New York City Panel for Educational Policy

{{Main|New York City Department of Education}}

The New York State legislature established the New York City Board of Education in 1842.{{cite web|last=Ment|first=David M.|year=2008|title=Guide to the Records of the New York City Board of Education|url=https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/records/pdf/featured-collections/board-of-education-records.pdf|access-date=October 23, 2018|publisher=New York City Department of Records|page=155}}

On June 30, 2002, Mayor Bloomberg secured authority over the schools from the New York State legislature, which began the era of "mayoral control" over the city schools. The New York Supreme Court elaborates:

{{Quote|By chapter 91 of the Laws of 2002, the Education Law was amended so as to radically restructure the governance of the school district of the City of New York. The amendment provided, among other things, that the Mayor of New York was empowered to appoint a Chancellor who would preside over a Board of Education which was to be expanded from 7 to 13 members, the majority of which were also to be appointed by the Mayor of the City of New York. Five Board members are selected by the Borough Presidents.

Although that legislation itself made no specific reference to a "Department of Education of the City of New York," the bylaws subsequently adopted by the Board provide that this 13-member body "shall be known as the Panel for Educational Policy," which together with the Chancellor and other school employees is designated as the "Department of Education of the City of New York."}}

On June 30, 2009, the New York State Senate declined to renew the mayor's full authority over the school system. In particular, State Senate Democratic leader John Sampson, of Brooklyn, opposed the extension of mayoral control. The authority reverted for a time to the Board of Education, but mayoral control was restored until 2015 in a vote on August 6, 2009.{{cite news|author=Medina, Jennifer|date=August 6, 2009|title=N.Y. Senate Renews Mayor's Power to Run Schools|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/nyregion/07control.html}} The actual city agency running the schools remains the New York City Department of Education.

On January 29, 2021, two days after the January 27, 2021 panel meeting, Borough President James Oddo pulled Peter Calandrella, the Staten Island Representative to the Panel for Educational Policy, who was appointed to back in 2016, due to the fact that Mr. Calandrella voted against a contract extension for the administration of the controversial City Gifted & Talented exam. The borough president's statement mentioned the removal of Peter Calandrella was "not because of the substance of the vote, but because it went against what he, his staff and Calandrella had agreed on the night before". A letter from the entire panel was sent to Borough President Oddo requesting him to change his decision to remove Peter Calandrella from the PEP, however the removal was scheduled to be conducted on February 9, 2021.{{Cite web|date=2021-01-30|title=Oddo pulls appointee from education panel after vote on gifted program testing|url=https://www.silive.com/education/2021/01/oddo-pulls-appointee-from-education-panel-after-vote-on-gifted-program-testing.html|access-date=2021-06-14|website=silive|language=en}} On March 9, 2021, it was announced that Borough President Oddo had appointed Jaclyn Tacoronte, a local business owner, to replace Peter Calandrella.{{Cite web|date=2021-03-09|title=Oddo names new appointee to NYC education panel|url=https://www.silive.com/education/2021/03/oddo-names-new-appointee-to-nyc-education-panel.html|access-date=2021-06-14|publisher=silive|language=en}}

Source:{{Cite web |title=Anthony Giordano |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/anthony-giordano |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}}

There are 23{{Note|The PEP webpage on the DOE website indicates that there is 15 voting members however it looks like there is a vacancy for a mayoral appointee.}} members of the panel. Each of the five borough presidents appoints one member, every borough's CEC presidents elect one member each, and the remaining thirteen are appointed by the mayor. The chancellor is an ex-officio on the panel and with no voting power along with the student representatives on the panel.{{Cite web|title=PEP Members|url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members|access-date=2021-06-14|website=New York City Department of Education|language=en}}

• Aaron Bogad{{Cite web |title=Aaron Bogad |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/aaron-bogad |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Staten Island Borough president appointee)
• Alan Ong{{Cite web |title=Alan Ong - Panel for Educational Policy Member |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/alan-ong |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Mayoral appointee)
• Alice Ho{{Cite web |title=Alice Ho - Panel for Educational Policy Member |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/alice-ho |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=web |language=en}} (Mayoral appointee)
• Amy Fair{{Cite web |title=Amy Fair |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/amy-fair |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=web |language=en}} (Mayoral appointee)
• Anita Garcia{{Cite web |title=Anita Garcia |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/anita-garcia |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Mayoral appointee)
• Anthony Giordano{{Cite web |title=Anthony Giordano |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/anthony-giordano |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Mayoral appointee)
• Dr. Angela Green{{Cite web |title=Dr Angela Green - Panel for Educational Policy Member |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/dr-angela-green |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Mayoral appointee)
• Ephraim Zakry{{Cite web |title=Ephraim Zakry |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/ephraim-zakry |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Queens CEC Presidents’ representative)
• Geneal Chacon{{Cite web |title=Geneal Chacon - Bronx Representative - PEP Member |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/geneal-chacon |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Bronx Borough president appointee)
• Gladys Ward{{Cite web |title=Gladys Ward - Panel for Educational Policy Member |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/gladys-ward |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Mayoral appointee)
• Gregory Faulkner{{Cite web |title=Gregory Faulkner - Panel for Educational Policy Member |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/gregory-faulkner |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Mayoral appointee)
• Jessamyn Lee{{Cite web |title=Jessamyn Lee |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/jessamyn-lee |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Brooklyn CEC Presidents’ representative)
• Dr. Kaliris Salas-Ramirez{{Cite web |title=Kaliris Salas-Ramirez - Panel for Educational Policy Member |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/kaliris-salas-ramirez |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Manhattan Borough president appointee)
• Lily Chan{{Cite web |title=Lily Chan |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/lily-chan |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Mayoral appointee)
• Maisha Sapp{{Cite web |title=Maisha Sapp |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/maisha-sapp |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Mayoral appointee)
• Marjorie Dienstag{{Cite web |title=Marjorie Dienstag |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/marjorie-dienstag |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Mayoral appointee)
• Michelle Joseph{{Cite web |title=Michelle Joseph |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/michelle-joseph |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Mayoral appointee)
• Naveed Hasan{{Cite web |title=Naveed Hasan |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/naveed-hasan |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Manhattan CEC Presidents’ representative)
• Phoebe Sade-Arnold{{Cite web |title=Phoebe Sade-Arnold |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/phoebe-sade-arnold |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Mayoral appointee)
• Sheree Gibson{{Cite web |title=Sheree Gibson |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/sheree-gibson |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Queens Borough president appointee)
• Tazin Azad{{Cite web |title=Tazin Azad - Panel for Educational Policy Member |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/tazin-azad |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Brooklyn Borough president appointee)
• Thomas Sheppard{{Cite web |title=Thomas Sheppard, Vice Chairperson |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/thomas-sheppard |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=web |language=en}} (Bronx CEC Presidents’ representative)
• Venus Sze-Tsang{{Cite web |title=Venus Sze-Tsang |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy/members/venus-sze-tsang |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=web |language=en}} (Staten Island CEC Presidents' representative)
• Dr. Darling J. Miramey (Mayoral appointee) from Nov 18, 2024 {{Cite web |title=Dr. Darling Miramey |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/get-involved/families/panel-for-education-policy/members/dr-darling-miramey |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=web |language=en}}

Source:{{Cite web |title=Bylaws |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/get-involved/families/panel-for-education-policy/bylaws |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=web |language=en}}

• Melissa Aviles-Ramos, Chancellor
• Brad Lander, NYC Comptroller

In 2011, Panel for Educational Policy member Patrick Sullivan (who was appointed by then Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer in 2007{{Cite press release

|title = Borough President Stringer Announces Appointment to Panel for Educational Policy

|publisher = Scott Stringer

|date = 2007-06-22

|url = http://www.mbpo.org/release_details.asp?id=56

|access-date = 2011-09-12

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120213144451/http://www.mbpo.org/release_details.asp?id=56

|archive-date = 2012-02-13

}})

suggested changing the system to have only six mayoral appointees, and that appointees should have fixed terms; additionally, he stated "For us not to have the same role in our kids' education as people who live in the suburbs or Middle America is patronizing."{{Citation

| last = Featherstone

| first = Liza

| title = Report Card: Our Fake School Board

| newspaper = Brooklyn Rail

| date = September 2011

| url = http://www.brooklynrail.org/2011/09/local/report-card-our-fake-school-board

| access-date = 2011-09-12}}

On June 20, 2025, the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) approved amendments to Chancellor’s Regulation A-663, expanding the number of "covered languages" for official New York City Public Schools communications from nine to twelve. This policy change was the culmination of advocacy efforts, including resolutions from Community Education Councils (CEC3 and CEC24), support from the Manhattan Borough President, the Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Council (CPAC), and a PEP resolution. These efforts were led by PEP member Dr. Darling Miramey, who advocated for the inclusion of Italian, Polish, and Yiddish—languages with significant communities and existing bilingual programs in NYCPS—proposing to align language access policy with New York State regulations and Census data. Despite these proposals, the Department of Education ultimately use own algorithm and selected Albanian, Uzbek, and Ukrainian as the new covered languages. This decision aimed to address the needs of recently arrived families and communities with limited English proficiency, even though some longstanding language communities, such as Italian, Polish, and Yiddish speakers, expressed disappointment that their languages were not included in the final expansion.{{Cite web |title=Public Schools Chancellor Aviles-Ramos Expands Language Access Services by Adding Three New Covered Languages to Official School Communications |url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/news/announcements/contentdetails/2025/06/20/public-schools-chancellor-aviles-ramos-expands-language-access-services-by-adding-three-new-covered-languages-to-official-school-communications |access-date=2025-06-22 |website=web |language=en}}

{{Portal|New York City|Schools}}

• Samuel A. Lewis, elected a member in 1868
• Gerardus Clark, former president
• History of education in New York City

Notes

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.nycenet.edu/ New York City Board of Education/New York City Department of Education] (Archive)
• [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://205.232.145.43/ Archives in 1998]

{{New York City DOE}}

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Category:Public education in New York City

Category:New York City Department of Education