Full Video Coverage Entirely and Exclusively by OurLIC.

PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED Wednesday April 11, 2012 10:30 AM

Bryant High School and Long Island City High School: Community Leaders Protest Closing and Turnaround Model

UNITED THEY STAND: Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, Assembly Member Cathy Nolan, Council Member Van Bramer, Assembly Member Simotas, and State Senator Gianaris Oppose Closing Schools and Turnaround Model

NYC Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer holds rally at Bryant High School   NYS Senator Michael Gianaris testifies in opposition to the closing of Bryant High School and Long Island City High School as well as Turnaround Model       Full video coverage and follow up Q&A are available in the left column in 1 segments of approximately three to five minutes each. isaac_carmingnani_cecd30_20120409

Long Island City, NY April 6, 2012 - Cathy Nolan, Assembly Member for the Long Island City area, is Chair of the NYS Assembly Education Committee.  Below is her statement, along with the rallies, testimony, and statements by all elected officials representing the Long Island City area. Assemblywoman Nolan will host a public hearing seeking testimony regarding the New York City School District's implementation of federal school intervention models in persistently lowest-achieving schools. When: Wednesday April 11, 2012 10:30 AM Where: Assembly Hearing Room 250 Broadway Room 1923, 19th Floor New York, NY 10038  A copy of the hearing notice can be found at http://assembly.state.ny.us/comm/Ed/20120402/ . Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan and Borough President Helen Marshall Stand United with Queens Congressional Members, State Senators, Assemblymembers, NYC Councilmembers Against School Closures Assemblywoman Nolan, chairwoman of the NYS Assembly Education Committee said, “It is important that Queens elected officials and civic leaders stand united to support community schools. We stand against abrupt closures of long standing Queens schools, with no real planning or parental input. Queens has a proud tradition of outstanding comprehensive high schools that help shape youngsters into good citizens and prepare them for college and careers. NYC DOE should be working to improve and enhance these schools. It is particularly inappropriate to be using state and federal programs to close these schools without even a phase out. Current high school juniors do not even know the name of the school they will be attending in September. What sport teams will be cut? What educational opportunity programs will be eliminated? What will the mission and theme of these schools be? What will happen to the current parents associations? What art and music programs will these schools offer? Will they have remedial programs? All these questions point to the unacceptable nature of this process. We urge the NYC DOE and Chancellor Walcott, himself a graduate of a Queens comprehensive high school to immediately halt this destructive and counter productive process that will damage our communities and neighborhood and of course, hurt our students and parents. Devote resources to improving existing schools and stop creating something that will surely bring chaos in September. Council Member Leroy Comrie: “Even by the Department of Education’s own standards, many of the schools slated to close have improved and there is no reason to believe they will not continue to do so if given the proper funding. It is disheartening to see our teachers have this unnecessary pressure placed upon them as they work to improve their student’s grades so they are eligible for college. Mayor Bloomberg must allow these schools to stay open and continue to give students the support they need to succeed in the future.” “For over a decade Mayor Bloomberg has closed over 140 schools, yet the achievement gap has not narrowed and only 13% of Black and Latino students, and one in four of all students, graduate ready for college or careers. Clearly his strategies for supporting struggling schools is no strategy at all, says Zakiyah Ansari, Advocacy Director, Alliance for Quality Education. Now Mayor Bloomberg will be using the turnaround model in 33 schools. A model where there is not a single research study showing that it works and is extremely expensive. In fact,11 of the 33 schools have A's or B's on recent progress reports. Why spend a lot of money on an unproven model in schools that are already improving?” Assemblywoman Nolan and Borough President Helen Marshall were also joined by: Congresswoman Velazquez, Congresswoman Maloney, a representative from Congressmen Joseph Crowley’s office, State Senator Addabbo, State Senator Gianaris, State Senator Stavisky, Assemblymember Aubrey, Assemblymember Lancman, Assemblymember Braunstein, Assemblymember Simotas, Assemblymember Scarborough, Assemblymember Miller, Assemblymember Meng, Assemblymember DenDekker, Assemblymember Simanowitz, Councilmember Comrie, Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley, Councilmember Van Bramer, Councilmember Dromm, Councilmember Koslowitz, CSA President Ernie Logan, UFT VP of High Schools Leo Casey, Zakiyah Ansari of AQE and various Queens Community Education Councils and Community Boards.   NYC COUNCIL MEMBER JIMMY VAN BRAMER HOLDS RALLY On April 3rd, Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer joined hundreds of students, teachers, parents, alumni, elected officials and community leaders to rally against the Department of Education’s proposed closure of Bryant High School. “The Department of Education’s proposal to close this high school would alter the identity of this neighborhood with no guarantee that what will replace it will result in a better education for our children,” said Council Member Van Bramer, an alumnus of Bryant High School. “Bryant High School gives our children stability at a point when everything is changing in their lives; this school is an institution that should always be there for them. Disrupting a student’s education at this point, by firing half of their teachers and throwing away years of progress, is wrong and I’ll continue to fight this closure.” The Panel for Educational Policy has taken steps toward closing 26 schools throughout the City; eight of which are in Queens and include Bryant High School. The final Panel for Educational Policy is vote to take place on April 26th. “At this moment, our children feel that they are in limbo,” said Council Member Van Bramer. “As they look forward to their next year at Bryant, they are unsure of whether or not their school or their teachers will be here for them. At such a young age, when they are preparing to progress into the next level of education in their lives, which will set the stage for their futures, they are bogged down with a harsh proposal once again put forth by the Department of Education, leaving them with only a grim outlook. SENATOR GIANARIS TESTIMONY FOR BRYANT HIGH SCHOOL AND LONG ISLAND CITY HIGH SCHOOL PUBLIC HEARINGS REGARDING TURNAROUND MODEL   I would like to express my opposition to the New York City Department of Education’s (DOE) proposal to designate William Cullen Bryant High School and Long Island City High School as  Turnaround schools as part of DOE’s plan to close and re-open 33 underperforming New York City schools. The disruption of completely replacing school personnel, including replacing at least half of their staffs, would do more harm than good and would undoubtedly jeopardize students' ability to learn.   It is true that underperforming schools need improvement but not at the expense of the students. The DOE’s proposal does not factor how such an extreme overhaul of these public schools would affect attending students and how they learn.   I went to public schools in western Queens, including Long Island City High School, and the education I received gave me the tools I needed to succeed – a testament to the fact that these schools can work. Some of the very same teachers and administrators who made sure I received a quality education are still there demonstrating the same level of care for their students. If implemented, this plan would be extremely invasive of the faculty and functioning of the schools and would erase all familiarity students have with their current learning environment.   Our children deserve a good education provided by caring teachers, which can be achieved without such overbearing and far reaching changes.   I urge you to reconsider implementing this plan for Bryant and Long Island City High Schools as I believe a better solution can be found that would not have such negative effects on the students.   SIMOTAS HOLDS RALLY TO SAVE BRYANT HIGH SCHOOL Community and Leaders Speak Out Against DOE’s ‘Turnaround’ Proposal at Bryant ASTORIA, N.Y.- Assemblymember Aravella Simotas held a rally at William Cullen Bryant High School yesterday in opposition to the NYC Department of Education’s proposal to dramatically overhaul the structure of the western Queens institution.     Simotas, a Bryant alumna, was joined by State Senator Michael Gianaris. Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer, community leaders, and Bryant students, teachers and parents in calling on the city to reconsider Bryant’s designation for the “Turnaround” model.   “Our students come first, and we should always work to make improvements that ensure they get the best education possible,” Simotas said. “But these drastic changes will only increase uncertainty and stunt any progress that students, teachers and administrators have been able to make.”   "Putting Bryant High School through such an extreme turnaround would do more harm than good and would undoubtedly jeopardize students' ability to learn,” State Senator Michael Gianaris said. “The disruption such a move would cause will hinder the education of those who should be first and foremost in our minds. Our children deserve a good education provided by caring teachers, which can be achieved without invading and 'turning around' the entire school, its faculty and its functionality."   Bryant is on the state’s list of “Persistently Lowest Achieving” (PLA) schools.  While the schools had originally been approved for targeted, less intrusive intervention models, Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently announced in his “State of the City” address that he would now attempt to implement the “Turnaround” model.  This approach, which needs state approval, would give the city authority to close PLA schools, reopen them under new names and replace up to half of the teachers and staff.    Tuesday Morning, the Mayor’s office announced reprieve for seven schools on the closure list, none are located in Queens. “These closures prove that we can work to build better schools, if we devote the resources.  Bryant High School, these students deserve nothing less than the best resources we can provide with the least disruption,” Simotas told the crowd.   A public hearing was held at Bryant Tuesday night so that the community could voice its opinion about the planned changes to the school community. During her remarks, Simotas presented hundreds of signatures from community members opposing the drastic overhaul of her alma matter.   “No one knows better than the community what our students need, and the community knows our students do not need turnaround’,” Simotas said.  “Students need a consistent investment in their education.”   Simotas noted that comprehensive high schools like Bryant are what come to mind when one thinks of high school.      “Students of different interests and abilities mingling and learning from one another is the hallmark of a public education”, Simotas said.  “A comprehensive high school provides a general education to children who have not yet chosen their career path.  This is a necessity in a community as diverse as Western Queens.”   Bryant student body president Sotiria Zouroudi told her fellow students, teachers and community leaders that “everyone keeps saying that with this turnaround method students don't get affected; while in reality they are.  We will end up losing teachers that have helped us, pushed us to learn and people that we don't feel embarrassed to go to in order to extra help in a subject we will need. It will be like the first day of high school all over again.  This plan doesn't affect only the teachers, but the school as a whole.”   Simotas applauded the students and alumni who attended the rally and hearing for showing the city that Bryant has the support of its community.  She pledged to work with her fellow lawmakers and community leaders to find a solution that would allow the school to make progress but keep it intact.   NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY OFFICE OF ASSEMBLYMEMBER ARAVELLA SIMOTAS Simotas Statement on DOE's 'Turnaround' Plan for Bryant High School QUEENS - New York State Assemblymember Aravella Simotas released the following statement after the New York City Department of Education announced it would continue to seek the "Turnaround" intervention model for Long Island City's William Cullen Bryant High School (see DOE email below): "The Department of Education has once again ignored the voices of western Queens students, parents and community leaders by moving forward with its proposal to implement the so-called 'Turnaround' model at William Cullen Bryant high school.  DOE's plan to dramatically overhaul Bryant, which would spread uncertainty and stunt any progress the school has been able to make, is a blatant attempt to impose an overreaching and disruptive agenda on this neighborhood institution with little regard for our local students' best interests. When the city sees the overwhelming support in our community for keeping Bryant intact, I expect it will reverse course and decide to work with us to provide the best education possible for our students."  DOE Announcement: From: "Office of Public Affairs" <OPA@schools.nyc.gov> To: Office of Public Affairs <OPA@schools.nyc.gov> Subject: NYC DOE: The Proposed Closure of William Cullen Bryant High School (30Q445) and Opening of a New High School (30Q364) in Building Q445 Beginning in 2012-2013 Notice  February 27, 2012 Dennis M. Walcott Chancellor The Proposed Closure of William Cullen Bryant High School (30Q445) and Opening of a New High School (30Q364) in Building Q445 Beginning in 2012-2013 I.    Description of the subject and purpose of the proposed item under consideration.  The New York City Department of Education ("DOE") is proposing to close William Cullen Bryant High School (30Q445, "W.C. Bryant"), an existing district high school in buildings Q445 ("Q445") and Q949, a transportable classroom unit, located at 48-10 31 Avenue, Queens, NY 11103, within the geographical confines of Community School District 30. It currently serves students in grades nine through twelve. The DOE is proposing to immediately replace W.C. Bryant with New School (30Q364, "New School"), a new district high school serving students in grades nine through twelve in building Q445.  If this proposal is approved, W.C. Bryant will close at the conclusion of the 2011-2012 school year. All current students who have not graduated before the start of the 2012-2013 school year will be guaranteed seats and automatically enrolled in New School.  W.C. Bryant admits students through the Citywide High School Admissions Process through a screened method and also through a zoned method. The screened programs, Mentor Law & Forensic Science Institute and Math/Science Enrichment, fall under the Law and Government and Science and Math interest areas. W.C. Bryant also offers two Career and Technical Education ("CTE") programs. Additional information about CTE programming and the High School Admissions Process is contained in Sections III this proposal.  The DOE strives to ensure that all students in New York City have access to a high-quality school at every stage of their education. By closing W.C. Bryant and replacing it with New School, the DOE is seeking to expeditiously improve educational quality on the W.C. Bryant campus.  If this proposal is approved, New School will develop rigorous, school-specific competencies to measure and screen prospective staff - including W.C. Bryant staff who apply to work in the new school. Based on these criteria, and in accordance with the staffing requirements in Article 18-D of the DOE's existing contract with the United Federation of Teachers ("UFT"), New School will put in place a process aimed at hiring the best possible staff, thus immediately improving teacher quality and, by extension, improving the quality of learning. New School plans to develop new programs and school supports that are intended to improve student outcomes.  By doing this important work to improve the quality of teaching and learning in the school, DOE also will maximize New School's chance of receiving up to $1,800,000 in supplemental federal funding under the federal School Improvement Grant ("SIG") program.  New School will build on the strongest elements of W.C. Bryant and incorporate new elements, including new talent designed to better meet student needs.  Thus, the immediate closure and replacement of W.C. Bryant with New School should give students access to a higher-quality educational option while they continue to attend school in the same building. II.    Information regarding where the full text of the proposed item may be obtained. The Educational Impact Statement ("EIS") can be found on the Department of Education's Web site:  http://schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/leadership/PEP/publicnotice/2011-2012/Apr il2012Proposals <http://schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/leadership/PEP/publicnotice/2011-2012/Ap ril2012Proposals> .  Copies of the EIS are also available in William Cullen Bryant High School's main office. III. Submission of public comment.  Written comments can be sent to D30Proposals@schools.nyc.gov <mailto:D30Proposals@schools.nyc.gov>  Oral comments can be left at 212-374-7621. IV.      The name, office, address, email and telephone number of the city district representative, knowledgeable on the item under consideration, from whom information may be obtained concerning the item. Name:              Elaine Gorman Office:             Division of Portfolio Planning Address:          52 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007 Email:              D30Proposals@schools.nyc.gov <mailto:D30Proposals@schools.nyc.gov>  Phone:             212-374-7621 V.   Date, time and place of joint public hearings for this proposal.     April 3, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. William Cullen Bryant High School  48-10 31st Avenue Queens, NY 11103  Questions about the proposal should be directed as indicated in section IV above. Speaker sign-up will begin 30 minutes before the hearing and will close 15 minutes after the start. VI.       Date, time and place of the Panel for Educational Policy meeting at which the Panel will vote on the proposed item. April 26, 2012 at 6:00 P.M. Prospect Heights Campus 883 Classon Ave Brooklyn, NY 11225     Anna Adams-Sarthou Director of Communications & Deputy Chief of Staff Office of Senator Michael Gianaris 718-728-0960 sarthou@nysenate.gov http://twitter.com/#!/SenatorGianaris   For Assembly Member Simotas, Contact Contact: Samantha Darche, 917-763-7694   For City Council Member Van Bramer, Contact: Jason Banrey / O: 718-383-9566 ext. 7/917-657-5246/ JBanrey@council.nyc.gov Assembly Member Cathy Nolan District Office: 61-08 Linden Street, Ridgewood, N.Y. 11385 (718) 456-9492 41-02 Queens Boulevard, Suite 2B, Sunnyside, N.Y. 11104 (718) 784-3194 nolanc@assembly.state.ny.us   NYC Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer holds rally at Bryant High School NYS Senator Michael Gianaris testifies in opposition to the closing of Bryant High School and Long Island City High School as well as Turnaround Model NYS Assembly Member Aravella Simotas holds rally to protest school closure plan.

All images and content presented on this page are COPYRIGHT Protected. © All Rights Reserved. Rainbow Pages, Inc. OurLIC.com 2012.

By clicking a photo, you can enlarge it, identify its code, request to use it, arrange to have it linked to an OurLIC Featured Profile, or link it to another website.