Aug. 7, 2023 By Carlotta Mohamed
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. announced on Friday, Aug. 4, that his office is accepting applications from dedicated, education-minded individuals interested in being appointed to serve on one of the borough’s Community Education Councils (CECs).
“Today’s children have to cope with COVID-19-related learning loss and many other obstacles, so it’s vitally important we help them overcome these obstacles by providing them with the best education possible, regardless of their ZIP code or socioeconomic status,” Richards said. “Our CECs play a vital role in that effort by ensuring our school system’s leaders get valuable input and advice that will improve educational outcomes. I encourage community-minded Queens residents who want to have a positive impact on the future of our children to apply for membership on a CEC today.”
CECs are a critical part of New York City’s school governance structure, with each CEC overseeing the elementary and middle schools within its respective community school district.
There are seven community school districts in Queens (Districts 24 through 30), with each district having a CEC of 12 members. CECs are responsible for advising and commenting on educational policies and providing guidance to New York City Schools Chancellor and to the citywide Panel for Educational Policy (PEP).
Richards will be appointing two individuals to each of the borough’s seven CECs. The 10 other members on each CEC were chosen during elections held this past spring.
The CEC membership application form is available here. Interested applicants should apply immediately and will be appointed on a rolling basis. The borough president’s appointees will serve the remainder of a term that will conclude on June 30, 2025.
CEC powers and duties are spelled out in NYS Education Law Section 2590-e and Section 2590-b. For more information, click here. Maps outlining the boundaries of each community school district can be found here.
The duties of CEC members include attending monthly public meetings and visiting schools to see what educational needs those schools have. CECs also review their district’s educational programs and assess their effect on student achievement, approve zoning lines, provide input to the Chancellor and the Panel for Educational Policy on district concerns, and submit a capital plan to the Chancellor after holding public hearings on the district’s capital needs.
CEC members serve without pay. The borough president’s appointees to the CECs must each be a New York City resident and either live, own or operate a business within the community school district they seek to serve.