Monday Nov 21 hearing on School Bus service
Contents: Official video; Certain time stamp details & written statement links; Media coverage, Announcement of event.
Video: This hearing is at https://councilnyc.viebit.com/player.php?hash=udxqhXoB5HFu
Time stamp details so far [tell us if you can volunteer to continue this process of logging names. organizations, & times]:
2:17:08 Tomas Fret, president of ATU local 1181-1061 on contract negotiations to make school bus work a career again
2:23:40 Janelle Canals, Director of the Robin Hood Project at Advocates for Children of NY.
[AFC Full written testimony is at https://www.advocatesforchildren.org/sites/default/files/on_page/testimony_transportation_hearing_112122.pdf?pt=1 ]
2:35:00 Children’s Aid Society on the crisis of transportation for students in Foster placements
2:45:05 AHRCNYC on the crisis for students with disabilities
2:51:20 PIST on solutions like https://www.pistnyc.org/gallery/bill-of-rights and why this crisis is not a surprise.
[PIST Full written testimony is at https://docs.google.com/document/d/19TsbDuD1kFLJQBQ-zADRwcnYqv1npMCdipFZUv2yuqw/edit?usp=sharing ]
IncludeNYC’s Lori Podvesker on recent cases and recommendations
[ Full written testimony is at https://includenyc.org/news/in-the-media/testimony/nyc-councils-committees-on-education-and-oversight-and-investigations-on-school-bus-transportation-service/ ]
3:00:01 Jenna Provenzano, CID-NY Center for Independence of the Disabled - New York
3:03:00 Amy Tsai, co-President Citywide Council for District 75 and a school bus mom
3:06:45 Courtney Yadoo, Special Education unit, NYLAG NY Legal Assistance Group: Students are still waiting for buses/drivers; 2 cases and Q & A.
3:10:30 Alana Schwartz, volunteer, CASA NYC (foster)
3:14:10 Courtney Nelson, Director of Operations for I-Hope International Academy of Hope non-public school for students with Brain Injury: Unprecedented issues this school year.
3:19:30 Amanda Neville, mother of Deaf student on lack of NYCSA codes for non-public, lack of communication, and 10:00 a.m. pickup times. Full written testimony is pasted below, without identifying info for the child.
3:31:15 Michael DeJesus, father of bus rider with an IEP who has only arrived on time 6 days this school year.
3:34:30 Beth Eisgrau-Heller, PIST bus parent on inequity for non-public students
3:40:50 Damone Walcott, Transportation Coordinator at Cooke School
3:44:15 Nyah Berg, New York Appleseed, advocates for school integration on findings of bit.ly/YellowBusBrief
[ Full written testimony is at https://www.nyappleseed.org/wp-content/uploads/TESTIMONY-of-NEW-YORK-APPLESEED_TransportationNov22-1.pdf ]
3:48:00 Paullette Healy, 2nd Vice President, Citywide Council on Special Education which in 2013 asked the City to withdraw school bus bids without EPPs in order to prevent havoc and chaos: Parents can reach us advocates, so why can’t they reach OPT? Describes Para pilot hiring idea.
3:53:07 Lupe Hernandez, IEP rep for Community Education Council District 2 on undercount of complaints and absences due to busing problems.
3:58:55 Names called for other people who registered to speak.
Coverage:
1) Parents grill New York City officials about late school buses
CBS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5kj5aL9KqM&feature=youtu.be
2) NYC school bus delays reach highest level in five years, City Council analysis shows
By Alex Zimmerman Nov 21, 2022, 7:03pm EST https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2022/11/21/23472253/nyc-school-bus-delay
3) New York City Council holds hearing on issues with school bus transportation
Monday, November 21, 2022 4:52PM ABC: https://abc7ny.com/nyc-bus-transportation-issues/12478329/
The following is the announcement that went out for the hearing before it happened:
Please be advised that the New York City Council Committee on Oversight & Investigations and the Committee on Education will hold a joint hearing on Monday, November 21, 2022 at 10:00 AM in Council Chambers at City Hall, New York, New York 10007 and via Zoom web-conference, on the following topic.
Oversight: School Bus Transportation Services
You are hereby invited to attend and testify, either live via video conferencing, or live in-person at City Hall.
If you are planning on testifying in-person or via video conferencing, please register in advance of the hearing at https://council.nyc.gov/testify/. Each person who intends to testify live via Zoom should register separately. Note that Zoom links are personalized, which are not to be shared, and will be manually sent as the hearing date approaches. If you plan to testify in-person, it would be greatly appreciated if you could bring twenty (20) copies double-sided of your written testimony to the hearing.
Written testimony may be submitted without registration by emailing it to testimony@council.nyc.gov or via the Council’s website at https://council.nyc.gov/testify/ up to 72 hours after the close of the hearing.
The entrance to the hearing and restrooms at City Hall are fully accessible. For questions about accessibility or to request additional accommodations, please contact Nicole Benjamin (NBenjamin@council.nyc.gov or 212-482-5176) at least 72 hours before the hearing. All other questions about the hearing can be directed to me (CRivera@council.nyc.gov), or Jonathan Masserano (JMasserano@council.nyc.gov).