From the 10/17/08 issue of Gowanus Lounge:

Community Outrage Mounts About Slope’s Elite Berkeley Carroll School

Let’s just say this has not been the best week or so for the Berkley Carroll School in Park Slope. Let’s, in fact, say that unless its administration, staff and the privileged families sending their children there are impervious to public relations nightmares, scorn and charges of hypocrisy and mistreatment of employees, that it’s been a week from a Steven King novel. First, there was the news that it was closing its Child Care Center. Then, came the horrendous and maddening story of the school’s efforts to evict a senior citizen from her rent-controlled apartment of 50 years so that it could expand its space. The school charges up to $29,000 a year in tuition so that some of Brooklyn’s wealthiest residents can send their children to school there. There are a couple of emails full of outrage at the Park Slope institution making the rounds via the Park Slope Parent group. First, there is this one about the school’s “appalling” behavior regarding the closure of the Child Care Center:

My wife said it best: “Just imagine if any of us was subject to the following scenario: asked to come to the basement during our work day, told that our school was being closed, and that our job of 10+ years was terminated, and that our employer would “try to work something out for us,” that we had no severance, no employment, nothing, and then sent back to attend to our responsibilities.”

This is what the head of school and board of trustees have told the 18 staff members and two substitutes at the Child Care Center. The school has displaced 54 families, cashing their tuition checks knowing full well that they would not live up to their obligations to allow their two and three-year old kids to finish at the school.

This school has violated the most sacred commitment it could make to its students and faculty. A higher institution of learning has thrown their students and faculty out, without offering any of them anything concrete. And most of all it has violated its public trust…long after this set of students are gone, the school has not reached out to the community in an effort to transition the center to new leadership...

Here’s another email...

The Headmaster of BC and a member of the Board of trustees met with toddler parents tonight. We were all shocked about how cold and businesslike they were. They refused to be open to an option to extend the program which the PR rep at Methodist said was still open. They are laying off a dozen veteran teachers and staff and had no HR person to talk to them or give them any clue about severance....

What we haven’t seen in the emails is outrage at the outrageous treatment of the elderly woman it is threatening to evict from her home of 50 years. It is a separate issue from the closure of the Child Care Center and shoddy treatment of both employees and parents, yet does say something about this bedrock Park Slope institution....

And someone commented:

It is unfortunate that the child care center of the Berkeley Carroll School had to close. However, the way in which their employees were treated in light of this calamity was dreadful. Moreover, the mishandling of employees, regardless of the situations at this school is not without precedent....

Unfortunately, as a former employee of BCS, I have seen the way some of its dedicated employees were treated when the school had its issues with them; it was simply…off with his or her head!

I cannot complain about my treatment, but I was appalled at the way some of my former colleagues were let go without regard for their futures, and especially without regard to the dedication and hard work these people offered the school.

There are a handful of people who pull the strings at the school. It is they that make rash decisions without any thought to the aforementioned dedicated service of many of its employees. The school took full advantage of them during their tenure, and then simply threw them over on the information provided by people who had a private agenda/vendetta or simply just not enough information.

The Board and the administration should look a lot closer not only at their policies, but at those who wheel and deal in the name of the school. These are a handful of people who are totally intolerant and have so much pull that the Head of School, the Board, and most of the administration are completely taken with their “recommendations” instead of using their own judgment when it comes to hiring and firing. This should include how a person will survive if they had to be let go....

Posted by: ThrushcrossGrange at August 16, 2009 5:42 PM in response to Berkeley Carroll Expansion Stirs Up The Neighborhood

From the 10/17/08 issue of Gowanus Lounge:

Community Outrage Mounts About Slope’s Elite Berkeley Carroll School
October 17th, 2008

Let’s just say this has not been the best week or so for the Berkley Carroll School in Park Slope. Let’s, in fact, say that unless its administration, staff and the privileged families sending their children there are impervious to public relations nightmares, scorn and charges of hypocrisy and mistreatment of employees, that it’s been a week from a Steven King novel. First, there was the news that it was closing its Child Care Center. Then, came the horrendous and maddening story of the school’s efforts to evict a senior citizen from her rent-controlled apartment of 50 years so that it could expand its space. The school charges up to $29,000 a year in tuition so that some of Brooklyn’s wealthiest residents can send their chidlren to school there. There are a couple of emails full of outrage at the Park Slope institution making the rounds via the Park Slope Parent group. First, there is this one about the school’s “appalling” behavior regarding the closure of the Child Care Center:

My wife said it best: “Just imagine if any of us was subject to the following scenario: asked to come to the basement during our work day, told that our school was being closed, and that our job of 10+ years was terminated, and that our employer would “try to work something out for us,” that we had no severance, no employment, nothing, and then sent back to attend to our responsibilities.”

This is what the head of school and board of trustees have told the 18 staff members and two substitutes at the Child Care Center. The school has displaced 54 families, cashing their tuition checks knowing full well that they would not live up to their obligations to allow their two and three-year old kids to finish at the school.

This school has violated the most sacred commitment it could make to its students and faculty. A higher institution of learning has thrown their students and faculty out, without offering any of them anything concrete. And most of all it has violated its public trust…long after this set of students are gone, the school has not reached out to the community in an effort to transition the center to new leadership. I’m appalled.

Here’s another email with more rage directed at the institution:

The Headmaster of BC and a member of the Board of trustees met with toddler parents tonight. We were all shocked about how cold and businesslike they were. They refused to be open to an option to extend the program which the PR rep at Methodist said was still open. They are laying off a dozen veteran teachers and staff and had no HR person to talk to them or give them any clue about severance. Was anyone else at the meeting who was as disgusted as I was. What a shameful display by such a community based school.

What we haven’t seen in the emails is outrage at the outrageous treatment of the elderly woman it is threatening to evict from her home of 50 years. It is a separate issue from the closure of the Child Care Center and shoddy treatment of both employees and parents, yet does say something about this bedrock Park Slope institution. There’s been plenty of discussion about the eviction situation, though, over at Brooklynian.

Also, this is an interesting comment to the above that someone sent in:

It is unfortunate that the child care center of the Berkeley Carroll School had to close. However, the way in which their employees were treated in light of this calamity was dreadful. Moreover, the mishandling of employees, regardless of the situations at this school is not without precedent.

Unquestionably, the Berkeley Carroll School is one of the finest institutions in terms of education. This is because of their unusually dedicated teachers and staff, and the pride they display not only in their crafts, but the compassion and understanding they bring to the classroom and beyond.

Unfortunately, as a former employee of BCS, I have seen the way some of its dedicated employees were treated when the school had its issues with them; it was simply…off with his or her head!

I cannot complain about my treatment, but I was appalled at the way some of my former colleagues were let go without regard for their futures, and especially without regard to the dedication and hard work these people offered the school.

There are a handful of people who pull the strings at the school. It is they that make rash decisions without any thought to the aforementioned dedicated service of many of its employees. The school took full advantage of them during their tenure, and then simply threw them over on the information provided by people who had a private agenda/vendetta or simply just not enough information.

The Board and the administration should look a lot closer not only at their policies, but at those who wheel and deal in the name of the school. These are a handful of people who are totally intolerant and have so much pull that the Head of School, the Board, and most of the administration are completely taken with their “recommendations” instead of using their own judgment when it comes to hiring and firing. This should include how a person will survive if they had to be let go.

This is a community school. Those members of the community whose children attend the school should be aware that the way teachers and staff are treated is the way their children will be handled.

Berkeley Carroll is a fine institution. Its educational programs are superb, as are its staff, at least for the most part. It’s time for introspection on the part of the Head of School and the administration who work closely with a talented group of outstanding people who deserve better when push comes to shove.

Albeit, the

Posted by: ThrushcrossGrange at August 16, 2009 4:58 PM in response to Berkeley Carroll Expansion Stirs Up The Neighborhood