14 The Queens Courier • FEBRUARY 27, 2014 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com politics CITY COUNCIL PASSES PAID SICK LEAVE BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA [email protected]/@CristabelleT Mayor: UPK ‘Ready to Launch’ BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA [email protected] @CristabelleT A progress report released by Mayor Bill de Blasio shows the city has the capacity to implement his plan for universal pre-kindergarten starting this September -- if the funding is available. The report, “Ready to Launch,” found that though classroom space and quality programming is obtainable, securing funding for the plan remains the main challenge. “This is real, this is achievable, but this something we can’t do without sustained dedicated resources,” de Blasio said, announcing the report on Tuesday, February 25. In January, the mayor released his plan to provide free full-day pre-kindergarten for every 4-year-old in the city by increasing taxes on the wealthy. The mayor would need permission from Albany for the increase, and could face roadblocks from state lawmakers. At an average cost of $10,239 per child, 73,250 children would be eligible for full-day pre-kindergarten by the 2015-16 school year, beginning with 53,604 in September 2014. The city needs 21,000 seats to meet its goal for this fall, according to the mayor. Since it began asking for proposals and applications from schools and community based organizations, the Department of Education has received proposals for 29,000 seats. The proposals also offer detailed plans on curriculum and how the schools and organizations will identify, train and support teaching staff. “We already know demand from families for high quality, full-day pre-K is exceptionally high – and these numbers confirm that we are ready to deliver,” Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña said. “The number of sites and seats proposed far exceeds numbers from last year,” with a 93 percent jump in the number of fullday sites proposed compared to last year’s results, according to the report. In Queens, 113 sites were proposed in 2013. This year, there were 214. Queens rep will serve on PEP Borough President Melinda Katz has picked Deborah Dillingham of Forest Hills to serve on the city’s Panel for Educational Policy (PEP). The 13-member board, with representatives from each borough, votes to approve school policies, many which are controversial. Each borough president appoints one member to the PEP and the mayor appoints eight. Dillingham was president of District 28’s Community Education Council and served on the Queens Borough President’s Parent Advisory Committee, the District 28 Leadership Team and the Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Committee. The mom of three was also president of the Parent’s Association of P.S. 101. Dillingham replaces Queens Borough President Helen Marshall’s appointee, Dmytro Fedkowskyj, who battled against school closures and co-location plans under Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration. Fedkowskyj, of Middle Village, is mulling a run against incumbent State Senator Marge Markey. Director of Children and Youth Services appointed BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected]/@aaltamirano28 One local youth leader will soon be taking a new role in Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration, according to the nonprofit organization South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!), which is based in Elmhurst. Udai Tambar, SAYA!’s executive director, has been appointed by de Blasio to become the Director of Children and Youth Services. He will begin his new position on March 3. “We are very happy for Udai as he takes the next step in his professional career,” said Usha Saxena, board chair of SAYA!. “His contribution to SAYA! and our community cannot be measured. Having a person like Udai, whose background is steeped in strengthening youth, families and communities, is a boon for all New Yorkers.” SAYA! is a nonprofit organization which tries to create opportunities to allow low-income South Asian youth to reach their full potential. Tambar has served as executive director for the past four years and has doubled SAYA!’s budget, increased the number of staff and grown the number of program sites. Current SAYA! board member Susan Maher Singh will serve as the interim executive director until a full-time replacement is found. AVELLA CROSSES THE AISLE BY MELISA CHAN [email protected] @MelissaCourier State Senator Tony Avella is joining the New York State Senate’s Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), he announced this week. He will be the fifth member of the breakaway faction of Senate Democrats — led by Jeffrey Klein of the Bronx — who share majority control of the chamber with Republicans. “Under Senator Klein’s leadership, the IDC has developed a clear, progressive agenda for New York’s working families,” Avella said. “They have shown an ability to get big things done, without the dysfunction of years past.” The cross-aisle conference, formed in 2011, also includes Senators Diane Savino of Staten Island, David Valesky of Oneida and David Carlucci of Westchester. Avella, elected to the Senate in 2010 after two terms in the City Council, is also the only member from Queens. State Senator Malcolm Smith, of southeast Queens, joined the conference in December 2012 and helped the IDC and Republicans take leadership. Klein stripped Smith of his IDC membership, however, after his arrest last year on federal corruption charges. Klein said Avella’s public service experience makes him the “type of seasoned legislator who knows how to get things done.” “He will be a major asset in our fight to make New York more affordable for working families,” Klein said. The switch, however, is said to hurt Senate Democrats’ efforts to reclaim control in the chamber. Senate Democratic Conference spokesperson Mike Murphy said in a statement that it was “unfortunate that progressive policies continue to be stymied because of divisions created by senators who choose to empower Republicans.” Astoria Senator Mike Gianaris, the deputy minority leader, declined to comment. The move also upset some of the senator’s usual supporters. “It’s disloyal and it’s not fair to the people of the 11th Senate District who have worked very hard for Tony over the years,” said Democratic State Committeeman Matt Silverstein. “What he did was self-centered and disgraceful.” Avella is up for re-election this year. He dropped out of a contentious race for Queens borough president last year, citing “unfinished business in Albany” as a major factor to his decision. PHOTO COURTESY BOROUGH PRESIDENT MELINDA KATZ Deborah Dillingham The city council has approved a law that would grant thousands more workers the right to paid sick leave. It will be the first piece of legislation Mayor Bill de Blasio will sign into law. “From waitresses and dish washers to store clerks and car wash workers, New Yorkers across the five boroughs will finally have legal protection to a basic right that so many of us take for granted each day – and employers will benefit from a stronger and healthier workforce,” de Blasio said Wednesday, following the passage. In January, de Blasio and Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito announced the legislation, which will extend the right to paid sick leave to businesses with five or more employees. Under the law, about 500,000 more New Yorkers, 200,000 of whom do not currently have paid sick days, would have the right to them, the mayor said last month. The legislation expands on the New York City Earned Sick Time Act, enacted by the City Council in June. According to the act, beginning in April, businesses with 20 or more employees would be required to give at least five paid sick days per worker each year. Starting in October 2015, businesses with 15 or more workers would have to do the same. The new legislation would take effect for all business with five or more employees starting this April also. The law passed Wednesday also removes exemptions for the manufacturing sector, and adds grandparents, grandchildren and siblings to the definition of family members, and cut out legislative red tape that could have delayed paid sick leave.
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