(JAMAICA, NY)–On Monday, Congressman Gregory W. Meeks, hosted a dialogue with the Department of Education Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein, which was attended by more than 250 clergy, community and civic leaders, parents, education advocates, business leaders, and elected officials from southeast Queens. Chancellor Klein outlined the main achievements and remaining problems associated with education reform in New York City. Local elected leaders in attendance included New York State Senators Malcolm Smith, and Shirley Huntley, as well as Assembly Members Barbara Clark, Vivian Cook, and Michelle Titus.

After discussing higher graduation rates, raising teacher salaries, the new system of grading school performance, the increased choices parents now have in regard to which schools their children attend, and improved student performance on city and state tests, Chancellor Klein noted that under mayoral control the Department of Education has succeeded in redirecting over $230 million to the schools. "Money spent in the schools yields the best results," he said.

The Chancellor also emphasized that while achievements should be celebrated,"we must also be vigilant." "We have made progress," he said, "but there are many problems to overcome." He singled out the fact that "53 years after the Brown decision, New York City still has a racial achievement gap that must be overcome."He noted that a recent study found that 140,000 of the city's young people mainly young Black males were "disconnected" from the education system and the job market. He called on all New Yorkers to "come together to make sure a New York City high school diploma means something to academic institutions and to employers." He said, "this requires meaningful testing, raising standards, ensuring that every decision prioritizes students, and continually hiring the highest quality teachers, guidance counselors, and principals."

A vigorous exchange followed the Chancellor's presentation. Participants raised a wide range of issues, including the current high dropout rate among African American males, the need for reduced class size, and the feeling of alienation and marginalization manyparents experience who want to be involved in their child's school. Others wanted to know what comes next now that schools have been graded. Concerns were also voiced about the slow pace of resolving allegations against educators and administrators who have been reassigned.

Congressman Meeks called the meeting a useful step, "but just a step in the process of mobilizing parents, clergy, community leaders, teachers, administrators, students, the media, and elected officials around the challenge of renovating the New York City public education system." Meeks said, "I hope to facilitate follow up discussions and dialogues." "The Mayor and the Chancellor have launched an audacious undertaking," he continued. "It is incumbent upon everyone concerned about education to make sure they understand the latest wave of reforms. This meeting revealed a need to ensure that what is being undertaken is widely and well understood."

Meeks also said that the passions displayed in the question and answer portion reflects, "parents have a sense of urgency that their children must get the best quality education possible in order to compete in a global marketplace." He added that, "Today, and even more so, tomorrow, young people who dropout of high school are going to be left out. This is not good for those who drop out and become 'disconnected.' It's not good for communities, the city, or the country. Steps have to be taken to make sure that African American boys in particular are not left behind and that their graduation rates increase markedly."

"Today's dialogue expressed a great diversity of ideas and perceptions," stated Meeks. "It was a critical step in a process that, hopefully, will get us all on the same page. I, along with the Chancellor and my colleagues in government, clergy, parents and community leaders can take the information provided at today's meeting and work together to address the concerns raised in the context of a unified effort to build a better, stronger New York City public education system."

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