New York: Group Wants Parent, Student Unions To Have Say on Schools
According to the New York Sun:
To counter the power of the city teachers union and business leaders in shaping school policy, New York City should use taxpayer dollars to create two new unions complete with their own budgets and lobbyists, one for public school parents and one for public school students, a group is proposing.
The Independent Commission on Public Education is releasing its proposal as the deadline in Albany nears on whether to renew mayoral control of the city's schools.
The teachers union, the City Council, and both bodies of the state Legislature are already crafting proposals on the issue.
A co-founder of iCOPE, Ellen Raider, said its goal is to widen the number of participants in that conversation — and, as a result, widen what the conversation is about.
The group's recommendations, summarized in a six-page report, argue that while the teachers union, elected officials, and the Bloomberg administration all say they speak on behalf of children's interests, only parents and students can truly play that role.
Students and parents are also better situated to answer a question the report says is crucial but too often ignored: What is the purpose of public education?
Creating parent and student unions are two ideas among a slate included in the six-page report, all loosely aimed at giving community members more control over the public schools....click to continue.
