By Courtney Dentch
Despite the deep budget cuts the city is facing, Mayor Michael Bloomberg told a community breakfast in Queens Village Tuesday he is optimistic that his changes to the education system will have a positive effect on schools.
Smaller English classes, a uniformed curriculum and a parent liaison are slated to be in place by the start of the 2003-2004 school year to boost student performance and parental involvement, said Bloomberg. The breakfast was hosted by City Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) at Antun's in Queens Village.
Bloomberg said schools clearly need help. To prove his point he cited poor test scores from Comrie's alma mater, IS 8, in Jamaica, where 75 percent of students do not meet reading and math standards, and from Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott's school, IS 192, in St. Albans, where 88 percent failed state tests.
“What kind of future do kids have if they can't read?” he asked. “This is not the Industrial Age. You cannot go out and get a job anymore if you don't have the skills.”
To help stem the city's $3.8 billion budget gap, Bloomberg has proposed about $800 million in cuts to education, including the elimination of 864 paraprofessionals and 767 school aides.
Bloomberg hopes changes to the school system, including the creation of three regional school districts in Queens, will offset any losses, he said. The district offices will also be turned into classrooms, creating more seats for students, Bloomberg said.
The reorganization also calls for the elimination of the community school boards, but starting this fall every school will have an ombudsman available to help parents navigate the education process, Bloomberg said.
“I really do believe the school system will get better,” he told his audience of community leaders and residents. “Scores and parental satisfaction should go up.”
Bloomberg also used local statistics to illustrate the drop in crime citywide. In Queens Patrol Borough South, crime has dropped 10 percent since Jan. 1 from year-earlier levels and 22 percent since last year, he said.
In downtown Jamaica, additional officers joined the 103rd Precinct as part of Operation Impact, aimed at targeting specific areas where crime has persisted. Major crimes have fallen by 50 percent in that area in the last three months, Bloomberg said.
Bloomberg has also focused on quality-of-life crimes such as noise and loitering, and he said the 105th Precinct, stretching from Glen Oaks to Rosedale, has issued 400 tickets in recent months.
“Crime continues to come down,” he said. “We've got to make sure this city stays safe.”
And by ensuring that the schools and public safety improve, the city will be more likely to attract businesses once the economy rebounds, meaning more jobs for city residents, Bloomberg said.
“We can make sure that when business picks up, this is where they want to be,” he said. “The best days for New York City really are ahead of us.”
Reach reporter Courtney Dentch by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com, or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.
