A new web site promises "Direct Democracy in Action" for parents

A West Village father is promoting a new web site he says will help working parents transport their thoughts on the public school system to elected officials. Eric Zerof says he built the site, called the Daily Hornet, after repeatedly finding himself with opinions to share, but no time to voice them at public hearings.

The site, promoted at a District 2 parents meeting last night, promises “Direct Democracy in Action,” and it focuses on topics close to Zerof’s heart. His wife, Ann Kjellberg, is closely aligned with Class Size Matters, and in turn one of the first issues the site is taking up is school crowding. The site’s goal is to collect parent opinions through surveys, and then send the survey results to city and state lawmakers.

“A lot of people I talk to are frustrated by the process, but they’re also very busy parents who don’t necessarily have time to [attend] all these meetings,” Zerof told me after he launched the site earlier this month. “So I’m trying to make it so that they don’t have to go to all these meetings to be heard, but can just go on the site.”

One note: The Daily Hornet links to GothamSchools reports, but we’re unaffiliated.