School District 10’s new school council got a wobbly start when its first fall meeting was marred by low attendance, bad acoustics, and a general sense of disorder. Audience members were clearly frustrated with the revamped board, now called the Community Education Council — which is struggling to define itself and make its voice heard in the city school system.

"I anticipated some kind of structure," said Ramon Hernandez, a Burnside uncle of two school-aged children. 

But there was little direction in the Council’s Sept. 23 meeting as members struggled to keep order, even though there were less than 30 people in attendance. The poor audio system in the large gym of the hosting school, PS 85 on Marion Avenue, didn’t help. 

"The acoustics are awful," said PS 8 Principal Maria Quail, who was the only principal in attendance.

The Councils are the city’s substitute for the 32 community school boards, which were dismantled last spring. While the boards were elected by popular vote, the Council’s 12 unpaid members were selected — the majority by parent association (PA) officers and two by the borough president — from a pool of applicants. In contrast to the old boards, all members must have school-aged children and live or work in the district. The newly created Region 1 is comprised of Districts 10 and 9, which is to the south.

The Council members went through a brief training this summer, but they weren’t prepared to respond substantively to a series of heated questions during the meeting’s public session. Audience comments ranged from the specific–such as crossing guards and school nurses — to more general rants against the school system. 

"We’re not miracle workers," said Maria Torres, a PS 46 parent and one of the Council’s vice presidents. "We can only try to work together."

Torres thought the meeting went well considering it was their first without a Region 1 administrator acting as chair. Joel DiBartolomeo, a local instructional supervisor for the region, sits in on the meetings but does not hold a formal position on the board. 

In recent years, the state legislature whittled down the boards’ power significantly, and the Councils have even less authority. While they still approve school zoning lines, the Councils can no longer offer input on curriculum. The meeting’s business section included updates on Council staffing and other protocol, but did not handle any specific resolutions. 

Torres says that the Council members must address parent feedback on their own, as there is no direct regional staff person to funnel input to. "It’s our job to find solutions to these problems," she said. "We’ll go out and find out whose department is at issue." 

But during the meeting, Torres seemed to be looking for help. "We would love for 
[principals] to be here," she said in response to one parent’s comment. "That way we could approach them with our concerns and get real answers," 

Even DiBartolomeo had few specific solutions for parents. "We are a school-starved district; we simply don’t have enough seats," he said, replying to a question about overcrowding. Instead, DiBartolomeo encouraged parents to use their "neighborhood groups" to lobby Albany for more funding for schools.

But not all parents were disappointed. "I got some answers," said Angela Castelo, a PS 85 parent who was looking for information about Title I.

Despite the rocky start, members said that they are trying to improve attendance. "I delivered 250 fliers myself to publicize [the meeting]," said Torres, who is focusing on recruitment from MS 45, PS 46 and PS 54. According to Marvin Shelton, the Council’s president, each member has adopted five or six schools to focus on.

While the old Board had a majority of its representatives from Kingsbridge and Riverdale, the current Council is more reflective of the district’s demographics. Board members nearly always conducted business from a long table on a stage, but the Council sat at a table on a level with parents. 

While many of the parent speakers took a hostile tone, there were a few rounds of applause for the Council. "We want to welcome you," said Silvia Figueroa, head of the PA Presidents Council.

But many parents remained a bit skeptical. "It’s an experiment in the works," Hernandez said. "The jury is still out."