Brooklyn, NY — Council Member Susan Zhuang announced her sponsorship of Resolution 1019, calling on the Government and State Legislature to pass and sign S3065/A512, which would extend New York State’s Open Meeting law to New York City District Leadership Teams.
The move follows a concern earlier this year at P.S. 176 in Dyker Heights, where parents said information about asbestos exposure and unsafe school conditions were not fully disclosed.
Council Member Zhuang, the DOE, and District Superintendent met directly with parents but the Council Member joined parents in seeking clearer communication between schools and parents.
“As a public-school mom, when I sat with the parents at P.S. 176, I felt their fear and confusion. Myself, the district, and DOE provided information to parents to quell fear and empower them,” said Council Member Susan Zhuang.
“Every parent, in any district in our five boroughs, deserves transparent communication of their school district’s decision-making process. That is why I am sponsoring Reso 1019 and joining my colleagues to call for the Governor to extend the Open Meeting Law to District Leadership Teams.”
Currently, School Leadership Teams (SLTs) must operate under the Open Meeting Law, but DLTs — which are tasked with developing district-wide plans that shape resources and priorities for more than 900,000 public school students — are exempt.
Council Member Rita Joseph’s Resolution 1019 would close this loophole, guaranteeing families the right to attend, record, and participate in district-level decision-making.
By sponsoring this legislation, Council Member Zhuang is connecting the concerns of District 43 families directly to systemic reforms at City Hall and Albany, ensuring that what happened at P.S. 176 is not repeated in any school district.
