Latest news with #CommunityEducationCouncil
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NYC school board members with ties to right-wing Moms for Liberty ousted in local election
School board members in Manhattan with ties to the conservative parent group Moms for Liberty were not re-elected to their local education council, according to results announced Monday. Those knocked off the panel included Community Education Council 2 member Maud Maron, who brought a federal lawsuit against the New York City Education Department to regain her seat after a former schools chancellor removed her for misconduct. Maron stirred controversy last year for sponsoring a resolution condemned by LGBTQ+ advocates as anti-transgender student athletes. In a statement to the Daily News, Marone said many parents have started voting — not just during the election, but with their feet — and leaving a school district that, as she sees it, is lowering academic standards. 'More social justice activism in lieu of an academic focus will accelerate that trend,' said Maron, who was one of two CEC 2 members to speak at a Moms for Liberty forum in Jan. 2024. Democratic politicians decried the event, and neither member secured enough votes to return to the education council. Nearly 1,400 parents applied this cycle — a 24% increase — for seats on Community and Citywide Education Councils, which serve as New York City's school boards in a public school system controlled by the mayor, according to Education Department data. There are 32 geographic councils and four citywide panels, which focus on certain students: English language learners, children with disabilities and high schoolers. 'Our schools continue to thrive because of committed parent leadership,' Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos said in a statement. 'The [Community and Citywide Education Councils] elections show just how deeply we value parent voices to shape our schools and build a stronger, more inclusive system for all our students. We are committed to giving our elected parent leaders the support and tools they need to lead effectively.' But greater interest in serving on the councils didn't translate into any improvement in voter turnout, which remained abysmally low. This year, fewer than 18,200 parents cast ballots in a school system of close to 1 million children — a 4% decrease in participation since the last election cycle in 2023, the data showed. While the panels are often limited in what they can do, they help shape the conversation around hot-button education debates, such as how schools should respond to Israel's war in Gaza or transgender student athletes. Last cycle, the local education advocacy group Parent Leaders for Accelerated Curriculum and Education, or PLACE, captured a significant foothold on the councils, launching a debate over whether the city was experiencing a backlash to progressive education policies. PLACE advocates for more Gifted & Talented programs and the use of a single exam for admissions to specialized high schools. PLACE-endorsed candidates will make up 31% of elected seats, down several percentage points from the last election, according to the group's tallies. This election, PLACE declined to endorse Maron, a co-founder of the organization, who is separately running for Manhattan district attorney as a Republican. 'It's an honor to have received the most votes for an individual candidate in the entire city,' Craig Slutzkin, the current president of Community Education Council 2, said in a PLACE press release Monday. 'I believe this a reflection of parents' desire for rigorous, quality education for all kids throughout the city, something I have been fighting for over the past two years.' CEC 2 — which oversees a sprawling district from Lower Manhattan to the Upper East Side, while omitting some neighborhoods such as the East Village — became the site of sustained protests since The News broke the story last spring of plans to urge the chancellor to revisit the city's inclusive policy on transgender girls' participation in school sports. The ensuing turmoil sparked organized efforts to oust the resolution's backers. CEC 2 saw more than double the number of applicants than in 2023, according to Education Department data. Erin Khar, a parent leader on the P.S. 41 Greenwich Village School PTA, said she was encouraged to run by other education advocates, and made her final decision to apply after President Trump's inauguration and the onslaught of new federal policies that came with his re-election. 'I realized that while I don't have control of things over a federal level, I do have influence and control over what happens in New York City,' said Khar, who hopes to help rescind the transgender sports resolution. 'I absolutely believe we'll be able to do it with the new makeup of the council with a message to the trans kids … The message to them is we will protect them — that the protections that already exist within the DOE will be upheld, and we're going to ensure that.' Council members serve two-year terms beginning on July 1.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
NYC kids are so unchallenged by dumbed-down curriculum they read novels in math class
Students in New York City's largest school district are so bored by the DOE's dumbed-down math curriculum they read novels in class, parents say. Families are forced to shell out thousands of dollars for tutors or flee in search of more challenging programs, parents say. Parents in District 2, which covers most of Midtown, Lower Manhattan and the Upper East Side, are demanding accelerated math classes in elementary school and geometry starting in middle school to keep kids on par with their peers elsewhere in the city and country. 'Kids are reading novels in math class because they are bored,' Danyela Egorov, a member of District 2's Community Education Council, told Superintendent Kelly McGuire during a recent board meeting. Egorov said parents have told her they are considering moving to Brooklyn's District 20 because it will offer geometry in some middle schools next year, setting kids up to take Algebra II in ninth grade. Other districts in Brooklyn and Queens already offer the accelerated option. 'It's the only chance they have of getting geometry in middle school since they cannot pay for private school,' Egorov said. Kids in middle schools that offer accelerated math end up a full year ahead of those in District 2, which is one of highest-performing in the city, argued Manpreet Boparai, another CEC 2 member. For kids graduating the Lower Lab School, which offers a gifted and talented program and sixth-grade-level math in fifth grade, it's even worse, Boparai noted. 'D2 middle schools hold them back and make them repeat sixth-grade math, taking them off track to finish geometry in eighth grade,' she told The Post. 'They don't need more puzzles. They need to be accommodated to stay on the track they're already on.' CEC 2 members Allyson Bowen and Maud Maron told McGuire in a letter last week there is an 'urgent need' for math reforms in District 2 and demanded a meeting to discuss establishing a 'math path' pilot program, and a task force to monitor its success. 'Parents are leaving the system due to a lack of rigorous academic offerings,' they wrote, citing the city Department of Education's annual school survey. Meanwhile, other parents are turning to pricey math tutors and after-school programs like the Russian School of Mathematics, or RSM. A West Village mom and her husband with three children in District 2 schools pay a total $6,400 to send all three to supplemental math programs at RSM, which starts teaching algebra concepts in first grade, she told The Post. 'We want to make sure that our kids are well set for a successful future, having math ahead of what the public schools are currently offering. Because that's not enough to be competitive.' After the regular school day, her kids spend two to two-and-a-half hours weekly in RSM, and take on additional homework. 'So it's a commitment, and not a fun one. Other kids are playing ball, and my kids have to do some brain work.' In affluent neighborhoods, such programs are apparently growing in popularity. 'I live on the same block as Russian School of Mathematics and I see parents lined up,' Leonard Silverman, the board's vice president, told McGuire during last month's meeting. Even Superintendent McGuire admitted that his son is taking math classes this summer to catch him up for pre-calculus, because his middle school did not provide accelerated options. Despite continued requests and repeated meetings, McGuire said there are currently no plans to bring geometry to middle schools in the district next year. He is waiting to hear interest from principals, he said, and maintained that the pilot proposals would require a 'heavy lift' of resources. Egorov argued that principals don't promote accelerated learning out of fear of protests from critics who say its inequitable.
New York Post
07-06-2025
- General
- New York Post
NYC parents pay $2K in tutors to make up for math classes leaving kids 'bored'
Students in New York City's largest school district are so bored by the DOE's dumbed-down math curriculum they read novels in class, parents say. Families are forced to shell out thousands of dollars for tutors or flee in search of more challenging programs, parents say. Parents in District 2, which covers most of Midtown, Lower Manhattan and the Upper East Side, are demanding accelerated math classes in elementary school and geometry starting in middle school to keep kids on par with their peers elsewhere in the city and country. Advertisement 'Kids are reading novels in math class because they are bored,' Danyela Egorov, a member of District 2's Community Education Council, told Superintendent Kelly McGuire during a recent board meeting. 4 Children in District 2 elementary and middle schools are bored and unchallenged in math class. sakkmesterke – Egorov said parents have told her they are considering moving to Brooklyn's District 20 because it will offer geometry in some middle schools next year, setting kids up to take Algebra II in ninth grade. Other districts in Brooklyn and Queens already offer the accelerated option. Advertisement 'It's the only chance they have of getting geometry in middle school since they cannot pay for private school,' Egorov said. Kids in middle schools that offer accelerated math end up a full year ahead of those in District 2, which is one of highest-performing in the city, argued Manpreet Boparai, another CEC 2 member. For kids graduating the Lower Lab School, which offers a gifted and talented program and sixth-grade-level math in fifth grade, it's even worse, Boparai noted. 'D2 middle schools hold them back and make them repeat sixth-grade math, taking them off track to finish geometry in eighth grade,' she told The Post. 'They don't need more puzzles. They need to be accommodated to stay on the track they're already on.' Advertisement 4 Community Education Council member Maud Maron says the situation is 'urgent.' J.C. Rice CEC 2 members Allyson Bowen and Maud Maron told McGuire in a letter last week there is an 'urgent need' for math reforms in District 2 and demanded a meeting to discuss establishing a 'math path' pilot program, and a task force to monitor its success. 'Parents are leaving the system due to a lack of rigorous academic offerings,' they wrote, citing the city Department of Education's annual school survey. Meanwhile, other parents are turning to pricey math tutors and after-school programs like the Russian School of Mathematics, or RSM. Advertisement 4 Allyson Bowen and Maron told McGuire in a letter last week there is an 'urgent need' for math reforms in the district. William C Lopez/New York Post A West Village mom and her husband with three children in District 2 schools pay a total $6,400 to send all three to supplemental math programs at RSM, which starts teaching algebra concepts in first grade, she told The Post. 'We want to make sure that our kids are well set for a successful future, having math ahead of what the public schools are currently offering. Because that's not enough to be competitive.' After the regular school day, her kids spend two to two-and-a-half hours weekly in RSM, and take on additional homework. 'So it's a commitment, and not a fun one. Other kids are playing ball, and my kids have to do some brain work.' In affluent neighborhoods, such programs are apparently growing in popularity. 4 Danyela Egorov says children are reading novels in math class because they're bored. William C Lopez/New York Post 'I live on the same block as Russian School of Mathematics and I see parents lined up,' Leonard Silverman, the board's vice president, told McGuire during last month's meeting. Advertisement Even Superintendent McGuire admitted that his son is taking math classes this summer to catch him up for pre-calculus, because his middle school did not provide accelerated options. Despite continued requests and repeated meetings, McGuire said there are currently no plans to bring geometry to middle schools in the district next year. He is waiting to hear interest from principals, he said, and maintained that the pilot proposals would require a 'heavy lift' of resources. Egorov argued that principals don't promote accelerated learning out of fear of protests from critics who say its inequitable.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trans activists push measure to issue ‘predator' warning to schools if Cuomo wins mayoral race
Lefty activists pushed a resolution this week to issue a predator warning to schools if Andrew Cuomo is elected mayor. The bizarre political stunt happened Wednesday at the Community Education Council meeting for District 2. The motion called on the city to protect students and staff, specifically from Cuomo. It referenced his 2021 resignation following a report by state Attorney General Letitia James into allegations that he sexually harassed 11 women. 'Given the extremely serious nature of the allegations against Cuomo . . . CEC2 urges the City Council to institute protocols to safeguard students and school staff from a predatory mayor,' read the proposal, which failed in a 4-4 vote. 'I think this is one of the worst resolutions I've ever seen by District 2,' said Vice President Leonard Silverman, 'This one is just horrific.' 'If you have opposition to Andrew Cuomo becoming a mayor, I suggest you don't vote for him,' said the veep for District 2, which covers most of lower and Midtown Manhattan and part of the Upper East Side. Cuomo has adamantly denied all sexual misconduct allegations, and district attorneys concluded that there were insufficient legal grounds to bring criminal charges against him. Cuomo's campaign referred to a statement from Bishop Orlando Findlayter, pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Brooklyn. 'This is why people are so distrustful of politics — especially the politics of the far left that appears to be fueled by underhanded, transparent tactics and division,' Findlayter said, adding that Cuomo is a man of 'integrity.' 'Those attempting to engage in vile gutter politics for their own personal gain should really reflect on their actions going forward,' he added. Over 50 activists with the groups Trans Formative Schools and Aunties & Friends for Liberation flooded the meeting in support of the resolution and others including one opposing President Trump's executive order ending 'radical indoctrination' in schools. 'Diversity, equity and inclusion make our kids better people and there is evidence that it improves educational outcomes,' one mom claimed during public comment. They awkwardly danced the 'Macarena' and 'YMCA' in opposition to supporters of Resolution 248, a now-moot measure calling on the city Department of Education to review its policy allowing students to play on sports teams according to their gender identity. 'I would like to protect the right of women who were born biologically as women to have a fair environment in which to compete,' argued one father.
New York Post
26-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Trans activists bombard NYC parent meeting, push DEI agenda
Lefty activists pushed a resolution this week to issue a predator warning to schools if Andrew Cuomo is elected mayor. The bizarre political stunt happened Wednesday at the Community Education Council meeting for District 2. The motion called on the city to protect students and staff, specifically from Cuomo. It referenced his 2021 resignation following a report by state Attorney General Letitia James into allegations that he sexually harassed 11 women. 'Given the extremely serious nature of the allegations against Cuomo . . . CEC2 urges the City Council to institute protocols to safeguard students and school staff from a predatory mayor,' read the proposal, which failed in a 4-4 vote. 3 Dozens of activists have been flooding the meetings since March 2024. J.C. Rice 'I think this is one of the worst resolutions I've ever seen by District 2,' said Vice President Leonard Silverman, 'This one is just horrific.' 'If you have opposition to Andrew Cuomo becoming a mayor, I suggest you don't vote for him,' said the veep for District 2, which covers most of lower and Midtown Manhattan and part of the Upper East Side. Cuomo has adamantly denied all sexual misconduct allegations, and the criminal cases that arose from James' probe have all been dropped. Cuomo's campaign referred to a statement from Bishop Orlando Findlayter, pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Brooklyn. 3 The activists danced the macarena in a bid to show their opposition to the bill. J.C. Rice 'This is why people are so distrustful of politics — especially the politics of the far left that appears to be fueled by underhanded, transparent tactics and division,' Findlayter said, adding that Cuomo is a man of 'integrity.' 'Those attempting to engage in vile gutter politics for their own personal gain should really reflect on their actions going forward,' he added. Over 50 activists with the groups Trans Formative Schools and Aunties & Friends for Liberation flooded the meeting in support of the resolution and others including one opposing President Trump's executive order ending 'radical indoctrination' in schools. 3 Maud Maron, a parent activist on the District 2 Community Education Council, who has been a target of the activists. J.C. Rice 'Diversity, equity and inclusion make our kids better people and there is evidence that it improves educational outcomes,' one mom claimed during public comment. They awkwardly danced the 'Macarena' and 'YMCA' in opposition to supporters of Resolution 248, a now-moot measure calling on the city Department of Education to review its policy allowing students to play on sports teams according to their gender identity. 'I would like to protect the right of women who were born biologically as women to have a fair environment in which to compete,' argued one father.
