Editorial/Opinion ................Pages 12,13 Education

Adams: Hand the school reins over to me

By STEPHON JOHNSON

Amsterdam News Staff

Mayoral control of New York City Public Schools ends on June 30 and Eric Adams is now making his case to keep it that way.

The mayor of New York City wants Albany to continue a precedent set by former mayor Michael Bloomberg who was awarded mayoral control by the state legislature in 2002, which essentially ended the New York City Board of Education. This decision gave Bloomberg the power to choose a citywide schools chancellor and other powers, including appointments to the Panel for Educational Policy (a new version of the Board of Education).

Adams wants that same power. He wants that same accountability.

Before going to Albany to make his case, he attempted to make it to New York City residents.

“The chancellor and I have laid out a bold new vision for our children and for the families that attend our public school system,” said Adams during a news conference at City Hall. “And this is the first time in history where we have two men who grew up in the public school system with two different experiences. One dealing with the learning disability, another dealing with a Gifted and Talented program…We grew up in this system, and we know what’s needed. And so this is an unprecedented moment for the two of us in understanding the power of the public school system.”

Chancellor David Banks chimed in as well.

“We shouldn’t even have to be here today to have this conversation,” said Banks. “The reality is that the man and I are both products of the system, and we’ve dedicated our lives and our careers to the fabric of New York City. A man spent the bulk of his career in the police department and I was in the classrooms, educating young people. And I remember the system and the way it was, and it was a system…with political corruption. It is the reason why we went to mayoral accountability. The old system did not work.”

Adams has the support of unions including DC37, 32BJ SEIU, the Hotel Trades Council and the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). Kyle Bragg, president of 32BJ SEIU, said that going back to a pre-2002 way of doing things would backfire and control of schools should be left with City Hall.

“New York City’s 1.1 million school children should be above politics and our schools system should embrace clear accountability,” said Bragg, in a statement. “There is absolutely no doubt that extending mayoral control is to everyone’s benefit—students, teachers, and parents alike. Going back in time to a pre-mayoral control system would be a disaster. Our kids would lose out and our schools would be thrown into chaos.”

One of the unions not listed is the United Federation of Teachers. When contacted, a union spokesperson said the union is fine with Adams’ wishes, but they also want to make sure he’s kept in check.

“While we support mayoral control, we have also repeatedly called for more checks and balances and greater parental voice,” said UFT’s spokesperson. The UFT then directed us to a page on their website outlining how to improve the Panel for Educational Policy: “Add two more parent member seats filled by the presidents of the Community Education Councils to replace two mayoral appointments. Change to fixed one-year terms that begin on August 15 for all members, so PEP members can’t get tossed off the panel for voting their conscience and to ensure thoughtful transitions. Maintain a sunset provision to ensure accountability.”

Adams also spoke about what public schools can produce.

“Public schools that are doing the right thing produce chancellors, mayors, and union leaders and union employees,” the mayor said. He also said that city kids are waiting to feel normal again.

“After two years of trauma to our students, uncertainty cannot be part of the curriculum,” said the mayor.

Unions stand behind Mayor Eric Adams on mayoral control of schools. (Courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography)

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opposed to forcing someone to give birth then they would advocate to provide federally funded prenatal care, free health insurance for moms and their children, and federal childcare. Criminalizing abortion essentially prevents many women, especially low-income women of color, to access education or advance their careers if they have to go through with an unplanned pregnancy, she said.

“Republican legislators will not be intent on making abortion illegal only in red states,” said Sokol. “They will not be content until they completely outlaw abortion throughout the United States.”

Sokol theorizes that the ideological point of Republicans outlawing abortion is to uphold the “white Christian nation” ideal where “white Christian males” are in charge. She said that if Roe v Wade is overturned that could put in jeopardy staples in modern day American society, like marriage equality for LGBTQ+ people, contraception, and possibly interracial marriage.

“That’s why we need to get people out on the streets,” said Sokol. “The only thing that’s going to make a difference is if through this show of protesting is if they feel this can impact the results of the midterm elections where Republicans can’t take control of Congress. That’s the only thing I think they’ll care about.”

Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about culture and politics in New York City for The Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting: https://tinyurl.com/fcszwj8w

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were in demand for a child), whereas the domestic supply of infants relinquished at birth or within the first month of life and available to be adopted had become virtually nonexistent.”

According to US Adopt Kids, an organization working to get kids in foster care a “permanent family,” of 400,000 foster children, 117,000 are waiting to be adopted. This doesn’t count the 20,455 young people who (according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) as of June 2020 aged out of the foster care system without any financial or emotional support system on the horizon.

Another advocate group pointed out other reasons that the overturn of Roe v. Wade would be bad for Americans. The economy.

In a statement, Noreen Farrell, executive director of Equal Rights Advocates, a group that fights for “gender justice in workplaces and schools nationwide,” pointed out that Roe v. Wade didn’t really help all women and taking what little they have would make things worse.

“Let’s be clear: Roe v. Wade was never guaranteed abortion access if you were a woman living in poverty, despite the fact it affirmed a woman’s constitutional right to one,” said Farrell. “Soon after the Court’s ruling, Congress enacted the Hyde Amendment, which blocks federal funds from being used to pay for abortion outside of the exceptions for rape, incest, or if the pregnancy is determined to endanger the woman’s life, resulting in dramatically limited coverage of abortion under

Medicaid and other federal programs.

“The overturning of

Roe v. Wade will make this lack of access worse,” Farrell continued. “Women living at the edge of economic viability will not be able to afford to cross states to obtain an abortion if pregnant. Abortion bans will disproportionately harm poor women, sexually abused children, and others who lacked access to preventative reproductive health care to begin with.”

Forcing women to remain pregnant could have another consequence. According to a recent study by researchers at Tulane University, and published in the Obstetrics & Gynecology journal, the leading cause of death for pregnant and postpartum women was homicide with Black women being at greater risk than other races. The study used data from the National Center for Health Statistics in 2018 and 2019 on female deaths between the ages of 10 and 44.

“There were 3.62 homicides per 100,000 live births among females who were pregnant or within one year postpartum, 16% higher than homicide prevalence among nonpregnant and nonpostpartum females of reproductive age (3.12 deaths/100,000, P<.05),” read the study’s results. “Homicide during pregnancy or within 42 days of the end of pregnancy exceeded all the leading causes of maternal mortality by more than twofold. Pregnancy was associated with a significantly elevated homicide risk in the Black population and among girls and younger women (age 10-24 years) across racial and ethnic subgroups.”

The dangers for Black women were further confirmed by the American Public Health Association who, in a published survey of more than 7,000 women, showed that Black women were getting “self-managed” abortions at three times the rate of white women.

The AmNews contacted the NYGOP who referred to the focus on abortion as a red herring.

“New York Democrats already put in a place a law that expanded abortion up until the moment of birth,”

The potential erasure of a woman’s right to choose begins National Women’s Health Week. (Courtesy of JadeThaiCatWalk) NYGOP spokesperson Jessica Proud. “Their rhetoric is a cynical attempt to divide and distract from their horrendous record on crime and inflation. The NYGOP is focused on a common-sense agenda of restoring safety to our streets and making our state more affordable.” Despite conservative rhetoric, some elected officials are still looking to ensure a woman’s right to choose. New York State Attorney General Letitia James, State Sen. Cordell Cleare and State Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas have introduced new legislation that would give state financial resources to abortion providers and provide low-income New Yorkers with better access to safe and legal abortions. Titled “The Reproductive Freedom and Equity Program,” the bill would also help women from out of state who come to New York to have an abortion. “Millions who live in states hostile to abortion access will look to other states for that care,” stated González-Rojas. “New York must be a leader at this moment and prepare for the impending need. That is why I’m proud to have introduced legislation to create the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Fund, which will help address this need by providing funding to providers and addressing the practical needs of patients.”

Touro serves hundreds at annual spring health fair

(Courtesy photos)

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM) recently held its 13th biannual Health Fair on a warm, sunny afternoon that brought hundreds of community members to the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building Plaza, where they engaged with a wide range of free services and resources.

Among the highlights were testing for blood pressure, glucose levels and vision, along with breast cancer and dental screenings from Touro College of Dental Medicine.

“One notable new service provided at this year’s fair was access to 25 free mammograms,” said DO student Annika Nungra, who helped coordinate the involvement of the American Italian Cancer Foundation, which provided the screenings.

“It was important for me to have the mammogram bus at the TouroCOM health fair so that we could provide access to breast cancer screening for women in the community and also promote the importance of improving health outcomes through preventive medicine,” she said.

Nungra was one of about 120 TouroCOM medical and master’s students from the Harlem campus working to provide the screenings and services. Visitors were also offered free eyewear from LaFont Paris, and blood pressure and glucose monitors. Information and resources on healthy eating and exercise, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, doula services, osteopathic techniques for sinus and back pain, and training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) were also provided.

TouroCOM worked with numerous community partners on the fair. In addition to LaFont Paris, other organizations involved included Mount Sinai Doctors Primary Care, Harlem Grown, All of Us Columbia, the nursing program at Touro’s School of Health Sciences, Iris House, New York City Fire Department, Birth Justice Defenders, Uptown Dermatology, Ryan Health, and Harlem Wellness.

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