03/30/2017
This June I will have completed six years of service to my community as a member of the Community Education Council D3 for New York City’s District 3, including the last four as President. It is with much satisfaction for all that I have accomplished in the service of my community that I am announcing that I will not seek another term as a member of the Community Education Council for New York City’s District 3.
The oath of the Athenian City-State reads in part that “we will transmit this city not only not less, but greater, better and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us.” I’ve worked tirelessly over the past six years to make the Upper West Side and my city is a better place than I found it. And I truly believe it is.
My first major accomplishment as President was spearheading CEC3’s efforts to establish the West End Secondary School (WESS). Now in its second year, WESS serves grades 6-12, alleviates middle school overcrowding, gives parents more choices, and for the first time in many years will give District 3 parents priority in high schools admissions in their own neighborhood. WESS is a wildly successful school with a dynamic leader and bright future and promises to be an Upper West Side gem for generations to come.
Last Fall I shepherded approval of a historic 11-school elementary school rezoning that will alleviate overcrowding, enhance diversity, and put all of our schools in position to succeed. The breadth and scope of this rezoning made it exceedingly difficult to accomplish. Causing disruption to many families made it controversial. Yet the District 3 community and the New York City Department of Education came together and overwhelmingly supported a plan that will bring meaningful and lasting positive change.
Somewhere between these two achievements, CEC3 also managed to hold the reckless expansion of Eva Moskowitz’s Success Academy Charter School network in check; enhanced public safety by exposing and calling for reforms to a broken system of school incident reporting and response; successfully fought to keep Wadleigh High School open; saved PS149/PS811 from charter school eviction; protected public health by fighting for expedited PCB remediation in our schools; successfully advocated for a long-overdue safety renovation of the PS166 schoolyard whose unsafe design led to serious injuries to our kids; and restored good working order, civility and respect to a Council whose dysfunction had given District 3 a black eye.
Despite having four more years of eligibility to serve on CEC3, now is the right time to step away. The Council has an amazing group of leaders who are ready to boldly and decisively act on behalf of all District 3 families, make our great schools even better, and make our community the envy of the entire city.
I’ll have more to say - and people to thank - as my term nears its conclusion. In the meantime, there is plenty of work to be done between now and June and I look forward to working with my District 3 colleagues, friends and neighbors to fulfill the ideals of the Athenian Oath. Onward.
