Res. No. 113
Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to pass A.1495/S5452, legislation that would amend the State Education Law, in relation to the display and distribution of the Parent's Bill of Rights and Responsibilities in the city school district of the City of New York.
By Council Members Jackson, Brewer, Dickens, Dromm, Fidler, Gentile, Mark-Viverito, Van Bramer, Williams, Rodriguez and Nelson
Whereas, Currently, the New York City Department of Education produces a Parent's Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, which outlines parental rights with respect to the City's public schools; and
Whereas, This document explains the rights of parents regarding access to information about their children and their input into their children's education, and describes children's rights to an education, as well as parental responsibilities in ensuring that their children receive an education; and
Whereas, The New York State Legislature is considering A.1495/S.5452, legislation that would amend the State Education Law to require that all New York City public schools, including charter schools, display and distribute the Parent's Bill of Rights and Responsibilities; and
Whereas, This legislation would require that the Parent's Bill of Rights and Responsibilities be displayed in a prominent place of the lobby area of each school, and that the display be in both English and Spanish; and
Whereas, The legislation would also provide that the Chancellor must require that all schools distribute the Parent's Bill of Rights and Responsibilities annually to parents of or persons in parental relation to children attending the City's public schools; and
Whereas, Copies of the Parent's Bill of Rights and Responsibilities would also be made available in individual schools in languages spoken by parents or persons in parental relation to children attending such schools, and such languages would include, but not be limited to, Russian, Chinese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Italian, Greek, Yiddish, Creole, Hausa, Yoruba, Arabic, Farsi, Pashtun, Urdu and Portugese; and
Whereas, Currently, the Parent's Bill of Rights and Responsibilities is available to parents or guardians who request the publication or find it through research on their own, and therefore is not being provided to parents or guardians who are unfamiliar with the New York City school system and/or who have a language barrier; and
Whereas, Requiring the distribution and posting of the Parent's Bill of Rights and Responsibilities would empower parents by providing them with information to insure that their children have access to a quality education; and
Whereas, Such empowerment would, in particular, help provide the children of immigrant families, who are most vulnerable due to the information gap their families often experience, with a greater opportunity to receive a quality education; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the New York City Council calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass A.1495/S.5452,legislation that would amend the State Education Law, in relation to the display and distribution of the Parent's Bill of Rights and Responsibilities in the city school district of the City of New York.
JP
Res. 0466/2006
LS # 386