PS9 Proposed Changes Causing Unrest
After the controversial proposal to move a Manhattan school in Park Slope’s John Jay, there’s been talk about a similar proposal from the DOE to locate Brooklyn East Collegiate Middle School in Prospect Height’s PS 9 while it phases out the existing middle school, MS 571. As a parent writes to us, “This situation reflects…
After the controversial proposal to move a Manhattan school in Park Slope’s John Jay, there’s been talk about a similar proposal from the DOE to locate Brooklyn East Collegiate Middle School in Prospect Height’s PS 9 while it phases out the existing middle school, MS 571. As a parent writes to us, “This situation reflects a larger trend of schools facing problems when DOE shoehorns charter schools into their buildings.” The proposal cuts P.S. 9 access to the library, cafeteria, gym and schoolyard, with 4.5 hours a week of access to the Book Hive Library, which local parents helped create. It also looks like East Collegiate won’t cater directly to the neighborhood, but all of Brooklyn. Parents’ concerns, which you can read more about here, focus on the already-exiting problems of over-enrollment, the lack of resources to support three schools for the three years before MS 571 is phased out, and the environment at East Collegiate which runs “a very strict program for under-performing students,” according to the PS 9 blog. In The Brooklyn Paper today, a spokesman for DOE is quoted as saying that “[MS 571] has done horribly.” The public hearing on the proposal is January 24th, 6pm at 80 Underhill Ave. You can take a look at the flier after the jump.
well PHed — thank you for the response. I’m also zoned for PS 9 (although I don’t have a kid there now), and I’ve been trying to follow the controversy, but it just sounds like a typical territoriality dispute. Personally, I think co-locations are just a fact of life in NYC and are here to stay, like it or not. So, if it’s not Brooklyn East Collegiate, it’ll be something else. The principal at PS 9 should have seen the writing on the wall (given that the school has been on the DOE list of “underutilized” spaces for a while) and started proposing grades 6-8 a long time ago. But it may not be too late — it worked for PS 282 after they defeated the proposal to place the Khalil Gibran Academy there.
I agree that the library issue is especially irksome, given the tremendous effort that went into creating it. Anyway, I’ll try to go to the public hearing on Monday to learn more.
I can’t speak for pig three, but speaking for myself, if they move the charter school in, I will look for another school for my kids. Here’s why:
1) this plan (unlike keeping ms 571 and/or going to k-8) will result in the elementary school sharing space and services with two other middle schools for core years for my young children.
2) i don’t believe the building use plans appropriately reflect the frictional costs of the three schools, which will result in things like 4 hours per week of library use for the WHOLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, and no time to clean the cafeteria in between lunch shifts (which start at 10:30am), etc.
3) this plan (unlike keeping ms 571 and/or going to k-8) is premised on essentially phasing out PS 9’s fifth grade and/or making PS9’s fifth grade vastly overcrowded. where are my kids going to go for fifth grade if they don’t want to go to collegiate, or don’t get in? why would i send my kid to ps 9 at all, if i know i’m going to deal with the headache of trying to get her in somewhere else at 5th grade, or forced to apply for a charter school that i might not want for her?
4) if they are taking the fifth grade, it seems likely they’ll try to expand to even lower grades. for some reason, the DOE thinks it makes more sense to allow charter schools to plan to expand rather than projecting that PS 9 would follow its trend of expanding.
5) the charter school is premised on things like long hours, strictly enforced discipline and tight control of environment. doesn’t sound like something i want for my kids, or something they need, so i’m not interested in it. i’m also not interested in that approach, or the enforcement of their approach, bleeding over into my kid’s elementary school, which it inevitably will. this is different, in my understanding, from what arts&letters and community roots is doing.
ms 571 is failing, and i think it needs to be phased out. but i don’t think it should involve smashing a third school into ps9, one that will take resources from the elementary school, one that isn’t designed to be of the community, and one where their approach to education seems inconsistent with the approach that is working so well at ps9.
Union members aren’t the problem. Union heads are. You’ll find many workers, especially teachers, who do not believe the union always works to their benefit. There’s a lot of bullying and harrassement within unions to keep members who are likely to speak from doing so.
Also, these concessions were made by elected officials. If we want to bring union compensation (wages, benefits, and salaries) in line with private sector employees, then quit voting for these same schmucks year after year.
Back to the issue of charter schools…when charter schools are forced to accept and KEEP the most difficult to teach students I’ll stop having a problem with them. When they consistently out perform public schools in their districts I’ll stop having a problem with them. Their success is overstated AND the most successful schools spend far more per pupil than the most successful public schools. I want to see a charter open it’s doors and ask that only the worst students are entered into the lottery.
And sorry, Pig Three, what do you think his my friend’s lack of benefits (for his family) are about? Are you saying he should get another job? Because I think so too. And he certainly could.
Only… here’s the thing. Someone needs to teach in the public schools. Should that just be a job for single, healthy people? Or people who can’t get jobs elsewhere? Or… what, exactly are you saying about my friend?
Pig three, I know it sounds shocking, but I am okay with people paying little — or nothing — for their health benefits. I’m also okay with people who don’t work in banking, marketing, interior design or law, (in other words, people outside of gentrified Brooklyn), earning living wages and supporting their families, going on vacation, and saving for education.
It’s remarkable that you yourself have so much and yet are so bitter about unions. Did a union kick your puppy?
Pig three — Just curious. If they weren’t phasing out MS 571 and weren’t moving Brooklyn East Collegiate in, would you send your kid to PS 9? In other words, what’s your objection? Is it middle school students sharing the building? Any co-location? Charter schools? Brooklyn East Collegiate in particular?
Heather,
many public sector union members pay nothing into their health benefit premium. Nothing. I could go on for days about the thug bargaining tactics unions use and politicians who make the concession only to take effect after there term limit is up. We, the entire country, are living the financial crisis of these decisions right now. I’m tired of paying for their sweet benefits. I’m tired of seeing union employees (public and private sector) sleeping in their trucks!
Your example about your friend in texas is pathetic – as if his salary and lack of benefits are only because there in no union representation.
Yeah, those pesky teacher’s unions!
You know, my friend is a teacher in Texas, where they don’t really have teacher’s unions any more. It is much more efficient there! As an example, he cannot afford to insure his family, as doing so would cost him an additional $800/month out of a $40,000 salary.
I have a child invested in ps 9. will move to another school if this happens.
But more importantly for our entire city, state and country for that matter… Please, union bust at will- Bloomberg, Christie, Cuomo!