Relates to the powers and duties of the chancellor of the New York city school district

1 Co-sponsor

• Shirley L. Huntley

Title of bill

An act to amend the education law, in relation to the powers and duties of the chancellor of the New York city school district

Purpose

Education Law section 2590-h is amended to require the chancellor to direct each school or an established committee thereof to hold meetings to discuss safety concerns in that school, including the matters related to school safety officers.

Justification

There is concern that the school safety provisions currently used in New York City schools has may lead to the schools being "over-policed." These measures often disproportionately impact low income, black and Latino, who are more likely to be subjected to zero tolerance policies that involve police personnel in minor, non-criminal incidents and rely too heavily on suspensions. Moreover, parents and guardians often do not feel comfortable interacting with school safety officers. This bill aims to get to the heart of these concerns by providing an environment where parents can talk about the safety concerns of their school, including the role of the safety officer, and can make suggestions for improvement.

Legislative history

This is a new bill.

Fiscal implications

None to the state.

Local fiscal implications

None to the state.

Effective date

Takes effect on the same date and in the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2009 amending the education law and other laws relating to the New York City board of Education, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.5887 and A.8903-A. takes effect.