Friday June 24: Students, Parents to Walk Out of Historic East Harlem School Demanding Removal of Principal

Community to Demand accountability from District 4 Superintendent

It was a pleasure hanging out with the parents and teachers of Central Park East 1 last night at dinner after the PEP meeting. The Farina assault on this school and the UFT turning its back says it all about what is going on. I will be putting up the videos of their comments, including charges of racism. The District 4 Supt looks to be another criminal supervisor put in power by Farina.

For Immediate Release:

Contact:
Kenya Dilday:

Kaliris Salas Ramirez:

Jennifer Roesch:  

 

More information at www.savecpe1.org

Students, Parents to Walk Out of Historic East Harlem School Demanding Removal of Principal

Community to Demand accountability from District 4 Superintendent

EAST HARLEM—Students will walk out of Central Park East 1 Friday morning to join a protest march calling for an end to the year-long attack on the school’s storied, progressive culture, its long-term teachers, children and families.

The children, from pre-k through fifth grade, will join their families and supporters in a march to the office of District 4 Superintendent Alexandra Estrella. The walk out and march is being organized to directly address Estrella for her role in decimating a school that pioneered progressive education in the city.

In the summer of 2015, Estrella appointed Monika Garg as the principal of CPE1. Garg quickly lost the trust of the majority of CPE1 families by antagonizing long-time teachers; submitting young children to interrogations without informing their parents; advocating for a new version of “separate but equal” by stating that CPE1’s progressive education doesn’t work for students of color or poor children; and bypassing the school’s democratic structures and even the Chancellor’s regulations to push an agenda of changing the historic school.

Garg has been supported by Estrella even as 70% of the parents at CPE1 have called for the principal’s removal. As CPE1 parents take action to demand Garg be removed from CPE1, Estrella has mounted her own campaign against CPE1 families, spreading lies about parent leaders and purposely misinforming the District 4 Community Education Council about the “SAVE CPE1” movement.

Previous public actions by the CPE1 community demanding Garg’s removal include multiple appearances at the Panel on Educational Policy and a 300-person rally at DOE Headquarters last month.

Who: Students and parents from CPE 1

What: Protest to demand removal of school’s principal.

Excellent visuals include young children with protest signs,crowd chanting and marching, delegation delivering petition to Superintendent Estrella.

When: Friday, June 24, 2016; Start time 8:30AM

Where: Starts at 106th Street between Madison and Park,march moves to 120th Street between Lexington and 3rd Avenue.

The website, savecpe1.org, offers an extensive timeline detailing the pattern of administrative mistreatment over time. It also provides testimonials from families about what a Central Park East 1 education has meant for them and their children. It explains Central Park East 1’s unique curriculum and pedagogy as well as its success - as measured by the Department of Education’s own metrics.

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