Meeting of the Board of Regents | February 2008

SUMMARY

Issue for Decision

Should the Regents approve the staff’s recommendations concerning the proposed charter revision as submitted by the Chancellor of the city school district of the city of New York for the John V. Lindsay Wildcat Academy Charter School (New York City)?

Reason(s) for Consideration

              Required by State statute, Education Law §2852.

Proposed Handling

This question will come before the EMSC Committee in February 2008 for action.  It will then come before the full Board for final action in February 2008.

Procedural History

The New York Charter Schools Act of 1998 requires the Board of Regents to review, in accordance with the standards set forth in Education Law §2852(2), proposed charters, renewal charters and revisions to charters and renewal charters that have been approved and submitted by other charter entities.  The Board of Regents may either approve and issue a charter, renewal charter and/or revision as proposed by the charter entity, or return the same to the charter entity for reconsideration with written comments and recommendations. 

Background Information

We received a request from the Chancellor of the city school district of the city of New York to revise the charter of the John V. Lindsay Wildcat Academy Charter School (the “School”).  The School seeks to cease the offering of an “eight plus” program; institute a dress code policy; modify its math and reading curriculum to better align with the instructional needs it has identified; increase instructional class time from fifty to sixty minutes for students at the Bronx site; and, to make the internship program at the Bronx campus available only for students that have completed one complete semester at the School.

              The School is located in community school district 2.  The New York City Department of Education held a public hearing in community school district 2 on January 17, 2008 regarding the proposed revision herein.  No comments on the proposed revision were made at the hearing.

Staff does not object to the revision proposed. Staff recommend the Board of Regents approve the proposed revision.

Recommendation

VOTED: That the Board of Regents approve the revision to the charter of the John V. Lindsay Wildcat Academy Charter School as proposed by the Chancellor of the city school district of the city of New York, and the provisional charter is amended accordingly.

Timetable for Implementation

The Regents action for the John V. Lindsay Wildcat Academy Charter School is effective immediately.