Category: Education

Statement on Mayor’s Opposition to Court Decision That Protects Kids at P.S. 163

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The following statement can be attributed to Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer: “Mayor de Blasio’s decision to file an amicus brief in support of this dangerous construction project next to a school baffles me. “The mayor is weighing in on behalf of an expensive private facility and against public school children. He’s taking the side of those arguing this project should go ahead without a full and thorough environmental… Read more

One Building, Four Schools, No Library: Brewer Highlights Shortchanged Public Schools

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Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer held a public hearing on school overcrowding and facilities needs in Manhattan’s public schools Tuesday evening at P.S. 125 in West Harlem. “Overcrowding and underfunding have put New York City’s public school students at a disadvantage,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. “Last night parents, students, educators, and community leaders spoke out, highlighting areas where better planning could make a difference,… Read more

At “School of Data” Conference, Brewer Announces She Will Bring Data Science Curriculum to NYC High Schools

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Today at BetaNYC’s NYC School of Data conference, Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer announced she will bring data science classes to New York City high schools, making public that her office is forming a task force to develop a data science curriculum and implementation plan.
“As the world changes, it’s critical that our schools keep up. That doesn’t just mean putting computers in classrooms – it means… Read more

Brewer Celebrates New York’s Intel Science Talent Search Finalists and Semifinalists at Facebook Headquarters

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This afternoon at Facebook’s New York headquarters, Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer celebrated New York-area semifinalists in the Intel Science Talent Search, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science competitions for high school students. “Science, technology, math, and engineering are more important than ever before, but the students in this competition have achieved more than academic mastery – they’ve successfully undertaken individual, independent research,” said… Read more

Public Hearing on Manhattan Public School Overcrowding, March 8

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Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer will hold a public hearing on overcrowding and facilities needs in Manhattan’s public schools on Tuesday, March 8, 2016. “Parents, students, teachers, and principals: these are the first people I ask when it comes to improving our schools’ facilities and programs, and we need to make sure all city policymakers hear their needs loud and clear,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. “A… Read more

Statement on Legal Win Protecting P.S. 163 From Construction

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Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer issued the following statement Wednesday, after the announcement of a state court’s decision granting the community’s Article 78 petition and blocking construction of a new Jewish Home Lifecare facility next to the school. “This is a win for P.S. 163’s students: under the plan that was approved, a huge, high-rise project could have choked and deafened a high-performing school with dust and noise. Judge… Read more

Brewer Announces $6 Million for Tech in 57 Manhattan Public Schools

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NEW YORK – Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer today announced a slate of capital grant awards promoting the use of technology and technology instruction in Manhattan’s public schools. The grants will be included in the city’s budget for Fiscal Year 2016, whose adoption is expected later this month. “There is no better investment than in modern tools and technology for the classroom, because they help prepare our kids for… Read more

Elected Officials, Advocates Demand Increased Funding for School Crossing Guards to Keep NYC’s Students Safe

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Improved Working Conditions Necessary to Achieve City’s Vision Zero Goals and Safer Pre-K Expansion NEW YORK—Today on the steps of City Hall, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, City Council Member Brad Lander, City Council Member and Chair of the Council’s Public Safety Committee Vanessa Gibson, along with parents, students, elected officials, and safe-streets advocates from across New York City called for a significant increase in funding for school crossing guards… Read more

Statement on Custom Computer Specialists Contract under Consideration by NYC Panel for Educational Policy (PEP)

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“Going forward, there must be a better procurement process for technology in city government — one which is fully transparent and allows significant public scrutiny. “One month for RFPs and one WEEK for PEP review is just mind-boggling. “While the cost of the contract has come down during that period between RFP and final contract, luckily, we don’t fully know the details of how and why the costs are reduced.… Read more

Public School Town Hall with Chancellor Fariña

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Over a hundred people– Parents, CEC members, teachers, principals, and community board members–  joined me and DOE Chancellor Carmen Fariña at my Public School Town Hall November 12th at John Jay College.
We heard her discuss new education initiatives, including the just-announced School Renewal Program,  parent engagement, capacity framework, and school quality “Snapshots.” I raised my concerns about introducing and improving technology in schools– now that Proposal 3, the $2… Read more