NYC Public School Parents: Does the secret meeting of Steiner's waiver committee violate the state Open Meetings law?

NYC Public School Parents: Does the secret meeting of Steiner's waiver committee violate the state Open Meetings law?

Does the secret meeting of Steiner's waiver committee violate the state Open Meetings law?

by Leonie Haimson

The Times points out today that three members out of the eight appointed to a panel to advise Commissioner Steiner on whether to grant a waiver to Cathie Black to become NYC Schools Chancellor used to work for the DOE under Klein; several more are at institutions that receive city funds and/or have benefited from Bloomberg's personal largesse.

Even more troubling, the panel will meet in secret on Tuesday, showing that the rushed and closed process that has marred Black's selection from the beginning continues unabated.

Yet it seems apparent that the meeting of this committee should be subject to the NY State Open Meetings law. See here, from the NY Dept. of State FAQ on the law:

Who is covered by the Law?
The Open Meetings Law applies to "public bodies." That term is defined to include entities consisting of two or more people that conduct public business and perform a governmental