Requires the display and distribution of the parental bill of rights by the city school district of the city of New York

4 Co-sponsors

• Eric Adams
• Pedro Espada Jr.
• Ruth Hassell-Thompson
• Kevin S. Parker

BILL NUMBER:S5452B

Title of bill

An act to amend the education law, in relation to the display and distribution of the parental bill of rights in the city school district of the city of New York

Purpose or general idea of bill

Inform parents of the rights they have concerning their children in New York City Schools.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:: Section One: -Requires all New York City public schools to post the 'Parent's Bill of Rights and Responsibilities' in a prominent area within the lobby of said schools in both English and Spanish. -Requires the Chancellor to ensure that all schools make available this bill of rights and responsibilities available to parents and parental guardians on an annual basis in the languages predominantly spoken in the community where the school is located. -Requires that all schools make this bill of rights and responsibilities available to parents and parental guardians upon request in the languages predominantly spoken in the community where the school is located.

Section Two: -Effective Date.

Justification

The New York City Department of Education currently produces a 'Parent's Bill of Rights and Responsibilities', which outlines parents rights when it comes to public schools. Such rights include, but are not limited to, the access of information regarding students, the right to have input on their children's education and their children's right to education. As well as these rights, parental responsibilities are included in this publication.

At this time, these rights and responsibilities are only available to parents who request them or research on their own. This ends up excluding many parents who have little computer expertise and/or are unfamiliar with the school system in New York City. In order to insure that some of our most vulnerable children, including those recent immigrants who do not speak English in their household, have the same access and opportunity to a quality education as any other child, this bill seeks to address the information gap presented to these families.

Prior legislative history

Senate: 2010: Referred to Education, Reported to Finance, Reported to Rules 2009: Referred to Education

Assembly: 2010: A.1495 Wright, Referred to Education 2009: A.1495 Wright, Referred to Education 2008: A.630 Wright, Referred to Education 2007: A.630 Wright, Referred to Education

2006: A.11156 Wright, Referred to Education

Fiscal implications

The fiscal implications are minimal. The New York City Department of Education currently distributes the Parental Bill of Rights to parents in the student handbook. The Bill of Rights is posted on the DOE website in multiple languages, which will enable school personnel to readily print a copy to satisfy a specific parent request.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that:

(a) effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date; and

(b) the amendments to section 2590-h of the education law made by section one of this act shall survive the expiration and reversion of such section as provided in section 17 of chapter 345 of the laws of 2009, as amended.