Times Ledger - CDEC 27 revs up for restructuring:
Members of Community District Education Council 27 agreed Monday to double their meetings to twice a month in October and November to brace for confusion stemming from the city Department of Education's restructuring taking effect in the upcoming school year.
Under the restructuring, the city's 10 regions will be eliminated and principals will have these options:
¥Designate their school as an "empowerment school," where principals have autonomy over their school budget and curriculum,
¥Team up with not-for-profit or for-profit organizations that will supply the school with support services or
Join one of four Learning Support Organizations, which will be headed by four former superintendents who will have their own support resources.
Newly appointed CDEC 27 member Margaret Kearns-Stanley said one of her children's schools informed her of which option it had chosen while other schools were not as forthcoming.
Other CDEC members said parents may be confused or will simply not know which route their child's school has chosen.
"I envision the worst and the worst is [the CDEC] will have a lot of parents calling you next month," said David Hooks, a council member who made the suggestion to double up on the meetings in October and November. "I envision a lot of problems."
"I'm concerned about how the children are going to make this adjustment and how the teachers will make this adjustment... there are a lot of questions out there. We need to do whatever we can to allay those fears."
There are six returning members to the CDEC this year and five new additions. CDEC 27 President Andrew Baumann asked the newly appointed members why they decided to join the council.
Far Rockaway resident Coralanne Griffith-Hunte, a new coucil member who has three children attending public school, said she wanted to be a conduit between schools and parents.
"There is such a disconnect between the parents and their children's education," Griffith-Hunte said.
John Patrick Larkin of Rockaway Park, also a new council member, said he "just wanted to better the situation for the children in the district, including my son."
"I wanted to make sure parents have a say in their child's future," he said.
The district covers Howard Beach, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park and the Rockaways.
In other business, Baumann said Schools Chancellor Joel Klein is scheduled to meet with council presidents Aug. 1 at Public Advocate Betsy Gautbam's office.
Baumann said Gotbaum's office was chosen as "neutral territory" because he said council presidents felt intimidated to speak during meetings at the city DOE's headquarters.
"People in the Department of Education would be sitting behind us e-mailing their bosses on their little BlackBerries," Baumann said.
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