Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr and the Business Initiative Corporation of New York Hosted the 13th Annual Bronx Bankers Breakfast “Financing our Future”

On Friday, May 13, Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and the Business Initiative Corporation of New York (BIC) hosted the 13th Annual Bronx Bankers Breakfast. This year’s theme, “Financing Our Future” responded directly to the credit environment faced by many entrepreneurs trying to obtain capital to expand or start their own businesses.  As a result of new legislation passed by Congress, BIC is now able to lend more and for the first time refinance debt.

“Our businesses are recovering in day to day operations, but are not yet growing and expanding and that is the challenge we all face in this economy.  Through BIC and BOEDC my office is trying to help in this process and until the end of April, overall SBA lending in The Bronx increased by 80% to $37.8 million over last year’s $21 million,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

The Annual Bronx Bankers Breakfast is the largest networking event of its kind in The Bronx, where 400 bankers, entrepreneurs, and elected officials get together to talk about the business future of the borough.

 From left, Madeline Marquez, BIC Director; Carlina Ferrer, Capital One Bank; Jeffrey Dygert, TD Bank; Ed Odom and Raul Hiraldo, Citibank; and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. 

Bronx Borough President diaz KICKS OFF THE 1^ST BRONX WEEK FILM FESTIVAL

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. will be cutting the ribbon to kick off the 1st Ever Bronx Week Film Festival at the Bruckner Bar and Grill.

Olympia Film Locations Inc., in cooperation with Bronx film makers and the Bronx Overall Development Corporation organized the film festival as part of an aggressive policy initiated by the Bronx Borough President to stimulate economic growth in the Bronx by developing and attracting television and cinema related opportunities to our borough. 

The Film Festival runs through Thursday, May 19th. It concludes with an industry only “Red Carpet” gala night at the Bronx Museum of the Arts from 7pm to 10pm. For a quick review of the film schedule please go to info@olympiafilmlocations.com.

  

Monday, May 16  --- 6:00 pm  

Bruckner Bar & Grill, located at 1 Bruckner Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10451.

BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ JR. CELEBRATES THE 9th ANNUAL DiVA SPA

Free haircuts, manicures, facials, massages and more will be available for women and men

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. will celebrate Bronx Week 2011 by transforming the Veterans’ Memorial Hall of the Bronx County Supreme Courthouse into a fully operational salon offering free manicures, facials, makeovers and massages during the 9^th Annual DiVA Spa, an event that serves as a platform to distribute information regarding domestic violence awareness, prevention and services available.

During this award-winning annual project residents will learn what domestic violence is, how to identify a potentially abusive or violent relationship, what a healthy and respectful relationship is, where to get more information in the Bronx about domestic violence, how to support a friend or family member who is being abused, and where to go for help. They will meet with experts and learn about opportunities to volunteer and intern in the field of domestic violence.

MONDAY, MAY 16 --- 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

BRONX COURT BUILDING- 851 GRAND CONCOURSE - ROTUNDA 

For more information on Bronx week events, visit www.ilovethebronx.com.

LIU: HIGH SCHOOL PROGRESS REPORTS DON’T MEASURE PROGRESS

Audit Finds that Department of Education’s Revisions to its High School Grading System Leave Educators, Students Chasing a Moving Target

New York City Comptroller John C. Liu announced that an audit of the Department of Education’s (DOE) High School Progress reports raised questions about the usefulness of the reports in comparing the yearly progress of schools.

“It’s troubling that a system that is used to decide school closings leaves teachers and students confused about what they need to do to improve,” Comptroller Liu said.  “The Department of Education should not leave parents, educators or students in the dark when it’s deciding their fates.”

High School Progress Reports are a DOE accountability tool that assigns schools an annual grade of A through F.  The Report grades play a significant role in the DOE’s decisions to reward high performing schools, perhaps with added funds, and restructure or close low-performing schools.

According to the audit, the DOE has revised the complex formula behind the grades every year.  The frequent changes the agency has made to its grading and other formulas — without determining the impact of those changes — makes it difficult, if not impossible, to get a true picture of a school’s progress by comparing its grade from one year to the next.  As a result, the High School Progress Reports paint an unreliable and confusing picture of a school’s progress or failure over time.  Auditors recorded complaints from schools that the DOE’s lack of consistency made it difficult to set goals for students.

The audit focused on 10 high schools representing the five boroughs. It included three schools (Jamaica, Metropolitan Corporate Academy, and Norman Thomas high schools) that the DOE selected in January 2010 for closing.

CHIEF AMONG THE FINDINGS: 

1. Inaccurate Picture of Year-to-Year Progress

The DOE’s changes to the formula behind the Progress Report grades make it difficult for parents and educators to measure a school’s performance from one year to the next.

The DOE says the Progress Report grades are meant as “a one-year snapshot” comparing one school against another in a given year, and not as a measure an individual school’s progress over time.  Yet, the agency itself uses the formula to track achievement from one year to the next.  For example, a school that receives a “C” three years in a row may be targeted for corrective action.

Example:

One school, Metropolitan Corporate Academy High School, which is set to close in 2014, improved its score every year from 2006 to 2010, but because of the DOE’s changing formula Metropolitan never rose above a “C.”  In fact, the school fell to a “D” in the 2008-2009 school year even though its numeric score would have earned it a “B” under the 2006-2007 grading formula.  It is impossible to tell to what extent Metropolitan’s scores reflect changes in its own performance or DOE’s changes to the grading formula. (See Table)

“The Comptroller’s audit of the High School Progress Reports demonstrates the difficulty of comparing a school’s letter grade over time when a school’s peer group composition and the cut scores for the grades change from one year to the next,” said Professor Aaron Pallas of Teachers College, Columbia University.  “The recommendation that the DOE report high school progress report grades using both the old and new criteria would enable stakeholders both inside and outside of the schools to understand trends in school performance more completely.”

Action:

Since the audit, the DOE has posted an advisory on its website regarding year-to-year comparisons of High School Progress Report grades.

2. Lack of Communication

The audit determined that, while DOE met with school principals and others about changes, auditors found no evidence that it actually integrated feedback from them into the Progress Report.  In fact, some educators told auditors that they felt as if they were chasing a moving target as they attempted to understand the changes that the DOE made to the grading formula each school year and to prepare students. The audit also found that the DOE did not do enough to inform schools what effect the changes to the grading system were expected to have on Progress Report grades.

“Taken alone, Progress Reports are an unreliable index for determining school closures or related high-stakes decisions,” said Professor David C. Bloomfield, chairman of the education department at the College of Staten Island.  “Greater feedback by stakeholders, as recommended by the audit, might help to improve Progress Reports’ utility in this process.”

Action:

The DOE has since published materials summarizing and responding to feedback from educators and others involved in the 2010-2011 review process.

3. Data Reliability

The audit found that the data — student grades, Regents exam scores, and other information — that the DOE used to calculate each year’s Progress Report grades was representative of student data recorded in the DOE’s computer systems and verifiable.  However, while the data in a given year was accurately recorded, it was not useful as a measure of an individual school’s progress over time.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

The DOE generally agreed with nine of the audit’s 10 recommendations and has begun to implement a number of them.  However, the audit notes that “DOE inappropriately misinterpreted and even exaggerated, many of the audits ‘positive’ conclusions as an endorsement for the progress reports,” while simultaneously discounting its weaknesses.

SCOPE: 

The audit was launched in March 2010 using data from the high schools’ 2008-2009 progress reports, the most recent data available at that time. The audit was expanded to include progress reports for the 2006-2007, 2007-2008, and 2009-2010 school years.  In addition, auditors interviewed staff at the high schools in April and May 2010. 

High School	Borough	2006-2007 Score/Grade	2007-2008 Score/Grade	2008-2009	2009-2010
ACORN Community HS	Brooklyn	63.3/B	64.4/A	65.4/B	71.7/A
Baruch College Campus HS	Manhattan	81.2/A	82.6/A	83.6/A	74.5/A
Curtis HS	Staten I.	64.2/B	59.4/B	68.8/B	69.8/B
DeWitt Clinton HS	Bronx	47.7/C	42.7/C	49.7/C	48.1/C
Flushing International HS	Queens	n/a	73.0/A	70.9/A	64.5/B
Jamaica HS	Queens	44/C	37.3/C	41.7/D	45/D
Metropolitan Corporate Academy HS	Brooklyn	35.9/C	39.1/C	43/1/D	48/C
New World HS	Bronx	n/a	97/A	92.1/A	85.6/A
Norman Thomas HS	Manhattan	33.4/D	29.7/D	36/D	36/F
Ralph R. McKee Career and Technical Education HS	Staten I.	63.8/B	67.6/A	79.5/A	76/A

BACKGROUND:

High School Progress Reports are a DOE accountability tool that assigns schools an annual grade (A through F) based on a variety of factors, including student performance, student progress, school environment, and comparisons between schools with similar populations.  The letter grades were introduced in the 2006-2007 school year. 

Comptroller Liu credited Deputy Comptroller for Audit H. Tina Kim and the Audit Bureau for presenting the findings.  The full report is available at http://comptroller.nyc.gov/audits.

COUNCIL MEMBER G. OLIVER KOPPELL DENOUNCES MAYOR’S SPIN ON FLAWED LIVING WAGE STUDY; NOTES POSITIVES IN “KEY FINDINGS”

           Council Member Oliver Koppell strongly condemned misleading statements made by members of the Bloomberg administration regarding a preliminary report on the impact of living wage legislation Koppell has introduced. 

“While the Mayor’s staff has made grandiose statements about the dire consequences of my proposed bill, a close reading of the ‘Key Findings’ summary while significantly flawed, portrays a different reality,” said Koppell. 

Koppell noted, “The analysis erroneously focuses on New York’s Industrial and Commercial Abatement Program (ICAP) as-of-right tax abatement program under which many small projects in the outer boroughs receive subsidies.  However, the legislature has not authorized the city to regulate ICAP and it would accordingly not be captured by the proposal.  This misreading of the bill has resulted in much of the modeling being concentrated on projects that would not be covered.  Nor was it the sponsors’ intent that ICAP subsidies would be considered for the purposes of this legislation.  The study should have focused on the large mixed use developments that receive the lion’s share of the city’s discretionary subsidies and which are the target of the proposal.”

“The report,” said Koppell, “even with its faulty analysis, had some positive findings and conclusions with regard to living wage legislation.”  For example, it projects that 34,000 – 62,000 workers would receive increased wages.  It states at several points that living wage mandates actually “reduce urban poverty.”  This finding should be given prominence because it is based on actual experience with living wage ordinances in other cities, not on models based on questionable data.

Another conclusion in the report was that the overall impact on the economy would be de minimis. In great part this is due to the fact that the future jobs that would allegedly not be created, according to the report, are the result of vastly overstated concerns about potential lawsuits by individuals to obtain lost wages at the higher living wage rate and enforcement actions against recalcitrant employers which would be conducted by the City Comptroller under the proposed law.  Additional losses to the economy, according to the report, can be found in its projection that 6,000 – 13,000 jobs would not be created if the living wage law was to be enacted.  Proponents of the legislation do not accept the premise that a living wage mandate will cause a reduction in jobs created.  Nonetheless, it is significant that the report only projects such a small amount of job loss.

Koppell said, “I look forward to a full hearing on the Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act on Thursday, May 12, 2011 at the Council.  We will be hearing from a variety of stakeholders and interested parties, including retail workers, economists, unions and clergy.  It will provide us with an opportunity to get the facts straight and moving us closer to passing this important bill.”

Living Wage Rally and City Council Hearing
Hundreds to Speak Out and Attack Bogus Bloomberg Study
Thursday, May 12. Rally at Noon, Hearing at 1 p.m.

At a time when far too many working people struggle to survive, members of a growing citywide movement will demand living wage jobs for all New Yorkers at a public City Council hearing. Elected officials, community members, faith and labor leaders from the Living Wage NYC coalition will demand passage of the Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act, popular legislation supported by a majority of City Council that will ensure taxpayer subsidies create more living wage jobs. Bloomberg’s biased and rigged anti-living wage study will also be challenged.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

12:00 p.m. – Press Conference & Rally, City Hall Park (Broadway & Park Place.), NYC.
1:00 p.m. – Hearing on the Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act, 250 Broadway, 16th Floor, NYC.

Balanced state budget not painless: State Comptroller DiNapoli 

   While the state economy is making progress, the South Bronx and other parts of New York City won’t see a thaw in the “deep economic freeze” anytime soon. That was the core point made by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli at the South Bronx Leadership Forum, hosted on April 28 by the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corp. or SoBRO. “Unfortunately, this year’s State Budget won’t help matters,” remarked DiNapoli, New York’s chief fiscal officer since February 2007.  “On the positive side,” DiNapoli said, the budget “is balanced and on-time for the first time in years, and it doesn’t rely heavily on new taxes. That said, you can’t make $10 billion in cuts without pain.”

            Held at the SoBRO Center in Mott Haven in front of a packed house of community leaders, nonprofit executives and local residents, the forum gave the Bronx audience a first-hand glimpse of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s new Executive Budget which was passed by Albany to mixed reaction from various quarters. Among the budget’s key provisions is the slashing of more than $10 billion in spending, which will not be painless. “Those cuts will be felt in the South Bronx and in communities across the state,” DiNapoli acknowledged.

According to the state’s budget watchdog, $2.3 billion in cuts to Medicaid will have implications for jobs and the purchase of durable medical equipment. Those cuts will impact the bottom lines of hospitals and nursing homes throughout the state. Education will also be hit hard, with $1.3 billion in cuts for public schools.

DiNapoli affirmed that failure in public schools “isn’t an option,” and that the nonprofits such as SoBRO have filled the gaps through education programs that help “thousands of at-risk students succeed in middle and high school, and giving them a chance for college or a career.” The challenge is to sustain the role of public school classrooms as the road to good jobs and better economic opportunities while making better spending decisions. “It’s more critical than ever to make sure that every state dollar – at every agency and every public authority – is spent wisely,” DiNapoli cautioned.

A key ingredient to economic progress is transportation infrastructure. The state comptroller pointed to the current use of tax dollars to build modern roads, bridges, tunnels, subways and trains as “inefficient.” A Transportation Infrastructure Report put out by his office in November 2010 found that New York State has spent $63 billion on capital projects over the last 10 years, “yet 40 percent of our roads and bridges are still substandard or obsolete – a number that’s twice the national average.”

But all is not doom and gloom with the state budget. New York continues to invest strategically to create new businesses and jobs. According to DiNapoli, the New York Business Development Corporation (NYBDC), a state investment vehicle, partners with the Small Business Administration (SBA) to make loans to local businesses for working capital, equipment or real property. “Last fall,” said DiNapoli, “I directed a new allocation of $100 million to NYBDC, bringing the Fund’s total allocation in NYBDC to $400 million.” NYBDC has made 892 loans totaling $264 million to small businesses across the state.

In response to the Census, which reflects increasing numbers of women and minorities in business, the NYBDC Program has a goal of making 25 percent of its loans to Minority and Women-owned enterprises. “I’m happy to report that the program has exceeded that goal, at 33 percent,” DiNapoli added.

In balancing social needs with budget priorities, the role of community-based nonprofits in fueling economic growth cannot be overemphasized, the state’s chief fiscal officer said in closing. That applies in the South Bronx as it does in Oneida, Long Island, Niagara and other corners of the state. “For almost 40 years, SOBRO has focused on removing the causes of economic and social problems here in the South Bronx. But there’s more work to do.”

THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING WILL SALUTE THE BOROUGH

DURING BRONX week 2011

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. announced that on Saturday, May 14, the Empire State Building will light up in the colors of the Bronx flag to honor the 40^th anniversary celebration of Bronx Week. The announcement was made during the official kick off of Bronx Week 2011, a celebration that from Thursday, May 12, through Sunday, May 22, will pay tribute to the continuing revitalization of the borough’s businesses, educational institutions, cultural sites and civic groups. 

 “On May 14, when New Yorkers look up they will see the unmistakable sign that Bronx Week is here. The Empire State Building will help us to invite Bronxites, New Yorkers and visitors from all over the world to join us in the Bronx for our annual celebration of what makes the Bronx a great place to live: our people, places, history and culture,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “Bronx Week gets bigger and better every year and has something exciting for everyone. There is no better place to be from May 12 through May 22 than right here in The Bronx. I look forward to seeing you all here!”

During the kick off, Borough President Diaz also announced the names of the celebrities and notable Bronxites that will be included on the Bronx Walk of Fame 2011. This year’s inductees are: Chazz Palminteri, an actor who wrote and starred in “A Bronx Tale” and then turned it into an award-winning stage production; Irene Cara, a Grammy Award and Golden Globe winner best known for her performances of the hit songs “Flashdance…What a Feeling” and “Fame;” Joy Bryant, actress and former fashion model who currently stars in the NBC television series Parenthood; and Charles Latibeaudiere, Co-Executive Producer of the popular celebrity news show TMZ.

The kick-off event also featured a performance from the Bronx’ own Steven Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra, as well as food from two of the most celebrated establishments in the borough, the Bronx Alehouse in Kingsbridge and the Havana Café in Throggs Neck. The event also featured samples from the Bronck’s Beer Company and the Bronx Food & Sustainability Coalition.

Borough President Diaz explained that this year,  Bronx Week has also been promoted outside the borough with colorful lamppost banners installed at strategic locations around the city, and that on May 22 neighbors from other boroughs will be able to ride the “El” vintage trains circa 1917 to get to the grand finale festival on Mosholu Parkway. This year’s concert will feature performances by hip-hop legends Big Daddy Kane and the Force MDs, as well as salsa stars Conjunto Imagen.

This year’s Bronx Week highlights include an urban farms tour, a centenarian celebration, a celebration of the Arthur Avenue Retail Market and a hip hop block party, as well as some of the more popular events from past years, such as the Bronx Trolley, which this year is dedicated to the 420^th birthday of Anne Hutchinson, the DiVa Spa, the Business Breakfast, the Health Fair and the annual Bronx Parade.  All the events are organized by the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation and the Bronx Tourism Council.

Bronx Week 2011 is made possible thanks to the support of Montefiore Medical Center, the main sponsor of all the events. The other main sponsors are: the New York Yankees, Con Edison, Affinity Health Plan, United HealthCare Community Plan, Assurance Wireless, Kyocera, the Bronx CUNY Colleges, Health First, Emblem Health, The New York Hispanic Cosmetology & Beauty Chamber of Commerce, Citi, Verizon, BronxNet, Domino’s Pizza, News 12, the Bronx Design Group, and the New York Daily News.

“As the largest employer in the Bronx, Montefiore has a deep and abiding commitment to our community,” said Steven M. Safyer, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Montefiore.  “That’s why we’re delighted to be a principal sponsor of Bronx Week again this year. We’re proud to join the celebration of what makes the Bronx a great place to live and work. Because Montefiore is so concerned with the health and wellness of all the people in the Bronx, we are particularly pleased that a number of Bronx Week activities, such as the Health Fair and the Urban Farms Tour, are geared toward promoting a healthier environment for our residents.”

“The New York Yankees are proud supporters of Bronx Week and are honored to partner with the Office of the Bronx Borough President to showcase the rich resources of our great borough,” said Brian E. Smith, Senior Vice President, Corporate/Community Relations, New York Yankees.