Stringer: Some pre-K contracts have ‘significant problems’

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Eliza Shapiro

Comptroller Scott Stringer has received and reviewed only about 30 percent of the city's pre-K contracts with community-based organization with just over a week until the first day of school, and has already uncovered "significant problems," his office said Wednesday.

One contract reviewed by Stringer's office included a former employee who was charged with conspiracy to commit child pornography, while another failed to have its employees screened with a state child abuse registry six times. The administration has addressed these issues, Stringer said.

The de Blasio administration has approved about 500 contracts for pre-K instruction at C.B.O.s in the last several months through the Department of Education's Panel for Educational Policy. Stringer said his office has only been able to review 141 of those contracts due to late delivery from the administration, and has only registered 94.

The comptroller's office reviews all city contracts for financial soundness, corruption and fraud before the contracts are officially registered. The programs can begin before the contracts are reviewed and registered.

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/city-hall/2014/08/8551528/stringer-some-pre-k-contracts-have-significant-problems

[hrmjustin]

1. ‘It’s Not News': de Blasio Administration Dismisses Stringer Pre-K Analysis

Ross Barkan

A pack of administration officials and allied pols joined Mayor Bill de Blasio today to aggressively dismiss a scathing analysis of the mayor’s prekindergarten program.

Mr. de Blasio, along with prominent administration and elected officials like Public Advocate Letitia James and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, took turns rejecting the entire premise of Comptroller Scott Stringer’s analysis, which tarred the mayor’s Department of Education for not submitting for review more than 70 percent of the city’s contracts with pre-K providers.



Read more at http://observer.com/2014/08/its-not-news-de-blasio-administration-dismisses-stringer-audit/#ixzz3Bimnyhb5
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2. Scott Stringer: ‘I Don’t Work For This Mayor’

Jillian Jorgensen

Even as other elected officials rallied around Mayor Bill de Blasio, Comptroller Scott Stringer continued to criticize the mayor for failing to hand over universal prekindergarten contracts for review — and vowed to go it alone in holding the administration accountable if necessary.

“Sometimes it’s going to be lonely. Sometimes the establishment is going to criticize me. I understand that. I knew that when I ran for this office. And I said the following: I will work with the administration, and believe me I have, but I will also be fiercely independent. I am not going to back down or shrink from my charter-mandated responsibilities,” Mr. Stringer told the Observer during a press conference in his offices Thursday.



Read more at http://observer.com/2014/08/scott-stringer-i-dont-work-for-this-mayor/#ixzz3BinHaXdt
Follow us: @newyorkobserver on Twitter | newyorkobserver on Facebook

[hrmjustin]

3. editorial: Pre-K programs must be fully vetted by city

http://www.silive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/08/pre-k_programs_must_be_fully_v.html#incart_river