Education Advocacy

The Stuyvesant Parent Association is committed to representing all families across the broad spectrum of opinions and providing our community with information for the purpose of education and helping them to find ways to share their opinions and make their voices heard.

The most recent update on middle school and high school admissions is HERE.

Advocacy information related to the SHSAT can be found HERE.

Contact Info for Expressing Your Opinion

• SLT (School Leadership Team) parent representatives: slt@stuy-pa.org
• Parent Association (PA) contactpa@stuy-pa.org
• Community Education Council 2 (CEC2): cec2@schools.nyc.gov
• Community Board 1 (CB1) : Man01@cb.nyc.gov
• NYC Department of Education (DOE) representatives
  • NYC Schools Chancellor Richard Caranza: nycchancellor@schools.nyc.gov
  • District 2 Superintendent Vivan Orlen: VOrlen@schools.nyc.gov
  • Manhattan Executive Superintendent Marisol Rosales: mrosales7@schools.nyc.gov
  • Contact 311 to report an issue, make a complaint or give a compliment for the NYC Department of Education: https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-03109
• City Government Officials
  • Mayor Bill DeBlasio: bdeblasio@cityhall.nyc.gov 
  • City Council Education Chair Mark Treyger: mtreyger@council.nyc.gov
  • City Council Member
    • How to find your NYC Council Member – HERE
• NY Governor Andrew Cuomo:  https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form
• NY State Assembly Member and Senator
  • How to find your NY State Assembly Member (NYS Assembly website search form, input your address) – HERE
  • How to find your NY State Senator (NYS Senate website search form, input your address) – HERE

Albany’s New Legislative Session

Jan. 6, 2021 is the start of a new legislative session in Albany.

Click HERE to read Chalkbeat’s Dec. 22, 2020 article which outlines the education issues that are expected to be addressed

Change in DOE High School and Middle School Admissions

On Friday, December 17th, 2020, the DOE announced changes to admissions to NYC Middle and High School Admissions.

Click HERE to read the letter on Middle School Admissions changes

Click HERE for the letter on High School Admissions changes

HERE is a Chalkbeat article about these changes.

HERE is a statement from PLACE NYC on the Admissions changes and HERE is a link to their Facebook page.

If you would like to express your opinion about these changes, please use the contact information provided at the top of this page.

Current Advocacy Issues

The Parent Association is committed to sharing documents and information with our community about current education plans and proposals.  

Change in DOE Policy on Opting-in for Blended Learning

In August, the DOE announced that families would have the opportunity to opt-into hybrid learning four times during the year. 

However, on October 26th, the DOE announced a major change and stated that the only opportunity for families who are currently in remote learning to switch over to blended learning during the 2020-2021 school year will be between Nov. 2 and Nov. 15.

Here is a letter template that can be used to express your opposition to the change in policy for opting-in to blended learning.

School Reopening 2020

Viewpoints on School Reopening 2020

The PA represents all families across the broad spectrum of opinions and works to share information that expresses different viewpoints without endorsing the sentiments of any.

Support for Reopening Schools

• American Academy of Pediatrics 
  • COVID-19 Planning Considerations: Guidance for School Re-entry (June 25, 2020)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
  • The Importance of Reopening Schools this Fall (July 23, 2020)
  • Schools and Childcare Programs (July 24, 2020)
• Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
  • Fauci: Schools Can Reopen With Safeguards, But Those In Virus Hotspots Shouldn’t – Axios (Aug. 4, 2020)
• World Health Organization
  • Q&A: Schools and COVID-19 (July 13, 2020)

Letters and proposals advocating for different school reopening plans

• Stuyvesant teachers’ letter published in The Spectator supporting fully remote learning. (Aug. 7, 2020)
• Bronx Science teachers’ letter advocating for all schools to start the year with remote learning and to have a phased return to schools starting with students who need in-person learning the most. Signatures from parents, students, teachers, and alumni of all NYC schools are being collected here. (Aug. 7, 2020)
• Bronx Science students’ letter advocating for all-remote learning for high schools this fall. – signatures from parents, students, teachers, and alumni of all NYC schools are being collected here. (Aug. 5, 2020)
• CEC3 letter in support of delaying reopening (Aug. 25, 2020)
• City Council Member and Education Committee Chair Mark Treyger’s proposal Public Health Data Needs to Guide the Safe Reopening of Our Schools (July 25, 2020)
• Council of School Supervisors and Administrators New York City Letter on Delaying In-Person Learning (Aug. 12, 2020)
• District 6 Principals’ Letter (Aug. 18, 2020)
• District 13 Principal Petition for Reopening NYCDOE Schools 
• District 15 Principals Call for Delayed In-Person Learning (Aug. 11, 2020)
• New York State Nurses Association Statement Warning of Public Health Risk From In-Person Schooling (Aug. 10, 2020)
• The Urban Assembly Maker Academy Phased Reopening Proposal
• Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice Prioritize Instruction and Safety (Aug. 25, 2020)

Safety of Public Transportation

• What Happens to Viral Particles on the Subway – NYTimes (Aug. 10, 2020)

Suggestions

Suggestions for other education advocacy information to be included on this page should be sent to contactpa@stuy-pa.com