Want Parents Involved
Council Tells Klein: Rethink School Plan

By MEREDITH KOLODNER

City Council Education Chairman Robert Jackson introduced a resolution last week, co-sponsored by 27 other Council Members, calling on Chancellor Joel I. Klein to stop the planned school re-organization.

SHELDON SILVER: Significant school investments.

The move was the latest in a series of efforts by the Working Families Party and a coalition of parent and education groups to get a seat at the table in the decision-making process of the Department of Education. Advocates noted a recent Quinnipiac poll that showed just 33 percent of city residents support Mr. Klein's handling of the schools.

'When Will They Listen?'

"The question is, when are they going to listen?" asked Mr. Jackson, flanked by a dozen Council Members at a March 28 press conference on the steps of City Hall. "When they've already made the decisions, that's what they think consultation is."

The resolution calls on the DOE to "consult with educators, parents, community leaders and other interested stakeholders regarding recent school reforms, and to delay the implementation of these reforms until the potential impact has been fully assessed."

DOE officials have repeatedly stated that they are conferring with a wide range of groups. The day of the press conference, they sent out a statement from a coalition of community and church groups, called the Industrial Area Foundation Metro-NY, which said it supported the city's reform efforts. The group noted that not all of the reforms had been adequately explained, but also asserted, "If the opponents of the Bloomberg/Klein reform succeed, [city] students and [city] schools will be condemned to another generation of failure."

'Rely Too Much on Tests'

The legislators said parents in their districts felt that their concerns were not being heard. "There seems to be a disconnect between the decisions DOE is making and those that the public feels is needed," said Councilwoman Melinda Katz, as parents standing behind her chanted "put the public back in public education."

Some legislators stressed that they were troubled with the content, not just the process, of the current move for reform. "There is too much reliance on high-stakes testing and the Chancellor is going deeper into that," said Councilman Bill de Blasio. "We think that reducing class size is perhaps the single-most important reform that could be made."

A Brooklyn parent with seven children in the public schools said she wanted more resources in schools in low-income neighborhoods. "We need more computers and text books and qualified Teachers in our after-school programs," said Ana Cartagena, speaking in Spanish. "And we need smaller classes."

WFP spokesman Bill Lipton called for a taskforce made up of DOE officials, Council Members, parents, educators and community groups to re-think the reforms. "We think together we could have an open, transparent process and make changes that make sense."

Mr. Lipton said the coalition's next move was a petition drive to demonstrate the lack of support for the Mayor's plans.

"What we're saying is please pause the re-organization," he stated.