Budget Cuts Threatening To Cramp P.S. 321's Style
The administration and PTA for P.S. 321 on 7th Avenue and 1st Street—widely considered one of the best and most progressive public elementary schools in Brooklyn, if not the entire city—are up in arms about the $125,000 in budget cuts the school is facing, and they’re calling on parents to march at the Department of…
The administration and PTA for P.S. 321 on 7th Avenue and 1st Street—widely considered one of the best and most progressive public elementary schools in Brooklyn, if not the entire city—are up in arms about the $125,000 in budget cuts the school is facing, and they’re calling on parents to march at the Department of Education offices tomorrow. (Principals all over the city have been slamming the slashed DOE budget.) P.S. 321’s principal sent a note home to parents saying the cuts mean the school won’t be able to buy new classroom furniture and certain school supplies (including new math books), and that there will be less money available for the professional development of teachers. On Monday, the PTA co-presidents sent home another letter (see copy on jump) about how the loss of funding will hurt the school; this communication asks parents to show up for the 4:00 p.m. rally in Lower Manhattan tomorrow to protest the cuts. (The rally is distinct from the meeting about the budget cuts that Councilman de Blasio is holding at Borough Hall tonight.) So how does all this circle back to real estate? This is no doubt overly simplistic, but is it possible for the budget cuts to make some would-be Slope buyers (who often move to the neighborhood because of schools like P.S. 321) reconsider, or think about shelling out for private school instead? Or do the strong voices of parents at P.S. 321 affirm the lure of the school and neighborhood? GMAP
This is such a crazy planet. How do we take a critical story about the future of our childrens education and turn it into a pointless conversation about race, poverty, and f..king bbq’d ribs. I wish I could get off this planet, but I might end up somewhere seeing green one-eyed people discriminating against orange three-eyed people.
3:06 = Hysterical
Geez when I was growing up my parents didn’t care less about my education. My father was home so rarely I barely remeber him being a presence in the family. I learned stuff from books, and TV, and friends, and cousins, etc. Anyway, I always did really well in school because I just wanted to. Why did I want to be a failure? Seemed pretty obvious, even to a kid, and I couldn’t count on my poor parents so that was more of an incentive. I didn’t know until I was grown up that parents helped kids with homework and took them to mueums and stuff, I really didn’t know that. But my parents were loving and they gave me enough to eat etc. that’s all a kid needs to make it if he or she has their brains screwed on right, If they don’t, well then they have an uphill battle no matter how priviliged.
Hey, its the foreign borns that aren’t afraid to tell it like it is.
BBQ is great though. As long as you ain’t dripping it on your son’s algebra.
3:04 = Mike Huckabee
Too many europeans and other foreign born whitepeople on this blog. I am a whiteman from the south and one thing us southern folks love is a good bbq. It’s a country thang, and I would’nt expect you test-tube babies to understand. (heee-hawww)
Maybe the teachers could volunteer to teach the math prep, afterschool activities, and other classes that are in danger of being cut that provide additional instruction to students who need it most. Like pro bono work. At least for the remainder of this school year this could be an option.
Of course that will never happen.
PS. 39 (also in Park Slope) is fast becoming as good as ps. 321.
Park Slope is one of the only neighborhoods around with two exceptional public elementary schools.
It is the parents who, in large part are responsible for these improvements….NOT the school system.
KUDOS to PS parents. You get a bad wrap, but as far as I can tell, you DO care about the neighborhood in which you live, your kids and your fellow neighborhs.
There are reasons why Park Slope gets nominated for 10 best of this and 10 best of that over other neighborhoods.
It’s called community involvement.
GO OBAMA!!!
2.39 – your post seems to prove what everyone’s been saying, that the cultural mindset of the underclass keeps their children in the underclass.
It also says nothing about working hard – but to qualify that “working hard” isn’t sufficient. You have to work hard AT SCHOOL and then work hard afterwards. Its no good screwing up school because then you are well sure to be working hard in a dead end job for the rest of your days.