Dep. Speaker Williams on PTA disparities, teacher diversity, and due process equity
Williams raises PTA funding disparities, teacher workforce diversity with 53% white educators in a majority non-white student body, and demographic disparities in due process cases. She also asks about STEAM center investments and geographic distribution.
Okay, in the interest of time, and I'll make sure we send the questions, but I just wanted to talk about these topics really quickly, still under the theme of equity in school budgets.
I know this has come up a ton of times.
I feel like it's coming up a lot more recently.
Just wealthier districts reported raising of PTAs, so there are PTAs that have reported raising over a million dollars, while other schools report no additional funding through their PTA.
And so, again, we'd love to see how New York City Public Schools is addressing this particular issue when it comes to school resources.
On another topic, teacher recruitment and retention.
You know, we know that there has been a considered focus on workforce diversity.
53% of educators are white and the majority of public school students are not.
Love white teachers, love Mr.
Peterson.
He's literally the only person that has ever made me love math in my entire academic career.
However, New York City is a very diverse school district.
And so just wanting to understand, as you all have been increasing the funding for recruitment this year to comply with class size mandates,
using this as an opportunity to continue your efforts to hire a diverse workforce.
Like we know you have New York City men teach to recruit black, Latino, and Asian men.
So we'd love to just understand how you all are using your additional funds to continue to increase diversity amongst school educators.
Equity and due process cases.
So we have a term and condition
that the council has received from New York City Public Schools showing the demographic makeup of the student population with due process cases settled or closed
in fiscal 2025, which is significantly different than the demographic makeup of public school student enrollment in the 2024-2025 school year.
So just want to understand your thoughts on this difference and what it means for the question of equity and who is actually receiving these services when our school systems are failing children who have
learning differences, as I like to say.