One hundred parents and interested community members from Marine Park and Brooklyn met in Marine Park Junior High School to discuss opposition to the Hebrew Charter School proposed by former hedge fund manager Michael Steinhardt and his daughter, lead applicant Sara Berman.
The proposed charter school is set to be housed within Marine Park Junior High School. The only such school to be housed within another school.
Marine Park Junior High School’s Parent’s Association distributed talking points that they hope will “lead to dissuade this ill advised proposal.”. Highlights of these points include the dire need for a high school in the Marine Park community, that the Hebrew Charter School will delay funding for a suitable venue to provide students with the necessary accommodation conducive to learning and the unacceptable ratio of middle school children to young Kindergarten and First Graders in the building (1200 to 100)
The meeting is the first of a series of meetings. Next on tap: Marine Park Civic Association, May 19 at 8:00 PM at PS 207, 4011 Fillmore Ave. and The Madison-Marine-Homecrest Civic Association, May 21 at 7:30 PM, Kings Chapel, 2702 Quentin Rd.
A good start would be to call 311 and file a complaint as a member of the community opposed to housing a charter school at I.S. 278 Marine Park JHS. Plan out exactly what you want to say because they will type it in verbatim. INSIST that it be directed to the Mayor’s office and NOT to the DOE. It has also been suggested that we request that the mayor appear at the meeting sponsored by the DOE at Marine Park JHS on Tuesday, May 26 at 6:00 PM. You must leave your name and other info and get a confirmation number.
If Bloomberg (or one of his lackeys) were to arrive at our school to find it packed to capacity and the block lined with picketers protesting the charter school, the mayor might think twice about housing it there, particularly with election day not far off. Please make a note of the date and encourage everyone you know in the community to show their strength at this meeting. We need huge numbers if we want to succeed. Even those without children will most definitely be affected by the addition of this school to our community.
Now the DOE is saying, according to their School Siting Fact Sheet, that they are “considering the development of a proposal to serve high school students in the 278 building”. This will be a stand alone HS, not performing arts. Mrs. Garofalo will not be the principal. It could be anything they deem necessary and needed. Maybe pregnant teens, maybe gay and transgender kids, maybe the 19 year olds that haven’t managed to graduate yet. Yes, thank you to the principal of 278, instead of being happy that the school had a band that started to give the school a good name, and concentrating on improving some of the pitiful academics there, instead of trying to draw in the kids that looked to go to schools like Mark Twain, not for its band or drama, but talents like math, science, and writing, no, instead she lobbied to turn it into a HS for the performing arts. “We have LOTS of room” Well, now the DOE is going to fill that space for you. Hope your happy. I’m moving.
I think you’re getting ahead of yourself here. We have no idea yet what type of high school they’re “considering” but mark my words: They have no intention of having anything but the HLA Charter School there within five years. I’m not ready to hand over our community’s middle school that easily and I hope there are enough others who feel the same way.
If the community wants to keep it a middle school for the neighborhood children, fine. If the community wants to develop it into a 6 through 12 Performing Arts school for our neighborhood kids, great. What I don’t want to see is outsiders like Steinhardt and his daughter pushing our kids out the door to make way for a school that we not only don’t need but that will jeopardize Marine Park JHS and the surrounding elementary schools.
Heregoestheneighborhood makes some very good points about the fact that it might have been better to try to improve the overall academics of the school, rather than running around saying there’s loads of room, especially since Mark Twain and Bay Academy will be giving preference to their local children. But then it’s a catch 22. How can you improve the academics of the school when, currently, a great percentage of kids are coming from struggling elementary schools? If more kids were coming in from strong schools like 222, 277 or 207 you would , most likely, see an improvement in test scores and the school woud be more able to attract the local, neighborhood kids on an ongoing basis. If Mark Twain and Bay Academy look like long shots to GB and MP residents then IS 278 becomes a school that must be considered as a viable option. The school has the potential to be sa trong complement to our successful elementary schools – strictly as a middle school or as a middle school/high school. I think the principal had the best of intentions but, unfortunately, you can’t unring the bell. The HLA charter school serves a very,very distinct population but it certainly does not serve MP or the surrounding communities. I would even go out on a limb and say that it is illegal and in violation of the true spirit of the charter school movement. It will be a major roadblock in the growth and development of IS 278 and that affects us all.
Let’s call it what it is – Anti-Semitism at it’s best…how obvious. Bob Tracey used the words “a detriment to the neighborhood and IS278″ – what exactly is detrimental to the neighborhood about having a new pre school in the area? The sticking point is apparantly that it is a HEBREW language school…ie. Jewish? They did not even allow the woman who’s husband is Carribbean to speak and be heard. Hmmm, had this been an Arabic Language School would there be the same outrage and outspoken negativity as we saw here? I doubt it. Yes this would be a great neighborhood if there were less anti semitism around in it.
You obviously have not followed this issue at all and don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t understand the complexities of school funding if you can’t grasp how this school would have negatively impacted the local schools. If all you’re going to do is cry anti-Semitism, you’re just wasting your and everyone else’s time.