Dinowitz introduces Resolution 548 on school governance reform

Thank you, Majority Leader.

Today, I'm introducing a resolution calling for reform of the New York City public school governance.

Resolution 548 calls on the state legislature to amend our city's education law to grant the city council representation on the panel for educational policy

and to give community education councils more oversight over DOE hiring decisions.

The PEP wields immense power in our city.

They oversee school closures, co-locations, grade reconfigurations, massive DOE contracts, including those exceeding $1 million.

Their actions affect nearly 1 million students and 140,000 DOE staff members.

And yet, of the PEP's voting members, none are selected by the City Council.

The City Council, which oversees and adopts the budget that funds the DOE, does not have any representation on the PEP.

Giving the City Council a seat would help democratize the panel and ensure that our communities are adequately represented in decisions that affect them.

Community education councils face a similar imbalance.

While CECs help identify candidates for superintendent and submit evaluations, they have no meaningful authority over leadership decisions within their district.

The state should amend the system to allow for CECs, a body that directly represents parents within their school district, to have more of a say in decision making.

Granting the council a desire

designated seat on the PEP and giving CECs a stronger role in hiring decisions within their districts would add a necessary measure of legislative and community accountability into the largest public school system in the United States.

Thank you again, Majority Leader, for the opportunity to speak on this resolution.

Councilmember Hanif, followed by Hudson, and then Justin Sanchez.