Information Session for Waitlisted Families
April 6, 2011
For the past several years, the number of children zoned for East Side schools has greatly outnumbered the seats available resulting in waitlists and school overcrowding. I wish this was an April fool’s joke, but sadly once again this year many incoming Kindergarteners have been waitlisted at their zoned school.
Even with creation of two new elementary schools and the recently passed Upper East Side school rezoning plan, it’s clear the DOE is still underestimating the number of elementary school seats needed for the Upper East Side. I have continued to push the DOE to retain the Our Lady of Good Counsel space when Yorkville Community School moves to its permanent home this September, so that we can bring more school seats to District 2 this fall. It should be obvious that the only real solution to the overcrowding and waitlists is the creation of more elementary school seats.
If you are a parent of a child who had the misfortune of being waitlisted, The NYC Department of Education (DOE) will be holding an information session for you on Monday, April 11th at 6 p.m. at Wagner Middle School located at 220 East 76th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues). At this meeting, enrollment experts will provide an overview of the process, discuss the status of waitlists, and clarify next steps regarding alternative offers.
Starting Kindergarten is a stressful time for the families of young children- I will work with parents to ensure that you are receiving the information and support you need. If you have any questions about the waitlist process or any other East Side education matter, please don’t hesitate to contact my office at (212) 860-4906, or you can email me.
A Breakthrough for East Side Families
January 20, 2011
Last night, the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) voted to move forward with relocating Richard Green High School to allow PS 151 to move into the former PS 66 building. The PEP’s decision is a huge breakthrough for East Side families. After years of waitlists and overcrowding, our students are finally on their way to getting the classroom space they deserve. I applaud the PEP for doing the right thing not just for PS 151 and Richard Green, but for the 5,000 children that go to school every day on the Upper East Side.
I’m proud to have helped bring two new elementary schools to the Upper East Side, which was the first step toward solving the overcrowding problem. Not too long ago I was sitting with parents in the basement of a community center, working to make the dream of a new PS 151 into a reality. The new school has been a wonderful success – the only thing left was to find it a permanent home.
I’ve been advocating for the best and most obvious solution: moving PS 151 into the former PS 66 building, which was always meant to be an elementary school. This plan went hand-in-hand with the plan to move Richard Green High School out of PS 66 and into a much better location at the Broadway Educational Campus.
Moving PS 151 to a new home is a major piece in the school rezoning puzzle, which is so important to solving the overcrowding that’s been plaguing our community. The District 2 Community Education Council recently approved a rezoning plan based on the understanding that PS 151 will move into the former PS 66 building, giving it a capacity suitable for its newly enlarged zone. Without this move, the Upper East Side rezoning plan would have unraveled and East Side kids would have been condemned to more overcrowding, more waitlists, and more uncertainty.
Richard Green’s students also deserve an appropriate home. PS 66 was never meant to be a high school, and for 20 years, Richard Green’s students have been paying the price: they’ve been stuck with a dual-use auditorium/cafeteria, no gym, and no science labs. PS 66 was no place for growing young adults. Six foot tall seniors should not have to continually duck in small staircases built for six year olds. Moving Richard Green to the Broadway Educational Campus will allow these students to finally learn and develop in a space designed for them.
There’s still much more to do before we can finally put the East Side’s overcrowding problem to rest. We need more elementary and middle schools, and we need them now, not later – because with each coming school year, more children are entering Kindergarten. Ultimately, the continuing overcrowding and waitlists will only be solved by the creation of new schools.
I will continue to work hard on behalf of East Side students and their families, so that all our kids can get the education they deserve. If you have any questions about the PEP’s vote or about any other East Side education matter, please don’t hesitate to contact my office at (212) 860-4906, or you can email me.
A Key Victory for East Side Students
November 9, 2010
The NYC Department of Education announced today that the Yorkville Community School will have a permanent home of its own for the 2011-12 school year. This is tremendously exciting news. It wasn’t too long ago that I was sitting with parents in the basement of a community center, working to make PS 151 a reality. Now it will be right where it should be – in the former PS 66 building on East 88th Street, which was always meant to be an elementary school.
Moving the Yorkville Community School to a new home is a major piece in the school rezoning puzzle. Now that we know how many students PS 151 will ultimately be able to accommodate, I hope that the District 2 Community Education Council completes the Upper East Side rezoning so that every parent will finally have the security of knowing where their children will be going to school.
This move shouldn’t happen in a vacuum. The parents and kids at the Yorkville Community School came to love their temporary home at Our Lady of Good Counsel, and while they may be moving on, it would be a shame to have wasted so much time and money for only a short-term gain. The DOE should work with the Archdiocese to retain the space—they could use it as the new home for an expanded PS 77 Lower Lab, which could include grades K-8, helping to alleviate the middle school crunch that is surely coming to our neighborhood. If the DOE does this right, it will be a double victory for East Side families.
Upper East Side School Rezoning Meeting
Thursday, October 21st: Make Your Voice Heard
Thursday, October 21st: Make Your Voice Heard
October 19, 2010
The Zoning Committee of the Community Education Council District 2 (CECD2) will be meeting this Thursday, October 21st from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Wagner Middle School located at 220 East 76th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues). Elizabeth Rose from the Department of Education’s Portfolio Planning division will be presenting a zoning proposal that will redraw the boundaries of our local public school zones. This rezoning will determine where our children will attend elementary school.
For the past several years, the number of children zoned for East Side schools has been greater than the number of seats available, resulting in waitlists and school overcrowding. Redrawing of school zone lines is essential to creating zones with more evenly distributed students.
I strongly urge parents to attend the CECD2 meeting on Thursday, where there will be time for public comment to voice your questions and concerns.
I have included the current zoning plan and the proposed plan below so you can better understand better understand the impact on your child.
Please email my office at kellnerm@assembly.state.ny.us if you would like to receive updates on Upper East Side school rezoning.
Upper East Side Current Zone Lines
Upper East Side Dep. of Education Rezoning Proposal
A Victory for Students: Gifted & Talented Program at PS/IS 217 Is Saved
June 23, 2010
I am pleased to announce that we will continue to have a gifted and talented (G&T) program at PS/IS 217 on Roosevelt Island next year. After the Department of Education announced that there would be no incoming G&T kindergarten class at the school next year, I along with Council Member Jessica Lappin worked with parents to save the program. Now that next year’s kindergarten class has been secured, we will seek to expand the program to make it citywide — bringing some of New York City’s brightest students to Roosevelt Island and securing the Island’s gifted and talented program for the long term.
Below is a joint statement from myself and Council Member Lappin about this exciting news:
“It is with great joy that we are able to announce that the Roosevelt Island gifted and talented program has been saved. Two weeks ago, the Department of Education unilaterally announced that the program would not be accepting a class of kindergarteners for next year. This was the wrong decision and our offices immediately began working with parents and school officials to make it right. At a meeting with us and parents on June 11, the DOE committed to maintaining the program if at least 18 students could be found who were interested in attending. Our offices worked with parents from Manhattan, Queens, and Roosevelt Island to spread the word and recruit families for this program.
“We are pleased to say that as of today, there are 18 students enrolled in the program. There will definitely by a new G&T kindergarten class on Roosevelt Island next fall.
“This is a huge victory for parents who worked so hard and who refused to take no for an answer. More than that, this is a victory for the families who will now have a first-rate gifted and talented program for their children this fall.
“We’d especially like to commend PTA President Nikki Leopold, Principal Mandana Beckman, and Elizabeth Rose of the DOE for their efforts to preserve the G&T program on Roosevelt Island. This is excellent news and we look forward to continuing to watch the G&T program on the Island grow and thrive in the years to come.”
A Victory for Students: Agreement Preserves Teaching Assistants for 2010-11 School Year
May 10, 2010
Over the past several weeks, dozens of concerned parents have contacted me to let me know of their support for maintaining parent association-funded teaching assistants in our public schools during the upcoming 2010-11 school year.
I know the important role teaching assistants play in the lives of students and agree that our public schools cannot afford to lose the benefits of the vital services they provide. The hiring of teaching assistants is popular in New York City for good reason—it allows for more individual attention to students struggling to learn in overcrowded classrooms. Maintaining these positions ensures that students continue to receive the education they deserve.
I am happy to report that today an agreement was reached between the United Federation of Teachers and the New York City Department of Education which will maintain our PA-funded teaching assistants for the 2010-11 school year. The program will be a continuation of the temporary agreement from last summer for the current school year.
While today’s news is a victory for our schools, we must not lose sight of the main goal—a permanent, long-term agreement to maintain our invaluable teaching assistants. Since the temporary solution was reached last year, I have worked very hard to bring the UFT and DOE back to the negotiating table in order to develop a comprehensive plan for the future. I will continue to work with the DOE, UFT, our parent leaders, and school administrators to ensure that a long-term solution is reached as soon as possible.
Support for the Creation of PS 267
March 10, 2010
Last night I delivered testimony to the Panel for Education Policy (PEP) in support of the proposal to co-locate P.S. 267, a new elementary school, in the P.S. 158 building beginning in the 2010-11 school year. This proposal represents a big victory for East Side students and their parents, offering immediate relief from school overcrowding and avoiding the earlier, much criticized plan to create a “mega-school.” The new PS 267 will have its own administration and will move into its own permanent location in the former Manhattan Ear Eye and Throat Hospital (MEETH) building on East 63rd Street.
The PEP will be holding a final vote on the proposal at its regular public meeting on March 23, at 6:00 pm in the Michael J. Petrides School, 715 Ocean Terrace in Staten Island.
My testimony is below.
3.9.10 PS 267 Public Hearing Statement
Opposition to Dept. of Education Rezoning Proposal
December 14, 2009
The Upper East Side has faced a steadily worsening overcrowding crisis for the past several years. Schools have been forced to convert art rooms, libraries, and even closets into instructional space to keep pace with rising enrollments. A number of new school projects on the Upper East Side are already or will soon be coming to fruition. These new seats should help ease the space crunch. The District 2 Community Education Council (CEC) and New York City Department of Education (DOE) rightfully understand that rezoning will be needed in order to make effective use of the new school capacity that is becoming available.
However, I do not believe that the DOE’s proposal for the space at PS 158 that will become available after East Side Middle School relocates is appropriate.
The bottom line is that the proposals put forth by the DOE create a school that is simply too big. On the East Side, we are fortunate enough to have supportive, nurturing schools of reasonable sizes. Creating a mega-school in the PS 158 building would be detrimental both to the existing PS 158 community and to the students who would be rezoned to attend the school.
Research from both the Brookings Institute and the Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy found that student learning tends to diminish in schools that enroll over 800 students. In addition, it becomes significantly more difficult to build the sense of community that is the hallmark of successful schools in a school of more than 1,000 students.
I, along with Council Member Jessica Lappin and Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer, wrote to the CEC to urge it to reject the rezoning proposal and instead adopt a plan to incubate a new elementary school, with its own zone, at the PS 158 site. You can download a copy of that letter from the Publications section of this website.
The Executive Budget: Beginning the Conversation About Shared Sacrifice
December 19, 2008
Governor David Paterson presents the 2009-10 Executive Budget to the NYS Legislature.
As we all expected, the Executive Budget is the result of a painful reality of our difficult economic situation. It demonstrates what we have known for months: balancing the budget will require shared sacrifice.
I am very aware of the obligation that I share with my colleagues to ensure that necessary cuts and tax increases are done in such a way to ensures that higher education remains affordable, the commitment to funding our schools is maintained, quality health care is available to every New Yorker, and that mass transit is adequately funded.
There are many cuts that I am uncomfortable with as I am sure the Governor is. As an example, Senator Tom Duane and I wrote to Governor Paterson in November to ask that the relatively small amount of funding allocated for the Bridges to Health program be maintained, only to discover today that its funds have been frozen and its full implementation delayed for many years. This is a program to provide services to medically fragile, severely traumatized, and chronically disabled children in the foster care system. I will continue to advocate for its funding.
Despite this, I respect that the Governor made tough choices from a poor set of available options and I did not envy his task. Over 50% of our state’s spending is designated to healthcare and education, so it is impossible to avoid cuts in these areas when balancing our budget. I also know that our budget can’t be balanced on cuts, nor would I want it to be. You have probably heard that the Governor has proposed a new range of taxes and fees, some of which have gotten more attention than others (like the ‘sweet tax’ proposed tax on non-diet soda drinks which Governor Paterson recently defended in an editorial posted on CNN.com).
Two of these fee increases concerned drivers; the first is a 25% increase on car registration fees and the second is a 25% increase in driver license fees. I wrote to the Governor in November to suggest these fee increases (see my blog post on this topic, Increasing Driver License, Car Registration Fees Could Raise $550 Million for Cash-Starved MTA), and I am happy to see them included in the budget. But I am disappointed that these fees are not designated for mass transit funding as I suggested, but rather to plug holes in the general operating budget. It is important to me to ensure that even as we repair the massive shortfalls in the 2009 budget we plan for mass transit funding for the future. Designating funding for mass transit from drivers’ fees can achieve both.
We are in the midst of an unprecedented global financial crisis that threatens our economic security. People are losing their jobs and their homes. Pensions are losing their value and families are making horrible choices about necessities. I have no doubt that we will pass a budget that contains significant cuts in spending and increases in fees and taxes. And I will continue to demand that this sacrifice is shared and not shouldered by the most vulnerable New Yorkers. Continuing to advocate for more progressive tax structures is one way that I will work to achieve this.
It is very important to me to hear what you think about the Executive Budget. It is by no means a final version of what we will pass in 2009. The Governor himself emphasized yesterday that it is a starting point for dialogue. The PDF of the Governor’s presentation can be found on his 2009-10 Executive Budget website.
More on School Overcrowding
October 24, 2008
Here is an audio file you can listen to of a recent interview I did about the problem of school overcrowding with CNPI reporter, Florence Wapimewah, in late September. The interview was recently aired on WBAI 99.5FM.
Click here to listen to this interview: Interview with Assembly Member Micah Z. Kellner on School Overcrowding
- Via @MicahKellner + @MMViverito NYPD, never sensitive to Trans NYers, but if these allegations true its beyond the pale http://t.co/UGWWI9Tn
9 hours ago from ÜberSocial for BlackBerry
