Author: Robert Creenan
Buffalo Common Council asked to adopt a resolution requesting City attorney explore launching lawsuit against Buffalo Public School District. Ongoing failure to provide vast majority of city students with sound basic education in violation of both state and federal laws cited. Complete takeover of school district as possible option to be considered.
The Buffalo Common Council kicked off its initiative to develop a new education agenda on June 19th. Education Committee Chair Demone Smith had this to say:
“It is Paramount that we develop an adopted educational agenda for the City of Buffalo. It will be a tool to measure success and gains. It will also be an instrument for a number of individuals to present to officials to accept or deny. The City has not been able to vocalize or submit a solid public policy on education. We are ready to begin the work to develop the framework where we can accomplish this goal.”
The Committee is accepting white papers and written testimonies about government policy that will help make decisions. They should all address long-term and short-term solutions.
The Committee will also be holding public hearings about several topics, including, parent/teacher engagement, academic curriculum, mentoring, financial sustainability, graduation rates and student achievement, suspension/restorative justice, creating schools in good standing and workable transfer policies, and neighborhood/community schools. They also look to bring in input of interest groups to create a strategic plan.
The first open-to-the-public forum on the matter will be on June 26th at 5:30 in the Common Council Chambers, with the main topics being how to eliminate failing schools, and parent school choice.
Buffalo Common Council – Proposed Resolution
PREAMBLE
Central to the economic, political and social well-being of the City of Buffalo is a high performing public school system. Given the dire conditions of the Buffalo Public School District, where nearly 27,000 school children continue to suffer and be irreparably harmed by enrollment in persistently low performing schools; and 46 out of 57 schools failing under State standards; the graduation rate hovering around 48%; and with structural financial deficits of the Buffalo Public School District likely to trigger sever cuts in education services in the next three years; and the duty of care owed the residents of the City of Buffalo by the elected officials of the City of Buffalo Common Council,
LET IT BE RESOLVED THAT
The Common Council of the City of Buffalo hereby request that the Office of the City of Buffalo Corporation Council explore, investigate, research and report back, within 45 days, to the President of the Common Council of the City of Buffalo on whether or not the City of Buffalo has standing and/or a good faith legal basis for filing a lawsuit in a court of competent jurisdiction on the behalf of either the City of Buffalo, or any of its officers, or a resident of the City of Buffalo, or an elector of the City of Buffalo, or a tax payer of the City of Buffalo, or the parent or guardian of a Buffalo Public School District student, or a student enrolled in the Buffalo Public School District alleging, inter alia,
(1) that the Buffalo Board of Education and/or New York State Department of Education has breach its mandated duty under New York State’s Constitution to provide a sound basic education to the students of the City of Buffalo, and/or
(2) that the Buffalo Board of Education and/or the New York State Department of Education has violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution by denying the vast majority of African-American and Hispanic students within the Buffalo Public School district access to schools in good standing as similarly situated white students in adjoining School Districts in Western New York, and/ or
(3) that the Buffalo Board of Education and the New York State Department of Education has violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by denying the vast majority of African-American and Hispanic students within the Buffalo Public School district access to schools in good standing as similarly situated white students in adjoining School Districts in Western New York, and/or
(4) any other or further causes of action that the Corporation Council may deem appropriate.
Lead image: Common Council Facebook page