Res. No. 1892
Resolution calling upon the Department of Education to revise the Chancellor's regulations to eliminate the waiver of parental involvement in school Principal and Assistant Principal selection committees and to provide for a transparent and public list of candidates who are selected to advance from the first to the second level of the Principal and Assistant Principal selection process.
By Council Members Katz, Barron, Brewer, James, Liu, Mealy, Sanders Jr. and Foster
Whereas, Public schools are responsible for educating the children of New York City; and
Whereas, Principals and Assistant Principals play a crucial role in creating and running the public schools of the city; and
Whereas, It is important that Principals and Assistant Principals be chosen because of their skills as educators and administrators; and
Whereas, It is also important that the community members whose children are being educated by city public schools be allowed to provide input into their child's education; and
Whereas, State Education Law states that Principals shall be selected in a manner consistent with the regulations of the Chancellor establishing a process that promotes parental and staff involvement in the recruitment, screening, interviewing and recommendation of candidates; and
Whereas, The Chancellor's regulations govern the process for selecting Principals and Assistant Principals; and
Whereas, The Chancellor's regulations provide for a two-tiered review process of the candidates for Principal or Assistant Principal, which is called the C-30 process and which consists of a level one and level two review; and
Whereas, Pursuant to the Chancellor's regulations, parents from the School Leadership Team are to be selected to serve on the level one committee in order to interview candidates; and
Whereas, Should no parent from the School Leadership Team be available, the Chairperson of the level one committee is to offer the officers of the school's Parent Association the opportunity to serve on the selection committee; and
Whereas, If parents from the School Leadership Team and Parent Association officers are not available to serve, the parental involvement requirement may be waived, or alternative methods of designating parents to serve on the committee may be authorized; and
Whereas, When the waiver option is used, parents do not serve as members of the committee that provides input on selecting the Principal or Assistant Principal; and
Whereas, The names of the candidates who are chosen to progress from level one to level two are not made public; and
Whereas, Making public the names of candidates who reach the level two review would add transparency to the process of selecting a Principal or Assistant Principal; and
Whereas, Providing transparency to the Principal and Assistant Principal selection process would allow parents to be more knowledgeable and involved in their children's schools; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the city of New York calls upon the Department of Education to revise the Chancellor's regulations to eliminate the waiver of parental involvement in school Principal and Assistant Principal selection committees and to provide for a transparent and public list of candidates who are selected to advance from the first to the second level of the Principal and Assistant Principal selection process.
OP
LS #5927
9/30/08