Transcript HERE - PS/IS 187 Parent Teacher Association

PS/IS 187 PTA/SLT
Meet with DOE
Our School’s Funding Crisis
and
Our Demands for a Solution
Presented by
Johanna Garcia, Co-Vice President of PTA
Caroline Muro, Co-President of PTA
Lori Uysal, SLT Chair
on behalf of our parent community
187 Is Unique
• 187 is a highly regarded K-8 school in NYC
• 187 prepares students for life
• 187 embraces its diversity
• Our entire community enriches our students
187’s Budgetary Crisis
• Over the last 7 years, our budget has been excessively
cut by the DOE, so much so that our school cannot
provide mandated and at-risk services
• Though 187 is a high achieving school in NYC, our
funding is comparable to failing schools
– 187 has the lowest per pupil spending in D6
– 187’s budget cuts far outweigh other schools’ (with the
exception of failing schools) in D6
A Solution for 187
For the 2014-15 school year, we demand immediate and
adequate funding for the following:
– Necessary teaching positions:
•
•
•
•
•
2 literacy intervention
IS foreign language (full time)
IS music (full time)
Math teacher
Replacement for retired staff
– Social-Emotional Needs: One guidance counselor cannot
address the needs of all mandated and at-risk students in a K-8
school with 800 children
– School Aides, School Supplies, Substitute Funds
Fair Student Funding
and
187’s 2014-15 Budget Appeal
We urge the DOE to restore 187’s budget so our
students’ needs can be met at the most basic
level
– Honor Principal Chory’s budget appeal
– Bring our FSF up to 94% (100% by 2015-16)
Effects of 187’s Budget Crisis
• The CCLS, NYS testing, and our School Quality Review
require 187 to create a more rigorous academic
environment for all students
• 187 cannot meet every student’s needs with
understaffing in math and literacy after incurring such
cuts
• Our most vulnerable students will struggle without
action
• Our student body will not be enriched
Effects of 187’s Budget Crisis (cont.)
• 7 years of significant cuts have affected our
school’s ability to hire appropriate number of
faculty, to meet instructional expectations set
forth by the Chancellor
• Our budget does not provide the funding for
187 to ensure that its students graduate having
met foreign language and art mandates in IS
Effects of 187’s Budget Cuts (cont.)
• Our administrators took on a secondary role as IS
math teachers to do what’s best for students,
however
– It was unacceptable for the DOE to initially exclude the
teacher salary for this position in our 2015 budget
– Year after year this type of budget dance does not allow for
proper planning, vetting, or hiring of quality teaching staff
A Numerical Look at 187’s Budget Cuts
While many things contribute to test scores, the dramatic decrease in
funding from FY09 to FY13 negatively impacted student performance.
89%
90%
78%
80%
70%
% 3&4
60%
50%
34%
33%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
3&4 ELA
FY2009 - $6.14 million
3&4 Math
FY2013 - $5.35 million
How 187 Compares to Other Schools
PS/IS 187 has suffered dramatically compared to other city schools.
% Decline Budget
9%
11%
17%
21%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
How 187 Compares to Other Schools in District 6
PS/IS 187 has suffered dramatically compared to other D6 schools.
The 187 Community’s Response
• PTA has stepped up to support our children’s
public education by utilizing parent-raised funds
for professional development and basic supplies
• Parents have volunteered to help in classrooms
• Our school continues to lobby the government
– Former Council Member Robert Jackson allocated
close to $1 million in technology grants for upgrades
– Scott Stringer refurbished 187’s playground
Demands to Ensure 187’s Success
– Necessary teaching positions:
•
•
•
•
•
2 literacy intervention
IS foreign language (full time)
IS music (full time)
Math teacher
Replacement for retired staff
– Social-Emotional Needs:
• 2 Guidance Counselors
– School Aides, School Supplies, Substitute Funds
•
•
•
•
Restore School Aide Hours
2 Additional School Aides
Supplies as per DOE allocation
Substitute Funds as per DOE requirement
The Big Picture:
Questions About State Mandates
1. Why does Subdivision 3 of section 2853 of
the education law mandating the city to give
extra money to charter schools get treated as
inviolable?
2. Why does the C4E, which mandates the city
and state to fund public schools get treated
as optional?
The Big Picture (cont.):
Success Academy vs. Public Schools
• NYC has the funding to comply with the state law
mandating the city to pay for Success Academy’s
real estate and construction costs just two blocks
away from PS/IS 187
• The Contract for Excellence Law (C4E—also a
state law) was passed in 2007, but class sizes
have increased in the past 7 years
The Big Picture (cont.):
Success Academy vs. Public Schools
• Success Academy got clearance to open in our
overcrowded district, after our pre-K program was cut
• SA originally was to relocate D1 students. Now
opening as a K-1 school that has targeted our families
and faculty
• We have observed around-the-clock construction at
SA’s new school site—evidence of a costly renovation
being paid for with OUR TAX DOLLARS. Yet we have
inadequate seats for pre-K and high school
187’s Activist Stance
• 187 has tried to reach out to DOE with principal’s
appeals and letters from parents
• Sending 500 letters sent last November was
necessary for action to be taken
• Our parents are agitated, politically active,
connected to the press, and ready to act if
necessary
187 Needs a Solution Now
• We invite you and Chancellor Fariña to
SLT/PTA meetings in September.
– 9/17—SLT, 7am
– 9/23—General Meeting, PTA, 6:15pm
• We’d be happy to schedule an additional
meeting if neither of these times work.