S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         6554
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                    March 26, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced by M. of A. PERRY -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. WRIGHT --
         read once and referred to the Committee on Education
       AN  ACT  to amend the education law, in relation to the panel for educa-
         tional policy in the city of New York
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Subdivision  3 of section 2590-a of the education law, as
    2  added by chapter 330 of the laws of 1969, is amended to read as follows:
    3    3. City board. The term "city board" shall mean the [board  of  educa-
    4  tion of the city district] PANEL FOR EDUCATIONAL POLICY.
    5    S  2. Subdivision 1 of section 2590-b of the education law, as amended
    6  by chapter 345 of the laws of 2009, is amended to read as follows:
    7    1. (a) The board of education of the city school district of the  city
    8  of  New  York  is  hereby continued AS THE PANEL FOR EDUCATIONAL POLICY.
    9  Such [board of education] PANEL FOR EDUCATIONAL POLICY shall consist  of
   10  thirteen  appointed  members: one member to be appointed by each borough
   11  president of the city of New York; and eight members to be appointed  by
   12  the  mayor  of  the  city  of New York. The chancellor shall serve as an
   13  ex-officio non-voting member of the [city board] PANEL  FOR  EDUCATIONAL
   14  POLICY.    The [city board] PANEL FOR EDUCATIONAL POLICY shall elect its
   15  own chairperson from among its voting members.  All  thirteen  appointed
   16  members  shall  serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority [and].
   17  A MEMBER SHALL BE PROVIDED WITH A NOTICE OF DISCHARGE,  DISMISSAL  OR  A
   18  REQUEST  FOR RESIGNATION OF SUCH MEMBER, NOT LESS THAN THIRTY DAYS PRIOR
   19  TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF SUCH ACTION. NOTWITHSTANDING SUCH NOTICE,  SUCH
   20  MEMBER  SHALL RETAIN ALL RIGHTS, DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERSHIP ON
   21  SUCH BOARD UNTIL SUCH EFFECTIVE DATE. NO MEMBER shall [not] be  employed
   22  in  any  capacity  by the city of New York, or a subdivision thereof, or
   23  the [city board] PANEL FOR EDUCATIONAL POLICY.  No appointed  member  of
   24  the  [city  board]  PANEL FOR EDUCATIONAL POLICY shall also be a member,
   25  officer, or employee of any public corporation, authority, or commission
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD03287-01-5
       A. 6554                             2
    1  where the mayor of the city of New York has a majority of  the  appoint-
    2  ments.  Each  borough  president's  appointee shall be a resident of the
    3  borough for which the  borough  president  appointing  him  or  her  was
    4  elected  and  shall  be  the parent of a child attending a public school
    5  within the city school district of the city of New York.   Each  mayoral
    6  appointee  shall be a resident of the city and two shall be parents of a
    7  child attending a public school within the city district.    All  parent
    8  members shall be eligible to continue to serve on the [city board] PANEL
    9  FOR  EDUCATIONAL  POLICY for two years following the conclusion of their
   10  child's attendance at a public school  within  the  city  district.  Any
   11  vacancy  shall  be  filled  by appointment by the appropriate appointing
   12  authority within  ninety  days  of  such  vacancy.  Notwithstanding  any
   13  provision of local law, the members of the [board] PANEL FOR EDUCATIONAL
   14  POLICY  shall  not  have staff, offices, or vehicles assigned to them or
   15  receive compensation for their services, but shall be reimbursed for the
   16  actual and necessary expenses incurred by them  in  the  performance  of
   17  their duties.
   18    (b)  The [city board] PANEL FOR EDUCATIONAL POLICY shall hold at least
   19  one regular public meeting per month. At least one regular public  meet-
   20  ing  shall be held in each borough of the city of New York per year; any
   21  additional meetings may be called at the request of the chairperson. The
   22  [city board] PANEL FOR EDUCATIONAL  POLICY  shall  consider  appropriate
   23  public  accommodations  when selecting a venue so as to maximize partic-
   24  ipation by parents and the community.
   25    (c) (i) Notice of the time, place and  agenda  for  all  [city  board]
   26  PANEL  FOR  EDUCATIONAL POLICY regular public meetings shall be publicly
   27  provided, including via the city board's official internet web site, and
   28  specifically circulated  to  all  community  superintendents,  community
   29  district  education councils, community boards, and school based manage-
   30  ment teams, at least ten business days in advance of such meeting.
   31    (ii) A [city board] PANEL FOR EDUCATIONAL POLICY regular public  meet-
   32  ing  agenda  shall  be  comprised of a list and brief description of the
   33  subject matter being considered, identification of all items subject  to
   34  a  [city board] PANEL FOR EDUCATIONAL POLICY vote, and the name, office,
   35  address, email address and telephone number of a city district represen-
   36  tative, knowledgeable on the agenda, from whom any  information  may  be
   37  obtained  and to whom written comments may be submitted concerning items
   38  on such agenda.
   39    (d) The chairperson of the [city board] PANEL FOR  EDUCATIONAL  POLICY
   40  shall  ensure that at every regular public meeting there is a sufficient
   41  period of time to allow for public comment on any topic  on  the  agenda
   42  prior to any [city board] PANEL FOR EDUCATIONAL POLICY vote.
   43    (e)  Minutes  of all [city board] PANEL FOR EDUCATIONAL POLICY regular
   44  public meetings shall be made  publicly  available,  including  via  the
   45  [city board's] PANEL'S official internet website, in a timely manner but
   46  no  later than the subsequent regular [city board] PANEL FOR EDUCATIONAL
   47  POLICY meeting.
   48    S 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided however that the
   49  amendments to subdivision 1 of section 2590-b of the education law  made
   50  by  section  two  of  this  act  shall not affect the expiration of such
   51  subdivision and shall be deemed to expire therewith.