Community Board 2 hosts CEC candidate forum; speakers decry low turnout, election problems and politicization

Community Board 2 convened a School of Education forum in April to discuss the upcoming Community Education Council (CEC) elections and barriers that organizers say are suppressing turnout and skewing results.

The meeting, chaired by Patricia Laria of Community Board 2, opened with what Laria described as “the topic for tonight's meeting is ... public school parents, leadership roles and how to get involved.” Parents, candidates and citywide council members used the forum to press for more outreach, to explain how to vote and to criticize recent conduct on CEC 2.

Why it matters: Community Education Councils advise New York City Public Schools leadership on district policy, zoning and superintendent evaluations. Council seats are unpaid; winners serve two‑year terms and the Panel for Educational Policy handles citywide votes on contracts, co‑locations and budgets. Speakers said poor turnout and administrative confusion mean a small, organized cohort can shape advisory policy for thousands of students.

At the meeting, several candidates and current CEC members described sharp partisan conflict on CEC 2. Aaron Karr, a District 2 parent and candidate, said a central concern motivating his run is conduct and representation on the council: “One of the things that I believe is that the student rep on the CEC council should have a vote.” Tamira Reed, who identified herself as a Citywide Council on Special Education member and a public‑advocate appointee, described long‑standing barriers for families seeking special‑education services and said CCSE work “is the light of my life.” Gavin, a current CEC 2 member,…