Douglaston mom sues city to regain voice in school leadership teams

BY JESS WISLOSKI DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, June 10th 2008, 4:00 AM

http://www.nydailyn/ews.com/ny_local/queens/2008/06/10/2008-06-10_douglaston_mom_sues_city_to_regain_voice.html


Marie Pollicino of Douglaston has filed a lawsuit against the city in an effort to gain more power for parents.
Mayor Bloomberg has never stood trial for the ongoing charges parent groups have made that his administration shuts them out of involvement in New York City's schools. But he soon could.
A state commissioner's ruling on a lawsuit against the Education Department filed by an angry Queens mom is expected by the end of June.
If Commissioner Richard Mills hands down a favorable ruling for parents, a city appeal will bring the case to trial in state Supreme Court.
Marie Pollicino, 46, a mother of three boys who lives in Douglaston, says she just wants justice.
"It wasn't personal just for me; it was for all the parents with a child in the public school," she said.
Her petition asks the state to revoke a newly-minted change to the schools chancellor's regulations enacted on December 3.
"The chancellor changed the regulations without input from any groups. They just make up their mind," she said.
The revision, which applied to regulation A-655, took decision-making power away from parents and teachers in school leadership teams, Pollicino claimed.
Since filing in late December, she has been inundated with support. Three unions, including the United Federation of Teachers, have signed on as petitioners to the case. Community Education Council 26, of which she is a member, also signed on, along with lawyer Melvyn Meeks, who is a parent leader at Flushing's Public School 188.
In the past, school leadership teams comprised a body of teachers, parents, and administrators, who met monthly at each school to create its budget and comprehensive educational plan.
The new law gives principals "the final determination" on educational plans and budgets and changed parent duties.
The petition claims the changes "fatally weakened the core duties" of the teams and in doing so violates state law.
The city refuted Pollicino's claims in an appeal stating the city's provision for parents to "consult" with principals meets the state's required "shared decision-making" clauses for parental roles.
Laura Postiglione, a spokeswoman for the city's Law Department, would not comment. "We can't comment due to pending litigation," she said.
Public notification about the regulation change was not found on the Education Department's Web site. Manhattan parent Patrick Sullivan, who sits on the citywide Panel for Education Policy, said public comments were collected from panel members. He and other parents were vocally opposed to the modification, he said.

"Parents want to be involved in the schools," he said. "It's a tremendous deterrent."
jwisloski@nydailynews.com