Meeting with Mayor @BilldeBlasio at City Hall! @Chirlane @nycmayorsoffice #FLONYC #LetNYCDoIt

Thanks to my good friend, fellow blogger and co-founder of kidzvuz.com, Rebecca Levey, I was invited to be part of a parenting roundtable with the Mayor Bill de Blasio. Now there’s a conundrum, go to work or meet the Mayor on a subject near and dear to my heart public school education in New York City.

The topic on the docket, Universal Pre-K and after school programs for middle schoolers. Given my daughter will be entering middle school next year, I was curious to hear more about those after school programs especially since Universal Pre-K is what has been in the news of late. I was impressed with Mayor de Blasio’s thoughts on both programs. He did not really get into the details how they would be paid for although I think he is planning to tax those who salaries exceed $500,000.   I guess the question becomes taxing versus having the state pay for it. Well not that I want those to be taxed but Albany is filled with a bunch of idiots who will siphon that money for other things so in the end I have a feeling nothing is going to happen.

I found the roundtable discussion very informative and certainly the points that the bloggers brought up were thoughtful questions ranging from are after school programs mandatory and what about having nurse/medical on staff during those after hours. The answer, no after school programs are not mandatory and they would have to look into options to ensure kids with special needs had the medical staff on site. I appreciate that he was honest that it was something they would have to look into.

I know that while my daughter goes to a new York public school, I am lucky to live in a good neighborhood with a great public school and a PTA that raises monies for all those extras amenities other schools can’t afford. And I know that my daughter will go to college and will be ready to do so which is why Mayor De Blasio comment “There’s been some self-congratulation in the last few years about the schools here. And I don’t buy into it. One of four graduates (not counting those who drop out) are college ready.” was such a scary statistic, one in four.

After the roundtable, the Mayor and the first lady were gracious enough to have their photo taken with us and of course, I could not resit having my photo taken in front of the last two mayors both of which I have a love and hate relationship with.

City Hall is such a beautiful building and certainly was happy to get that close.

 

Have you ever been to the City Hall in your town?