The Hits (on WalBloom) Keep on Comin': Fed Up Brownsville Parents Set to March on Chancellor’s Town Hall Meeting

I'm about to head over to Washington Sq Park  for the support general strike rally in Oakland rally before heading up the GEM Change the Stakes committee meeting. See a good post by Mike Klonsky on the Oakland situation. Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog.

But here is another interesting event going on today on Brownsville as more and more communities rise up to battle the ed deformers. I'll tell you later about the large crowd that turned out Tuesday afternoon for a meeting to organize in North and West Brooklyn. Now, if we can link all these movements we'll be in business. We have enough experience now with the DOE's "closing school game to make way for charters" to provide more assistance to schools in this situation so look for a somewhat stronger fight back this year. (The UFT's response of a few fizzled rallies followed by a flimsy law suit is hopefully a thing of the past - unless they still try to push a strategy that has resulted in almost 100% losses - but then again they still tell teachers that the only way to fight is through a grievance even though they lose almost a hundred per cent of those.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 2, 2011

Contact:         Evan Thies (Brooklyn Strategies), 917 715 9265 – evan@brooklynstrategies.com

Fed Up Brownsville Parents Set to March on Chancellor’s Town Hall Meeting Following School Cuts, Fatal Shooting Outside PS 298

Shooting Final Straw for Parents After DOE Cuts $1M From Nearby Schools and then Moves to Close Them

Fed up Brownsville parents will march to a protest tonight outside of Chancellor Walcott’s scheduled town hall meeting there in response to the City’s move to close three of their schools—one of which was across the street from a fatal shooting in October where a mother was killed and a student was shot in the face.  The Brooklyn schools – PS 298 and General D. Chappie James Elementary and Middle School (K631 and K634) – were placed on a list of 20 low performing elementary and middle schools in September, putting them at risk of closure.  But parents say the City has neglected the schools: cutting more than $1 million and staff from them over the past three years, and dooming students there to fail without new support.

Parents will also argue that the schools have large numbers of high-needs students (homeless, special education and lower income) that far exceed citywide averages, and so need extra support to succeed—yet the administration’s deep cuts have led to lost programs, classes and personnel.  Both schools have also undergone restructuring, but neither has been given the time or funding to deliver results.

Quick facts on PS 298:

·       School has experienced budget cuts of $564,736 over the past 3 years

·       84% of students are considered lower-income (free/reduced price lunch eligible), compared to 74% citywide

·       21% of students are in special education, compared to 14% citywide

·       8% of students at the school are homeless, double the citywide average of 4%

Quick facts on Chappie Elementary:

·       School has experienced budget cuts of $442,530 over the past 3 years

·       90% of students are considered lower-income (free/reduced price lunch eligible), compared to 74% citywide

·       10% of students at the school are homeless, double the citywide average of 4%

WHEN:           Wednesday, November 2^nd – between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM

WHERE:         5:00 PM – Parents meet in front of PS 298 and Chappie, march to Walcott event at PS 156

(PS 298 located at 85 Watkins St.; Chappie Elementary located at 76 Riverdale Ave.)

5:30 PM – Parents rally in front of Walcott event at PS 156 (104 Sutter Ave.)

WHO:             Dozens of parents and students angry with DOE move to close schools; public education advocates.

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