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moving day

December 16, 2009

Following protests, panel meeting is moved to Brooklyn Tech

by Anna Phillips, at 1:01 pm

A meeting to determine the fate of schools marked for closure is being moved from Staten Island to Brooklyn after parents and teachers protested that some would have to travel over two hours to attend.

The Panel for Educational Policy meeting, where members will vote on the Department of Education’s proposals to close 20 schools, will be held at Brooklyn Technical High School at the same date and time. The majority of the panel’s members are appointed by the mayor, and have never voted down any of the department’s proposals.

“In response to concerns about the location of the January panel meeting, the DOE has decided to hold the meeting at Brooklyn Tech and we will reschedule a meeting in Staten Island at a later date,” said DOE spokeswoman Ann Forte.

Originally planned to be held at the Michael J. Petrides School in Staten Island, the January 26 meeting is expected to be a showdown between those who believe their schools have been unjustly labeled “failing” and the DOE employees tasked with defending those decisions.

It was also going to be a trek. The majority of the schools slated for closure are in the Bronx, which is over two hours and multiple subway and bus transfers away from Staten Island, where no schools are being closed. Some critics questioned whether the department had picked the location for its inaccessibility in hopes of limiting public protest.

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  • http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com Patrick J. Sullivan

    Regarding “the DOE employees tasked with defending those decisions”, we should remember that the Regents have recommended the closure strategies including the close-and-replace-with-charter approach. Also, State Ed is responsible for the tests being used to determine which schools are being closed. It would be nice for the Regents and SED to join the meeting as observers or even participants.

  • http://www.capeducation.blogspot.com Concerned Advocate

    It should also be noted there is another very important and greatly opposed issue slated for that meeting: the extension of a charter school, PAVE Academy, and its co-location site w/ AAA community public school, PS 15. This extension comes after a promise and agreement was made to the community that the co-location would only exist for two years. In addition, the EIS released to support this extension is faulty and ignores the significant negative impact PAVE has had on PS 15 and will continue to have. PAVE asked for two-three more years and the DOE has granted them until at least 2015. This is a deliberate action to set a precedent as to the DOE’s power in forcing charters upon communities and secondly, it is a deliberate action to undermine the quality public education students receive at PS 15. Parents and teachers are strongly advocating for PEP members to vote no or abstain on this vote. We ask for the public’s support in our efforts to save our successful and beloved community public school, PS 15, The Patrick F. Daly School.

  • Christine Quinn said it …

    “This cannot be today the last opportunity the public has to make their voice heard,” Quinn said.

    She is talking about the MTA. When will she say this for about all the DOE?PEP meetingns that happen in other boroughs away from the school community they are voting about!?

  • http://www.sinksalive.blogspot.com KitchenSink

    Has everyone forgotten that Mulgrew is from Staten Island? I thought that was the reason for holding the hearing there.

  • http://www.nahsword.blogspot.com Nahisha McCoy

    They wanted to hold that meeting in S. I. so that the ppl in the R. H. community couldn’t come out and voice their concerns ova the illegal tactics that the DOE and our Mayor is using to force Charter Schools into a community. Don’t be fooled ppl… Charter schools were only supposed to go into schools that was failing academically however that is not what’s happening in Red Hook. We have a Triple A school being illegally forced out by a Charter school with no educational background. The ppl running this school do not having any experience in running or controlling a school but our DOE and Mayor wants them to teach our children… What a joke? No offense to anyone but education starts at home, travels through school and ends with home…Let’s take responsibility for our children. For all of our children. I dear all parents to stop and take fives minutes to go into your child’s charter school without making an appointment and tell me what you see?

  • http://www.mainstreetfair.com Funding Option

    What is closing schools going to achieve? Besides students being discouraged and end up dropping out because of the fact that their commute or walk to school will be longer, especially in the NY snow. The schools are being closed to save money, but is the board going to increase transportation? I am almost certain that they are not! So now our kids will have to walk longer to get to school and the new schools that they will be attending will be crowded. Less schools+more students=poor education. The cuts are very unfortunate but what are the politicians doing about limiting them? Increasing taxes, this is not the option and selling candy isn’t either. What we need to do is find different ways to help since the politicians and administrators are not interested or they just don’t care. I am not suggesting that we write a check because I am certain that the economy has hit everyone equally. However, what I am suggesting is that we use http://www.mainstreetfair.com this website will donate to a school of your choice. This is an online auctions website that donates once items that you list for sale on their site sells.

  • Donte Labs

    Twitter are 100% the way to go

  • DOE = I am convinced

    DOE = Dept. of Evil

    No community voice, No parent voice, No Student voice, No School Staff voice

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