Public’s Turn to Have Say on School Board Reform
By Assemblyman Steven Sanders

A very important part of the landmark New York City School Governance Reform enacted into law earlier this year, will be played out during the next few months. As the State Legislature gave greater authority and accountability over our schools to the Mayor and his hand picked Chancellor, the law also envisions public participation in issues dealing with local community representation. How local school boards should be constituted and with what powers is the question that the public will be asked to weigh in on.

Although the law abolishes the current community school boards as of June 30, 2003, the law also requires public hearings to help determine what should replace these school boards so that we may begin a new era of genuine and effective community representation and input on local school issues.

I am pleased to have been named as co-chair of a special task force appointed by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, to conduct public hearings and develop a plan for new community representation to be submitted to the State Legislature and Governor.

The other co-chair of this task force is Terri Thomson, who also served for several years as a distinguished member of the New York City Board of Education representing Queens.

We and the other eighteen members of this task force, representing every borough of the City, are determined to listen carefully to public comment and then formulate a coherent proposal to maximize community involvement in local education issues.

The schedule for these hearings are: Tuesday, December 10 in Manhattan; Thursday, December 12 in Queens; Thursday, December 19 in the Bronx; Monday, January 6 on Staten Island and Thursday, January 16 in Brooklyn.

For more details concerning the location and times of these hearings call (212) 312-1464. It is anticipated that there will be a daytime and an evening session for each hearing so as to make these hearings as accessible as possible to as many persons who may wish to testify.#

Steven Sanders is chairman of the NYS Assembly’s Committee on Education. You can contact him at 201 East 16th Street, New York 10003 (e-mail: sanders@assembly.state.ny.us) or phone him at (212) 979-9696.

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