Community Education Council 24

P.S. 91 Room 11968-10 Central Avenue

Glendale, New York 11385
Phone: 718.418.8160 / Fax: 718.418.8168/ Cec24@nycboe.net

New York City Department of Education

Visit our website at www.myschoolonline.com/ny/cec24
Nick Comaianni Dmytro Fedkowskyj Dominic Coticchio Ernest Cury Bill Kregler
President 1St Vice President 2nd Vice President Treasurer Secretary

Council Members Department of Education Region 4 Officials

Lelani Bomani Reyes Irizarry
Nancy Carbone Regional Superintendent
Cecilia Chavez Charles Amundsen
Marge Kolb Deputy Superintendent
Marcelino Rodriguez Catherine M. Powis
JoAnne Scichilone Community Superintendent

FINAL BOARD APPROVED MINUTES

Minutes of Annual Meeting

July 28, 2005
At I.S. 5, Elmhurst, New York

1) Pledge of Allegiance

2) Call to order and Roll Call -- The Annual meeting convened at I.S. 5, at 6:30 PM

• Roll Call – Present

• Nancy Carbone
• Nick Comaianni
• Dominic Coticchio
• Ernest Cury
• Dmytro Fedkowskyj
• Marge Kolb
• William Kregler
• Marcellino Rodriguez

Roll Call – Absent

• Lelani Bomani
• Cecilia Chavez
• JoAnne Scichilone

Also in attendance:
Community Superintendent, Catherine Powis

3) Election of Chairperson Pro Tem

Nick Comaianni nominated Marge Kolb, Dmytro Fedkowskyj seconded; Marge Kolb
accepted nomination, a roll call resulted in Marge Kolb being elected Chairperson Pro
Tem.

4) Election of Officers

President

Dmytro Fedkowskyj nominated Nick Comaianni. Mr. Comaianni accepted the

nomination. Dominic Coticchio nominated Dmytro Fedkowskyj; Mr. Fedkowskyj did
not accept the nomination. All were in favor of Nick Comaianni for President.

1st Vice President

Nancy Carbone nominated Dmytro Fedkowskyj. Mr. Fedkowskyj accepted the

nomination. All were in favor of Dmytro Fedkowskyj for 1St Vice President.

2nd Vice President

Dmytro Fedkowskyj nominated Dominic Coticchio; Nick Comaianni seconded. Dominic

Coticchio accepted the nomination. All were in favor of Dominic Coticchio as 2nd Vice
President.

Secretary

Dominic Coticchio nominated Bill Kregler; Marge Kolb seconded. Bill Kregler accepted
the nomination. All were in favor of Bill Kregler as Secretary.

Treasurer

Dmytro Fedkowskyj nominated Ernest Cury; Nancy Carbone seconded. Ernest Cury
accepted the nomination. All were in favor of Ernest Cury as Treasurer.

5) Adjournment

Mr. Comaianni motioned to adjourn. Dmytro Fedkowskyj seconded. Annual meeting

adjourned at 6:47 pm.
 Minutes of Calendar Meeting
July 28, 2005
At I.S. 5, Elmhurst, New York

1) Call to order and Roll Call -- The Calendar meeting convened at I.S. 5, at 7:15
PM

• Roll Call – Present

• Nancy Carbone
• Nick Comaianni
• Dominic Coticchio
• Ernest Cury
• Dmytro Fedkowskyj
• Marge Kolb
• William Kregler
• Marcellino Rodriguez

Roll Call – Absent

• Lelani Bomani
• Cecilia Chavez

Roll Call – Late

• JoAnne Scichilone

Also in attendance:

Community Superintendent, Catherine Powis

2) Approval of Minutes

On motion duly made and seconded, the minutes of the June 20, 2005 meeting were
unanimously approved.

3) Report of the President

• Nick Comaianni stated that he felt that the Department of Education was asking for
too much information in the financial disclosure statements. He informed the
public that the DOE was supposed to get CEC input regarding the required
information to be filed by CEC members and that they did not. Mr. Comaianni also
 stated that many members of other CEC’s were being threatened by the DOE to
either fill out the forms or relinquish their seats. Mr. Comaianni conceded that all
members of CEC D24 that were required to do so, did in fact, fill out the financial
disclosure forms, however the council did so reluctantly.

• Mr. Comaianni stated that there were many items pending, such as the feasibility
studies feasibility studies for additions to 5 schools and that the CEC should be able
to report on them at our next meeting on August 16, 2005. He further stated that the
CEC is still waiting on a report regarding the Metropolitan Avenue site as to which
type of schools will be built on that site. So far for District 24 it is planned to have
one high school and one K-8 school. The K-8 will not be a zoned school but a
choice and overflow school. We’ve had an overwhelming response that parents feel
there should be another high school there because we lack high schools in our
district. Mr. Comaianni stated he would rather see a high school there than a K-8,
our kids have to travel too far to attend high school.

4) Report of the Community Superintendent

• Ms. Powis stated that the Summer School and/or Summer Success Academy are
underway for elementary, middle, and high school students in District 24, following
the Summer School Instructional Plan for Region 4. On the elementary level,
grades, 3, 4, and 5 students will be attending if they are in danger of not being
promoted to the next grade. Grade 2 students are invited if they are deemed at risk
of not meeting promotional standards in the third grade. At the middle level, grades
6, 7 and 8, students are offered Summer School if they are in danger of not being
promoted to the next grade. At the high school level, students will be invited to
selected high schools if they fall into one of the following categories: if they have
failed a Regents examination in ELA, Math A, Math B, Global History, U.S.
History, and Living Environment or if an incoming 9th grader has scored levels 1 or
2 on the Grade 8 ELA and/or Math assessments. The average attendance for the
Summer Success Academy this year for Elementary and Middle Schools in District
24 is 77.73%. The Summer Success Academy will end on August 10th except for
Grade 2 and ELL Academy Learners which will end on August 4th. High Schools
will end on August 17th. The summer breakfast and lunch program will be open to
both the summer school program as well as the general public. Breakfast will be
served from 8:00 AM to 9:15 AM and lunch will be served from 11:00 AM to 1:15
PM at various schools throughout our district. Ms. Powis ended her report by
stating Principal retirees and those interim acting principals that will take their
place.

• Marge Kolb asked Ms. Powis if principals had different salary levels depending on
the size of the school to which Ms. Powis replied that the salary ranges are different
for elementary, middle and high school and there are upgrades or special allotments
based on the size of the school. For example, if principals oversee a school with
over 1500 students there would be a specific amount more that they would receive.
Ms. Kolb then asked if positions are advertised to which Ms. Powis yes, someone
 would have to apply to the position. Positions have to be advertised in the circular.
A principal from a smaller school applying to a larger school must go through the
C30 process. Ms. Kolb asked if the DOE would pick someone from the C30
process and put them in place in the middle of the year to which Ms. Powis replied
that they are placed right after the C30 according to the CSA’s contract. A C30
must be completed 60 days from the closing date of the circular. Ms. Kolb also
asked if the extension on PS 12 would be opening for September to which Ms.
Powis responded in the affirmative.

• Dmytro Fedkowskyj inquired as to who sits on the C30 to which Ms. Powis replied
that the process is initiated by the SLT and very often it is the members of the
School Leadership Team but there are constituencies that must be represented, one
example is the UFT, another is the CSA. There are a minimum of 5 parents and a
DC37 representative. The C30 committee interviews all candidates who send
resumes and the committee can rank them.

• Nick Comaianni stated his view that the C30 should be given back to the CEC
which would get parents input. He feels that the CEC needs to be involved in C30
committees.

• Marge Kolb asked Ms. Powis is she could speak about the program at LIC High
School to prepare incoming 8th graders for the specialized high school exam and
how the students were selected. Ms. Powis responded that it covered Region 4 and
announcements and applications went through the guidance counselors in each
school in Region 4. Classes that were offered at LIC were for the entire Region
however, there were a limited number of seats based on funding. There was a
waiting list to get into that program and they filled the seats right away based on
certain criteria. Out of 2700 students only 200 were chosen. The initial criteria
were that a student had to be in an SP class, Level 4. It would be nice if we had
more funding next year so that we could offer it more students and in various
locations throughout the region. Dominic Coticchio state that there were many
children in District 24 who have done very well and we need to be proud of these
kids as many are still waiting to get in the LIC program. Marge Kolb asked if the
funding for the LIC program came from Region 4 funds to which Ms. Powis stated
that it did not. She further stated that the funds came from Central with specific
requirements as to how the money should be spent.

• Ms. Kolb added that she thinks the Region 4 office and/or CEC should tell our
politicians how we would like to see their discretionary funds spent, rather than
them deciding how to spend them. She asked if the Region writes to the politicians
and asks them to spend their funds in a certain manner or do they just let the
politicians decide? Nick Comaianni stated that many local councilmen approach the
school principals and ask them what they need, they have a small amount of
discretionary funds but they do ask what they need, some principals need air
conditioning, chairs, etc. Councilman Gioia’s office called us last week and would
like to meet with us to see what he could do regarding helping the schools in our
 district. Councilman Gallagher inquired as well, and on that note, I’d like to thank
Councilman Gallagher for the summer programs he put into our district, paid
through his discretionary funds, so that kids in the area will have something to do
during the summer. Marge Kolb then stated that she believes the Councilmen have
tens of thousands of dollars in discretionary funds, if not more. They fund little
leagues, senior programs, and many other things. Ms. Kolb then asked Ms. Powis if
there was ever a thought regarding having parents who could afford it pay a small
fee for their children to attend the LIC program, in this manner the DoE might have
been able to expand the program. Ms. Powis replied that to the best of her
knowledge there was never any conversation regarding charging parents for the
program. Ms. Kolb stated that things should not either be free or non existent and
that she has brought this subject up before to the Region and it seems like nothing
ever happens. Some parents clearly could afford to pay for a prep class like this and
it would surely be more affordable that the $1200.00 or more charged by private
test prep companies. Ms. Powis replied that this was the first time for this program
and that all the suggestions would be brought to the table for next year. She was not
sure the Region realized they would have such an outpouring of applications. Now
it’s clear where it should go.

• Dmytro Fedkowskyj stated that he didn’t think it would be fair to subsidize these
kind of programs because it should either be offered on tax levy dollars or it should
be paid by parents if they so choose. To offer a program and then subject it to
people who could only afford to pay half of it and have the city subsidize the other
half would avoid the people that cannot afford it at all. It either has to be fully
funded by the tax levy dollars or it has to be funded by parents. We would be
cutting out the lower class students from having an option to take these classes.
Nick Comaianni stated that the DoE should have a certain amount of seats that are
offered for free. Dmytro Fedkowskyj agreed reiterating that either parents pay for it
in full or it’s fully funded by the city. He is not comfortable with partially
subsidizing the program. Dominic Coticchio gave an example of the school lunch
program, where some people pay and some people do not pay.

• Marge Kolb asked Ms. Powis or the other LIS’s to e-mail our office when incidents
occur at schools involving police so that we do not have to read about it in the
newspapers.

5) Resolution #10

It was moved, seconded, and unanimously approved to add the following resolution to
the agenda:

Financial Disclosure Forms

Inasmuch as Community District Education Councils are comprised of volunteers

with no power to enter into or sign contracts or hire and fire personnel,
Be it resolved, that even though Community District Education Council members of D24
completed the requirement of filing individual disclosure forms based on the threat
of losing their elected position, we strongly disagree with the requirement put upon us to
file the extremely detailed financial disclosure forms.

Be it further resolved, the CDEC-D24 protests that the provisions of Section (e)6 of the
State Education Law (2590) were not followed in that the community education councils
were not consulted as to the development of said financial disclosure forms.

On motion duly made and seconded, the above resolution was unanimously passed as
read.

6) Formation of Committees

• Nick Comaianni stated that there will be 6 committees this term. He then stated the
names of the committees and chairs as being, English Language Learners
Committee, Ernest Cury, Chair; Building, Zoning and Maintenance Committee,
Dmytro Fedkowskyj, Chair,; Curriculum Committee, Marge Kolb, Chair;
Legislative Committee, Nick Comaianni, Chair; Website Committee, Nancy
Carbone, Chair; Special Education Committee, JoAnne Scichilone, Chair. Mr.
Comaianni then stated the names of members wishing to sit on each committee.

7) Assignment of School Liaisons

• Nick Comaianni stated the school liaisons as follows: Bill Kregler, PS 12 and IS 5;
Dmytro Fedkowskyj, PS 102, PS 49 and PS 128; Dominic Coticchio, IS 125, PS
199 and PS 229; Ernest Cury, PS 13, PS 19, and IS 61; JoAnne Scichilone, IS 93,
PS 87, and PS 88; Lelani Bomani, PS 239, IS 77 and PS 81; Marcelino Rodriguez,
PS 16, PS 89 and PS 14; Marge Kolb, 51st Academy, PS 153 and PS 28; Nancy
Carbone, PS 58, IS 73 and PS 7; Nick Comaianni, PS 91, PS 113 and IS 119; and
Cecilia Chavez, PS 68, PS 143 and PS 71.

8) Old Business

• JoAnne Scichilone asked Ms. Powis is she had the special education information
that Ms. Scichilone requested at the June meeting (to compare special education
classes from last year to those planned for September 2005) to which Ms. Powis
stated that she thought she had e-mailed it to her when she had requested it and that
she was not aware she hadn’t received all the information. Ms. Powis stated that
she will look into it and get back to her.

9) New Business

• Nancy Carbone informed Ms. Powis that she had recently received an e-mail from a
concerned teacher at one of our schools regarding state funds that schools receive to
reduce class size. The teacher was concerned because, according to the list that was
 put out by the DOE, her school was listed as reducing class size in Kindergarten,
when, in fact, they were not doing that in Kindergarten but reducing class size in
first grade. Ms. Carbone also stated that she has heard about a lot of other schools
that this affects and she believes it’s something the CEC needs to look into, to make
sure that the schools which are receiving state funds to reduce class size in
Kindergarten are actually doing it in Kindergarten. It’s mandated that class size
reduction begin at the lowest grade possible and move up from there as funds
permit. State funds, once received by the school, are to be used to create additional
classes to help reduce class size. Ms. Carbone further stated that she would like
everyone to look at the information provided in the working folders and make sure
that their schools are using the funding properly.

• JoAnne Scichilone stated that PS/IS 87 has officially graduated their first 8th grade.
Next June the school will have double the amount of graduates and the following
year we will have triple. PS/IS 87 was supposed to get an extension a few years
back and the parents would like to know why the extension is stalled. It was given
the green light prior to September 11, 2001. PS/IS 87 will be a classroom short and
will have to double up this year. Ms. Powis responded that she has a space meeting
every week and she will look at it closely to see where the school can find space.

• Nick Comaianni asked Ms. Powis if there was a way to take away a Universal Pre-
K class (moving Pre-K to an outside provider) to make room for the 8th graders and
Ms. Powis responded that she would not comment on that because she was able to
save those Pre-K’s and make space in other schools. She will look at the
turnaround document and keep the CEC posted.

• Dmytro Fedkowskyj why the school was allowed to go to K-8 without having or
getting the proper facilities. Marge Kolb responded with the history of how PS 87
became a K-8. In summary, in 2008 the school board was voting on extending PS
58, 102, 153, 229 to 6th grade. The parents from PS 87 requested the extension of
their school to 6th or even 8th grade and at school board meeting held at PS 87 this
was approved. Ms. Kolb could recall no discussion of whether appropriate facilities
for 7th and 8th graders were available, nor were they promised to be provided. Mr.
Fedkowskyj stated that he reviewed the Capital Plan and PS 87 was not put into the
Capital Plan for an extension.

• JoAnne Scichilone stated that she received a call from a parent whose child was
slated to attend a CTT kindergarten class and when she called the school she was
told that in the CTT class there would be 33 students. Ms. Scichilone further stated
that having 33 children in a CTT classroom is not right, to which Ms. Powis agreed
and informed the CEC that she would look into it.

• Marcelino Rodriguez stated that he received a call from a parent that she filed an
application for her child to attend a different school but they did not have a seat
available. The parent felt that he did not receive a satisfactory answer. Why is it
that the DOE keeps sending forms so that students may apply to schools they want
 to attend and later they are not accepted? Mary Messina responded that there is a
language barrier with the parent in question and further added that she had informed
Mr. Rodriguez that the parents should contact the parent coordinator at the school in
which the situation is taking place. Mr. Rodriguez stated that the point of the matter
is why the DOE sends out forms to parents and then not accepting the forms to
which Mary Ellen Ranzie responded that there may not be seats available in which
case there would be nothing we could do about it. Nick Comaianni added that the
school in question PS 227 is on a first come basis for zoned students and then if
there are any seats left students from outside the zone may apply for a variance.

10) Public Agenda Session

The Council took various questions from the audience one specifically regarding the fact
that District 24 is currently lacking a President’s Panel to which Ms. Powis responded
that on September 15th letters will go out requesting that prospective candidates come
forward; the actual election will take place on September 26th. Ms. Powis further stated
that the PTA’s for the following schools need to be in place before the President’s Panel
election: PS/IS 87, PS 77, IS 93, PS 143 and IS 61.

11) Adjournment

Dmytro Fedkowskyj motioned to adjourn, Bill Kregler seconded, meeting adjourned at

9:05 PM