This is an uber interesting take on Success Academy's planned move into the building which currently houses the failing Brandeis HS, which is slated for closure. For those who attend space hearings, you'll recognize that the author of this blog is Norm Scott. Norm is a retired traditional public school teacher who has devoted most of his post-retirement waking hours to promoting the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and discrediting the public charter school movement, generally, and the Harlem Success Academy, specifically. Weigh in!
Education Notes Online: Brandeis High School: Diary of a School Designed for Closure
Let's see if you can take an unbiased look at the Brandeis proposal for one second. Success and the DOE have proposed squeezing a charter elementary school into a high school building on which millions of dollars ($22m!!)has been spent upgrading the facilities for use by four new and one phasing out school. The intention was always (according to the DOE) to use available space in the building to serve high school enrollment needs. The building serves kids up to 20 years of age, contains a center for teen moms and a branch of "The Valley" and is a metal detector building. There is no playground for small children. PLUS, District 3 is nearing a desperate middle school seat shortage and is losing a beloved high school, which will move out of D3 in a few years. We need the seats we have to serve district kids and give some flexibility for starting or expanding middle schools to meet what will be a crushing additional demand starting in 2 years. This proposal is just terrible. It makes no sense to anyone but Eva Moskowitz, who will do whatever she can to wedge herself and her school into the Upper West Side.
ReplyDeleteI thank you Anonymous for taking the time to read and post comments to Way Beyond Z! Help me out here, why is this an Eva Moskowitz issue and not a DOE facilities allocation issue in your opinion? Charter schools ask for space and the DOE makes the ultimate decision where the school goes. There is no doubt that Eva Moskowitz is a tireless supporter of parent choice but lets be reasonable, she has no bearing on the decision to close schools nor is she involved in the singling out of schools that serve an at-risk population for demise. By the way, you mention that "we need the seats we have to serve district kids". HSA is obligated to give preference to children in the district where the school is located, wouldn't that population serve your dilemma? The population at Harlem Success Academy schools are district kids who would be otherwise relegated to failing or underperforming district schools. I agree that placing small children in a metal detector building where there is no playground is not ideal; however, a quality education is invaluable and I would choose that situation over a beautiful elementary school campus with poor performance stats... wouldn't you?
ReplyDeleteHearings like these really should only be for current parents or teachers who would be impacted by the opening or closing of the school in question.
ReplyDeleteWhen these important issues are open up to the general public it breeds misinformation and antagonizes people who are just looking for a platform for their own personal issues or gain.
Some people stir the pot but they don’t have to stick around to eat the crap they cook up.
Why should a retired teacher or resident be given a public forum to tell me how and where to educate my child? I don't try to interfere with their lives, so, they really should avoid interfering with mine.
Until they are living in my home and paying my bills, they should stay out of the debate because it does not immediately impact them...that is unless they plan to personally vouch for, raise and teach the next group of failing students from the class of 20neveruary