QBP Richards Brings Schools Chancellor Banks to Speak at Parent Advisory Meeting
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. today will have City Schools Chancellor David Banks as the guest speaker during this month’s virtual meeting of the Queens Parent Advisory Board.
Banks will talk about his vision for the city’s public schools and address important topics such as COVID-19 protocols, school overcrowding and more. Parents will also have the opportunity to submit questions in advance by emailing education@queensbp.org and during the meeting itself.
The Queens Parent Advisory Board gives Queens public school parents an opportunity to be heard on education issues and concerns and provides a forum to meet with senior City and State education officials. The meetings are open to the public and geared toward parents with children in the public school system.
Richards chairs the board, which also includes the Borough President’s Panel for Education Policy (PEP) appointee, Deborah Dillingham, and his education director, along with Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) members, Parent Coordinators, the Community Education Councils (CECs) for school Districts 24-30, and the Education Committee Chairs of each Queens Community Board.
The virtual meeting is slated for 6 p.m., tonight, Feb. 15. Those who wish to attend the Zoom webinar and participate in the interactive discussion must RSVP at www.queensbp.org/rsvp. All those who RSVP will receive information tomorrow morning on how to log into Zoom. Those who do not RSVP will be able to watch a livestream of the meeting at www.queensbp.org.
Sepulveda Supports Salary Increase for Home Care Aides
State Sen. Luis Sepulveda (D-Bronx) yesterday announced he is co-sponsoring Sen. Rachel May legislation, S5374A increasing the pay for home care aides.
“This bill seeks to increase hourly pay and provide better employment conditions for home care aides, which is certainly a needed step for these workers. These employees are mostly women, and mostly from marginalized communities. They come from the Dominican Republic, from Latin American countries, and largely from our Black and Latinx communities. Make no mistake, these workers do a job of unimaginable importance. They care for us, they care for our people with special needs, and they care for our elderly. Yet, they have to endure long hours, unsafe conditions and wages as low as $13 an hour,” said Sepylveda.
“I call attention to the fact that this bill must be approved without delay and that doing so would create justice for these workers. I am convinced that my colleagues in the Senate understand the need for swift action on this issue and that we stand with Senator May on this measure,” the lawmaker added.
Maloney Applauds House Passage of the Bipartisan Postal Reform Act
U.S. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn) stood with union leaders yesterday to applaud the passage of her bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act, which overwhelmingly passed the House this week 342-92.
The bill will address the Postal Service’s financial condition which has been deteriorating over the past decade due to a number of factors. The provisions included in the Postal Service Reform Act are critical to helping the Postal Service remain financially viable and ensuring it provides the high quality of service Americans expect and deserve. These provisions include Medicare integration, repealing a requirement for the Postal Service to pre-fund retiree health benefits, increased transparency of delivery service, reporting on Postal Service operations and finances, a requirement that the Postal Service deliver mail at least six days per week, and other matters.
“This week – we took a huge step towards solving some very serious problems that have been hanging over the Postal Service for years now by passing the bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act. This bill not only saves the Postal Service over 50 billion dollars, but it will also help local newspapers and magazines survive the transition to the digital age, secures 6-day a week delivery service for us all, protects the health and retirement benefits of postal workers – and it does all this while actually saving the federal government $1.5 billion dollars,” said Maloney.
“The bill will also provide Congress and the American people with a whole new level of transparency and accountability. It would establish an online, public-facing database that shows weekly service performance information down to the zip code. The bill also allows the Postal Service to contract with state, local, and tribal governments to offer non-postal services that will create new streams of much needed revenue and badly needed services. I urge the Senate to pass this critical bill that will help save the Postal Service- a cornerstone of our democracy,” Maloney added.
Sanders Mourns Death of 10-Year-Old Davina Afokoba
State Sen. Senator James Sanders Jr. (D-Queens) yesterday mourned the recent death of Davina Afokoba, 10, who was killed Feb. 9 by a speeding SUV while she was on her way home from school in Far Rockaway.
While her family has to deal with the aftermath of the horrific incident, the river allegedly had no license, only a learner’s permit.
“Our community has experienced a terrible tragedy – the death of a child – a beautiful young girl, full of promise with a bright future ahead of her. As a father myself, I can tell you that I could not imagine anything more devastating than losing a child,” said Sanders.
“We need to do all we can to prevent reckless driving and fatal collisions. Davina Afokoba should be with us today, celebrating life with her family and friends, but instead they are planning her funeral. My thoughts and prayers are with them during this very difficult time,” he added.
Davina’s mother has set up a GoFundMe page to help with funeral costs and other expenses.
