by Univision
Press
Tuesday, February 1st, 2011
Dept. of Ed. sets up many schools to fail
by Yoav Gonen, NY Post
The Department of Education has for years been able to predict which schools will fail based on a number of factors, but many disadvantaged schools have been blamed for their crummy performance and marked for closure anyway, according to a department analysis obtained by The Post.
The report shows that education officials created a dividing line between schools so that those whose “predicted” graduation rates were less than 50 percent — based largely on their size and concentration of low-achieving students — were likely to be closed rather than receive support. (more…)
Tuesday, February 1st, 2011
Two Dozen Protesters Arrested During Rally Against School Closures
by Lindsey Christ, NY1
The day before the Panel for Educational Policy begins to meet to discuss closures of 25 public schools, two dozen people were arrested in Downtown Manhattan today as they protested the plan.
Two dozen demonstrators, including two City Council members, were arrested in Downtown Manhattan Monday as they protested the proposed closing of 25 public schools that the Panel for Educational Policy will vote on this week.
Brooklyn Councilmen Jumaane Williams and Charles Barron, angered parents of students and educators were arrested for forming a human chain across Chambers Street, in front of Department of Education headquarters in Tweed Courthouse.
Tuesday, February 1st, 2011
Council Members Among Dozens Arrested at School Shutdown Protest
by Andrew Siff, NBC
They stood and formed a human blockade on Chambers Street Monday evening. The chant could be heard from down the block.
“Save our schools!” They yelled.
Then came the NYPD, and an officer with a megaphone: “I am ordering you to leave this roadway. If you do so voluntarily, no charges will be filed against you.”
But the protestors ignored that warning, so police rounded up the crowd, and out came the handcuffs. Among those arrested: Brooklyn City Council Members Charles Barron and Jumaane Williams.
“You want to bring charter schools?” yelled Williams, moments before his arrest. “Then talk to the teachers, talk to the parents, talk to the students. Don’t go shutting down 26 schools in neighborhoods that need it. We’re people, not digits.”
City officials have said the schools in question are not completely closing– but instead, being reorganized with new leadership. Officials also insist these schools have poor graduation rates and low attendance.
The final decision on which of the 26 schools in question to close is expected in a two-part vote: Tuesday and Thursday at Brooklyn tech High School.
Monday’s protestors were brought to the First Precinct Stationhouse in Lower Manhattan, where they were issued summonses for a later court date.
Tuesday, February 1st, 2011
Se oponen al cierre de escuelas en NY
by Annie Correal, El Diario
“¡Salven nuestras escuelas!” Este grito se escuchó ayer en la tarde por toda la calle Chambers en Manhattan, que fue cerrada durante un tiempo mientras cientos de estudiantes, padres y maestros de escuelas protestaban el posible cierre de 26 escuelas.
A las 5 de la tarde, mientras comenzaba a oscurecer, una fila de estudiantes y organizadores se unieron en una fila y bloquearon el tráfico fuera de la sede del Departamento de Educación, causando que varios de ellos fueran arrestados por la policía.
Mientras que un agente le ponía las esposas, una adolescente hispana gritaba: “Arréglenlas, no las cierran!”
La protesta fue organizada por una coalición de organizaciones comunitarias, Coalition for Educational Justice, y una organización de jovenes, el Urban Youth Collaborative. El propósito fue llamar atención sobre el proyecto del Departamento de Educación de cerrar estas escuelas, ya que una comisión, el Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) se reunirá esta semana para votar sobre el destino de estas escuelas.
Un portavoz para el Departamento de Educación dijo ayer que “el departamento no va a comentar sobre la protesta”.
Uno de los estudiantes que tomó el micrófono, Wilvin López, dominicano de El Bronx de 16 años, dijo a EL DIARIO LA PRENSA: “Nosotros queremos decir al Departamento de Educación que lo que está haciendo no está bien, porque hay muchos estudiantes que trabajan duro todos los días para mantener sus notas y que ellos quieren cerrar las escuelas por unos estudiantes …eso no está bien”.
López estudia en Samuel Gompers School en El Bronx, una escuela que no está en la lista. Las escuelas que se encuentran en la relación están concentradas en El Bronx, además del Alto Manhattan y el Norte de Brooklyn. En general, son escuelas de primaria, intermedias y de bachillerato que sirven a las minorías.
También son escuelas en las que durante los últimos años han matriculado más estudiantes “altamente necesitados”, según indicó un informe reciente del Independent Budget Office (IBO), una agencia gubernamental que vigila las actividades del gobierno municipal.
Estos estudiantes requerían educación especial o estaban residiendo en viviendas temporales o de emergencia.
El número de estudiantes desamparados en las escuelas enumeradas subió de 245 a 1.145 en un año, del 2008 al 2009. Además, más de 20% de 12 de las escuelas en la lista están en programas de educación especial, a diferencia del promedio de 14% en las otras escuelas de la ciudad. Según los organizadores de la protesta, estos factores contribuyeron “artificalmente” a un declive en el índice de graduación, y que podrían ser salvadas con el apoyo del Departamento de Educación.
La organización Coalition for Educational Justice sostuvo en un comunicado que “estas escuelas estaban condenadas al fracaso”.
El reporte del IBO concluyó que “no hay ninguna garantía que la escuela que se está cerrando será reemplazada por una mejor”.
Muchos de los manifestantes, quienes alzaban afiches rosados y expresaron frustración con las políticas de educación de la administración Bloomberg, diciendo que el alcalde no ha invitado la participación de padres y estudiantes desde quo asumió el cargo en el 2001. Un activista del NY Civic Participation Project, José Rodriguez, dijo: “A Bloomberg le pongo un ‘100’ en sus negocios y un ‘0’ en educación”.
Monday, January 31st, 2011
New York: 25 School Closures Protested Ahead of Vote
by Tara MacIsaac, Epoch Times
The day before the Panel for Educational Policy votes on closing 25 of the city’s schools, several protesters were arrested in front of Department of Education headquarters on Monday. Among those arrested were Councilman Jumaane Williams and Councilman Charles Barron.
Protests have popped up around the city in the days preceding the vote, where chants such as “fix our schools, don’t shut them down!” could be heard.
United Federation of Teachers (UFT) President Michael Mulgrew has decried the current method of closing schools. The schools are given a letter grade based on attendance and graduation rates, as well as parent, student, and teacher surveys. A failing grade means closure. The DOE must provide a statement outlining the impact on the surrounding community when slating the school for closure.
He claims the data is not always accurate, and schools are not given proper support to recover from their difficulties.
“The morale of students is hit hard,” Nigel Hill, a senior at Paul Robeson High School that is slated for closure told the UFT. “Some of the students start to feel they’re not good enough to be in school.”
Monday, January 31st, 2011
NY city councilmen among 24 arrested in school protest
by Reuters
Twenty-four people, including two members of the New York City Council, were arrested on Monday at a protest over plans to close two dozen city schools, authorities said.
Charles Barron and Jumaane Williams, City Council members from Brooklyn, were arrested along with 22 other adults after the group formed a human chain across Chambers St. in downtown Manhattan outside the city’s Department of Education headquarters.
The group, some of whom wore signs saying “Fix schools, don’t close them,” was protesting plans to close 25 schools ahead of this week’s meetings of the Panel for Educational Policy.
“It’s not our fault that John F. Kennedy (school) is below standard. It’s the Department of Education’s fault,” said one student, who claimed that the school was “set up” to be closed years ago when officials started “dumping” low performing and special needs students there.
The arrested protesters were being held on charges of disorderly conduct pending issuance of summonses or court appearances, police said.
The acts of civil disobedience followed an earlier rally by students of schools targeted for closing, along with parents and education activists.
The demonstration was the latest of a series of protests in recent weeks over the proposed school closings, which unions say are the most ever in New York City.
The Panel for Educational Policy is an oversight group with a majority of members appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose offices assumed control of the school system in 2002.
Critics of the plan to shut what the city calls failing schools say it masks a move to usher in more charter schools.
Such schools receive public money but are exempt from certain rules that apply to other public schools due to higher accountability in standards set by their charters. The schools often have long waiting lists.
Deputy schools chancellor Marc Sternberg defended the planned closings last week, telling a city council member: “When we feel the supports we’ve given to a school are not getting the job done … we are going to consider every intervention possible.”