By John Tozzi
Greeted at points with hisses and boos from the packed crowd at MS 74 in Bayside, Klein tried to respond to District 26 parents' concerns and argued his case for his latest changes. The plan, which Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced last month in his State of the City speech, will radically alter everything from how schools are funded to how principals get basic services like teacher training.”What we are going to do is downsize the bureaucracy and give each school on average $170,000″ extra, Klein said. He said principals will be able to use the extra money to cut class size or buy services from external contractors or the Department of Education. “The key thing is you can tailor it to your schools.”The reform will dissolve the 10 geographic regions that have governed city schools since the state Legislature granted Bloomberg direct control of the system in 2002. Instead, schools can join more than 300 existing empowerment schools, which have their own support networks; partner with external groups like universities or nonprofits; or partner with one of four new support structures within the DOE that have not yet been unveiled.But the complex plan comes on the heels of other massive changes, including the disastrous bus cuts, and parents and other advocates are rattled. In the upper- and middle-class District 26, which covers Bayside, Little Neck, Douglaston and Glen Oaks, critics asked Klein whether his plan to fund schools on a per-student basis would hurt districts like theirs, where many school budgets are larger because they have veteran teachers with higher salaries.”Why are you looking to destabilize a successful district?” United Federation of Teachers district representative Mary Vaccaro asked. “By implementing what you call fair funding you are undermining teachers by incorporating their salaries into the budget formula.”Klein said the funding changes would only affect new hires and that current teachers' salaries would be untouched. The change is meant to help schools, many in poor areas, that suffer from not getting their fair share of education dollars, he said.”There are all sorts of schools in high-poverty neighborhoods that do not have high-quality math and science teachers,” Klein said. “We also need to address as a city, and indeed I would submit to you as a nation, the needs of all our kids. I need your help and support.”Robert Caloras, a parent and president of Community District Education Council 26, said he was glad Klein pledged that the new funding plan would not affect current teachers. But he questioned why parents were not consulted as the plan was crafted.”Approach us first,” Caloras said. “Why not ask us? Come to the users. We're the users of the system.”Reach reporter John Tozzi by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300 Ext. 174.
