s home in the event of three or more missing homeworks.
The board voted zero in favor, three opposed and four abstentions, so the resolution failed.
Prior to the vote, Wilner said every school should make its own decision on the matter and teachers should establish their own policy on the subject.
Donna Steele, president of the P.S. 111 Parent Association, said that she feels parents should be contacted before the first marking period ends, so parents can deal with any problems.
Parent Diane Allison said that that there should be a policy on the issue, but not a districtwide one. She feels a more general resolution that sets up a mechanism but leaves it to each individual school to implement is the way to go. She pointed out that each school’s needs are different.
Community resident Michael Sturm said he is ashamed that one must even consider implementing a districtwide policy. He said parents, teachers and children are a team and should all know what is going on. Sturm said that if a child is missing homework, it should be dealt with immediately and not wait until the parent-teacher conference.
Sturm feels the resolution on the agenda is incomplete and should be tabled. A parent component should be added into any future resolution on the subject. Sturm said that responsibility lies more with the parent than the teacher. He said that a form letter should be established which teachers could send home.
Educational task force
Representatives from Queensbridge Community in Action thanked the district for providing them with information and statistics on educational matters pertaining to minorities. These parents said there is a national crisis on education, especially for minorities.
Rolando Bini, a member of QCIA, said that the data received proves that there is a gap between District 30 children and Queensbridge children. “We are getting 30 percent as compared to what other children in the district get. We want a task force to deal with the education gap,” he demanded.
Barbara Jones, a parent and QCIA member, said she is pleased with the progress, but a great deal more needs to be done to ensure a quality education for children at Queensbridge. “We are asking that a task force be implemented to set the pace and ensure progress and success. The system is broken, so we must have a task force to fix it to ensure an equal education for Queensbridge children.”
Speaking in Spanish, Elizabeth Rodriguez said that there is a large number of parents who do not speak English. She and these parents feel that they are being discriminated against. When they apply for programs within the schools, their children are always at the end of the list.
Rodriguez said that many children are forced to take English as a Second Language classes even though they are not learning anything. Last year, her child, who attends P.S. 166, was not given a proper education, and she had to spend money on tutoring to help her child catch up.
QCIA member Yvette Grissum said that the gap is not decreasing in Queensbridge and that the children are not on the level they should be. She said QCIA does not blame anyone, but wants to create a task force to deal with it. She said the task force should be made up of district staff, teachers and clergy. “We will fight as much as we can for our children,” she said, before producing a petition asking for a task force, which she said had 1,000 signatures.
P.S. 111’s Donna Steele, who lives in Queensbridge, said that instead of putting down the parent association, parents need to get involved and try to help the children. She pointed out that the people on the school leadership team work hard. Ten parents can not do it alone, and the parents of the other 600 students need to get involved.
Steele pointed out that P.S. 111 parents receive training. She said that P.S. 111 was the only school in the district to be put on a SURR list and the school worked very hard to get off it.
Ciafone commended QCIA for recognizing the problem. He said that it is important not to bash the school staff and district office. Said he: “You have a great parent association at P.S. 111. Donna Steele puts in blood and sweat at that school. I support your request for a task force, but we must work together to solve the problem.”