Parents Sue SUNY Over Charter Authorization

We are suing SUNY Charter School authorizers and the NYC DOE! The deadline to sign on to the lawsuit is SUNDAY! Please email williamsburggreenpointschools@gmail.com to get a copy of the Retainer form.

Here's the info:

WAGPOPS! parents are officially launching a lawsuit against the NYC DOE and SUNY regarding their approval of Citizens of the World Charter Schools for District 14 (Williamsburg, Greenpoint, parts of Bushwick and Bed Stuy). WAGPOPS! (Williamsburg and Greenpoint Parents: Our Public Schools!) is a grassroots of parents and community members across the district coming together to support our neighborhood public schools. WAGPOPS! believes in pressing the State Department of Education and the NYC DOE to support reforms that work for all of our schools, like small class size, funding arts, sports and after-school programs, expanding early childhood education, promoting policies that encourage parent engagement in our schools, and ending high stakes testing (at the bare minimum allowing parents to Opt Out with out punishing schools and teachers).

We believe that SUNY and the NYC DOE neglected the law when they disregarded evidence of the negative impact on our district when they approved Citizens of the World Charter Schools. The creation of new schools, including charter schools, is a part of city planning, and the impact on a district of any new school must be considered very seriously. District 14 elementary schools are profoundly under-enrolled (for example, PS110 must enroll 8 more students by 10/31 or give back $50K). Given the target demographics in Citizens of the World proposals, the presence of these schools, in particular, will reverse the trend towards de-segregating our neighborhood elementary schools and ensure that our segregated elementary schools remain segregated.

Please consider signing on to our lawsuit. Our neighborhood schools need all of our support. And see if you can get others to sign on too.

We need parents to fill out this retainer and fax it to: 646-349-2986 (Fax)

The DEADLINE IS SUNDAY!!!!

This lawsuit is designed to stop the Citizens of the World Charter Schools from opening in D14

PLEASE GET MORE PEOPLE TO SIGN ON TO THE LAWSUIT!!! We're aiming for the hundreds.

If you don't have access to a fax, PLEASE let me know so that I can get the retainer(s) from you.

Here's some information. WAGPOPS! is available to answer any question you may have as well.

- EACH parent fills out their own retainer (mothers and fathers can sign one separately)
- Only parents living in D14 can sign on. You CAN sign on if your child is not yet in school, is homeschooled, is in private school, or is in school out of district, as long as you live in D14.
- OR if you don't live in D14, but have a child in school in D14, you can sign on.
- PLEASE print your name and information clearly
- There is no charge for this suit. The lawyers are working for us pro bono. a They will be hosting a fundraiser separately. but there is no obligation to participate.

ALSO, the next WAGPOPS! (Williamsburg and Greenpoint Parents: Our Public Schools! meeting is on Monday, November 5th at 6:00pm in EST at Beacon Leadership Center at MS50 (183 South 3rd Street between Driggs and Roebling).

You can find out more about WAGPOPS! , "like" us at: http://www.facebook.com/WilliamsburgGreenpointParents

Here's a copy of the OpEd that gives background to these schools: http://thewgnews.com/2012/09/the-demise-of-public-education-mr-mrs-moskowitz-push-more-charters-on-williamburg/

THANKS SO MUCH!