On September 22nd, 100 parents and community members rallied at City Hall in support of community schools as a long-term investment in struggling schools, testified about successes in their community schools, and called on the administration to pass a Community Schools Policy to guide implementation and ensure longevity. Deputy Mayor Richard Buery attended and announced that the Department of Education has presented the Panel for Educational Policy with a draft policy to be revised and voted on in the coming months. The event brought greater public awareness to the community schools initiative and showcased broad support from parents across the city for high-quality implementation and expansion. Speakers included parents from community schools, City Council Education Committee Chair Daniel Dromm, and other elected officials.
TRACKING EDUCATION: “A coalition of advocates — some of them aligned with New York City’s teachers’ union — are pushing for the passage of a concrete policy on community schools. The Coalition for Educational Justice held a rally on the steps of City Hall Tuesday afternoon to call on the Department of Education’s Panel for Educational Policy to approve a set of policies that would govern the city’s 130 new community schools. The policy seems to have buy-in from Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration: deputy mayor Richard Buery spoke at the press conference. The policy, first crafted last year, seeks to formally define what a community school is and how such schools should be staffed and should operate. The PEP will vote on the policy at an upcoming meeting, likely in November.” — POLITICO New York’s Eliza Shapiro
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