Brooklyn Borough President

BROOKLYN EDUCATION APPOINTEE ABSTAINS ON 5TH GRADE SOCIAL PROMOTION POLICY

Martine Guerrier, sole abstainer, on Panel for Educational Policy 12-0 vote

On Monday, September 27, Brooklyn’s Panel for Educational Policy Appointee Martine Guerrier abstained from voting on Mayor Bloomberg’s fifth grade social promotion policy. The plan passed by a vote of 12 to 0. Guerrier, who was appointed by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, had proposed an amended resolution, which lost 10 to 3.

“I support the work done and the process followed for the resolution,” Guerrier said. “I abstained from voting because I felt that the policy did not take into account that poor test scores are often the result of poor instruction. The policy didn’t have a strong enough commitment to improve schools with persistently high rates of students performing below grade level, and at the same time, set the bar too low on evaluating students for an appeal in June. In a balancing act between acknowledging the hard work put into the final resolution and the need to recognize the additional concerns not addressed, I chose to abstain.”

There were four main differences between the amended resolution and the final policy passed Monday. Guerrier’s plan:

· -Called for targeted investment in resources and operational support for schools where 50 percent or more students perform below grade level.
· -Outlined higher standards for reviewing student portfolios.
· -Included identification of 4th and 5th graders who are likely to receive Letters of Promotion in Doubt.
· -Recognized the need to notify parents of promotion decisions in their native language, in a timely manner

Many of Guerrier’s proposed amendments did make it in to the final draft of the resolution, including provisions for increased parent involvement such as parent workshops and parent notification of promotion decisions, as well as identification of students who may need additional help within the first two months of the school year.