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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Christina Karahisarlidis, Program Manager at Generation Citizen
6:59:24
ยท
166 sec
Christina Karahisarlidis, Program Manager at Generation Citizen, testified on the importance of increasing education funding in NYC DOE schools. She emphasized the need for proper funding to address learning loss, mental health, and preparation for students' futures, drawing from her experience as a former teacher in Title I schools.
- Highlighted the potential negative impacts of budget cuts on student services, including counseling, special education, and support for English language learners and immigrants.
- Advocated for prioritizing civic education and public service in the curriculum to prepare students for effecting positive change in society.
- Introduced a group of students and a teacher from Global Learning Collaborative who would present their concerns regarding the proposed budget cuts.
Christina Karahisarlidis
6:59:24
Good afternoon Chair Joseph and members of the committee on education.
6:59:31
Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on behalf of generation citizen.
6:59:35
My name is Christina Carajesarlidis and I am a program manager at GC.
6:59:40
Through our community based civics curriculum, middle and high school students apply social studies learning to the real world by studying and advocating on an issue of importance in their communities.
6:59:50
Before joining GC, I was a teacher in the NYC DOE for nearly a decade and it is an honor to be here today alongside educators, hardworking change makers, and our inspiring students.
7:00:01
Thank you for fighting for stronger budget for New York City DOE schools.
7:00:05
Increasing the current level of education funding is crucial to preserving critical services to our pre k to twelfth grade students, especially as we combat learning loss, work to improve mental health of our young people, and ensure that our students are properly prepared for the world they are going to enter when they leave secondary education.
7:00:23
In my previous role as a high school English teacher at various title one schools, I saw firsthand the detrimental effects that decreasing school budget has on our students.
7:00:32
My students emotional and learning needs were not met because there was not always enough staff at hand.
7:00:38
If we see more budget cuts, that could mean that even more students may not be able to meet with a school counselor.
7:00:44
Students with disabilities and English language acquisition needs may not receive the services that they need, and our immigrant population may not receive a school placement in a proper time frame.
7:00:54
At a time when federal funding support is quite uncertain, we need New York City to continue to lead and to ensure that our schools, where our youth spend much of their time, are properly funded and supported.
7:01:06
While we are glad to see that the administration has allocated some resources for financial literacy and professional development skills, civic education is an area that has long been underfunded in fiscal support and understated as a learning priority.
7:01:20
How can we expect our young people to effect positive change in society if they don't know how to advocate for their needs of their community?
7:01:27
We at GC believe that public service and civic engagement should be prioritized as cornerstones of the educational curriculum.
7:01:34
We believe that more can be done to ensure our youth are as prepared as possible for their adult lives.
7:01:39
Today, we are thrilled to present the work of one of our partners, Global Learning Collaborative, in council member Brewer's district.
7:01:46
Social studies teacher, Martin Glouster, and high school students, Janaeva Torre, Alex Torres, Laurens Rodriguez, Lauren Manka, and Soledi Marte will share issues and concerns that emerged from their implementation of GC's curriculum this year in relation to the proposed budget cuts.
7:02:04
Thank you for the opportunity to testify and for your continued support.
7:02:07
I will now pass it over to Martin Gloster.