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Q&A
Addressing early childhood education capacity challenges
2:05:14
·
173 sec
Council Member Gutiérrez raises concerns about reduced capacity in early childhood education, particularly in districts with long waiting lists and high utilization rates. Deputy Chancellor Hawkins provides a detailed response on the multifaceted approach to addressing these issues.
- Gutiérrez highlights capacity problems in certain districts, specifically mentioning District 24 in Queens
- Hawkins acknowledges the complex nature of the issue, citing financial and space limitations
- The DOE works with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on permit issues affecting contracted capacity
- Hawkins offers to provide Gutiérrez with detailed data on site capacity and enrollment levels in her district
Jennifer Gutiérrez
2:05:14
My second question is, and I agree with deputy chancellor on stabilizing the system, especially for early childhood education.
2:05:24
And I I know that, we're seeing we have seen reduced capacity in the last couple of years, but there are those districts where we're seeing really long waiting lists and higher utilization rates.
2:05:34
So curious, how we're addressing the capacity problem in those districts.
2:05:40
I know you mentioned earlier deputy chancellor operating under, like, an outdated contract.
2:05:44
I don't know if that's the sole reason, but would really love to know.
2:05:48
Because for me, District 24, which, I share in Queens, is is obviously one of those, like, one of those districts.
2:05:54
And then lastly, I wanted to ask a capital budget question.
2:06:02
I know that in my district particularly, a large percentage of the schools are not fully accessible.
2:06:08
I believe it's 71% based on a report by Advocates for Children, and I they're not present in the twenty twenty, twenty twenty four capital plan, so I'd like to know what the department is doing, I guess, citywide to address that moving forward in the next series of at least in the next five year capital plan.
2:06:26
And I think that's my time.
2:06:27
Thank you.
Daniel Weisberg
2:06:31
On the first question, council member, thank you.
2:06:33
Good to see you.
2:06:34
You're talking about MyCity or are you talking about MySchools?
Jennifer Gutiérrez
2:06:38
No.
2:06:39
MyCity.
2:06:39
So yeah.
2:06:40
Yeah.
2:06:40
Yeah.
2:06:40
A one stop shop, and it launched with,
Justin Brannan
2:06:42
you childcare.
Daniel Weisberg
2:06:43
Just wanted to clarify.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
2:06:45
No.
2:06:45
That's a good distinction.
Daniel Weisberg
2:06:46
Thank you.
2:06:47
I don't think I mean okay.
Simone Hawkins
2:06:51
Yeah.
2:06:51
So I wasn't aware of your concerns councilmember, so if you're comfortable I don't mind rounding back.
2:06:56
We don't We wouldn't
Jennifer Gutiérrez
2:06:57
be aware.
2:06:57
I made it to OTI and they were
Amanda Farías
2:06:59
like that's with DOE so that's why.
Rita Joseph
2:07:00
You
Simone Hawkins
2:07:00
don't have it, that's I appreciate No.
2:07:02
But we don't mind figuring that alongside you, and so if you I will round back and want to respect your time.
2:07:08
In regards to capacity, you have done a wonderful job educating me about kind of the dynamic nature of your specific district, And so, again multifaceted approach for a very multifaceted issue and so yes we are limited in some instances and just kind of ramping up, but it's also financial, it's also space wise, right?
2:07:29
Some spaces and some programs expand.
2:07:32
They don't have the physical capacity although that they have the desire to do so.
2:07:37
And so, we can modify within their seat capacity, we work really closely with them and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene because they are the issuers of their permits and that very much dictates the contracted capacity in which we can operate within.
2:07:51
We'll work closely to see what's possible and so again we've been having a few conversations with a few of the other council members that I know we haven't had the opportunity to do so, but I would love to sit with you and really give you a data dump of all of your sites, the capacity and enrollment levels and we can see what's possible.