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In this Issue:
• Bing Introduces Legislation to Retain Quality Teachers
• Assemblyman Bing Successful in Push for Arts Education Committee
•
Concerns Raised Regarding Water Mains Construction in Sutton Area
•
Assembly Passes Bing Legislation to Improve Mitchell Lama Housing
•
Kindergarten Waitlists at East Side Public Schools
• Open House for New
Public School on Upper East Side
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Assemblyman Bing Introduces Legislation to Retain Quality
Teachers
Assemblyman Bing recently introduced the KEEP (Keep Excellent
and Effective Professionals in the Classroom) Act (A. 10482) that would
establish new procedures for the retention of quality teachers in New
York City. Currently, whenever school districts eliminate positions,
state law requires that the newest teachers in the entire district be the
first fired. Because layoffs must be made without regard to teacher
quality and based solely on seniority, some school districts could lose
an entire generation of new teachers. Under the current system, District
2 on Manhattan's East Side and District 7 in the South Bronx would lose
19% and 21% of their teachers, respectively, while other districts would
only lose only 5%.

Assemblyman Bing's legislation enables the
principal of each school, along with a committee of parents, teachers,
and administrators, to determine which teachers are retained based on a
variety of factors, including seniority, teacher quality, and staffing
needs in each subject area. The measure would also ensure that layoffs
are spread equally across neighborhoods and schools. Finally, at a time
that the State is facing a $9 billion budget deficit, the bill would stop
the expenditure of more than $100 million each year on
lifetime-guaranteed salaries and benefits for previously excessed
teachers who have remained unemployed for long periods of time.

As the
2010-11 State budget is negotiated, it is important that we all work to
restore as much funding as possible to education. It is also important,
however, to put procedures in place that will allow for fairness in
downsizing that will not penalize any part of New York City for having
had an increased demand for teachers in recent years.

To read the New
York Daily News's editorial in support of the bill, click here.
To watch
Assemblyman Bing's interview on Fox5's "Good Day New York" discussing
this legislation, click here.
To read Assemblyman Bing's op-ed in the
Daily News in support of the bill, click here.
To read Educators for
Excellence's op-ed in the New York Post in support of the bill, click
here.
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Assemblyman Bing Successful in Push for Arts Education
Committee
On March 31, the Department of Education and Panel for
Education Policy implemented Assemblyman Bing's legislation (A. 9134) to
establish an arts advisory committee for New York City public schools.
The bill creates a committee to advise the Chancellor on arts education,
and to work on improving compliance with State arts education
requirements.

The 12-member Arts Advisory Committee will be charged
with advising and commenting on any educational or instructional policy
involving arts education, issuing an annual report on the effectiveness
of city school districts in providing arts education, and making
appropriate recommendations on how to improve the efficacy and delivery
of such services. The committee will also hold public meetings to discuss
issues related to arts education.

To view Assemblyman Bing's press
release on this issue, click here.
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Concerns Raised Regarding Water Main Construction in Sutton
Area
Several years ago, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP) constructed a water shaft at 59th Street and First Avenue in
conjunction with the building of a Third Water Tunnel to New York City to
maintain the city's supply of drinking water. Throughout this process,
Assemblyman Bing has strongly opposed the construction of any water mains
needed to connect the shaft and the tunnel down First Avenue or Sutton
Place due to significant traffic and public safety concerns. The DEP
agreed, informing Assemblyman Bing last fall that the mains would be
built in a westerly direction from the shaft site and not south into the
heavy populated area of the East 50s.

Unfortunately, the DEP spoke too
soon. At an April 6 meeting of Community Board 6, the DEP informed the
neighborhood that its preferred path for the water mains would be in
south down First Avenue to 56th Street and then west from First to Third
Avenue to connect to the Third Water Tunnel. As Assemblyman Bing stated
at this community meeting, this decision does not make sense.

The
recent death of an 82-year old woman at the intersection of First Avenue
and 57th Street highlights the danger that already exists in this area
and how the additional construction that the City is proposing is
unacceptable. After two years of advocacy by Assemblyman Bing and Council
Member Jessica Lappin that was spurred on another death that occurred at
this intersection, the Department of Transportation (DOT) increased the
amount of time that pedestrians have to cross the street before
automobile traffic moves, and painted dedicated left-hand turn lanes on
First Avenue at 57th Street. DOT now proposes to create a construction
project on the west side of First Avenue on top of the dedicated turn
lanes it just implemented before the paint is even dry. Further, the
traffic on First Avenue in the East 50s, especially during rush hours, is
already significant, and the proposed water mains path will likely make
the construction of a new P.S. 59 and High School of Art and Design that
the community has long deserved more laborious.

If you are interested
in becoming involved in this issue, please contact the East Fifties
Neighborhood Association, Sutton Area Community, Inc. or Assemblyman
Bing's office.

To view Our Town's coverage of this issue, click here.

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Assembly Passes Bing's Legislation to Improve Mitchell-Lama
Buildings
On April 14, the Assembly passed legislation (A. 859) authored
by Assemblyman Bing that would provide safeguards for Mitchell-Lama
tenants against landlord violations.

Under this legislation, tenants
would be protected from potential violations by requiring city and state
agencies supervising Mitchell-Lama housing to investigate complaints and
issue appropriate penalties. Currently, the agencies "may" follow up at
their own discretion.

Mitchell-Lama housing advocates have called for
this simple change in the law because agencies currently have too much
discretion in deciding whether or not to remedy critical problems. Since
supervising agencies are not required to demand that violations are
fixed, unlawful actions may be tolerated or overlooked. This proposed law
would not require specific actions by agencies or owners; it merely
demands that the problems are resolved. The requirement that the agency
"shall" pursue violations will remedy current violations and serve as a
deterrent to future malfeasance.

To read Assemblyman Bing's press
release on this issue, click here.
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Kindergarten Waitlists at East Side Public Schools
The
Department of Education has recently notified students in District 2 if
they have been waitlisted for Kindergarten in Fall 2010. Assemblyman Bing
and his staff are working with parents and the DOE to ensure that every
student is offered a seat as soon as possible. Based on a review of
available seats at schools throughout the East Side as well as trend data
from last year's kindergarten enrollment process, it is expected that
every student on the East Side will be accommodated.

The DOE will be
holding a meeting to update parents on the current status of the wait
lists, and discuss procedures and timelines for enrollment. The meeting
will take place on Wednesday, April 21st at 6 p.m. in the auditorium at
Wagner Middle School, located at 220 East 76th Street.

If you have any
questions about the enrollment process, or your child's standing either
on a wait list or in his or her zoned school, you can contact the
District Family Advocate for District 2, Jennifer Greenblatt, at (212)
356-3789. For further information, contact Adam Brickman in the
Assemblyman's office at (212) 605-0937.
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Open Houses for New Public School on Upper East Side
During
the past year, Assemblyman Bing and his colleagues on the East Side were
successful in their effort to have a new elementary school placed in
available school space on the Upper East Side. The new elementary school
– P.S. 267 – will open in Fall 2010 at 1458 York Avenue, between 77th and
78th Streets. The school will give priority admission to East Side
waitlisted students, as well as for students zoned for P.S. 290, P.S.
183, and P.S. 59, three schools suffering from the worst overcrowding on
the East Side. P.S. 267 will be holding open houses for parents to
familiarize themselves with the new school, available facilities, and the
new principal, Medea McEvoy. Principal McEvoy formerly served as the
Executive Officer of Instruction at the DOE, and previously was a teacher
at P.S. 6 on the East Side.

The final open house for P.S. 267 will be
held on Tuesday April 27, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and will take place at
1458 York Avenue.

P.S. 267 will initially share space in the P.S. 158
building at 1458 York Avenue, before moving to its newly renovated
permanent home at 213 East 63rd Street in Fall 2012.

Assemblyman
Jonathan Bing
360 East 57th Street, Mezzanine
New York, NY 10022
(212)
605-0937
(212) 605-9948 (fax)
[email protected]
www.assembly.state.ny.us
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