Dear New Yorker,
Recently the NYC Department of Education sent out letters to parents of students and employees in public schools that have been identified as part of the City's PCB lighting removal plan and where leaking light ballasts have been found.
Unfortunately, the DOE's letters failed to comply with the most important provisions of the laws that the City Council passed last year to help make sure parents and school employees are better informed about PCB results and cleanup efforts in city schools ( Local Law 68 and Local Law 69 ).
In particular, their letters fail to set forth a schedule for light fixture removal for individual schools, nor do they indicate what specific steps the department is taking to address PCB levels at these schools. The DOE was also required to submit a report to us on the progress of their clean-up efforts. This, too, is incomplete.
As we explained in a letter to Chancellor Walcott, the DOE's non-compliance with these provisions of our laws is unacceptable.
PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) may be present in the overhead fluorescent light ballasts in schools with fluorescent lights installed before 1979. We passed these laws because we feel very strongly that parents, educators, and the rest of the public have a right to know what measures are being taken to rid schools of PCBs and how long this will take.
We have asked the Chancellor to provide us information about how he plans to resolve these issues and ensure immediate compliance with the law, and we will be sure to keep you updated going forward.
In the meantime, if you have any questions about our efforts to address PCBs in city schools, please free to contact Aysha Schomburg in the City Council's Human Services Division. She can be reached by telephone at (212) 788-7001 or by email at aschomburg@council.nyc.gov .
* * * * *
In brighter news, we're very happy to report that we recently passed legislation, Intro. 711-A , which expands Local Law 8 (the Library Card Act) by requiring the DOE to distribute information about obtaining a library card to all students, beginning in pre-kindergarten.
Intro. 711-A also requires the NYC Administration for Children's Services, the NYC Department of Homeless Services, the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development and the NYC Human Resources Administration to make written or electronic materials about the public library system available to the youth they serve.
Studies reveal that children raised in text-rich environments with access to books are more likely to start school well-prepared than those who are not. By enhancing the Library Card Act, we will be able to give our city's youth a greater chance to succeed in school while fostering a life-long love of reading.
This is a great step for our students, and we look forward to Mayor Bloomberg signing Intro. 711-A into law shortly.
Please feel free to contact Tai Meah in the Council's Human Services Division if you have any questions or comments about Intro. 711-A . She can be reached by telephone at (212) 788-9063 or by email at tmeah@council.nyc.gov .
* * * * *
Finally, on behalf of the YouCanToo! Initiative, we're excited to share with you the YouCanToo! Documentary .
This ten-minute film profiles three amazing adult learners who have overcome tremendous obstacles to meet their educational and career goals. In the documentary, you'll meet:
- Mariame, who struggled with homelessness before learning to read and write at the New York Public Library;
- Kandolo, who came to America with only 20 dollars in his pocket and learned to speak English at the Riverside Language Program; and
- Alvaro, who entered college after being incarcerated and is now a successful college graduate.
YouCanToo! was formed in 2011 through a partnership between the NYC Council and the NYC Office of Human Capital Development. The initiative - which features a series of online tools and resources and over 50 videos of adult learners in New York City - provides comprehensive information and motivational success stories to help adult learners reach their educational and career goals.
To watch the video, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42MHjh2ItqY .
To learn more about the YouCanToo! initiative:
- Check out our website ( www.nyc.gov/youcantoonyc )
- Follow us on Twitter ( @youcantoonyc )
- Like us on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/youcantoonyc )
- Submit your 'YouCanToo!' video on our YouTube page ( www.youtube.com/youcantoonyc )
- Post your written story on our Tumblr ( www.youcantoonyc.tumblr.com )
- Sign up for email updates ( www.nyc.gov/youcantoonyc )
If you have any questions about the YouCanToo! Initiative, please feel to contact Nick Rolf in the Council's Community Outreach Unit at 212-442-5765 or nrolf@council.nyc.gov .
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Christine C. Quinn
Speaker
NYC Council
Robert Jackson
Chair, Education Committee
NYC Council
Jimmy Van Bramer
Chair, Cultural Affairs, Libraries & International Intergroup Relations Committee
Lead Sponsor, Local Law 8, Intro. 711-A
NYC Council
Maria del Carmen Arroyo
Chair, Health Committee
NYC Council
Annabel Palma
Chair, General Welfare Committee
NYC Council
Ydanis Rodriguez
Chair, Higher Education Committee
NYC Council
Vincent Ignizio
Lead Sponsor, Local Law 68
NYC Council
Stephen Levin
Lead Sponsor, Local Law 69
NYC Council