How did they do it?

Simple, it was the correct thing. It wasn’t political, it was ethically and morally correct. It was based on need. Where was there the greatest shortage of seats?
Where were schools most overused? Queens. Build to fix it.

And it seemed the Board agreed. The Chancellor and Terri and the other Board members were operating for the good of the city’s kids.

And on the night before last Friday’s vote, the Mayor jumped in. Playing politics and hardball, once again he tried to undo weeks of thoughtful deliberations and negotiations by a well-meaning Chancellor and Board. The consensus was gone and Giuliani appointee, Board President Ninfa Segarra switched her position and again politicized the educational process. The Mayor wanted a school built in Staten Island and was prepared to throw the system into turmoil to get it. The fact that Staten Island had the least overcrowding in the City and the district in question was near the bottom of the list in need apparently meant less to
the Mayor and his cronies than some political deal or payback.

We won’t speculate that it was payback for outgoing Staten Island Beep Republican Guy Molinari’s support and the borough’s overwhelming backing of Giuliani at the voting booth.

We just know that Rudy and company,
were trying to sacrifice equity and
education for politics and power.

The Board coalition held. Chancellor Levy, Queens Board member Terri Thomson and the members from Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn are to be congratulated for not yielding to the Mayoral barrage.

The Chancellor (and I’m sure Terri) did have to play politics to build and keep the four-vote majority. The New York Times reported this weekend that the Chancellor was able to utilize $70 million in funds just approved by the City Council to provide money for renovation and leasing of a new Manhattan High School and renovation of a landmark Bronx school. We don’t have enough information to determine if this was the best expenditure of the funds or necessary glue to hold the entire deal together.

The question does illustrate the downside of politics mixing into education. Schools should be built because of need, not because of deals. Board members should be independent, casting votes for the good of the kids of New York City, not to establish or reward a voting block in one borough.

Helen Marshall, Queens Borough President-elect; Adolfo Carrion, Bronx Beep-elect, and Virginia Fields, Manhattan Beep have indicated their intention to appoint themselves to the Board of Education when the present members terms expire in July. The City Corporation Council has raised the question as to the legality of such moves; the Mayor claims there is a loophole. We think the question is much more significant than the legal interpretation of the City Charter.

We have twice seen the relationship between Queens Board members and Borough President Claire Shulman degenerate into near wars over the Mayor’s politicizing Board of Education issues. Both times the courageous Queens members stood up to political pressure and did the right thing for the kid’s education. Once Carol Gresser opposed Rudy’s choice for Chancellor then Terri Thomson opposed his choice for Board President. We do not know what Queens project or promises he used to coerce Queens Beep Shulman into opposing and castigating her appointees. Those appointees according to the Charter are independent. They are there to serve education not politics.

Would Borough Presidents sitting on the B of E be more or less likely to play politics?

"Hey, you back the funding of the new subway stop in my borough and I’ll vote for your choice for chancellor." Or, "appoint my friend and contributor to a Mayoral Authority and I can vote your choice for Board Pres." Perhaps, "I’ll take a new minor league ball park and give up four schools."

Is that all conjecture?

You bet it is!

I’ve known Helen Marshall for years. She is honorable. However, the issues she must deal with are greater than education. And perhaps, to win a different battle, she’ll have to give in on one at the Board of Education level.

Shouldn’t the Board member be immune from such pressures? Should the Board of Ed. consider only our children and their education?

I don’t think Borough Presidents can exclude everything else from Board of Ed. dealings.

Furthermore, the Board of Ed., according to Thomson, is almost a full-time job. Carol Gresser, tells me me she logged 50 hours a week as a member, more as president. And the first Board of Ed. member appointed from Queens way back in the mid ‘60s was my uncle, Murray Bergtraum. I remember him telling me there’s little time for anything else.

Being borough president is more than a fulltime job. Just ask Claire Shulman. Both she and her predecessor, Donald Manes, devoted just about every waking hour to the job. It takes 60, 80, 100 or more hours a week to do the job right.

In addition to the problem of politicizing the Board of Ed., there is not enough time to be both borough president and board member.

Just count the hours. Do the math. I mastered the subject in the New York City school system. Back then before the present Board, it was unparalleled. It had the finest educators and produced the finest students and didn’t know from politics.

Maybe we should look to the past to understand the solutions of the future.

Joseph Brent was born in March 1987, has lived all of his 14 years in Beechhurst, Queens.

He has played ball for the Dwarf Giraffe’s, St. Luke’s Athletic Association, St. Mels’, and is currently in the Basketball program with the D.A.C.

However, it was his music that brought him to the Hall of Science last Friday and brought us this picture of him and the photos below.

Joe’s father, Bill Brent has been a longtime Trib photographer and friend. Bill’s pictures first appeared in the paper almost 30 years ago. The popular new QConfidential feature, Models of Queens, is Bill’s brainchild.

Bill emailed us the pictures below of seven of the new Council members-elect, who appeared at last Friday’s Hall of Science "passing on the torch" cermeonies.

His son Joe was the the sole representative from Queens’ Frank Sinatra High School for the Arts student population to be invited.

Joe’s musical interests range from opera to punk — you’re just as likely to catch him listening to Mario Lanza – a one time Beechhurst boy – as you are to Blink 182. 

While attending PS 193, he performed on the clarinet at the opening of the new Flushing Library. Since then he has focused on the bass and guitar. After two years at JHS 194 he was accepted to the three private high schools to which he applied, but when he learned there would be a new arts school – and one named after one of his rat pack favorites to boot – he put in his application and was accepted for both vocal and drama.

The Sinatra school promised everything the established high schools had, plus a major focus on the arts. While he continued his studies on the bass and guitar, the school has helped bring out his rich baritone voice and has made him a featured soloist with the school’s choral group.

In what little spare time he has left he pursues another passion, that of photography. Each Tuesday he works in an apprentice program in Manhattan.

The school system may be troubled, but it can still produce results!

Not4Publication.com by Dom Nunziato

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Michael Schenkler can be reached at: MSchenkler@QueensTribune.com

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