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Parents press District 28 on iReady lawsuit and student data privacy; UFT and parents raise school facilities and bus safety concerns
Summary
At CEC 28 public comment, a parent urged the council to review iReady’s ongoing lawsuit and its use in district classrooms, asking about opt‑out options and data‑privacy safeguards; union and parents also reported broken AC units, long bus rides and staffing issues that affect student learning.
During the public‑comment portion of the April 16 CEC 28 meeting, parent leaders pressed district staff for clarity on EdTech use and school conditions.
Sasha Cruz urged the council to act on an ongoing lawsuit involving iReady, an assessment product some teachers use. "I Ready is being sued… they're selling our children's data," she said, and asked the council to consider a resolution, describe opt‑out procedures and identify alternatives for diagnostic assessments. District officers acknowledged the suit and said they would review where iReady is used and how families can opt out.
Elise Adrianna, a PEP representative, and Bruce Zia from the UFT asked the district to address operational issues raised during school visits: Zia reported that several schools have window AC units that are broken and costly to repair through DOE vendors, which leaves classrooms uncomfortably hot and impairs learning. "When they break, our schools have to pay to repair or replace them," he said, calling for a collaborative approach to a fix. Other speakers raised concerns about long bus rides and lack of on‑bus supervision in some routes, which principals and council members said they would pursue with the district and bus vendors.
Why it matters: Parents’ concerns about student data privacy and heavy reliance on commercial diagnostic tools could affect classroom practice and procurement choices; simultaneous facility and transportation problems have immediate effects on student safety and learning conditions.
Next steps: Council officers said they will follow up with district staff to identify where iReady is used, to clarify opt‑out steps and to bring facility and transportation issues to the appropriate DOE operational teams and vendor partners. The council also suggested drafting a resolution if community concern persists.
