Report of Regents P-12 Education Committee to The Board of Regents
Your P-12 Education Committee held its scheduled meeting on November 13, 2017. All members were present, except for Regent Cashin, who was excused.
ACTION ITEMS
Revision to a Charter Authorized by the Board of Regents [P-12 (A) 1]
Your P-12 Education Committee recommends that the Board of Regents finds that: (1) the charter school meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations; (2) the charter school can demonstrate the ability to operate in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; (3) granting the request to amend the charter is likely to improve student learning and achievement and materially further the purposes set out in subdivision two of section twenty-eight hundred fifty of Article 56 of the Education Law; and (4) granting the request to amend the charter will have a significant educational benefit to the students expected to attend the charter school, and the Board of Regents therefore approves the charter revision for Launch Expeditionary Learning Charter School and amends the provisional charter accordingly, nunc pro tunc to July 1, 2016 as detailed in Table 1 of the item. Regents Collins, Johnson, Mead and Mittler abstained.
Initial Applications Authorized by the Board of Regents [P-12 (A) 2]
Your P-12 Education Committee made a motion to accept the recommendation to approve and issue a charter and provisional charter to Granville Academy Charter School. Following discussion, the Committee rejected the recommendation based on concerns related to the fiscal impact to the district, community opposition, and the district’s plan to restructure the middle level school to PreK-8. Regents Brown, Cea, Norwood and Cottrell voted to approve. Regents Tilles, Finn, Chin, Ouderkirk, Collins, Johnson, Hakanson, Reyes and Mittler voted in opposition. Regents Young and Mead abstained. The motion failed. Your P-12 Education Committee recommends that the Regents deny the Granville Academy Charter School application.
Your P-12 Education Committee recommends that the Regents find that: (1) the proposed charter school meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations; (2) the applicant can demonstrate the ability to operate the school in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; (3) granting the application is likely to improve student learning and achievement and materially further the purposes set out in subdivision two of section twenty-eight hundred fifty of Article 56 of the Education Law; and (4) granting the application will have a significant educational benefit to the students expected to attend the charter school, and the Board of Regents approves and issues a charter to KIPP Freedom Charter School, and amends the provisional charter of the education corporation KIPP NYC Public Charter Schools to permit the operation of such school, for a term of five years in accordance with §2851(2)(p) of the Education Law. Regent Collins abstained.
Your P-12 Education Committee recommends that the Regents find that: (1) the proposed charter school meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations; (2) the applicant can demonstrate the ability to operate the school in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; (3) granting the application is likely to improve student learning and achievement and materially further the purposes set out in subdivision two of section twenty-eight hundred fifty of Article 56 of the Education Law; and (4) granting the application will have a significant educational benefit to the students expected to attend the charter school, and the Board of Regents approves and issues a charter to Lois and Richard Nicotra Early College Charter School, and amends the provisional charter of the education corporation Integration Charter Schools to permit the operation of such school, for a term of five years in accordance with §2851(2)(p) of the Education Law. Regent Collins abstained.
Your P-12 Education Committee recommends that the Regents find that: (1) the proposed charter school meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations; (2) the applicant can demonstrate the ability to operate the school in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; (3) granting the application is likely to improve student learning and achievement and materially further the purposes set out in subdivision two of section twenty-eight hundred fifty of Article 56 of the Education Law; and (4) granting the application will have a significant educational benefit to the students expected to attend the charter school, and the Board of Regents approves and issues a charter to Neighborhood Charter School: Bronx, and amends the provisional charter of the education corporation Neighborhood Charter School of Harlem under the amended corporate name Neighborhood Charter Schools, to permit the operation of such school, for a term of five years in accordance with §2851(2)(p) of the Education Law. Regent Reyes voted in opposition. Regent Collins abstained.
Your P-12 Education Committee recommends that the Regents find that: (1) the proposed charter school meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations; (2) the applicant can demonstrate the ability to operate the school in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; (3) granting the application is likely to improve student learning and achievement and materially further the purposes set out in subdivision two of section twenty-eight hundred fifty of Article 56 of the Education Law; and (4) granting the application will have a significant educational benefit to the students expected to attend the charter school, and the Board of Regents therefore approves and issues a charter and provisional charter to Stradford Preparatory Charter School for Boys, for a term of five years in accordance with §2851(2)(p) of the Education Law. Regents Collins and Reyes abstained.
Your P-12 Education Committee made a motion to accept the recommendation to approve and issue a charter and provisional charter to Truxton Academy Charter School. Following discussion, the Committee rejected the recommendation based on concerns related to the fiscal impact to the district and decreases in population. Regents Brown and Norwood voted to approve. Regents Tilles, Finn, Chin, Ouderkirk, Collins, Johnson, Hakanson, Reyes and Mittler voted in opposition. Regents Young, Cea, Cottrell and Mead abstained. The motion failed. Your P-12 Education Committee recommends that the Regents deny the Truxton Academy Charter School application.
Your P-12 Education Committee recommends that the Regents find that: (1) the proposed charter school meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations; (2) the applicant can demonstrate the ability to operate the school in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; (3) granting the application is likely to improve student learning and achievement and materially further the purposes set out in subdivision two of section twenty-eight hundred fifty of Article 56 of the Education Law; and (4) granting the application will have a significant educational benefit to the students expected to attend the charter school, and the Board of Regents approves and issues a charter to Urban Dove Team Charter School II, and amends the provisional charter of the education corporation Urban Dove Team Charter School under the amended corporate name Urban Dove Team Charter Schools, to permit the operation of such school, for a term of five years in accordance with §2851(2)(p) of the Education Law. Regents Cottrell and Collins abstained.
MATTERS NOT REQUIRING BOARD ACTION
Senior Deputy Commissioner’s Report – Senior Deputy Commissioner Jhone Ebert updated the Committee on two important initiatives.
New Pre-Screening Process for Submission of Capital Projects to the Office of Facilities Planning – the new process implements pre-screening of project submissions for completeness, coordination and Code compliance and will have a positive influence on reducing the review queue and the wait time districts currently experience.
Smart Schools Investment Plan Status – to date there are 373 approved Smart Schools Investment Plan for school districts and special education schools and 78 plans ready for the Smart Schools Review Board. Districts are showing a strong commitment to investing in the infrastructure of schools and in the safety and security of students through the requests for installation of security cameras, entry control systems, and VOIP systems.
Charter School Performance Framework [P-12 (D) 1] – the Committee continued their discussion from the October meeting on the key areas of the Charter School Performance Framework that guide the performance oversight of Board of Regents-authorized charter schools. Discussion also included the Enrollment and Academic Summary of New York State Charter Schools Contracting with For-Profit Management Organizations. Department staff will incorporate feedback from the Regents into the Charter School Performance Framework and bring the revised document back in January for a vote of endorsement.
2018 State Budget and Legislative Priorities [P-12 (D) 2] – the Committee reviewed and discussed proposals advanced during the 2017 budget cycle and legislative session. Committee members identified and recommended modifications to the 2017 proposals, as well as reviewed new proposals for inclusion in the Board’s 2018 State Budget and legislative priorities. The proposals will come before the full Board in December for approval.
Consent Agenda
The Board of Regents will take action on the following consent agenda items at their November 14, 2017 meeting.
Regulations relating to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act for the Education of Homeless Children and Youths, as Reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act