CC9 welcomes new superintendent

By Denáe Brewer
Editor-in-chief

Irma Zardoya, the woman tapped to be the first regional superintendent of Division 1 schools in the Bronx, was presented with flowers and a heartfelt welcome by parents in the Community Collaborative to Improve District 9 Schools [CC9] last week.

“We have a lot of faith in her [Ms. Zardoya],” said Frances Calderon, a member of CC9. Ms. Zardoya is currently the Superintendent of District 10, which is a lot like District 9, with overcrowded classrooms and an overabundant amount of children not meeting grade standards. “She knows the plight of our children,” Ms. Calderon continued, “she knows what areas are weak. We look forward to working closely with her to make improvements.”

Ms. Zardoya, Schools Chancellor Joel Klein and several representatives from the Department of Education held a town hall meeting of sorts to acquaint parents with the new “Children First” initiative set to go into effect next September.

“The time of finger pointing is over,” Mr. Klein said. “We’ve got to get everyone — parents, teachers, coaches and kids — all on the same page.”

Under the revamped system, which among other things will lead to a unification of teaching structure, there will also be a dismantling of school districts. As it stands, District 9 is comprised of 36 schools. One superintendent governs the schools’ day-to-day operations. The new plan is to create school clusters throughout the city — 10 to 12 schools in a particular area. These schools would report to a local instructional supervisor, who in turn reports to one of 10 regional superintendents.

Under the plan, District 9 and 10 would fall under the Division 1 umbrella, with Ms. Zardoya at the helm. The instructional supervisors have not yet been named.

As the decision as to which schools will be in what cluster reaches its final stages, CC9 wants to ensure their schools remain together.

“We’ve been told there’s no guarantee the schools we’re currently working with — P.S. 64, C.I.S. 166, C.E.S. 4, 28, 35, 53, 88, 90,and C.E.S. 73 and 126, both in Highbridge — will stay together,” said Ocynthia Williams, a CC9 member. “We just want Ms. Zardoya to keep us in mind when making a final decision.”

CC9’s primary mission is to improve the quality of education for children in the district. For the past two years, the group has advocated a four-point plan to make such improvements to various education officials.

The plan, which includes a structure for more parental involvement as well as a “checks and balances” system which will ensure all parties — teachers, parents, and children—meet and comply with the new code, is similar to the one Mayor Bloomberg rolled out last July when he assumed control of the public schools and its 1 million-plus pupils.

“I suppose great minds think alike,” said Ms. Williams. “This is exactly why CC9 wants their schools together. We are onto a good thing. It needs to continue.”