The Board of Education is the central governing body of
the New York City public school system. When the Board was first formed
in 1842, each city ward elected its own school commissioners, trustees,
and inspectors, two of whom sat on the central Board of Education. The
following timeline traces the changes in governance of the central Board
of Education from 1842 to the present, detailing how the Board has shifted
back and forth from the control of elected Board officials to mayoral
control and back and forth from local community to centralized control.
| 1842 |
First Board of Education for New York
City: 34 commissioners popularly elected, 2 from each of 17 wards
(later increased to 2 from each of 22 wards). Board of 5 trustees
popularly elected in each ward to appoint teachers and manage most
affairs of the schools; 2 inspectors elected in each ward to inspect
schools and certify teachers' qualifications. |
| 1853 |
Board of Education acquires schools of
the Public School Society. Board has 59 members: 44 commissioners
popularly elected (2 from each of 22 wards) and 15 members transferred
from the former board of the Public School Society for a transition
period until 1855. |
| 1855 |
Board has 44 members: 2 commissioners
from each ward. Ward trustees and inspectors as in 1842. |
| 1864 |
Board has 21 members: 3 commissioners
elected from each of 7 school districts. Districts contain from 2
to 7 wards to produce roughly equal number of pupils in each district.
Board of 5 trustees elected in each ward. Trustees retain major role
in appointing teachers and managing schools. Each school district
has 3 inspectors appointed by the mayor with responsibilities for
inspecting schools and certifying teachers' qualifications. |
| 1869 |
Board has 12 members, appointed by the
mayor to serve to the end of 1871. Ward trustees and inspectors continue,
locally elected. |
| 1871 |
Board of Education replaced by a municipal
Department of Public Instruction under direct authority of the mayor,
who appoints its 12 members. Ward trustees and inspectors also appointed
by the mayor. |
| 1873 |
Board of Education reestablished with
21 members appointed by the mayor, from each of 7 school districts;
5 ward trustees in each ward, appointed by the Board of Education;
3 inspectors in each school district, appointed by the mayor. |
| 1896 |
Ward trustees abolished. Most direct powers
of appointment and management of schools transferred to a board of
superintendents composed of professional educational managers. Board
of Education has 21 members appointed by the mayor; 5 inspectors in
each of 15 inspection districts also appointed by the mayor. |
| 1898 |
Consolidation of greater New York and
confederation of school boards. Borough school boards retain powers
of appointment and school management. New York City Board of Education
(21 members) is retained and becomes School Board for the Boroughs
of Manhattan and the Bronx, future appointments to be made by the
mayor. Brooklyn Board of Education (45 members) is retained and becomes
School Board for the Borough of Brooklyn, future appointments be made
by the mayor. School Board of the Borough of Queens (9 members) and
the School Board of the Borough of Richmond (9 members) also appointed
by the mayor. Board of Education of the City of New York ("Central
Board") comprises 19 representatives chosen by the borough boards
(11 from Manhattan and the Bronx, 6 from Brooklyn, 1 each from Queens
and Richmond). |
| 1901 |
Full powers transferred to citywide Board
of Education and superintendent of schools. Borough boards abolished.
Board has members appointed by the mayor (22 from Manhattan, 14 from
Brooklyn, 4 from the Bronx, 4 from Queens, 2 from Richmond); executive
committee has 15 members; 46 local school boards that are largely
advisory each have 7 members (5 appointed by the borough president,
1 each by the Board of Education on and the district superintendent). |
| 1917 |
Smaller Board of Education reflects trend
toward streamlining urban school systems. Board has 7 members appointed
by the mayor (2 from Manhattan and Brooklyn, 1 from each of the other
boroughs). |
| 1948 |
Board enlarged to reflect shift in the
population: 9 members appointed by the mayor (2 each from Manhattan,
the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, 1 from Richmond). |
| 1961 |
Former board removed during scandal; 9
members now appointed by the mayor from names submitted by a screening
panel. |
| 1968 |
Decentralization: board acquires authority
to delegate powers to local boards and expands to 13 members appointed
by the mayor; 25 local school boards appointed by the Board of Education
have 9 members each. |
| 1969 |
Further decentralization: community school
boards acquire powers of appointment and management in elementary
and junior high schools. Interim Board of Education has 5 members,
1 appointed by each borough president; 32 school districts each have
1 community school board with 9 members, to be popularly elected in
special school elections from 1970. |
| 1973 |
Expansion of central board to 7 members
(2 appointed by the mayor, 1 by each of the borough presidents). |
| 1996 |
[NYS Legislature gives the NYC Board of
Education Chancellor the right to hire and fire community school district
superintendents. The Legislature takes budgetary authority away from
community school boards.] |
|
Brooklyn’s Board of Education was an independent
body until it consolidated with the New York City Board of Education
in 1898. The following timeline traces the governance changes of
the Brooklyn’s Board of Education before consolidation.
The following text is an excerpt from The Encyclopedia
of New York City*.
|
| 1835 |
Separate school districts with citywide
control: 3 trustees in each school district appointed by the Brooklyn
Common Council, 3 citywide inspectors and 3 citywide commissioners
also appointed by the Common Council. |
| 1843 |
First Brooklyn Board of Education: 2 members
from each school district (initially numbering 14), appointed by the
Common Council. |
| 1850 |
Central Board of Education with substantial
powers of appointment and school management delegated to local committees.
Board has 33 members, least 1 from each school district, appointed
by the Common Council. Committees of the board formed for each school
with extensive powers of oversight. |
| 1854 |
Expansion reflects incorporation of Williamsburgh
and Bushwick. Board has 45 members, 13 from the new Eastern District,
appointed by the Common Council. |
| 1862 |
Mayor given power to appoint members,
subject to confirmation by the Common Council. |
| 1882 |
Mayor's appointments no longer subject
to approval by Common Council. |
| 1898 |
Consolidation of greater New York. Brooklyn
Board of Education becomes School Board of the Borough of Brooklyn. |
| Source: The Encyclopedia
of New York City. New York: Yale University Press, 1995. |
