| New
Panel for Educational Policy
By
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
There’s
a new day ahead for New York City public schools. Last month,
Governor Pataki signed a law that assigns responsibility for the
school system where it belongs — on the Mayor’s desk.
This new law put the old Board of Education out of business. Replacing
it is a thirteen-member Panel for Educational Policy chaired by
the Schools Chancellor. Rather than micro-manage the school system
the way the old Board of Ed did, this new panel will focus on
helping the Chancellor set sound educational policy.
Under this new law, the Mayor appoints the Chancellor and seven
other members of this panel. Last week, I named seven distinguished
New Yorkers to serve on this body. These men and women have rich
and varied backgrounds that will help the Chancellor reform our
city’s schools so that every child can participate in the American
dream. The appointees come from neighborhoods throughout the city,
and each possesses particular expertise in areas vital to the
overall success of the school system.
Philip A. Berry is vice-president of global employee relations
for Colgate-Palmolive. His more than twenty-five years of experience
in human resources management will prove highly valuable to a
school system with more than one hundred and thirty-five thousand
employees. Dr. David C. Chang, the president of Polytechnic University,
has made that school a strong center of education in the sciences-subjects
that are vitally important to the future success of our public
school students. Dr. Ramona Hernandez, a native of Santo Domingo,
directs the Dominican Studies Institute of the City University
of New York. Her expertise will be especially helpful in meeting
the needs of students whose families are new New Yorkers.
Dr. Augusta Kappner is president of Bank Street College of Education,
a national leader in improving the quality of teacher instruction.
The former director of El Museo del Barrio, Susana Leval has an
outstanding relationship with our city’s cultural institutions
that will strengthen arts education in the schools. Richard L.
Menschel is a senior director of Goldman Sachs with a distinguished
record of civic service, especially in the field of public health.
And Marita Regan, a successful career educator with nearly forty
years experience in Brooklyn public schools, possesses a wealth
of first-hand knowledge about what works, and what doesn’t, in
our classrooms.
Each of the five borough presidents will also appoint one member
to the Panel for Educational Policy; their members must be parents
of children currently in the public schools. Along with the appointments
I’ve just made, these panel members will give the Schools Chancellor
a deep reservoir of experience and wisdom to draw from in making
New York’s public schools the best in the nation.#
Education
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