LIC Working Group

What is the District 30 Working Group?

The Long Island City (LIC) Community is growing. New residents, restaurants, and real estate mix with the community’s longtime residents and its industrial and artistic roots. New elementary school capacity has and will be opening in the LIC area, creating questions about how to best utilize these new school buildings.

The New York City Department of Education (DOE) Office of District Planning (ODP) hired the Center for Public Research and Leadership (CPRL) at Columbia University to facilitate a Working Group that will engage the community and generate recommendations to the DOE and community stakeholders about how to address elementary school capacity in Long Island City and issues related to overcrowding and equity.

The District 30 Working Group will use a variety of outreach strategies to engage a diverse cross-section of community members in the LIC area about how to address these issues.

Between now and the end of May 2022, the Working Group will:

Share information about the Working Group with members of the community
Talk with families, teachers, and others to gather ideas for addressing school capacity issues
Send surveys to collect opinions about possible recommendations
Attend meetings to discuss community recommendations
Submit recommendations to the NYC Department of Education

Who is on the District 30 Working Group?

The Working Group members are family members, caregivers, school employees, community leaders and community representatives, nominated by District 30 leadership and principals, the District 30 Community Education Council (CEC) members, and ODP.

Working Group members know and work with Long Island City families, teach and lead schools, and live in the Long Island City community. They also have knowledge of school assignment processes, of local efforts and organizations, and of creating equitable and inclusive spaces. The Working Group is supported by facilitators from CPRL. The Working Group has regular members and advisory members.

Regular Members

Alphabetized by first name

Annawa Naing, Teacher at PS/IS 78
Chris Hanway, Executive Director of the Jacob Riis Neighborhood Settlement
Cindy Saleh, PTA President at PS 76
Danielle LoPresti Lee, PTA President at PS 384
Evie Hantzopoulos, Executive Director of the Queens Botanical Garden
Janet Lee, Parent in LIC
Kelly Craig, PTA President at PS/IS 78
Lorenzo Brea, Organizer, Western Queens Community Land Trust
Maria Paola Carrasquillo, Parent Coordinator at PS 384
Michael Estrella, Teacher at PS 111
Phoebe Maye, Urban Unbound
Rachel Berman, Parks & Recreation Committee Chair of the Court Square Civic Association
Rosalyn Henderson, Queensbridge Community Member
Veronica Franklin, SEL Behavior Specialist and Art Liaison at PS76
Yohara Morgan, PTA President at PS 111

Advisory Members

The working group is supported by a set of advisory members who have special knowledge and skills related to elementary school assignment processes.

Dr. Philip Composto, District 30 Superintendent
NYC Department of Education, Office of District Planning:

Jai Griem, Director of Queens Planning
Reba Lichtenstein, Senior Associate Director of Queens Planning

Zoning Committee Co-Chairs, District 30 Community Education Council:

Esther Verhalle
Michelle Moore

Facilitators

The Center for Public Research and Leadership (CPRL) at Columbia University will help organize the Working Group, facilitate meetings, and create materials that members will use to engage the community.

How can you be involved in this process?

The Working Group wants to meet with members of the Long Island City community. In collaboration with CPRL, the working group is planning a range of opportunities designed to help you learn more about the issues, share your ideas, and provide feedback.