PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Dale Kelly, Executive Vice President of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, on Summer Rising Program
2:37:04
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4 min
Dale Kelly, representing the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, provided testimony on the Summer Rising program, highlighting its successes and ongoing challenges. He emphasized the need for improvements in staffing, transportation, and support for English language learners.
- Positive strides included successful phased enrollment and increased principal involvement in planning.
- Challenges remain in staffing shortages, transportation for students with disabilities, and support for English language learners.
- Recommendations for 2025 include early staffing commitments, stronger school-CBO partnerships, and improved transportation services.
Dale Kelly
2:37:04
Good afternoon.
2:37:05
Chair Joseph, Chair Stevens, and the distinguished members of the committee on education and committee on children and youth.
2:37:13
My name is Dale Kelley, Executive Vice President of the Council of School, supervisor and administrators.
2:37:19
I'm on I'm here on behalf of president Henry Rubio, as well as representing the 17,000 members of both in service and retire retirees that service the students and families of New York City.
2:37:32
We deeply appreciate the council's attention to some arising program that has become indispensable for our children's for our city students and families.
2:37:42
We appreciate that you have scheduled this hearing so far in advance of some of 2025 and not long after chancellor Abiliad Ramos's has then assumed her new role.
2:37:53
We look forward to working with her and her team and strengthening our summer program.
2:37:58
This past summer brought positive strides for summer rising.
2:38:01
We are encouraged by the success of the phased enrollment, which ensured that our mandated students were provided with priority access to the program.
2:38:09
Principles reported smooth enrollment with fewer barriers for families and increased communication from schools and proved clarity around the program.
2:38:17
CAS CSA engaged with the department early and often to provide principles real time feedback, addressing challenges promptly, and creating a more collaborative environment.
2:38:28
This was the first time that principles felt fully empowered to influence some arising's planning and executions.
2:38:36
Yet challenges remain.
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Staffing shortages continue to affect our ability to maintain full coverage, particularly early in the summer when our students need a stable and supportive environment.
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We strongly incur sorry, we strongly urge early recruitment incentives and proactive communication to both retain and recruit qualified educators.
2:38:57
Transportation also remains concerned, especially for students with disabilities who could not fully access the program's extended hours.
2:39:05
Finally, the rise in English language learners, including many recent immigrants, highlights the need for expanded language support and language acquisition opportunities.
2:39:15
For summarizing 2025, CSA recommends several actions.
2:39:21
Letting principals insight guide planning, establishing a formal playbook for school leaders to follow, securing early staffing commitments, building stronger school and CBO partnerships, and improving transportation services.
2:39:35
Additionally, aligning calendars and schedules across grades and programs to support family engagement and simplify coordination for those with children in multiple schools, with continued collaboration inclusive practices and principle involvement summarizing can become even more impactful.
2:39:54
Thank you for your time and continuing commitment to supporting our students, families, and school communities throughout the school year.
2:40:02
And if I can just beg for another couple seconds.
2:40:08
I just wanna address something that Cheah Stevens said earlier because I had never heard of that instance she described where a a school principal had refused to allow a CEO of partnership to present a a parent form.
2:40:21
And I'm now speaking as a principal who was a middle school principal in East New York, Brooklyn for 10 plus years, a 21st century school who had countless CBO Partnerships.
2:40:31
Those partners were true partners.
2:40:34
My students and families were the ultimate beneficiaries of the services they offered, and I can think of no reason that a principal would not allow a CDO to have a venue to speak to their parents, our students parents, because ultimately, they're going to benefit from that.
2:40:49
So I would like to speak and learn some more about that situation, see if we can sort of help to alleviate any of those sort of anomalous situations.
2:40:58
And Cheah Joseph, I too was surprised by that 30 students in a class summer school figured that the department just provided.
2:41:05
I'm hoping that number's a bit exaggerated because I haven't heard numbers that high.
2:41:09
But if they are indeed that high, I imagine it's partially due to some of the staffing concerns Not as many teachers are volunteering to work the summer school program.
2:41:21
You ask some very on salient questions regarding, you know, the availability of Paris and other staffing, and that's an important component to support in our schools.
2:41:29
So We definitely need to address that, and we ultimately know that class size law will do so, and they're not too distant future.
2:41:36
So thank you for your time.
Althea V. Stevens
2:41:37
Well, I'm sure it's not with 30 kids because the attendance is at 68.
