Statement From Attorney General James On The End Of The Renewal Schools Program

  In response to the New York City Department of Education’s announcement to end the Renewal Schools program, Attorney General Letitia James released the following statement: 

“While the goal of the Renewal Schools Program was well intentioned, the Department of Education (DOE) struggled to properly execute the program since its inception, leaving thousands of our most vulnerable students behind. Over the years, I have worked with advocates and experts to better understand the challenges our schools face, and I urge Chancellor Carranza to review the recommendations we put forth to strengthen our schools. The quality of our schools and the education our students receive is of utmost importance and I look forward to working together to improve our schools.” 

As Public Advocate, Letitia James long called for reforms to the Renewal Schools program in order to turnaround our failing schools and protect our most vulnerable students. In November 2016, Public Advocate James hosted a forum on Renewal Schools with  principals, advocates, teachers, and parents to discuss the challenges the program faced. 

FORMER DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS CASHIER PLEADS GUILTY TO THEFT OF MORE THAN $50,000 FROM CUSTOMERS AT DOB’S BROOKLYN BOROUGH OFFICE

  Margaret Garnett, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), issued the following statement on the guilty plea of DEVAUGHN MORRIS, a former Supervising Cashier at the Brooklyn Borough Office of the New York City Department of Buildings (“DOB”), on charges of allegedly stealing more than $50,000 in a series of intricate financial transactions involving altering, deleting, and creating DOB records. The investigation began after DOI received a complaint of an unwanted cancellation of payment processed by DOB’s Brooklyn Borough Office without the customer’s knowledge. It was followed by additional cancellations of payment that DOB’s Fiscal Department brought to DOI’s attention. The Office of New York County District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., is prosecuting the case.

 DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said, “The defendant used his supervisory role and unfettered access to DOB financial systems to mask tens of thousands of dollars in theft, by creating a maze of alterations to existing records and also creating new records, all with the goal of concealing his stealing from both DOB customers and from the City, according to the charges. DOI thanks the New York District Attorney’s Office for its partnership and prosecution of this charged conduct and the Department of Buildings for its cooperation and assistance in this matter.” 

MORRIS, 38, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was arrested on February 1, 2019 and charged with Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, Tampering with Public Records in the First Degree, a class D felony, and Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a class E felony. Upon conviction, a class C felony is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, a class D felony by up to seven years in prison and a class E felony by up to four years in prison. MORRIS pleaded guilty today, February 26, 2019, to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree in Manhattan Criminal Court before Judge Laurie Peterson, and received 500 hours of community service. 

MORRIS began working at DOB as a Supervising Cashier in 2005 and received an annual salary of $63,641. In January 2017, MORRIS was selected from the New York City Civil Service List for an Administrative Staff Analyst position with the City Department of Homeless Services (“DHS”) and currently receives an annual salary of $76,220. MORRIS was suspended by DHS upon his arrest. 

According to the criminal complaint and DOI’s investigation, between March 4, 2016 and December 23, 2016, MORRIS stole approximately $54,000 from DOB in cash and money orders through his position as a Supervising Cashier accepting payments to DOB in the Brooklyn Borough Office, and falsified DOB records in an attempt to hide his theft. MORRIS used various schemes to cover up his theft, including telling customers he would fill out the payee section of money orders for them, instead entering his own name and depositing the money orders in his personal bank account. MORRIS also canceled customers’ transactions and used their payments to cover other transactions from which he had already stolen. MORRIS also used his supervisory access to DOB systems to change forms of payments on invoices that were already provided to customers to cover up his conduct. 

Commissioner Garnett thanked New York County District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., and his staff, for their partnership on this investigation and the prosecution of the case. Commissioner Garnett also thanked Acting DOB Commissioner Thomas Fariello and City Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks, and their staffs, for their assistance and cooperation in this matter

MAYOR DE BLASIO AND CHANCELLOR CARRANZA ANNOUNCE RECORD-HIGH 55,011 STUDENTS TAKING ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMS

Number of students taking at least one AP exam in 2018 rose 11.4 percent, and number of students passing rose 10.7 percent

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza announced a record-high number of New York City students taking and passing Advanced Placement exams, a direct result of the Mayor and Chancellor’s AP for All initiative, part of the Equity and Excellence for All agenda.

The number of students taking at least one Advanced Placement exam in 2018 rose 11.4 percent, from 49,364 students in 2017 to a record 55,011 students. The number of students passing at least one Advanced Placement exam rose 10.7 percent, nearly keeping pace with the increase in participation. The number of students taking and passing AP exams increased in every borough, and across all ethnic groups.

“For too long, the City wasn’t doing its part to provide access to Advanced Placement programs, sending a message to students that they weren’t college material,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We came into office to shake things up and remind all students of their potential. Our AP for All programs are moving mountains for students in every neighborhood with a record number of students testing and passing AP courses and allowing more bright young minds to earn college credit for their futures.”

“AP for All is working,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “With our Equity and Excellence for All agenda, we are raising expectations, strengthening instruction, and creating a college-going culture among both our students and our educators, and we’re seeing the impact not only in AP results but in graduation and college enrollment rates. I congratulate and celebrate the 55,011 students who took an AP exam last year and their teachers, and thank Mayor de Blasio for pursuing AP for All and other ambitious citywide initiatives that are only possible because of Mayoral Control.”

AP for All has driven citywide gains in participation and performance, particularly among Black and Hispanic students. The initiative, part of the Equity and Excellence for All agenda, supported new AP classes at 152 schools in the 2017-18 school year; this school year, the initiative is reaching 252 schools. Through AP for All, 75 percent of high schools students now have access to at least five AP classes. By fall 2021, students at all high schools will have access to a full slate of at least five AP classes, supporting increased college and career readiness for all students.

The number of students at the 152 AP for All schools taking at least one Advanced Placement exam in 2018 rose 92.1 percent since the initiative started in 2016, and the number of students passing at least one Advanced Placement exam rose 64.9 percent. These schools accounted for 36 percent of the citywide increase in students taking at least one exam, and 14 percent of the increase in students passing at least one exam. They account for 53 percent of the citywide increase in Black and Hispanic students taking at least one exam, and 33 percent of the citywide increase in Black and Hispanic students passing at least one exam.

With the implementation of Computer Science for All, the number of students taking an AP Computer Science exam in 2018 rose to 5,190, a more than fourfold increase from 1,137 students in 2016. The number of Black and Hispanic students taking AP Computer Science exams has increased by 55 percent and 46 percent respectively since 2017. The growth is partially due to the introduction of a new AP Computer Science Principles exam in 2017. New York City Black and Hispanic students represent 13 percent and 6 percent of the Black and Hispanic AP Computer Science Principles test takers nationwide. Through Computer Science for All – also part of Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza’s Equity and Excellence for All agenda – the City will provide computer science education in every elementary, middle, and high school by 2025.

Overall AP participation continues to increase at a higher rate among Black and Hispanic students: specifically, 19.4 percent more Hispanic students and 7.1 percent more Black students took at least one AP exam in 2018 than in the previous year. 18.2 percent more Hispanic students and 2.8 percent more Black students passed at least one AP exam in 2018 than in the previous year. Since 2013, the number of Black students taking at least one AP exam has increased 60.0 percent, and the number of Hispanic students taking at least one AP exam has increased 58.7 percent.

While these increases represent high school students in all grades who took an Advanced Placement exam during 2018, there were also increases at the cohort level – high school seniors who took and passed at least one Advanced Placement exam during their high school career. The percentage of all New York City seniors – students in the Class of 2018, who started high school in Fall 2014 – who took at least one Advanced Placement exam during their four years of high school increased to 36.4 percent, a 3.0 percentage point increase from the Class of 2017 and a 5.4 percentage point increase from the Class of 2016.

“These data show that New York City’s AP for All initiative is doing exactly what it set out to do, which is to get more students not only participating but succeeding in AP,” said David Adams, the College Board’s Vice President of the Middle States and New England Regions. “Congratulations to all of the students and teachers for their hard work. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the NYCDOE to make sure that students at every high school in the city have access to these opportunities.”

The Chancellor and Mayor made the announcement today at Civic Leadership Academy in Queens, which has tripled the number of AP courses it offers through the AP for All initiative. 

AP for All and Computer Science for All are part of Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza’s Equity and Excellence for All initiatives. Together, the Equity and Excellence for All initiatives are building a pathway to success in college and careers for all students. Our schools are starting earlier – free, full-day, high-quality education for three-year-olds and four-year-olds through 3-K for All and Pre-K for All. They are strengthening foundational skills and instruction earlier – Universal Literacy so that every student is reading on grade level by the end of 2nd grade; and Algebra for All to improve elementary- and middle-school math instruction and ensure that all 8th graders have access to algebra. They are offering students more challenging, hands-on, college and career-aligned coursework – Computer Science for All brings 21st-century computer science instruction to every school, and AP for All will give all high school students access to at least five Advanced Placement courses. Along the way, they are giving students and families additional support through College Access for All, Single Shepherd, and investment in Community Schools. Efforts to create more diverse and inclusive classrooms, including Equity & Excellence for All: Diversity in New York City Public Schools are central to this pathway.

More information on AP participation and performance is available online.

Statement By Public Advocate Winner JUMAANE WILLIAMS

JUMAANE WILLIAMS VICTORY SPEECH

Thank you. Thank you all. We did it!

I will be honored to serve as your next Public Advocate- the people's voice.

I'm so grateful to be standing here with all of you- my friends, my family, and this community I love. You've all stood by my side through every challenge, every obstacle, every opportunity, and your presence and support has meant more to me than I can express. 

This campaign may have been relatively short but this journey has been long- it traces back across years of working with all of you on the front lines of the issues that matter to all of us- of fighting for transformational change in the streets and in the halls of government. As your Public Advocate, I promise that we will take up these causes and more, with energy, passion, and resolve- to do what's right, no matter the political winds. I know I'll have all of you by my side in these fights.

I have so much gratitude that I need to get out-  so bear with me. I want to thank my mom- my own personal advocate- my sister, Jeanine, my girlfriend India, and my father who transitioned five years ago but who I know would be proud today. I want to thank all of the elected officials who stood with me in this race, some of whom are here tonight and others are up in Albany, fighting for change on a state level. It's an honor to be your colleague in public service and to fight alongside of you. 

Thank you to my incredible campaign staff, who fought this fight with less sleep and more passion and dedication than you can imagine. Thanks to the community leaders, unions, clubs, and newspapers that trusted me with their endorsement, including my friends at the Working Families Party.

A decade ago, I got connected up with the Working Families Party, before my first race for city council, and together we won. We fought to end the abuse of stop and frisk together, we fought for paid sick days together, we even mounted a statewide campaign this past fall together -- and now this win is yours too, WFP.

Of course I also want to thank my staff in the City Council for working with me every day in service of the people of the 45th District and this city. 

Thank you to all of my friends -my 'kitchen cabinet' who's always by my side - including *names* and of course, to the scores of volunteers who filled our campaign offices and canvasses for the cause. You believed in our vision, and now we can make it a reality.

I so deeply appreciate my community in the 45th District - which we're standing in right now. I'm at home with all of you. You have all put your faith in me these last nine years, and I promise that your voice will be heard loud and clear wherever I am in our great city. 

There are some additional shoutouts I need to make:

To my fellow candidates-- thank you for a race about ideas, about how to make life better for New Yorkers. I look forward to working with you all, inside and outside of government to advance an agenda for all New Yorkers.

To Tish James-- you left some pretty big shoes to fill...

To the Mayor- I'm not running for your job, but I'm going to work with you to make sure we work on behalf of the people.

The Public Advocate - the People's Advocate- is a role that I am incredible excited to fill, and one that is crucial to our city. I know that there are some who have sought to get rid of it- and now, I'm sure there are powerful people who want it gone even more. But we aren't going anywhere- instead, we're going to hold the powerful accountable. The Mayor, the Police Commissioner, the Governor, the big money interests - we are watching, and we will speak out. 

No matter who holds this job, their strength and their obligation come from the people they represent. As your Public Advocate, I will spend each day listening to you, my fellow New Yorkers, and taking action. We can create a New York City that is more just, equitable, affordable and accessible. We focus not on constraints,  but on possibility and potential for our city.

Tonight, we can celebrate. And then, maybe we can rest. But tomorrow, we have to take the cause back up- we cannot wait, we cannot stand still, because the challenges our city faces are too great. But the opportunity to create transformational change is even greater, and so as Dr. King said, we must keep moving forward. 

Moving forward to solve the affordable housing and homelessness crisis that we face, and to provide aid to people struggling to stay in their homes and rents continue to climb.

Moving forward to upend a system of injustice that criminalizes black and brown communities, and to give those who have been caught up in that system a second chance.

Moving forward to make our streets safer for all, to combat the epidemic of gun violence and to revitalize communities- not with over-policing but with investment in the people on the ground, doing work to save lives.

Moving forward to not just defend but to advance the rights of everyone threatened by the orange buffoon in the white house- and putting our bodies on the line to defend them 

Moving forward because I've never been able to sit still for long- not when there's a march to lead or a bill to pass or a cause to take up.

Let's Go - It's time.

The last time I stood in this space, it was under very different circumstances, with a different outcome. These are new memories now, and I'll never forget this moment. But there's one moment, one memory from that night that stays with me.

A young man came up to me, six months ago at this very site, and said that just like me, he had Tourette's Syndrome. That he'd wanted to get into government, to make change, but that he didn't know he could. That when he saw me, he was inspired. And when I heard him, so was I. It's part of what inspired me to take this journey, to run this race. Because everyone has moments when they don't feel heard, when they need a voice.

NYCHA residents who are going without attention, and even without heat, need a voice 

Mothers of victims of gun violence or policing abuses need a voice

Everyone whose rights are under threat by the Trump administration- black and brown communities, women, the LGBTQ community, and immigrants need a voice

Every New Yorker who feels left out or left behind by the political process and politicians who work for themselves and not the people needs a voice.

I ran this campaign to be the voice of the people. And I do promise to raise my voice and raise the issues of the people of this city. But it's not about my voice alone- It's about our voices, together. Our voices together send a message loud and clear. Our voices together can rise above politics, above pettiness-- 

Our voices can rise to the occasion of the times we face, to meet this moment with our movement. The challenges that we face are great, but we can rise to conquer any hill, any mountain, and from there our voices will echo and we will be heard. I said at the beginning of this campaign that no matter how steep the hill was, we have to keep moving up. We have to keep going up the hill for equity, we have to keep going up the hill for justice, we have to keep going up the hill for all of us.

To the people who say that it can't be done, please move out of the way of the people who are doing it!

I SEE THE HILL AND I KNOW IT'S STEEP, BUT I WILL KEEP MOVING UP UNTIL WE REACH THE TOP

BECAUSE I KNOW IF WE KEEP PUSHING WE WILL, WIN, WIN, WIN

THANK YOU NEW YORK CITY, I LOVE YOU

FEBRUARY 26, 2019 PUBLIC ADVOCATE UNOFFICIAL BOARD OF ELECTIONS RESULT BY BALLOT POSITION

BOARD OF ELECTIONS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK
2019 Special
UNOFFICIAL ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS Public Advocate (Vote for one) Name Party Votes Percentage 1   MELISSA MARK-VIVERITO  Fix the MTA   44158  10.96 % 2   MICHAEL A. BLAKE  For The People   33198  8.24 % 3   DAWN L. SMALLS  No More Delays   16522  4.10 % 4   ERIC A. ULRICH  Common Sense   77026  19.12 % 5   YDANIS RODRIGUEZ  Unite Immigrants   24266  6.02 % 6   DANIEL J. O'DONNELL  Equality For All   11477  2.85 % 7   RAFAEL L. ESPINAL JR.  Livable City   12929  3.21 % 8   LATRICE M. WALKER  Power Forward   2282  0.57 % 9   JUMAANE D. WILLIAMS  It's Time Let's Go   133809  33.22 % 10   RON KIM  No Amazon   11434  2.84 % 11   BENJAMIN L. YEE  Community Strong   10390  2.58 % 12   A. MANNY ALICANDRO  Better Leaders   3002  0.75 % 13   NOMIKI D. KONST  Pay Folks More   9339  2.32 % 14   DAVID EISENBACH  Stop REBNY   3200  0.79 % 15   JARED RICH  Jared Rich for NYC   938  0.23 % 16   ANTHONY TONY HERBERT  Residents First   2918  0.72 % 17   HELAL A. SHEIKH  Friends of Helal   5179  1.29 % 18   WRITE-IN     711  0.18 %   Percentage of Scanners Reported: 98.01 %   Information As Of: 2019-02-27 00:40:02 EST

Public Advocate Candidate Dawn Smalls on the Campaign Trail

  Public Advocate candidate Dawn Smalls came to the Riverdale area to campaign outside of PS 81 on Riverdale Avenue. PS 81 is one of the largest poll site in the 81st Assembly District where turnout is normally very heavy. However for this Public Advocate Special Election the turnout is extremely low here and in other poll sites around the city. By 11 AM only 138 people had voted at PS 81 where as in a regular election the total number of votes would be over 600 votes. 

Candidate Dawn Smalls removed her hat, and one can see a rainbow of hope above her as she campaigns to be the winner in today's Special Election to be Public Advocate.

Team Blake Election Eve Meeting

  As he walked down the long hallway Public Advocate Michael Blake was going to a meeting in Coop-City. There he would meet supporters from the Coop-City area which included State Senator Jamaal Bailey one of Blake's many Bronx Supporters. However missing would be Councilman Andy King who is supporting Public Advocate candidate Jumaane Williams. That is how it is with seventeen candidates in the Public Advocate Special Election local elected officials are split on just who they have endorsed.

Above - State Senator Jamaal Bailey announces the arrival of candidate Michael Blake.

Below - Candidate Blake enters the room pointing to himself when asked who is going to be the next Public Advocate.

Above - It was time to rally the troops as Candidate Blake speaks. He mentioned his brothe and mother who were in the room.

Below - Mama Blake raises her hand when her son mentions her name.

Above - With the troops ready for election day a group photo is taken.

Below - A final photo with the elected officials.

MAYOR DE BLASIO AND GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCE 10 POINT PLAN TO TRANSFORM AND FUND THE MTA

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a proposal to transform the MTA and create dedicated and sustained funding streams for the agency. The proposal includes the joint endorsement of congestion pricing and a plan to reorganize the MTA.

 1 - MTA will develop a reorganization plan to make the agency more efficient and effective. The antiquated structure will be fundamentally changed to centralize common functions among the 6 existing entities. Currently – NYCTA, LIRR, Metro-North, MTA Capital Construction, MTA Bus, SI Railway – operate as 6 separate entities.  This 1968-designed “holding company” structure makes coordination more difficult and expensive. All common functions such as construction management, legal, engineering, procurement, human resources, advertising etc. will be consolidated and streamlined in a central operation. The individual divisions will focus on day-to-day management of their primary operation. The restructuring plan will be completed by June of this year. The restructuring plan must be coupled with a change in culture, which will generate fresh ideas and new perspective from new and recently appointed senior and mid-level management recruited from the private sector and other cities and states.

 2 - The MTA Transformation Plan would include a congestion pricing financing model.  Electronic tolling devices would be installed on the perimeter of the Central Business District (CBD) defined as streets south of 61st St. in Manhattan.  The FDR Drive will not be included in the Central Business District.  The electronic tolling system will account for tolls previously paid by drivers entering Manhattan from designated crossings. The system will be installed and operated pursuant to an MOU between the City of New York and the MTA for the purposes of ensuring the timely completion of the installation of congestion infrastructure in order to effectuate a congestion pricing plan, and recognizing the expertise of the TBTA for purposes of running and operating cashless tolling systems and City agencies for purposes of the use and impact of infrastructure installation on City streets.  Tolls would be variable providing discounts for off-peak hour travel.   Emergency vehicles will be exempt from congestion pricing tolls. Other exemptions or discounts will be provided to a limited group of vehicles entering the CBD including vehicles operated by or transporting people with disabilities and individuals who have an identifiable hardship or limited ability to access medical facilities in the CBD. Congestion pricing tolls would be supplemented with State and City revenue from a fixed amount of the new internet sales tax derived from sales in New York City, with a growth factor, and a percentage of the State and City revenue from the cannabis excise tax.  Congestion pricing revenue and these two taxes will be placed in a ‘lockbox’ to provide a funding source necessary to ensure the capital needs of the MTA can be met, with priority given to the subway system, new signaling, new subway cars, track and car repair, accessibility, buses and bus system improvements and further investments in expanding transit availability to areas in the outer boroughs that have limited mass transit options.  Tolls will be set once the electronic infrastructure is in place and a Capital Plan is finalized but will in no event be set later than December 2020.

 3 - The MTA fares for public mass transportation must be controlled in future years through cost containment actions and improved management. The MTA should be able to operate with mass transit fare increases limited to inflationary increases of 2% per year.

 4 - All MTA Board appointments will be modified so that all terms end with the appointing elected official’s tenure.

 5 - Partnership between the State and City is necessary to combat fare evasion.  We cannot have a voluntary fare system and still maintain a system that ensures operational stability.  The State will work with the MTA, City and District Attorneys to develop an enforcement strategy, with both personnel and station design modifications that do not criminalize fare evasion but instead prevent fare evasion, sanction violators and increase enforcement.

 6 - The MTA will undergo an independent audit to determine their actual assets and liabilities.  The initial audit should be completed no later than January of 2020. The forecasts, projections and capital plans they have put forth strain financial credibility.

 7 - The Capital Plan shall be reviewed by a committee of transportation, engineering and government experts who have no existing financial relationship with the MTA (The Regional Transit Committee, “RTC”).  The Committee will have appointees by the Governor, Mayor, State Assembly and Senate, and organizations representing subway riders and driving commuters.  The RTC will also review the toll and fare increases proposed by the MTA as necessary to fund the Capital Plan.

 8 - The MTA will have all major construction projects and planned projects pursued as “design build.”  The MTA will do preliminary drawings only to the point necessary for bidding the project in a private sector competition based primarily on cost and timing of the project.  Selections will be made with incentives and sanctions for performance.  All major construction projects will be reviewed by construction and engineering experts who are not affiliated with the MTA or its consultants.  The construction review team will be headed by the Deans of Cornell School of Engineering and Columbia School of Engineering to assure state of the art design and technology is being deployed.  This group will also review the plans for signal system upgrade methodology and decide the best system to use, specifically comparing Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) to Ultra-Wide-Band (UWB) technology for safety, timeliness and cost.  The MTA will be more aggressive in debarring failed contractors.

 9 - The MTA will immediately expedite the completion of the Subway Action Plan including: signal repair; water management; station enhancements; rail welding; friction pad installation; increased refurbishment efforts; and other service improvements.

 10 - The Governor and Mayor will work closely with the Legislature to effectuate provisions in this framework.