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Here at Gotham Schools, James Eterno and I established that the statistics used as a basis for the closure of Jamaica High School were false. Though the corrected statistics were available to Tweed, the deputy chancellor chose to broadcast the false statistics as a prelude to the public hearing, after which he and his department saw fit to ignore absolutely every speaker who rose to comment.

Considering that, it’s entirely possible that Tweed is equally incorrect in its analysis of other schools slated for closure. While compliance with the law is as vital as you say it is, some attention ought also to be given to this even more basic point.

This policy, devised by an arrogant, incompetent, unqualified lawyer masquerading as an educator, is wrong and has always been wrong especially in the case of the large high schools. The large high schools provided more than just an education, they provided the ability to offer an assortment of different courses. If you have 800 students in your senior class and 3% wish to take AP calculus, that’s 24 kids, enough for a class. If you have 50 kids in your senior class, the same 3% represents 1.5 students, not enough for a class. Thus the smnall schools deprive kids of the opportunities to take different courses. It also deprives kids of the many varied extra curricular activities the large high schools provided. From a teacher view point, it disrupts the abilities to provide true subject area specialists in each different subject area to properly work with and train teachers in a particular subject area. How can a Principal, even if qualified and I question the qualificiatons of many of the Klein Principals as educational leaders, is competent say in English, how can such a person properly supervise a math class? The most important thing in secondary education is mastery of subject matter. A teacher can be a wonderful, warm, caring human being but if the mathematics being taught is incorrect or not being taught on the proper level, the kids are ultimately cheated.

Unfortunately, this incompetent has already destroyed the Brooklyn High Schools and the great traditions many of them represented. And all that’s happened is that these new schools have not chosen the few trouble makers who bring schools down. So what happens? Of course the trouble makers go to the remaining schools and ultimately cause them to fail. I was very distressed to read a State Education Report indicating schools such as Sheepshead Bay, FDR, Dewey and even Murrow are schools needing remediation of some sort. Of course, it has nothing to do with the closings at Erasmus, Wingate, South Shore, Tilden, Canarsie, Bushwick and Jefferson. But instead of working to rid these schools of the few trouble makers, they became dumping grounds for the kids that other schools knew would bring their statistics down. Everybody knows that. Everybody that is except the current incompetent running the New York City schools. An educator in a position clearly that should be occupied by an educator would understand that.

Like I said, unfortunately right now it’s too late. Klein has done his damage and the editorial writers eat up his kool aid. But the day is coming, mark my words because whatever goes around, comes around that somebody will look at the South Shore campus say and figure out the duplication of having four or five different schools in one building with separate Principals, programs and whatever and figure out that by combining the different schools, a better way to give students all they need can be provided. Mr. Klein, for the sake of the kids you claim you are fighting for, do the decent thing and get out.

“That the identified schools, hobbled by instructional incompetence or supervisory negligence, will continue to maltreat students is equally appalling.”

Mr. Bloomfield – have you ever visited our classrooms (Columbus HS) or met Principal Fuentes? Your statement indicates that you have not. Maybe you should read the quality reviews for our school, which have commended us (faculty and administration) for our work with students who have tremendous needs, providing them with “targeted and caring support according to their needs to achieve success.” The reviewer, who spent real time with our teachers, administration and students both in and out of the classroom complimented our work.

It seems that these reviews, along with so much else, have been ignored. No one from the DoE came in to visit our classes, discuss our work or help us to better meet the needs of our students. They just announced our closure.

It is in the best interests of the children of our city that we take a genuine look at our schools and as educators together establish how we can improve outcomes, and as you phrased it, engage in “the less dramatic work of instructional success.” And thank you, Judge Lobis, for giving us this opportunity!

March 26th was a day that I will never forget. It was the day that our legal system told Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein that they can not do what they want without checks and balances. One of our greatest mistakes was giving mayoral control to a business man/mayor. The second mistake was allowing Bloomberg a third term. It is ironic, as a type this email, the news reports that NYC schools are listed 15th out of the 16 schools that are competting for The Race to the Top grant money. Money and control are top on his agenda. The mayor and chancellor have a huge budget for desk, computers, office supplies, etc. Where do they children fit into this huge budget? The Mayor’s agenda has been derailed by the judge who ruled the PEP’s decision null and void. Bloomberg and Klein wanted to close our 19 schools to reach the 200 charters they want to create. What will he do now? Maybe visit the 19 schools and help us, provide us with the resources needed to help our students, etc. It wll be very interesting to see what will happen when we return to school on the 7th of April. I’ll keep you posted on events at my school.

Cicili, trust not the DoE nor the two educational distorters to do right by the schools that they have shortchanged for such a long time. They will attempt to fabricate a more airtight case for arguing for the closure of the infamous 19. Nevertheless, due diligence and doing what is right can be such a detailed process that there will be plenty of haggling and manipulation in the upcoming battle.

Remember, the signs of the DoE and their “Final Solution” for these institutions were underway before the PEP meetings and protests were the fact that they were sending HR people to the buildings within 3-6 days of the very public fanfare where the Bloom und Klein INC announced how they were closing these failing schools.

It is like expecting some classic cons with long rapsheets and history of crime, to trust them with someone’s grandma’s gold savings.

They will try again and some schools might not have much fighting ground left especially if they have been discredited and deemed as failure in public.

At most, some buildings will get a 1 year reprieve and the closure procedure might be shifted to 2010-2011 plans.