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P O L I T I C A L A C T I O N Join the PS3 Political Action Committee! Sign up for the listserv to receive up-to-date information on rallies, petitions and meetings. If you have trouble, contact Shino at ShinoT@verizon.net. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Public School Parent Advocacy Committee The Public School Parent Advocacy Committee's web site has information on pressing issues -- overcrowding, class size, budget, etc. There is a page titled "PSPAC101" that lists issues at a glance. Click HERE to visit the site. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mayoral Control Background In 2003, the New York State Legislature voted to give the mayor of New York City control of the New York City public school system. But the law is set to expire on June 30th this year and the Assembly committee wants to hold hearings before voting on whether to continue mayoral control. Critics of Bloomberg's interpretation of mayoral control, which includes the PS3 Political Action Committee, have many concerns about continuing this policy as it currently stands. They cite the following problems: schools have had to endure several major reorganizations to the entire system and increases in standardized testing; parents have less ability to have their voices heard; and there are no checks and balances in place to prevent the Mayor from making unilateral decisions. The current system puts all the powers in the hands of two men, neither of whom is an educator. During a City Council hearing last March on mayoral control, critics voiced concerns that Bloomberg was exerting more control than the Legislature had meant to give him. “Mayoral control was not meant to be martial law,” Councilman John Liu said. Meanwhile, schools are increasingly overcrowded and graduation rates remain virtually unchanged at 50%. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Class Size...Testing...Mayoral Control... Budget Cuts... New Schools...Pre-K... As many of you know, these are challenging times for the NYC School system. Budget cuts, rising class sizes and standardized testing are just some of the issues effecting our children's educational experience. Following are just a couple links to help parents stay informed and to let them know how they can make things better. The Daily Hornet http://www.dailyhornet.com/ KidsShutOut.net http://www.KidsShutOut.net PARENTS COMMISSION ON SCHOOL GOVERNANCE http://gothamschools.org/tag/parent-commission-on-school-governance/ MANHATTAN BOROUGH PRESIDENT http://www.mbpo.org/newsroom_details.asp?id=1163 Community Educational Council District 2 http://www.cecd2.net/home.aspx Also, Check out these Petitions Parent Commission on School Governance Petition: www.parentcommission.org/ Petitions for individual neighborhoods: www.dailyhornet.com |