REMARKS
DOE's perspective on managing multiple childcare centers
1:44:22
ยท
131 sec
Deputy Chancellor Hawkins explains the DOE's approach to managing a large system of childcare centers, acknowledging communication issues and discussing the need for systemic management.
- DOE manages nearly 4,000 programs, including 1,700 community-based organizations
- Hawkins admits that communication about closures should have been better
- The DOE aimed to allow programs to operate until the end of the school year to minimize disruption
- Hawkins emphasizes the need to balance individual center needs with system-wide management and efficiency
Simone Hawkins
1:44:22
So I think there are many important centers throughout this district and I value the work that North Los Ninos does and again I am required to manage a system that is comprised of almost 4,000 programs and many of which 1,700 about are CBOs.
1:44:37
And so there are other providers in and around that community who are also trying to survive and so as we talk about any of these programs, I think it would be in our interest to talk about all of the providers who are doing the best they can every day.
1:44:52
And so I will admit in this space like I did in others that the communication absolutely should have been better.
1:44:58
What we were hoping for, right, is least harm in regards to allowing the programs to operate until the end of the school year.
1:45:06
So although the notification came right before the application, they were not closing immediately, the closures or the end of the program was at the conclusion of this school year and what we were hoping to avoid council member is what happened in some spaces where some staff left and that would really prohibit them from serving children and families at least until June 30.
1:45:28
And so again, I will admit that the communication around that was not the not the best and I will take full ownership of that.
1:45:36
And so moving forward if we are to talk about enrollment or we are to talk about city lease properties, we, my team and I will be the first to be more proactive in how and when we communicate with programs.
Shekar Krishnan
1:45:46
And I appreciate that.
1:45:48
But I think you know it's again a larger problem of how this administration is approaching early childhood education.
1:45:53
And I know that there are many centers but this is all of them and every community's needs are unique.
1:45:58
This is a flagship day care center within the South Side Of Williamsburg.
1:46:02
And we can't just gloss over and it's frankly, and I appreciate taking responsibility.
1:46:07
But speaking more broadly to this administration, we can't just gloss over this communication issues for a fifty plus year day care center that's being told they're gonna close as if that's a mistake and we can just move on.
1:46:18
That's not acceptable to the community, to all of us as elected officials.
1:46:22
And again, it's very revealing about the approach here.
1:46:25
Now I know that since then, as you mentioned, they've been given an extension to stay open.
1:46:31
There's negotiations with the landlord going on.