Mayoral Control of the New York City Schools

Event: Mayoral Control of the New York City Schools

Sponsors:

• The League of Women Voters of the City of New York and
• Association of the Bar of the City of New York

Time: 6 PM – 8 PM
Day & Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Location:
The Association of the Bar of the City of New York
42 West 44th Street
New York, NY 10036

Register Online:
http://www.nycbar.org/EventsCalendar/show_event.php?eventid=1056

Contact:
Please call the League at 212-725-3541 if you have any questions.

Moderator:
MARCIA KRAMER, Chief Political Correspondent, WCBS-TV

Speakers:

• CHRISTOPHER D. CERF
  Deputy Chancellor, New York City Department of Education
• HON. CATHERINE T. NOLAN
  Member of Assembly, Chair, New York State Assembly's Committee on Education
• DIANE RAVITCH
  Research Professor of Education, New York University
  Author of The Great School Wars, a history of the New York City public schools
• JOE WILLIAMS
  Executive Director of Democrats for Education Reform
  Author of Cheating our Kids

Background:
The New York City school system has undergone a dramatic restructuring in the past few years. A key change has been direct mayoral control of the Department of Education. Supporters suggest that mayoral control is a necessary component in the improvement and reform of the New York City schools, while critics contend that there is a greater need for parental involvement and less centralized control. The legislation authorizing mayoral control expires this year and the State Legislature is considering its reenactment amid a nationwide debate regarding effective strategies for closing the achievement gap in urban schools. This forum will examine the issues and controversies concerning New York City's experience with mayoral control.