Last year, Stephanie Pierce was active on the traffic and safety committee at PS 8, where her daughter attends school. She took her involvement a step further this year by applying for, and getting, a seat on the District 10 Community Education Council, one of 34 community and citywide councils intended to improve upon the old school boards. Pierce believes that increased parental participation in schools is vital for policymaking, and hopes that the new councils will facilitate it. 

But just what policies she and her 10 fellow representatives will be influencing, she says, haven’t been adequately explained. "I am totally confused," she says. "They’re overwhelming me with papers, and I just want to wait and see." 

Like other representatives, Pierce has yet to attend training sessions, which will be held next month. But her initial confusion is shared by many concerned council members, parents and teachers, experienced and otherwise, who are facing a package of sweeping changes in the way the schools work.

In that light, the Norwood News has assembled a basic guide to help our readers make some sense out of the overhaul and discover how they can use the schools’ new services. 

Education Councils
A network of 32 community education councils, one for each school district, has replaced the original school boards. The new system brings some relief to many who considered the boards ineffectual or corrupt and aims to involve parents more closely in decision-making. District 10 encompasses Norwood, Bedford Park, University Heights and North Fordham; Districts 9 and 10 together comprise Region One. 

Eleven voting members sit on each council, including nine public school parents elected by parent association members and two appointees of the borough president (who must reside or operate a business within the district). A high school senior who lives in the district and is recognized as a student leader acts as a non-voting 12th member. Most councils have not yet elected a student representative. 

Meetings of the District 10 Community Education Council are open to the public and will be held on the third Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. Department of Education representatives will preside over the meetings until the members elect officers. 

According to the DOE, community education council members contribute to designing educational policy, evaluate community and local instructional superintendents, and approve zoning lines. More generally, they act as liaisons between the school system and the community’s needs. 

The council structure also includes two citywide education councils, one emphasizing special education and another representing the specific needs of high schools.

For information on the community education councils, contact Elba Velez, head of parent support for CSD 10, at (718) 741-5835.

Learning Support Centers
Parents seeking more information on what the school system has to offer are directed to the Learning Support Center for Region One on the eighth floor of One Fordham Plaza. Resources on substance abuse, youth leadership opportunities, health, safety and other pertinent issues are available. The Learning Support Center houses the director of Student Placement, Youth and Family Services, Bruce Irushalmi; the offices of Elba Velez; and Supervisor of Parent Support Maria Flores. 

The Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The general number is (718) 741-7090.

Local Instructional Superintendents
Each Local Instructional Superintendent (LIS) is responsible for a cluster of schools within the region. Below is an updated list of contact information for local 
superintendents in Region One and the schools they serve in the Norwood News 
readership area.

Kathy Pollina
John F. Kennedy High School
(718) 741-7822

Bonnie Roberts
PS 95, PS 20
(718) 741-2797

Frank Paliotta
PS 51
(718) 741-7060

David Parker
PS 340, PS 246, MS 143
(718) 741-7076

Gail Davis
PS 280, PS 94, PS 56, PS 46, PS 8, IS 254, PS 54, MS 80
(718) 741-7823

Kathy Tuttle
MS 45
(718) 741-7698

Joel DiBartolomeo
Walton High School, Bronx High School of Science
(718) 741-7092

Charlene Jordan
DeWitt Clinton High School, High School of Music at Clinton, High School of American 
Studies at Lehman College
(718) 741-7072

Dolores Ruales
PS 15, PS 33, PS 291, IS 206, MS 399
(718) 741-7056

Parent Coordinators 
Each school in Region One uses the skills of a Parent Coordinator to confront any 
concerns that parents may have, including non-academic problems such as housing or legal issues within the family that prevent students from performing to the best of their ability. The following is an updated list of parent coordinators for Region One schools and their contact information. (Positions at some schools are in the process of being filled and contacts are not yet available.)

PS 8 – Juanita Marte – (347) 563-4828
PS/MS 15 – Eddie Rosado
PS 33 – Denise Ledesman – (347) 563-4842
PS 46 – Grisette Mendez – (347) 563-4817
PS 51 – Marcela Torres – (347) 563-4833
PS 54 – Carmen Aleman – (347) 563-4826
PS 56 – Carmen Garcia – (347) 563-5011
PS 94 – Miriam Seminario – (347) 563-4772
PS/MS 95 – Delis DeLeon – (347) 563-4786
PS 246 – Eleanor Rios – (347) 563-4844
PS 291 – Johnny Ortiz – (347) 563-4845
PS 340 – Michelle Almengor – (347) 563-4792
MS 45 – Ana Vazquez – (347) 563-4823
MS 80 – Angela Roker – (347) 563-4779
MS 143 – Nancy Acosta – (347) 563-4787
MS 206 – Tracey Moret – (347) 563-4794
MS 254 – Norma Quinones – (347) 563-4808
MS 399 – Tamara Rosado – (347) 563-4782
DeWitt Clinton HS – Gertrude Lane – (718) 543-1000, ext. 1993

Regional Superintendent
Irma Zardoya, formerly District 10 superintendent, was made superintendent for Region One last year. Her office is located in One Fordham Plaza and can be reached by calling the general number for the Learning Support Center. 

Additional details about the organization of the DOE are accessible on the Department’s Web site at www.nycenet.edu