CM Gutierrez on ECE pay parity and 3K/pre-K utilization data

Councilmember Gutierrez.

Thank you.

Good to see everyone.

What time is it?

3.20.

Oh, it's early, everybody.

Okay, I have a few questions.

I'm going to focus, obviously, on early childhood education, although I do have maybe like two other questions for everybody else.

So first, I just want to start.

I just wanted to see if...

Deputy Chancellor, you wanted to expand.

I know Speaker Menon had asked on the pay parity.

I thought, I felt really encouraged by you referring to it as compensation parity and really wanting to look at benefits.

Is there anything else that you can expand on that?

I know we've spoken at length every time we have a hearing, we have a number of people come and testify.

It still seems to be the biggest issue for folks to really buy into, expand to get to universal childcare.

And as you know, we're working really hard on trying to get more people to want to pursue a career in this.

So is there anything that you can expand right now on kind of how you're looking at it or how you're even thinking about beginning those conversations?

Because I understand it's layered.

I appreciate that, Councilmember.

And, you know, nothing to share that would be any less than kind of a non-update, and I really want to be thoughtful about giving you something with substance.

But please know, you know, as a black woman and knowing that this specific sector is comprised of underpaid women of color, this is something we take.

very seriously and the administration has been and the mayor himself has been very clear about taking this on firsthand.

And so we're looking at the pay structure, right?

We need to clearly define what equity is, understanding the nuances across the sector.

And then the part around just health coverage and insurance, you know, some of the things we're looking at is the cost of insurance, right?

And so nothing, again, substantial to share right now, but it is something we're taking very seriously.

Excellent, excellent.

And is there any...

Any kind of time frame where you think you'll be able to kind of come back and just kind of share anything on it?

Again, I get that it's layered.

I get that it's complicated.

I get that getting data even is difficult.

So kind of what's your timeline?

Yesterday would have been nice, right?

And I think we all want that.

But, you know, what I can agree with, I will confer with our colleague, Emily List, because that's something we have to do and develop together, and we'll get back to you on what the timeline could be.

Okay, well, I look forward to continuing those conversations and encourage for folks that are here or will be testifying this week just to continue to hold us all accountable because we all want to get there.

Okay, I'm going to ask some questions about 3K that I think at the prelim were not shared.

Is there a current 3K utilization rate that you all have that you can share?

Yes.

And so the utilization...

For 3K is 85%, and that is for about 52,000 seats.

And then do you have one for pre-K as well?

Yes, that is 80% for about 69,000 seats.

69?

69.

Okay.

And can you share at this time current enrollment for 3K and pre-K?

So it's that utilization rate.

That's what the current enrollment is?

Yeah.

Okay.

Exactly.

Okay.

And then I wanted to ask, is there anything, I know all of the,

The assignments went out.

That's not the right word, but you know what I mean.

The offers?

The offers.

I got you.

I got you.

I'm in the trenches, too.

I don't know why I'm...

Can you share a little bit about...

I don't know if it's now okay for you to share kind of like the amount of families that were able to get first, second, third pick, any of that data that you can share now.

Yeah.

I know it's recent, but for 3K and pre-K.

We got approval from our colleagues in the Office of Student Enrollment.

And so one thing we are very proud about, we did it last year for this current school year, and we're doing it now for the upcoming school year, is any family who did apply by the application deadline received an offer.

So 100% offers were given to families who applied.

That's great.

And so across 3K and pre-K, there are about 100,000 applications with about 57,000.

Actually, let me take a step back.

There were about 100 applications, and then offers exceed the number of applicants because sometimes we manually place students.

And so for the office of 3K, it was about 57,000, 56,838.

And then for pre-K, we extended 43,083 offers.

And of those, specifically for, I think this is 3K specifically, and I'll get back to you, Councilmember, on the first, second, third choice for pre-K.

But 3K, you know, we are trying to get to universal.

And so those numbers around priority placement or placements based on the priority and preferences.

So 70% of families receive their top choice.

84% received one of their top three choices, and 88% received a choice on their application.

88% received a choice on the application.

And for the 12% that maybe received an offer that they've never heard of, what recourse do they have?

I know, you know, your office was super helpful.

We encourage people to, like, you know, sign up to the waiting list, add your name.

But what...

Kind of how are you moving along that 12%?

Because I think those parents are often the most vocal, right?

They're like, I live in Crown Heights.

I don't know why I'm expected to go to, I'm making this up, but like Bushwick, let's just say.

Yeah.

For whatever reason.

How are you all kind of working through that and those placements?

So a few things.

And so thanks to, you know, the motivating factor that you all have at just encouraging us and holding us accountable, the investments from the administration and the governor around just creating new seats, right?

And so that's helpful in creating placements closer to home or work, wherever the preference is of that family.

And so we've gotten the distance down significantly for the upcoming year.

About 0.8 miles, we actually decreased the distance of placements.

And I think that is worth celebrating.

Now.

This might be a provocative statement around the 12%.

There is no part of our system where 100% of families get their choice, right?

I'm a parent who just went through the high school application process, and I had to wipe some tears and give some hugs because she did not necessarily get into one of her top choices.

And so I really want to be clear that we have to level set expectations.

But we always want families to be within a reasonable distance of travel.

And so, again, it's going back to investing and placing seats and creating a more flexible system

where our community members, may they be CBO schools, family child care homes, can offer care based on community need and not be limited, families not be limited to where need is placed.

And so we are trying to infuse the system in ways that are thoughtful to create that flexibility.

So it does take some investment, but it also takes some nimbleness in the contract.

Yeah, and I understand that.

I think the instances that are being brought up to us and to my colleagues are ones where, you know, 3K and pre-K doesn't work the same way as K through 12, and we have zone schools, and we have schools that we know will take us.

These are instances where parents are like, I don't, the school is a train right away, right?

These are the extreme cases that I'm referring to.

And in those instances, no parent is not flexible because they realize they've engaged in a process that's, for the most part, still kind of up in the air.

It's those specific instances that I'm referring to where people are being, you know, having to travel a lot further than point eight, which I think is wonderful.

So I want to give you all your flowers because I think that's important.

But I'm talking about these extreme situations, which are common.

Okay, great.