Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 12 p.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 3
Committee: Committee on Education
The Committee on Education, chaired by Council Member Eric Dinowitz, met to vote on Proposed Introduction 684-A, a local law requiring a study of how language access needs and geographic location affect access to early elementary gifted and talented programs. As described by the chair, the bill directs the Mayor's Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education, working with the Department of Education and community-based early childhood providers, to study barriers faced by families with limited English proficiency, review the City's translation, interpretation and outreach, break down disparities by language group, borough, community district and community school district, and make recommendations, with findings posted publicly within a year. The bill's sponsor spoke in support, and Council Members Brewer and Narcisse explained their aye votes. The roll call was held open, and the final vote was announced as 12 in the affirmative, none in the negative and no abstentions, adopting the item.
0:09 Oh oh good afternoon and
0:09 welcome to today's New York
0:13 City Council ward for
0:14 committee on education at this
0:16 electronic devices you have
0:22 chair you begin thank you
0:26 . Good afternoon everyone I'm
0:28 councilmember member Eric dana
0:29 wittes chair of the committee
0:30 on education um welcome and
0:32 thank you to my colleagues who
0:33 are present Council Member
0:36 hwang De Rosa Schulman Brewer
0:41 Louis Narcisse wang and
0:44 krishna today the committee is
0:45 and on zoom we have
0:47 councilmember Lee today the
0:49 committee is voting on
0:50 proposed introduction number 6
0:54 and 4 a four a sponsored by
0:55 council members weighing a
0:56 local law in relation to
0:58 requiring a study on how
0:59 language access needs and
1:02 geographic location affect
1:03 access to early elementary
1:05 gifted and talented programs
1:07 . Before enrolling a child in
1:09 kindergarten families must
1:12 know that early elementary
1:13 gifted and talented programs
1:15 exists understand how a child
1:17 be considered and navigate
1:20 application deadlines often in
1:21 a second or third language
1:23 whether a family gets through
1:25 those steps should not depend
1:26 on the language spoken at home
1:28 or the neighborhoods they live
1:30 in yet today the City cannot
1:31 tell us whether it does this
1:34 bill this bill seeks to change
1:37 that it requires the Mayor
1:38 office of child care and early
1:41 childhood education working
1:42 with the department of
1:43 education and community based
1:44 early childhood providers t
1:46 ostudy how language access
1:48 needs and geography affect
1:52 eligibility nomination and
1:53 enrollment in early elementary s
1:57 for kindergarten through third
1:59 grade.
1:59 The study has fou
2:01 rcomponents an evaluation of
2:02 the barriers families with
2:04 limited english proficiency
2:05 face at each step for first
2:07 hearing about these programs
2:09 to enrollment a review of the
2:12 translation interpretation and
2:12 outreach the City currently
2:14 conducts a breakdown of
2:15 disparities by language group
2:18 borough community district and
2:19 community school district and
2:22 recommendations aimed at
2:24 multilingual households and
2:24 underserved areas if passed
2:26 the findings must be publicly
2:27 posted within a year.
2:29 Recognizing and supporting
2:31 the diverse learning needs of
2:32 our children is critical t
2:35 oensuring a thriving and
2:36 successful school system
2:38 others disagree about the
2:40 importance of future of these
2:42 programs but every family
2:44 deserves an equal opportunity
2:46 to understand and navigate the
2:48 current process access to an
2:50 existing public school program
2:52 should not depend on families
2:54 zip code or how well a parent
2:55 speaks english
2:56 . This bill will give the cityt
2:58 omake that happen and I'm proud
3:00 to support it as a co sponsor
3:04 and I will now turn it t
3:05 ocouncil members waiting for
3:06 comments about her bill.
3:08 Thank you chair and thank
3:09 you to be the co sponsor of
3:12 the bill intro 604 today we
3:15 are asking I'm asking our
3:18 colleagues to support our
3:19 children and the families
3:20 across New York City entro 684 s
3:26 toward making sure every child
3:28 has a fair opportunity t
3:31 oaccess gifted and italian
3:32 education program as a ma'am
3:34 with kids in our city's public
3:37 schools I know how important
3:38 it is for families to have
3:40 access to those opportunities
3:42 but the two many families like
3:46 immigrant families low income
3:47 and the minority families face
3:49 barriers that can make these
3:52 opportunities filled out of
3:53 reach reach intro 684 helps us
3:56 better understand those gaps
3:58 like how language access
4:00 location effects who learn
4:02 about those programs and who
4:03 get in them passing into a 6
4:05 and 4 is critical today for
4:08 access and the equality for
4:10 all and better yet tomorrow we
4:12 are holding a press conference
4:13 in front of the department of
4:15 education to continue
4:17 advocating for increased
4:20 educational access for
4:22 children because every child
4:23 in New York City deserves a
4:25 fair shot at a great education u
4:29 councilman juan and thank you
4:30 to my staff and the education
4:32 committee staff senior counsel r
4:35 policy analyst chloe rivera a
4:37 policy analyst selena as well
4:39 as principal financial analyst
4:42 andrew julian lawlis and
4:42 senior financial analyst grace
4:45 amato I will now turn to the
4:45 clerk to call the roll thank
4:48 you ben jacobs committee clerk
4:49 committee on education this is
4:50 the roll call vote for intro
4:53 684 a
4:54 . Sure do you know what's a
4:56 vote yes councilmember lewis I
4:59 on all congratulations council
5:00 member councilman for Brewer.
5:03 I won't I am a supporter of
5:04 g and t even though that might
5:07 be a minority view but I am
5:08 very supportive so I vote aye
5:09 . Councilmember De La Rosa I
5:12 Council Member furious
5:18 councilmember Gutiérrez
5:19 Council Member Joseph council
5:24 member christian council
5:26 member Lee
5:26 . I thank you captain never
5:33 Narcisse but I and as a parent
5:35 go into the system too join
5:38 colleagues you did a good job
5:39 on that because I know had
5:41 four kids I have to go to the
5:42 system thank you councilman
5:46 for sheldon
5:46 . I vote aye and
5:48 congratulations to council
5:49 members.
5:50 Councilman bridger wayne I
5:53 approached and proud to vote
5:58 aye for one
5:59 . I will I the vote stands at
6:02 10 in the affirmative none of
6:03 the negatives and without
6:05 sections thanks we'll hold the
6:06 congratulations councilmember
6:32 . Sorry chair did you get me
6:34 for attendance I'm sorry
6:35 . Yeah I mentioned you but
6:36 I'll mention you again
6:38 councilmember Lee is still
6:41 congrats everyone continuing
9:59 the roll call vote for intro
10:01 604 a Council Member council
10:02 member Gutiérrez
10:04 . I chair and we're holding
10:07 open so continuing the roll
20:25 call vote for intro 6 84 a
20:28 Council Member Joseph thank
20:33 you the vote stands at 12 I
20:36 nthe affirmative none of the
20:36 negative with no abstentions
20:39 the items adopted vote here no y
20:57 . I would like to recognize
21:00 councilmember frias for
21:06 attendance
21:07 . Thank you Council Member
21:09 janowicz and carlos for is
21:10 this roll call vote for our
21:11 committee as well there there
21:20 is no longer unfortunately
21:21 there is no longer a quorum
21:24 thank you I thank you this
21:32 hearing