Mona Davids to Joel Klein: comply with the new charter school law, now!

From: Mona Davids [mailto:mdavids@nycharterparents.org]
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 2:18 PM
To: jklein@schools.nyc.gov

Subject: Revised Charter Schools Act
Importance: High

RE: Implementation of Reforms in the Revised Charter Schools Act

Dear Chancellor Klein,

I am writing to formally request that the New York City Dept. of Education implement the provisions in the new Charter Schools Act effective immediately. More specifically:

1. Parent Associations or Parent-Teacher Associations should be immediately established in every charter school in New York City. Charter Schools Act, Paragraph (a) of subdivision 15 of section 2590-h of the education law, as amended by chapter 345 of the laws of 2009 now reads as follows:

32(a) establishing a parents' association or a parent-teachers' associ-
33 ation in each PUBLIC school under the chancellor's jurisdiction; and
34 ensuring that the districts AND CHARTER SCHOOLS LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY
35 DISTRICT do the same; the chancellor shall ensure that meetings of such
36 parents' associations or parent-teachers' associations shall comply with
37 section four hundred fourteen of this chapter;

2. Building Councils should be instituted in every co-located charter school, including parents and teachers.

The Charter Schools Act, Section 9, Paragraph A-4 now reads as follows:

24 (A-4) IN A CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN A CITY HAVING A POPULATION OF ONE
25 MILLION OR MORE INHABITANTS, A SHARED SPACE COMMITTEE SHALL BE ESTAB-
26 LISHED IN EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING IN WHICH ONE OR MORE CHARTER
27 SCHOOLS ARE LOCATED OR CO-LOCATED WITHIN A PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING WITH
28 NON-CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THE SHARED SPACE COMMITTEE SHALL BE
29 COMPRISED OF THE PRINCIPAL, A TEACHER, AND A PARENT OF EACH CO-LOCATED
30 SCHOOL. SUCH COMMITTEE SHALL CONDUCT REGULAR MEETINGS,AT LEAST FOUR
31 TIMES PER SCHOOL YEAR, TO REVIEW IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BUILDING USAGE
32 PLAN DEVELOPED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (A-THREE) OF THIS SUBDIVISION.

Require monthly board meetings at every charter school that the DOE has authorized. The Charter Schools Act, Section 1, Paragraph 2, Sub-paragraph C now reads as follows:

22 (c)The proposed governance structure of the school, including a list
23 of members of the initial board of trustees, a description of the quali-
24 fications, terms and method of appointment or election of trustees,the
25 organizational structure of the school, A PROCEDURE FOR CONDUCTING AND
26 PUBLICIZING MONTHLY BOARD OF TRUSTEE MEETINGS AT EACH CHARTER SCHOOL.

As the authorizer, it is your responsibility to provide proper oversight and ensure that these requirements are fulfilled without delay.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Mona Davids, President of the New York Charter Parents Association

Equality Charter School Parent


CC:Sheldon Silver, Speaker, NYS Assembly; John Sampson, Democratic Conference Leader, NYS Senate; Cathy Nolan, NYS Senate, Chair-Education Committee;
Suzi Oppenheimer, NYS Assembly, Chair-Education Committee; Bill Perkins, NYS Senate, Chair-Corporations, Commissions & Authorities Committee; Ruth Hassel-Thompson, NYS Senate; Michael Bennedetto, NYS Assembly; Merryl Tisch, Board of Regents; Jonas Chartock, SUNY CSI; Michael Duffy, Office of Charter Schools


__._,_.___