Central Park East I Parents and Community WILL BE THERE at Tonight's PEP in Support of Marilyn Martinez and the School

Parents and supporters flood Hearing Waiting Room to Support Chapter Leader Marilyn Martinez at her hearing, March 10, 2017

why is the DOE expending so many resources in keeping this incompetent, despised and heartless principal in place? And why are our children being made to pay the price for this decision?

Jen Roesch... parent

If you know me, you know that I have been part of an 18-month battle against an abusive principal at our son's progressive, East Harlem school, Central Park East 1. We've had the majority of our best, most veteran teachers forced out over the last year and two (the union chapter leader and delegate) have been placed under investigation in an attempt to remove them from teaching.



In the current termination, parents have supported our teacher, Marilyn, in overwhelming numbers at her hearings. Parents and teachers have appealed to the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) at each of its last 13 meetings, have gone to the UFT for support, have gotten a Community Education Council resolution supporting us, have had a rally of close to 300 parents, teachers and supporters at the DOE, led a walkout of students and parents, organized a petition drive signed by nearly 70% of current parents, appealed for support and much, much more. The DOE has recognized our Principal Monika Garg's incompetence when it finally assigned a support person to do the work our principal should be doing. But they have refused to remove her - saying that she has a right to be at CPE1. A parent has now used available statistics to show that Garg is, in fact, the WORST principal in NYC as shown by school-based surveys. She oversaw the largest decline in parent and teacher satisfaction/confidence in the whole city. We don't believe in test scores, but if Garg has staked her claim to anything, it has been academic and skills improvement. But our school also saw the largest decline in test scores in the whole city. It really begs the question: why is the DOE expending so many resources in keeping this incompetent, despised and heartless principal in place? And why are our children being made to pay the price for this decision? #savecpe1

 Kaliris Yimar Salas-Ramirez Tory Frye, Kari Steeves, Johanna Garcia, Mari-Alistine Moss, Rachel Birdsall, Xandrea J. Sanford, Jia Lee, Aixa Rodriguez, Norm Scott, Jane Maisel, Susan Ochshorn, Aldo Rafael Perez, Henry O. Love, Akiea Gross -- in the fight to #savecpe1 -- share with your communities and let people know that we love CPE1 as Deborah Meier intended it to be. Democratic, inclusive, integrated and supportive of ALL children. Progressive schools ARE NOT just for the rich. They work for children and it is MY son's school. We cannot do what is intended for our community with an abusive principal that no one trusts and that is taking our teachers out! #savecpe1 #UFT #bringourteachersback