Res. No. 1207 Title Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to abolish the New York City Board of Education and the office of the New York City School's Chancellor and institute a borough-based educational system for the City of New York. Body By Council Members Fiala, Espada and Stabile; also Council Members Abel and Ognibene Whereas, Under the current Board of Education and Chancellor, our children's academic performance has remained well under the national average; and Whereas, The minimal progress in reading and math scores that we have seen must now be called into question because of alleged cheating by teachers and principals; and Whereas, A recent state report by the Moreland Act Commission claimed that the education system was rife with "widespread, systematic fraud" that was not due to mere negligence but due to "conscious fraud" which evinces "an entire culture of cheating"; and Whereas, Our school system has the duty to not only teach our children fundamental academics, but to instill in them a sense of right and wrong; and Whereas, The current system has failed in its obligation to teach academics, and now apparently has failed in its moral obligation to our children by showing them that a culture of cheating is acceptable; and Whereas, The Chancellor is the chief executive of this system, and, therefore must ultimately shoulder the blame for this failing system; and Whereas, This bureaucracy is attempting to administrate the education of over one million students in over one thousand schools from one central office; and Whereas, The current system provides for no effective local input into the education of our children; and Whereas, For all the above reasons, and many more, the current education system has failed our children; and Whereas, A borough-based educational system that provides for five separate borough boards of education, each comprised of seven members - four appointed by the mayor and three by the borough president - would provide for more accountability and local input into the education process; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to abolish the New York City Board of Education and the office of the New York City School's Chancellor and institute a borough-based educational system for the City of New York. HG 2/18/00 LS#2526