STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 The city\u2019s top education official came to Staten Island this week to address concerns of the borough\u2019s parents and educators.<\/p>\n
Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos visited the Michael J. Petrides School campus in Sunnyside on Monday for a town hall meeting, hosted by the borough\u2019s Community Education Council 31, which represents all schools in Staten Island\u2019s District 31. <\/p>\n
Each community education council holds a town hall in its district with the schools chancellor once during the council\u2019s two-year term. It\u2019s an opportunity to share information, hear the community\u2019s concerns, and respond to questions.<\/p>\n
The town hall began with the chancellor outlining new initiatives and priorities from the Department of Education, including a pilot program for English as a New Language curricula, a framework to prepare students for using AI, and a commitment to continue supporting educators and empowering parents.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why it\u2019s important that we stay close to all of you, to tell us what\u2019s working and what\u2019s not working, so we can do more of the good things, and get rid of the stuff that\u2019s not working,\u201d Aviles-Ramos said. <\/p>\n
The chancellor, along with other officials from the DOE, spent the next hour responding to several questions that had been previously submitted by parents from schools around Staten Island. <\/p>\n
Cellphone ban <\/p>\n
One of the first questions addressed the recent cellphone and internet-enabled device ban<\/a> that was implemented at the beginning of the school year.<\/p>\n Citing safety concerns, parents from Petrides and Tottenville High School questioned if the chancellor would advocate for a revised cellphone policy that would allow limited use during lunch hours and passing periods.<\/p>\n The chancellor quickly pointed out that the law already allows for exceptions to the ban, if warranted based on a student\u2019s situation.<\/p>\n Aviles-Ramos also expressed a belief that a push to outright amend the policy and allow phones in passing could lead to \u201cinequities in the system,\u201d as some schools are better equipped to handle it than others.<\/p>\n \u201cTo go lobby the state for more flexibility around this, in a school district this size \u2014 and I don\u2019t mean Staten Island, I mean every 1,600+ schools \u2014 that would actually create more chaos and probably bring us back to where we were before,” the chancellor said.<\/p>\n School safety<\/p>\n Another topic brought up at the town hall revolved around school safety and the use of the DOE\u2019s Discipline Code.<\/p>\n Officials were questioned about whethe the DOE would revise the Discipline Code, as some see the current policies around classroom disruptions and in-school violence<\/a> as too lenient and ineffective. <\/p>\n Aviles-Ramos pushed back on this interpretation of the Discipline Code, calling the idea that it was overly lenient a misconception, adding that larger issues leading to disruptive behavior need to be addressed.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are consequences if you do something that warrants consequences. The discipline code is there to be used smartly and appropriately, not to weaponize against children and families, and certainly not to give everybody a pass,\u201d the chancellor said.<\/p>\n Gifted & Talented<\/p>\n Parents from several of the borough\u2019s schools asked the chancellor how the DOE would grow Staten Island\u2019s Gifted & Talented program, especially with concerns over the program\u2019s lottery system and overcrowded classrooms.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re concerned about the lottery system too,\u201d Aviles-Ramos answered, before saying that the agency wanted to hear from the community \u2014 parents, teachers, and principals \u2014 about what changes should be made.<\/p>\n Admitting that some aspects of the rubric and lottery system for the Gifted & Talented program need adjusting, the chancellor said that the DOE wants any changes to be informed modifications.<\/p>\n Class size<\/p>\n Near the end of the evening, a question was asked about the implementation of New York State\u2019s class-size law<\/a> and how it would be implemented in already-overcrowded schools on Staten Island.<\/p>\n Aviles-Ramos said that the DOE is taking proposals from principals on how they can meet the class size law with additional funding. <\/p>\n She also said that the agency is working with school officials to identify other ways to free up space, grant exemptions if a building is already stretched to capacity, and identify situations where a capital project would be needed.<\/p>\n The chancellor also stressed that the DOE does not want to sacrifice space that would be beneficial to students in the name of meeting class size limits.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople were thinking we\u2019re taking away music rooms and art rooms. That\u2019s not what we\u2019re doing,\u201d said Aviles-Ramos. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is why it\u2019s important to leave the process in the hands of the principals, with support from the superintendents and central because they know their building best,\u201d she continued. <\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. 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