Reforming the NYC Board of Education to
insure public accountability is my number one
priority. The current method of appointing members
to the Board of Education should be abolished
and replaced with a new seven-member board elected
directly by the voters. The new Board of Education
will be charged with the responsibility of restructuring
the entire system. This restructuring will initially
affect two critical areas of infrastructure and
instruction.
The Condition of our school buildings continues
to deteriorate due to gross under funding of maintenance
and regular capital improvements. Falling plaster,
peeling paint, leaking roofs and broken windows
are commonplace. Our children are packed into
auditoriums, hallways and yards and expected to
learn without the physical resources necessary
to accomplish the task. To remedy this historical
area of neglect, the new Board will be given a
mandate to rebuild our schools into environments
that provide adequate space to accommodate our
growing student population.
While new and renovated school buildings are
essential in creating stimulating learning environments,
administration and instructional practices must
also be transformed to insure accountability.
The system’s low-performing schools, referred
to as SURR schools, are those schools that have
consistently ranked very poorly in student achievement.
SURR schools that require the most intensive intervention
are placed into an administrative structure known
as the Chancellor’s District. NYC SURR schools
and SURR schools placed into the Chancellor’s
District should be given the option to convert
to charter status. Charter schools, which remain
public schools, expand the choice of school options
for parents. No student would be excluded from
SURR conversion program and parents would have
the right to opt-out of the charter system. Charter
schools will involve parents in the design, implementation,
and education of their children and play a positive
role in the community.
(Statement reprinted as supplied by the candidate.)
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