ain't so peppy, actually...

in my intro, i mentioned that i'm likely to go off on a rant about the educational system at some point in this blog's cyberlife. so here goes:

PEP = Panel for Education Policy

Blurb on PEP:*
"The thirteen member body designated as the Board of Education in section 2590-g of the Education Law shall be known as the Panel for Educational Policy. The Panel for Educational Policy is a part of the governance structure responsible for the City School District of the City of New York, subject to the laws of the State of New York and the regulations of the State Department of Education. Other parts of the structure include the Chancellor, superintendents, community school boards, principals, and school leadership teams. Together this structure shall be designated as the Department of Education of the City of New York.

The members of the Panel for Educational Policy are appointed according to law as follows: one member is appointed by each Borough President, eight members, including the Chancellor who serves as chairperson, are appointed by the Mayor. All members serve at the pleasure of the official who appointed them.

New York City Panel for Educational Policy
Mayoral appointees have an * next to their names:

*Mr. Joel I. Klein, Chancellor, email: JKlein@nycboe.net, phone: 212-374-5110.
Ms. Evita Belmonte, Queens representative
Ms. Natalie Gomez-Velez, Bronx representative
Ms. Martine Guerrier, Brooklyn representative
Ms. Jacquelyn Kamin, Manhattan representative
Ms. Joan Correale, Staten Island representative.
* Mr. Alan D. Aviles.
*Mr. Philip A. Berry, VP, Colgate Palmolive
*Dr. David C. Chang, President, Brooklyn Polytechnic Univ.
*Mr. Tino Hernandez.
*Dr. Augusta Souza Kappner, President of Bank St. College
*Mr. Richard L. Menschel, Senior Director of Goldman Sachs
*Ms. Marita Regan, former D22 administrator
(Last updated: March 18, 2004)"

* bold added by yours truly

what i can tell from the blurb: there's a whole lot of 'appointing' taking place here, and clearly not many of them are elected

what i know from my time as a nyc teaching fellow: a whole lot of bullying happens on the PEP (refer to blurb and link below)

"Last week’s abrupt firing of members of the city’s Panel for Educational Policy by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was greeted with widespread anger. The mayor dismissed two of his own appointees and the Staten Island borough president fired another member of the panel in order to win passage of the mayor’s plan for new promotion requirements for third graders in the city’s public schools." (more here or here if you desire a more 'objective' source)

p.s. i wonder if Klein'll actually answer if we call him at the number listed :)