Save the dates for 2 important events! also updates on contracts & attacks on schools

April 27, 2016

 

Dear Friend,

Two exciting events coming up soon:

1. On Friday May 6, Dr. Betty Rosa, the new Chancellor of the NY Board of Regents, will be speaking about her vision to transform our public schools. Juan Gonzalez, investigative reporter, will moderate and ask questions.

Dr. Rosa is an experienced and eloquent former NYC principal and Superintendent who has been critical of many aspects of the status quo. In her first press conference after being chosen as Chancellor, Dr. Rosa said she would have opted her own children out of the state exams if they were still in school.

Please come! Juan always asks great questions but the audience will have a chance to ask theirs too. A flyer you can post or distribute at your schools is here.

When: Friday May 6 at 6 PM

Where: George Washington Educational Campus, 549 Audubon Ave. (near 192 st.)

What: Educational forum featuring Dr. Betty Rosa and moderator Juan Gonzalez

This forum is co-sponsored by Class Size Matters, CEC 6 and the Youth and Education Committee of CB12M.

2. Also save the date! The Class Size Matters Annual “Skinny” award dinner will be held on Thursday June 9; special guests and location TBA soon. This is always one of the most fun events of the year so you should really try to make it!

Other news:

3. Last week the Panel for Educational Policy unanimously approved several very questionable contracts, continuing their practice of rubber stamping wasteful spending by the DOE. Articles about these controversial contracts were published in New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Daily News. Our concerns were posted on our blog and sent to the PEP members ahead of time, and also added to here. If you’d like to send us a tip about upcoming DOE contracts or to join our Citizens Contract Oversight Committee, please email us at [email protected].

4. We are also very disturbed about the DOE’s plans for two very successful schools, Central Park East 1 in East Harlem and Meyer Levin Performing Arts school in Brooklyn. In the case of CPE1, the administration has installed a principal who doesn’t believe in the school’s progressive and collaborative philosophy, and who refuses to meet with parents to discuss the changes she wants to impose. In the case of Meyer Levin Performing Arts School, the administration plans to take away their performing arts rooms to give them to a charter school with some of the highest suspension rates in the city.

What’s sad is these two schools managed to survive and even thrive during the twelve long years of the Bloomberg administration, yet now are being undermined by an administration that claims to be progressive and to support arts education. More about this on our blog, including how you can help with the fight to save these schools.

Thanks,

Leonie Haimson
Executive Director
Class Size Matters
124 Waverly Pl.
New York, NY 10011
212-674-7320

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