The Department of Education today announced dates and locations for the second round of public hearings concerning New York City’s proposed 2008-09 Contracts for Excellence school funding plan. Parents, educators, and other New Yorkers are invited to attend and comment at the hearings, which will be held in all five boroughs. The majority of new State education aid is subject to the provisions of the State’s Contracts for Excellence. Under State law, Contracts funds must be distributed to certain schools and spent in six specific program areas—class size reduction, time on task, teacher and principal quality initiatives, middle school and high school restructuring, full-day pre-Kindergarten, and model programs for English Language Learners. The provisions also require that funds go to students with the greatest need and supplement, not supplant, previously funded programs and personnel. An updated Contracts plan will be posted online during the week of July 21, 2008, followed by a 30-day public comment period.
The first round of public hearings concerning the Contracts for Excellence were held in June. The upcoming public hearings will again give parents, educators, and other New Yorkers an opportunity to comment on the revised plan, which will include proposed spending of school-based Contracts for Excellence funds. The Department of Education (DOE) will use the feedback in finalizing its Citywide Contracts for Excellence Plan. The public may comment on any aspect of the plan, including:
- How schools are planning to spend their discretionary funds within the six allowable program areas;
- How the DOE is allocating targeted Contracts funds to schools;
- How the DOE is allocating funds for school support services;
- The Class Size Reduction plan; and
- The public comment process itself.
The schedule for each hearing is as follows:
- 6:00 p.m. - Doors open; speaker sign-up begins
- 6:30 p.m. - Hearing begins; presentation of proposal
- 6:45 p.m. - Public comment begins
- 8:30 p.m. - Hearing concludes
Hearings will be held at the following dates and locations:
|
Borough |
Date |
Day |
Location |
Address |
|
Staten Island |
July 29, 2008 |
Tuesday |
The Michael J. Petrides School |
715 Ocean Terrace |
|
Queens |
July 29, 2008 |
Tuesday |
I.S. 230 |
73-10 34th Avenue |
|
Bronx |
July 30, 2008 |
Wednesday |
John F. Kennedy Educational Campus |
99 Terrace View Avenue |
|
Brooklyn |
July 30, 2008 |
Wednesday |
Juan Morel Campos Secondary School |
215 Heyward Street
|
|
Manhattan |
July 30, 2008 |
Wednesday |
Louis D. Brandeis High School |
145 West 84th Street |
New Yorkers can also comment on the plan by sending e-mails to ContractsForExcellence@schools.nyc.gov
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Contact: David Cantor / Debra Wexler (212) 374-5141