Dear PS 107 Families,
I encourage everyone to vote in the Community/Citywide Education Council (CCEC) elections, which are going on right now. Every parent of students in the New York City Public Schools is eligible to vote, and you access the specific elections you can vote for by logging in to your New York City Schools Account (NYCSA). Parents can vote for candidates in the districts in which their children attend school. For example, my daughter is in high school in Queens, and she has an IEP, so I am eligible to vote in the Citywide Council on High Schools - Queens (CCHS - Queens), along with the Citywide Council on Special Education (CCSE) elections. When you log in to your NYCSA, you will click on “Vote for CCEC,” and you will see the elections in which you are eligible to vote.
In New York City, there are 32 Community Education Councils, one for each community school district (PS 107 is in District 15) and 4 Citywide Education Councils (Citywide Council on High Schools, Citywide Council on English Language Learners, Citywide Council on Special Education, Citywide Council for District 75). They are made up of volunteer parent and community leaders, and they are responsible under state law for supporting their local district schools with the goal of raising student achievement. For more information, click here.
For those of you who follow the news about school board elections nationally, you have seen how candidates with minority support can win these elections because of low voter turnout, thereby having outsize influence and enacting policies that may run counter to what you believe is important for your child’s education. While NYC does not have school boards because our schools are under mayoral control, the CECs are the most similar to school boards, although they do not have final decision-making authority.
I voted myself last week, and it took some legwork! The number of candidates for each election for which I was eligible was daunting. In order to make my decision, I read the candidates’ statements, along with endorsements from organizations that most aligned with my personal views on schools.
Voting runs through Tuesday, May 9th. Please take some time to learn about the candidates and vote by Tuesday!
Last but certainly not least, this week, May 8-12, is Teacher Appreciation Week. PS 107 teachers work incredibly hard to create joyful learning spaces in their classrooms, where children have voice and agency. I know that you will join me in thanking them for the countless hours that they devote to ensuring your children have the best possible educational experience. Our teachers truly are superheroes!
Warmly,
Ms Joanna