Treyger On Continued Search For Schools’ Chancellor
City Council Member Mark Treyger (D-Bensonhurst, Coney Island, Gravesend), chair of the council’s Education Committee, yesterday said more stakeholders should have involvement in picking the city’s next school chancellor.
Treyger’s comments came among the mixed messages Mayor Bill de Blasio and two news outlets – Politico and the New York Times – prematurely put out that the city hired Miami-Dady County Schools Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho to replace the retiring Department of Education Chancellor Carmen Farina. Carvalho announced he decided against taking the job yesterday.
“As I have stated before, the best decisions are the most informed decisions. In order to make well-informed decisions, you have to involve critical stakeholders who have vested interests in ensuring that our schools succeed. I look forward to being a part of the conversation regarding who will eventually accept the position of Chancellor of the largest school system in the country,” said Treyger.
Cornegy Supports NYCHA Tenants’ Lawsuit
City Council Member Robert E. Cornegy Jr. (D-Bedford-Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights) and Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx) yesterday voiced their support for New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) tenant leaders filing a State Supreme Court lawsuit asking a judge to appoint an independent monitor to oversee the troubled authority.
The Citywide Council of Presidents, a group of tenant leaders chosen by the roughly 400,000 NYCHA residents, filed the suit Tuesday because among other things, it has failed to provide heat and hot water, keep residents safe from lead and involve tenants in policymaking.
“The tenants of NYCHA are right. They have been neglected and abused. We know what needs to be done and we must act. NYCHA management has failed to implement reforms or make progress. We need independent lead paint inspections and expedited heat and safety repairs. We need the state to declare an emergency, bypass NYCHA management and bureaucracy, bring in a real private contractor who will complete the task quickly,” said Cornegy and Torres in a joint statement.
“The City Council and tenants should have a direct role in the selection and oversight of the contractor and repair work. And the State should supervise independent lead inspection and an abatement program if necessary. NYCHA, by their own admission, does not have trained lead or heating professionals. NYCHA now takes years to spend money allocated to them. We cannot tolerate these kinds of delays. This is a social justice issue and justice delayed is justice denied.”
Adams Announces Winners Of Brooklyn Healthy Workplace Challenge
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams (D) this week announced the winners of the Brooklyn Healthy Workplace Challenge he held over the past year in collaboration with the American Heart Association (AHA).
The initiative, aimed at changing the dietary and exercise habits at businesses across the borough, was inspired in part by Adams’ desire to expand his personal struggle against Type 2 diabetes to a borough wide battle against diseases sparked by poor food choices.
“The workplace is at the heart of our day-to-day living, which makes it one of the best places to address heart health and preventive wellness,” said Adams. “My own reversal of Type 2 diabetes was possible because I made it a priority at home and in the office, from cooking healthy meals to exercising in my workspace. I’m pleased to see some of Brooklyn’s most notable companies step up and support their employees toward healthier habits. They are making a smart investment in their workforce, the heart of their businesses.”
For more information on both the challenge and living healthier visit the American Heart Association website, heart.org/foodwhereur.
