Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Amy Tsai, Parent Leader from Bronx Northwest Community School District 10
7:55:42
·
124 sec
Amy Tsai, a parent leader from Bronx Northwest Community School District 10, testified about the need for increased support for vulnerable students in New York City schools, particularly in light of ongoing challenges following the pandemic. She emphasized the importance of improving school climate and expanding mental health services.
- Tsai highlighted the needs of students with disabilities, immigrants, and those from low-income families
- She called for investments in mental health supports, restorative justice programs, and hiring of social workers and coordinators
- Tsai mentioned specific funding requests from the Dignity in Schools Coalition, including $80 million for hiring coordinators and $12 million for restorative justice programs
Amy Tsai
7:55:42
Thank you.
7:55:44
Good evening Chair Brennan and Chair Joseph.
7:55:48
Thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight.
7:55:51
It's been a long day, and I heard when I was in person and now I'm virtually.
7:55:56
So I'm taking my testimony, as a parent of New York City schools New York City School Students and a parent leader in The Bronx, specifically District 10 Northwest.
7:56:09
I want to touch on, how I am a member of the Arise Coalition from Advocates for Children as well as the member of the Dignity in Schools Coalition.
7:56:19
And I wanna be very specific about our most vulnerable students, especially students with disabilities, students who are immigrants to this country, students that are marginalized from society, and students that are in a low income and poverty.
7:56:34
Their safety, the welcoming in our schools are endangered by what our society is dealing is going through.
7:56:43
Just shortly of five years now, we have just come out of a pandemic, and our students are still so still not feeling comfortable in their schools.
7:56:53
School climate still needs to be an investment in expansion of mental health supports, programs around restorative justice, supportive around hiring social workers and coordinators for our most vulnerable in foster care, students that are going through the shelter system with their families, and especially our students who are new to this country and need the support because of the high alert around authority.
7:57:20
Dignity and Schools has shared their testimony earlier in regards to their ask, and they are asking $80,000,000, in order to expand over hiring for coordinators around 500 schools, 5 for 5,000,000 for mental health services, 12,000,000 for restorative justice programs
Justin Brannan
7:57:41
Your time has expired.
Amy Tsai
7:57:42
In our schools.
Henry Rubio
7:57:42
Thank you.
Amy Tsai
7:57:43
And I I appreciate the opportunity.
7:57:45
Thank you.