Mayor de Blasio Announces Unprecedented Recruitment and Training for High Quality pre-K Teachers in Preparation for Expansion

$6.7 million partnership with CUNY will invest in New York City’s workforce by training and certifying 400 teachers for new pre-K classrooms

City projects recruitment pool and professional pipelines at up to 8,000 teachers, far above the 1,000 needed this September

Teacher recruitment open at TeachNYCPreK.org

“No single factor is more important to starting a child’s education right than ensuring that child has an excellent teacher. I have seen what a difference it can make firsthand with my own children. We have put in place the building blocks to make sure we have trained and qualified professionals in every single classroom,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We have the classrooms. We have the teachers. And with bipartisan consensus on delivering the resources we need to make these programs a reality, we are closer than ever to transforming the lives of thousands of children.”

“We know that a great education builds upon pre-K and is only possible with a teacher who has the knowledge, training and expertise to help our youngest excel. This partnership is an investment to ensure we have outstanding pre-K instruction across our city,” saidSchools Chancellor Carmen Fariña. “Through collaboration, our children and families benefit, and we move forward in our commitment to ensure quality in every classroom, school and program.”

“We commend Mayor Bill de Blasio on his quest to ensure that every 4-year-old child has access to a high quality pre-kindergarten experience. The City University of New York (CUNY) has a longstanding commitment to serving the New York City public schools. With the involvement of CUNY colleges and The Early Childhood Professional Development Institute, we look forward to supporting the preparation of early childhood teachers in order to implement this vitally important initiative,” said Interim CUNY Chancellor William P. Kelly.

The DOE will hold recruiting events throughout the city with particular emphasis on areas of the city with a high number of new classrooms, and will launch a “Teach NYC Pre-K” subway advertising campaign this spring.

Read the report:http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/home/downloads/pdf/reports/2014/Teach_NYC.pdf

 

“Abrazo Bangladesh in New York”

 New York State Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz, together with New York State Senator Jeff Klein, Assemblyman Marcos Crespo and Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda, will celebrate the First “Abrazo Bangladesh in New York.”  This event will honor the contributions of the Bangladesh Community to the State and City of New York.  

This historic event will take place at Maestro’s Caterers located at 1703 Bronxdale Avenue, Bronx, New York, this Friday, March 28, 2014 from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz stated that “The amazing growth and the contributions of the Bangladesh Community in the City of New York and in Bronx County cannot be ignored.

This historic event has been coordinated to honor six distinguished members of the Bangladesh Community in Bronx County.”  The honorees are: Mr. Zakir A. Khan, Mr. Mohammed N. Mujumder, Mr. Abdus Shahid, Ms. Farida Yeasmin, Mr. Rezael Islam Salim, and Mr. Mohammed Shamin Miah.

For more information, please contact Ms. Leila Martinez at (718) 991-3161.

Croton Facility Monitoring Committee Meeting March 25, 2014 Agenda

Croton Facility Monitoring Committee Meeting

Tuesday, March 25, 2014 – 7:30 PM

DEP Office – 3660 Jerome Avenue, Bronx NY 10467 - (718) 231-8470

                                            Agenda

I Welcome, Opening Remarks from CFMC Chair Father Gorman, Chair

II Consider, Adopt March CFMC Agenda CFMC Representatives

III Public Questions & Comments (15 minutes)

IV Consider, Adopt 12/12/13 Meeting Minutes CFMC Representatives

V Update on Croton Funded Parks Projects Andrew Penzi, DPR

VI Croton Construction Update & Croton Bernard Daly, DEP &

Costs Report - Including new VCP Heather Goetsch, DEP &

Construction Entrance Erin Guire, AECOM

VII CFMC Discussion &.Set Date for Next CFMC Representatives

CFMC Meeting

VIII Adjourn

24th Anniversery of the Happyland Fire

The date was March 26, 1990 very early in the morning.
87 people were killed in the now infamous Happyland fire.

The date today. This is what the fire site now looks like.

Friday across the street there was a vigil held to mark the 24th Anniversary of the Happyland tragedy.

Public Advocate Letitia James, State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., Councilman Fernando Cabrera, relatives of those killed, firemen, Lieutenant Roy Davis who was the first EMS technician to respond to the fire, and many more people gathered to remember the 87 people who were killed in the Happyland fire by Mr. Julio Gonzalez.

The plaque presented by parents of School District 12 to remember the 87 has each name listed in alphabetical order.

Community Board 6 Chair Wendy Rodriguez speaks about the tragic fire and why this vigil is so important to the community. CB 6 District Manager Ivine Galarza, Public Advocate Letitia James, Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., and Councilman Fernando Cabrera are also in the photo

.

Community Board 6 District Manager Ivine Galarza informs everyone that the Happyland killer Mr. Julio Gonzalez will come up for parole next year, and that the community wants to make sure that he stays in jail the rest of his life.

Ma

Nine Arrested in Protest of FreshDirect

 

100 March, Nine Arrested in Protest of FreshDirect Relocation to South Bronx

Group asks Mayor de Blasio to drop opposition to environmental lawsuit

Nine South Bronx residents were arrested when blocked from entering public brownfield land on the South Bronx waterfront, the proposed location of FreshDirect. Their intention was to plant detoxifying sunflowers.

Residents have filed a lawsuit in opposition to FreshDirect’s proposed relocation.

The lawsuit seeks a full environmental impact study of the proposed project.

Mayor de Blasio has the opportunity to drop the City’s opposition to the lawsuit. This would compel the environmental review.

Those arrested include faith leaders, directors of local organizations and other South Bronx community leaders. They arrived at the Harlem River Yard as part of a march of more than 100.

The event was peaceful and exuberant. It included traditional Puerto Rican plena drummers, a mariachi band, giant puppets, local children playing cello, and an interfaith reflection.

FreshDirect, if allowed to proceed, would bring 1,500 additional daily truck trips through the South Bronx. This plan is a Bloomberg-era relic attempting to give the diesel-intensive grocer nearly $130 million in public subsidies to move to this public waterfront land. This community is already burdened by asthma hospitalization rates at 21 times that of other New York City neighborhoods.

Financial Education Workshop

April is National Financial Literacy Month and the perfect 

time to take charge of your finances. 

Join us for a FREE financial education workshop.

 

Topics of Discussion: 

1) Credit Improvement

2) Debt Reduction Negotiation 

3) Dealing with Collections/Judgments

4) Money Management

 

Date: Friday, April 25  

Time: 12:00pm to 2:30pm

Location: Bronx Borough President’s Office

Bronx County Building

851 Grand Concourse

Veterans’ Memorial Hall

Bronx, NY 10451


Please RSVP to: Lillian Diaz at LDiaz@phippsny.org

 

Sat, 3/22 | South Bronx Parade, Interfaith Reflection and Waterfront Sunflower Planting Against FreshDirect

Residents, Faith Leaders, Community Groups and Advocates to Gather
for Parade, Interfaith Reflection and Sunflower Planting at South Bronx Brownfield Waterfront Site
Against Proposed Relocation of FreshDirect Diesel Trucking Operation

Residents Ask Mayor de Blasio to End the City’s Opposition to their Environmental Lawsuit

WHO: South Bronx residents, faith leaders, community groups, advocates; accompanied by drummers

WHEN/WHERE: Saturday, March 22
12:00 – Group assembles at Brook Park, 141^st Street and Brook Avenue
12:30 – Parade through Mott Haven-Port Morris (Brook Ave, 138^th Street, St. Ann’s Avenue)
1:30 – Interfaith reflection and sunflower planting at Harlem River Yards (St. Ann's Avenue and 132nd Street)

WHAT: This Saturday, March 22, more than 100 South Bronx residents, faith leaders and environmental justice advocates will gather for "Green Beginnings for the South Bronx Waterfront: A Community Action Against FreshDirect,” organized by South Bronx Unite, recipient of the 2014 Environmental Justice Award from Professional Staff Congress. The group is currently engaged in a lawsuit against the City to block the Bloomberg-driven $127 million subsidy package as it was brokered without community input, does not carry a living wage requirement and relied on a 21 year old environmental impact statement even though the project would add an additional 1,500 daily diesel truck trips to a community with asthma hospitalization rates 21 times higher than other NYC neighborhoods. Mayor de Blasio has the authority to end the City’s opposition to residents’ lawsuit seeking an environmental study of the truck intensive project.

Dinowitz Calls on Governor, State Senate to Support Office of Utility Consumer Advocate

Office could save New Yorkers billions in utility costs

  Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Chair of the Assembly Consumer Affairs and Protections Committee, has called on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the State Senate to support the addition of the State Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate in this year’s state budget. Creation of the office, which would represent utility customers at hearings regarding utility rate hikes, had initially been a Dinowitz sponsored piece of legislation (A.6239) but was added to the budget resolution passed by the Assembly last week.

“I authored this important consumer legislation last year because I saw that everyone had a seat at the table when discussing utility rates except consumers,” Dinowitz said. “I am thrilled that this legislation is part of the assembly budget resolution and hope that the governor and state senate join us in standing up for consumers.”

In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene, and Tropical Storm Lee, consumers in New York have been left without a voice and real representation when it comes to utility services.

Currently more than 40 states and the District of Columbia have an independent state agency that represents the interests of residential utility customers. New York is one of few states, and by far the largest, without such an independent office.

The State Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate would serve as an independent advocate and appear on behalf of New York consumers in state and federal regulatory proceedings, as well as judicial review proceedings concerning rates and conditions of public service utilities. Though New York currently has the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Utility Intervention Unit (UIU), which is a division of the Department of State, the Utility Consumer Advocate would focus solely on consumers and their interests as related to utility services.

In past proceedings before the PSC, utility providers and large commercial and industrial customers have actively and vigorously represented their own interests, yet there is a stark lack of input from parties that represent consumers. The Utility Consumer Advocate would be appointed by the governor, subject to senate confirmation, and would serve a six-year term.  He or she would exercise independent discretion in determining when to initiate and participate in proceedings that affect residential utility consumers and how to advocate for their interests.

In other states where such an office exists, residential consumers have seen drastic savings in comparison to the actual amount of funding that goes to these offices. California’s Division of Ratepayer Advocates lobbied over 200 times on behalf of California consumers and saved them over $4 billion in rates saved and increases avoided. Estimates show that for every $1 spent representing and advocating on behalf of California’s public utility customers, the average customer saved $153 per year.

Creation of the office is widely supported by consumer advocate groups representing various demographics around the state, including AARP, New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), Public Utility Law Project of New York, Inc., and Consumers Union.