Limit Charter School Co-siting Petition

LIMIT CHARTER SCHOOL CO-SITING IN TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS

 

Feel free to sign on and pass along as well – have people add their name and school and office if any, and send back to Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters at leonie@att.net

 

To Commissioner Mills and the Board of Regents:

We, the undersigned NYC parents, parent leaders, and members of Community Education Councils would like to bring to your attention a growing problem: the increased numbers of charter schools that are being placed in our existing school buildings.

 

1- Community Education Councils and other stakeholder groups have no real input into the question as to whether charter schools are needed in our communities, or where a new charter school should be sited. When the NYC Dept. of Education holds the initial public hearing as to the granting of a charter, no specific location is identified for that school, making it difficult if not impossible to provide meaningful comment no less predict what the impact of this school may have on the existing public schools in the area.

2- When a site is subsequently chosen by DOE, a hearing is then required by the state to be held in the public school in which the charter school is to be located. Yet too often this hearing is meaningless, since DOE ignores the public concern as to whether the charter school's placement may have negative effects on the services, programs, and level of overcrowding at the school forced to share its space. Repeatedly, the DOE ignores the will of the community and goes ahead and places the charter school in the building despite overwhelming public opposition. Furthermore, there is no transparency or public input as to how the two schools will divide space within the building, nor any agreement about how to allocate the space going forward.

3- Quite often DOE reassures the members of the CEC and/or the parents at a particular public school that the proposed location of the charter school will be only a temporary incubation, for no more than one or two years, and that before it reaches its full enrollment, it will be moved. And yet in many if not most instances, the charter school has not been relocated as originally promised, and instead, continues to grow in size, with worsening overcrowding in the pre-existing school – leading in some cases to overcrowding rates of 170% or more.

4- As a result, we have seen instances where special education services have to be given in hallways, valuable cluster rooms have been lost, and class sizes have risen to damaging levels at the pre-existing public school. Meanwhile, the charter school is allowed to cap enrollment and class size at lower levels than the traditional public school– leading to increased inequities across the system, and sometimes within the very same building.

5- Each new charter school eats up precious classroom space with new administrative offices and cluster spaces; rooms which could be instead used to lower class size. The increased numbers of charter schools is making it increasingly difficult for our traditional public schools to keep class sizes small, and/or reduce class sizes to appropriate levels across the city, as now required by the state.

6- Community Education Councils, advocates and parents also require more transparency when it comes to the charter schools in their districts, and unfettered access to their applications, enrollments, proposed revisions, financial statements, and whatever other information is necessary to be able to review their status. All these documents should be posted online in a timely fashion so that parents and advocates are able to provide comment in an informed manner. Instead, we are often required to file lengthy and expensive FOILs, when this information should be made public and accessible to all.

 

We urge you to take our concerns seriously, and refrain from approving any new charter schools in NYC unless a specific site is designated along with its application; and in the process, take into account the overriding need for our existing public schools to provide smaller classes and all the other essential educational services and programs necessary for a quality education. When any charter school application, renewal or revision is considered, the state should ensure that all requisite information about the matter under consideration is publicly available to the local CEC as well as any other parents or advocates, and that a specific site for that school be identified along with its application.

 

Then, before you make any decision as to the matter under consideration, public comment should be directly solicited from the local CEC as well as other parents in the district, and especially those parents whose children attend the school slated to share its building with the charter school, to hear from them what its likely impact will be on their children's educational opportunities, as well as the district's students as a whole. We would like to meet you in New York City to discuss these critical issues further and look forward to your response.

 

Yours sincerely,

Leonie Haimson, Class Size Matters

John Englert, President, Citywide Council on Special Education
David Grinage, President, Community Education Council District 23
Jeannie Tsavaris-Basini, President, Community Education Council District 30
Jennifer Stringfellow, President, Community Education Council District 15
Lisa Donlan, President, Community Education Council District 1
Andrew Baumann, President, Community Education Council District 27
Teresa Arboleda, 1st Vice President, Community Education Council District 3
Jim Devor, 1st Vice President of Community Education Council District 15.
Morton Schuster, 2nd Vice President, Community Education Council District 3
Olaiya Deen, Member, Community Education Council District 3
Lyn Johnson, 2nd Vice-President, Community Education Council District 16
*Lavinia Galatis, Vice President, Community Education Council District 30
Jennifer Freeman, Secretary, Community Education Council District 3
Nadia Hyppolite, member, Community Education Council District 18*
Mary Silver, member, Community Education Council District 2*
Emily Horowitz, member, Community Education Council District 6
C. R. Phillip, Sr., member, Community Education Council District 18
David C. Bloomfield, Manhattan Member, Citywide Council on High Schools
Lailing Yu, member Community Education Council District 15
Michael Markowitz, member, Community Education Council District 2
*Josh Karan, member, Community Education Council District 6
Marie Pollicino, member, Community Education Council District 26
Jodi Seki, member, Community Education Council District 2
*Laurie Posimato & Geri Chadick, PTA co-Presidents of PS 116, District 2
Ursula Koffer & Marie Jose O'Keefe, Partnership to End Overcrowding
Emily Brown, parent, PS15 (Red Hook) and Charter-Free-PS15 blogger Charter-Free-PS15

SIGN THIS PETITION!

Feel free to sign on and pass along as well – have people add their name and school and office if any, and send back to Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters at leonie@att.net

To Commissioner Mills and the Board of Regents:

We, the undersigned NYC parents, parent leaders, and members of Community Education Councils would like to bring to your attention a growing problem: the increased numbers of charter schools that are being placed in our existing school buildings.

1- Community Education Councils and other stakeholder groups have no real input into the question as to whether charter schools are needed in our communities, or where a new charter school should be sited. When the NYC Dept. of Education holds the initial public hearing as to the granting of a charter, no specific location is identified for that school, making it difficult if not impossible to provide meaningful comment no less predict what the impact of this school may have on the existing public schools in the area.
2- When a site is subsequently chosen by DOE, a hearing is then required by the state to be held in the public school in which the charter school is to be located. Yet too often this hearing is meaningless, since DOE ignores the public concern as to whether the charter school’s placement may have negative effects on the services, programs, and level of overcrowding at the school forced to share its space. Repeatedly, the DOE ignores the will of the community and goes ahead and places the charter school in the building despite overwhelming public opposition. Furthermore, there is no transparency or public input as to how the two schools will divide space within the building, nor any agreement about how to allocate the space going forward.
3- Quite often DOE reassures the members of the CEC and/or the parents at a particular public school that the proposed location of the charter school will be only a temporary incubation, for no more than one or two years, and that before it reaches its full enrollment, it will be moved. And yet in many if not most instances, the charter school has not been relocated as originally promised, and instead, continues to grow in size, with worsening overcrowding in the pre-existing school – leading in some cases to overcrowding rates of 170% or more.
4- As a result, we have seen instances where special education services have to be given in hallways, valuable cluster rooms have been lost, and class sizes have risen to damaging levels at the pre-existing public school. Meanwhile, the charter school is allowed to cap enrollment and class size at lower levels than the traditional public school– leading to increased inequities across the system, and sometimes within the very same building.
5- Each new charter school eats up precious classroom space with new administrative offices and cluster spaces; rooms which could be instead used to lower class size. The increased numbers of charter schools is making it increasingly difficult for our traditional public schools to keep class sizes small, and/or reduce class sizes to appropriate levels across the city, as now required by the state.
6- Community Education Councils, advocates and parents also require more transparency when it comes to the charter schools in their districts, and unfettered access to their applications, enrollments, proposed revisions, financial statements, and whatever other information is necessary to be able to review their status. All these documents should be posted online in a timely fashion so that parents and advocates are able to provide comment in an informed manner. Instead, we are often required to file lengthy and expensive FOILs, when this information should be made public and accessible to all.

We urge you to take our concerns seriously, and refrain from approving any new charter schools in NYC unless a specific site is designated along with its application; and in the process, take into account the overriding need for our existing public schools to provide smaller classes and all the other essential educational services and programs necessary for a quality education. When any charter school application, renewal or revision is considered, the state should ensure that all requisite information about the matter under consideration is publicly available to the local CEC as well as any other parents or advocates, and that a specific site for that school be identified along with its application.

Then, before you make any decision as to the matter under consideration, public comment should be directly solicited from the local CEC as well as other parents in the district, and especially those parents whose children attend the school slated to share its building with the charter school, to hear from them what its likely impact will be on their children’s educational opportunities, as well as the district’s students as a whole. We would like to meet you in New York City to discuss these critical issues further and look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,
Leonie Haimson, Class Size Matters

John Englert, President, Citywide Council on Special Education
David Grinage, President, Community Education Council District 23
Jeannie Tsavaris-Basini, President, Community Education Council District 30
Jennifer Stringfellow, President, Community Education Council District 15
Lisa Donlan, President, Community Education Council District 1
Andrew Baumann, President, Community Education Council District 27
Teresa Arboleda, 1st Vice President, Community Education Council District 3
Jim Devor, 1st Vice President of Community Education Council District 15.
Morton Schuster, 2nd Vice President, Community Education Council District 3
Olaiya Deen, Member, Community Education Council District 3
Lyn Johnson, 2nd Vice-President, Community Education Council District 16
*Lavinia Galatis, Vice President, Community Education Council District 30
Jennifer Freeman, Secretary, Community Education Council District 3
Nadia Hyppolite, member, Community Education Council District 18*
Mary Silver, member, Community Education Council District 2*
Emily Horowitz, member, Community Education Council District 6
C. R. Phillip, Sr., member, Community Education Council District 18
David C. Bloomfield, Manhattan Member, Citywide Council on High Schools
Lailing Yu, member Community Education Council District 15
Michael Markowitz, member, Community Education Council District 2
*Josh Karan, member, Community Education Council District 6
Marie Pollicino, member, Community Education Council District 26
Jodi Seki, member, Community Education Council District 2
*Laurie Posimato & Geri Chadick, PTA co-Presidents of PS 116, District 2
Ursula Koffer & Marie Jose O'Keefe, Partnership to End Overcrowding
Emily Brown, parent, PS15 (Red Hook)

RHETORIC vs. REALITY: What We Know and What We Need to Know About Vouchers and Charter Schools

RHETORIC vs. REALITY: What We Know and What We Need to Know About Vouchers and Charter Schools explores the relative success of charter schools; it's one of The RAND Corporation's publications. The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research organization providing objective analysis and effective solutions that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors around the world. RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. The link in the box above will take you to the .pdf version of the book.

Delay in decision about siting PAVE Academy

I got a response from John White via email this morning regarding my question about siting the PAVE Academy, and it's posted below. It's a bit frustrating, though:

1. The DOE is making great efforts to back charter schools and promote them, while "traditional" public schools don't seem to be getting the same level of attention
2. Staff members of the DOE who are working most closely with representatives of charter schools aren't being informed of government aid made available to boost private sites for charter schools despite the fact that Joel Klein is fully aware of what's available
3. The DOE talks about the efforts made by Mr. Robertson "for the sake of children" - some select children ennrolled in a charter school that doesn't even have a secure location for its operations yet, but what about the children who attend PS15?

Mr. Robertson responded to my question via email over the weekend with a non-response, inviting me to get coffee with him again. He hasn't answered the question at all, and I'm not particularly interested in having to carve time out of my schedule to fraternize with him. I just want him to answer the question - it's pretty basic. Here is Mr. White's response:

No announcement has been made yet.

Emily, nowhere have I read anything on this grant regarding the aim to "eliminate the need to share space with public schools." If you could send me where you read this, I'd appreciate it.

Instead, the material the Federal government released states, "Despite the popularity of charter schools with parents, teachers and the public, these distinctive public schools often face barriers. A high percentage of new charter schools point out that inadequate facilities have impeded the implementation of their charters."

Mr. Robertson is working to secure long-term space for the sake of his children. Irrespective of whether this includes Civic Builders, this process will take some time. For the sake of children, we should focus on locating an immediate home. If present efforts to do this outside P.S. 15 -- in conjunction with community and elected leaders -- are unsuccessful, we must consider an interim home in DOE facilities.

We will be in touch when this issue has been settled.

John White

[Reminder] It's 10 p.m. Do you know where Spencer Robertson is? @ Mon May 19, 2008 10pm ("Charter-Free-PS15")

"Charter-Free-PS15", this is a reminder for

It's 10 p.m. Do you know where Spencer Robertson is?

Mon May 19, 2008 10pm
(Timezone: Eastern Time)
He's not at MY house! (map)
Calendar: "Charter-Free-PS15"

Ok, it's a spoof on the old public service announcement on television, but as it applies to this calendar, the idea is to keep reminding everyone that while we may not be thinking about charter schools every day, the directors are constantly planning what their next step will be - and we need to try to think ahead instead of merely reacting to what they do.
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Dear Mr. Robertson and Mr. White;

 

I'd like to know what decision, if any, has been made about the site of the PAVE Academy. The PS15 community would appreciate a timely answer on this issue so that we know what to expect for the coming school year.

 

I'd also like to know whether Mr. Robertson has made any contact with Civic Builders to apply for federal funding that has been made available, some of which is specifically earmarked for New York City and Newark, to ensure that charter schools have private facilities available to them specifically to eliminate the need to share space with public schools.. If not, why not?

 

Emily Brown

--
"Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world; indeed, that is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

Read my blog, Charter Free PS15 at http://charter-free-ps15.blogspot.com/

PLEASE READ THIS if you oppose co-siting of public and charter schools!

This alone is reason not to give up the fight to oppose poor choices for charter school siting. I want to find out how this district was able to get this passed. We may not be able to duplicate it, but it DOES appear to set a precedent, and with that ammunition, we may be able to move ahead.

NYC Public School Parents" - 3 new articles

District 30's resolution on Charter Schools
Keep the Promise TV ad
DOE Executive Budget Vote Postponed for PEP
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District 30's resolution on Charter Schools


WHEREAS, the Department of Education (DOE) continues to site new Charter Schools in existing school buildings throughout New York City, where they take valuable classroom and administrative space from our traditional public schools; and

WHEREAS, the state’s highest court concluded that class sizes in New York City public schools are too large to provide our children with an adequate education; and

WHEREAS, District 30 is the second most overcrowded school district within New York City, with some of the largest class sizes; and

WHEREAS, residential development is proceeding rapidly especially in the Astoria/Long Island City areas, which have not been factored into the projected student enrollment; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Education has just announced plans to hopefully move yet another Charter School into District 30; and

WHEREAS, there was no consultation with Community Education Council District 30, Presidents' Council, parents within the community and the community at large, prior to Tweed’s staff coercing a Public Hearing and Presentation, stating that if the Council does not hold it, they will direct the Superintendent to hold a Special Public Hearing and Presentation; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Department of Education should immediately withdraw its unilateral and indefensible offer to provide valuable city tax-funded space in public school buildings to Charter Schools and that maximum space be reserved to alleviate overcrowding in nearby schools.

--passed May 13, 2008

more video from May 7 public hearing...

Bob Zuckerberg of the UFT at May 7 DOE Public Hearing - and more...

Gmail - NYC Public School Parents - 2 new articles - emilyholiday@gmail.com

NYC Public School Parents" - 2 new articlesPS 87 third graders write to Klein about cutsOngoing corruption, graft and waste at the DOEMore Recent ArticlesSearch NYC Public School ParentsPS 87 third graders write to Klein about cuts See the Channel 7 news story about the third graders at PS 87 who brought their letters to Tweed, asking the Chancellor not to cut the budget for our schools.
“Chancellor Klein: would you like it if you were in the third grade and the chancellor was going to take money from your school? I hope this letter will change your mind.” - Sincerely, DannyClick on the photo for a closer look.

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Ongoing corruption, graft and waste at the DOESee today’s NY Times about the federal indictments of four DOE employees as a result of the bus scandal investigation – accused of soliciting bribes for amounting to at least $1 million, in exchange for giving preferential treatment on safety inspections to companies that provide transportation to thousands of special ed students. These indictments result from a terrific investigative series of reports last summer by the Daily News– not anything uncovered by DOE itself or by Richard Condon, the school special investigator. See our blog for links to these stories. In fact, the News reporters complained of stonewalling by the DOE in the process of researching the safety problems and abusive behavior on the part of these companies.In addition, the NY Post reveals a list of community groups that received money through the Mayor’s “own secret taxpayer-funded cash stash” in the reporter’s words, amounting last year to $4.5 million, which the Mayor used “to reward favored lawmakers” like Councilman Simcha Felder (who got $1.9 million for his favorite community groups), Brooklyn BP Marty Markowitz ($900,000) and others.Also on the list is Councilman Erik Dilan – who coincidentally or not, along with Felder is one of only four Council members who have refused to sign the resolution opposing budget cuts to schools. The Mayor’s office supplied $60,000 to a community group that happens to be run by Dilan’s wife.Unlike those groups allocated discretionary funds directly from the Council, “Bloomberg's slush funds were channeled through various city agencies to 45 groups and weren't listed on the document released each year by the council …”See also today’s oped in Daily News by Andrew Stengel of the Brennan Center– suggesting that the recent naming of a Queens campus of public schools for Senator Padavan might be considered a form of graft: The state's Public Officers Law is clear on this: Elected officials cannot receive extra compensation or any gift of more than nominal value. Placing someone's name in a prominent place, whether it's an actual building or a tract of land, has monetary value. ….Naming a school after Padavan appears, at the very least, to violate the spirit of the law, which says that an elected official cannot "solicit, accept or receive any gift having a value of seventy-five dollars or more whether in the form of money, service, loan, travel, entertainment, hospitality, thing or promise, or in any other form ... in the performance of his official duties or was intended as a reward for any official action on his part.Worse still, according to the chancellor's regulations, "schools may not be named after living persons." The chancellor and others worked around this rule by arguing - get this - that it doesn't apply to a campus. The naming is especially egregious in this case because Republican Sen. Padavan's district is a major battleground in the war over control of the state Senate, which is one seat from a tie and two from flipping to the Democrats.But perhaps all this pales compared to the unfortunately legal, but incredibly wasteful spending practices of the DOE, which while proposing huge budget cuts to schools also intends to spend nearly $8 million next year on its so-called Accountability office – with only 18 staff members, averaging $432,757 per person! See this entry by the invaluable blogger, Eduwonkette:On page 446 of New York City's FY09 budget, we learn that the Division of Assessment and Accountability is budgeted at $8,287,282. $7,789,623 will buy you 18 staff - that's $432,757 per person! What else could you buy for this money, according to Eduwonkette?A) 3,894,812 subway rides B) 15,579 pairs of Prada heels C) 1812 hours with the Emperors VIP Club D) 315 years of education at the Brearley SchoolI would also add a lot of smaller classes in our public schools, after school tutoring, and art programs.Next time someone goes on about the corruption and waste that pervaded the system in the days before Mayoral control, perhaps you might mention one of the examples above.
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More Recent ArticlesStaten Island Rallies Against Bloomberg Budget Cutssign our new petition! and hearings on the capital planlatest news on Boys and Girls HS and PAVE charter schoolMore on school overcrowding and what should be doneCharter schools: the billionaire's boys club?

[Invitation] PAVE Academy will be deciding on its site @ Mon May 12 – Fri May 16, 2008 ("Charter-Free-PS15")

"Charter-Free-PS15", you are invited to

PAVE Academy will be deciding on its site

Mon May 12 – Fri May 16, 2008
(Timezone: Eastern Time)
Red Hook, presumably (map)
Calendar: "Charter-Free-PS15"

According to a recent Daily News article by Rachel Monahan, Spencer Robertson has said he needs to choose the definite site for his PAVE Academy this week.

What's the rush? Who decided this needed to happen according to this timetable? What options are being explored OTHER than PS15?

Anyone want to call him and discuss it with him?
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Will you attend?

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Charter-Free Public Schools Calendar Added To This Blog

Scroll down and look at the page component directly below where the posts are. This feature may be helpful to public schools and media contacts. Contact me by email if you want something added to the calendar: emilyholiday@gmail.com
Thanks
Emily Brown

Civic Builders :: Resources :: Useful Links

Civic Builders :: Resources :: Useful Links
These useful links include some of the "usual suspects", but a few I hadn't thought of before. At any rate, following some of the links should shed additional light on who's supporting charter schools - how, and why.

Civic Builders :: Resources :: GIS Maps

Civic Builders :: Resources :: GIS Maps
This link shows what kind of maps Civic Builders uses - it's interesting, but a little "Big Brother"-creepy, too.

Interactive Map: A User's GuideIn 2003, Civic Builders contracted with NYPIRG's Community Mapping Assistance Project (CMAP) to customize a data rich, interactive mapping tool that would provide both a global – and very local – picture of New York City communities. The mapping software – donated to CMAP by the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) – was tailored for Civic to help rationalize decisions about where to locate new charter schools. By visually depicting enormous amounts of geographic and demographic information on city neighborhood maps, the software tool allows for strategic thinking about new school site selection, which benefits everyone with a stake in NYC's charter schools.
Rationalizing Decision CriteriaThe ability to visualize this broad range of data simultaneously helps decision makers understand and refine their criteria for choosing new school locations. The GIS software allows users to view maps at a city, borough, neighborhood, and even street level. At every relief, users can click on the map to see and understand the detailed information about a region. Some of the available information includes locations of existing schools and their contact information, the type of funding each school receives (e.g. public, private, parochial), the present capacity of a district, and the projected capacity, including shortages or surpluses, in 2012. It also provides information on sites of proposed new DOE schools.
Map 1: Overcrowding by DistrictOne rationale for a new school might be based on capacity constraints. Using the information suggested above, Civic can locate a site where there is significant overcrowding and therefore a need for new seats to accommodate a neighborhood's children. Click to see Map 1
Map 2: Fourth Grade English Test Scores - Percent at Level 1The mapping program also provides statistics on district level educational performance, including test scores for 4th and 8th graders in English and Math at all levels. These search criteria could be used to find a location that satisfies "educational need": perhaps new charter schools should be sited in neighborhoods where current schools are underperforming and where test scores are low. Click to see Map 2
Map 3: Percent of Students Receiving Free or Reduced Lunch by DistrictAnother feature that can be represented on the map is the socioeconomic distribution of a neighborhood. We can isolate data like enrollment levels, race and the percentage of children eligible for free or reduced lunches. Since low test scores tend to correlate with other indicators of community privation, this information can be used to determine areas likely to show poorer academic performance, and this can be a gauge of school need. Click to see Map 3
Map 4: Geography of a Neighborhood – Parks, Streets, Subways, Vacant LotsOnce "macro" criteria, such as rates of poverty and overcrowding, have been determined and a desired neighbored has been selected, more "micro" level data can help refine specific site selection. For example, in addition to understanding neighborhood school capacity, performance, and socioeconomics, knowing where other local amenities – public transportation and parks – and available real estate are located can help further refine site selection. Click to see Map 4
Map 5: Overcrowding by District and Fourth Grade English Test Scores at Level 1The maps allow for any number of cross sectional analyses. For example, one might assume that overcrowding and underperformance go hand in hand, but in fact the opposite is often the case. This is not because overcrowding, per se, improves pedagogy, learning conditions, or test scores, but because good schools attract students and families to particular neighborhoods. Schools with low test scores, on the other hand, have difficulty attracting students. Observations like this allow for the thorough consideration of many different (and sometimes competing) factors in the site selection process. Click to see Map 5

Civic Builders :: Solutions :: For Schools

Civic Builders :: Solutions :: For Schools
A Turnkey SolutionFor charter school administrators unfamiliar with the complexities of New York's complicated real estate environment and development process, Civic Builders' skills and expertise are multifold. By taking over the myriad real estate activities for a start-up charter school, Civic minimizes uncertainty and bears much of the risk associated with real estate acquisition, design, and construction. In doing so, Civic's turnkey solution substantially reduces a school’s occupancy costs and frees dollars and staff time – once diverted from curriculum and programming – for the direct work of education. By offering a "one stop shop" for a charter school's facilities needs, Civic increases the likelihood that school administrators will launch successfully and meet the academic and financial goals necessary for charter renewal.
Acquisition
Needs AnalysisAlthough school administrators launching a new charter school may well understand their educational needs, translating these into facility requirements can be a complex process. Civic works closely with schools to assess their capacity and design parameters.
Site AnalysisOnce basic needs are determined, Civic also plays a major role in potential site analysis and selection.
Neighborhood ReviewWith its deep understanding of a number of New York neighborhoods – their educational needs, capacity constraints, institutional and geographical characteristics and market conditions (rents, availability of existing public and private space, etc.) – Civic can help a school focus on appropriate locations and promising sites.
Building Due DiligenceAfter identifying potential buildings, Civic undertakes a rigorous review of the site, including:
- Physical plant inspections- Structural, environmental, and geotechnical review and tests- Zoning and other "allowable use" requirements- Owner and tenant status- Appraisal- School/program test-fit or program review for site- Establishing construction schedule and budget- Review of past violations and filings
FinancingCivic Builders' role as a financial intermediary with extensive real estate experience provides access to debt from lenders typically unavailable to charter schools. By reducing a charter school's perceived risk to investors, Civic Builders also improves the cost of all capital, commercial and philanthropic. Civic assists charter schools with every stage of requisite funding and deal negotiation.
PurchaseCivic Builders undertakes the entire lift of structuring the purchase of a site or facility. As many buildings or lots are owned by private individuals operating outside the norms of the real estate industry, the process of coming to terms of a purchase price and structuring a deal can be quite convoluted and irregular. Civic's experience with these types of players and deals enhances the ability to negotiate good deals and investigate all facets of the purchase, including:
- Negotiating purchase price and payment terms- Structuring tax incentives- Settling all other terms of purchase contract
DesignOnce a site has been identified, the design process commences with a goal towards building a quality structure that can be constructed cost effectively and quickly and that is ultimately an inspiring place for students to learn and a cornerstone of a community. This process includes:
- Detailed review of specific educational needs (see "Needs Analysis": link to section above)- Architect screening and selection- Development of design documents- Rigorous value engineering of design and construction methods- Managing the review process (with necessary city, state and federal agencies)
ConstructionEven the most seasoned real estate developers experience unforeseen problems during construction and renovation, including delays, unforeseen building/site conditions, and change orders. On behalf of the charter school, Civic therefore manages the entire construction process, including the work of:
- Contractor screening and selection- Contractor contract negotiation- Permitting and expediting- Meticulous project management of the contractor and construction processes to ensure that the project is completed on time and on budget
For a more detailed analysis of these development stages, see, "The Development Process: Managing Risk and Complexity"

Civic Builders :: Solutions

Civic Builders :: Solutions
Charter Schools in New York City: A Unique Moment in Time
Opportunities
New York City has embraced the creation of charter schools as a central pillar of its larger educational strategy. In 2003, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and School's Chancellor Joel Klein announced an initiative to create fifty new charter schools in the city over five years. Pledging to make New York City "the most charter friendly city" in the country, the Administration committed $250 million in capital support for charter school facilities.
By the fall of 2006, New York's statewide cap of 100 charter schools had been met. In March 2007, with more than 13,000 NY families still on waiting lists for charters schools, the State legislature approved a bill to increase the cap from 100 to 200, with 50 of those new charters dedicated specifically to NYC.
Challenges
Despite New York's strong commitment to new school development, launching charter schools is not without challenge. To date, some of the most daunting impediments new charter schools face are those related to their facilities needs.
Inexperience in Real Estate
Start-up schools are short the reserves and risk tolerance that complex real estate deals require. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are regularly expended on site selection and analysis before a firm agreement is even reached. Additional and substantial funds can be invested – a project may even be underway – when a deal falls through.
As first time developers, school administrators often find the building process unduly taxing. Inexperience in development frequently leads to:
- construction cost overruns- poorly planned and executed renovations- difficulty with zoning and building code non-compliance status- unforeseen design and build-out costs- scheduling crunches; and- under-negotiated facilities and construction contracts.
Ultimately, this lack of development experience can also affect the quality of the facility itself, resulting in a substandard learning environment for the charter school’s children.
Inadequate Capital Funding
Charter school administrators typically lack access to ready and affordable capital. For a traditional public school, land purchases, construction and major repairs come primarily from local governments and related local taxes and bond sales. Charter schools are not eligible for this type of financing, and the state allocations they do receive usually do not account for real estate requirements. Without experience in facilities finance or development, they lack the relationships and track record necessary to secure supplemental foundation grants or adequate commercial loans at affordable rates.
The Need to Separate School and Real Estate Assets
Charter schools have a need for long term, permanent real estate (10 years plus), but they themselves are contingent organizations reviewed annually by their authorizer and reauthorized every 5 years. These misaligned timing imperatives make capital investors nervous. If the school fails – or for whatever reason it must change locations – any infrastructure improvements accrue to a third party landlord. In these cases, money intended for educational purposes ends up in the hands of private landlords, who are then free to rent the property to a new tenant of their choosing. This very real risk has deterred foundations and commercial lenders from committing resources to charter facilities, exacerbating the schools’ capital shortfall. See Case Study.

Civic Builders

Civic Builders
Civic Builders is a nonprofit facilities developer that provides turnkey real estate solutions for high-performing charter schools. By assuming responsibility for building financing, acquisition, design and construction, Civic relieves charter schools of the burden of navigating a complex real estate market and provides affordable educational facilities. Civic's work supports the success of charter schools by enabling school administrators to focus their time and resources on the important work of educating children.

Click the link at the top of the page to find out more about this organization; this might be part of the solution for getting PAVE Academy its own space and avoiding having to share PS15's space.

PAL kayos Red Hook charter school bid

PAL kayos Red Hook charter school bid

PAL kayos Red Hook charter school bid
By RACHEL MONAHAN DAILY NEWS WRITER
Monday, May 12th 2008, 4:00 AM
A bid by Red Hook public school parents to keep a charter school out of Public School 15 has apparently failed. Community leaders had sought a home for PAVE Academy at the PAL Miccio Center on W. Ninth St. rather than house it at PS 15 where parents had put up a fight. But PAL officials nixed the idea. "The needs of the charter school are far greater than the Police Athletic League can accommodate," Felix Urrutia, executive director of the respected citywide organization told the Daily News Friday. Though there are unused classrooms at the W. Ninth St. site during
the day, PAL officials need access to the space beginning at 2p.m., Urrutia
said. That was far too early for the charter school. "It just doesn't feel like it's going to work," said PAVE Academy founder Spencer Robertson, noting a decision for an alternative site would have to be made in the next week. Robertson had found the possibility of six classrooms offered at the PAL Miccio building "appealing," he said. But PAL officials had turned him down multiple times. PS 15 had scored an A on the city-issued progress reports - and parents and teachers were outraged over the choice to add another school to the building. Madeline Daly, widow of slain former Principal Patrick Daly for whom the school was named, spoke out against the change earlier this year. But DOE officials have noted there are far more classrooms than homeroom sections. PAL leases its space from the New York City Housing Authority, agency officials said, noting it would have to approve any use of the space. Early last week, Councilwoman Sara Gonzalez (D-Red Hook) contacted the agency, which owns the property, to work out a solution. "It's not the councilwoman's call to make," said Urrutia. "There are charter schools trying to set up all over the city. They're coming to PAL and other organizations. We would love to help, but at what expense to the
[PAL]?" Reached late Friday, Gonzalez still had hope. "At this point there are still conversations and nothing is confirmed," she said.

Despite the grim tone of this article, I still feel strongly that more can be done. We may have lost this round, but there's more that can be done. I happen to agree that siting the PAVE Academy at the PAL Miccio Center would hardly be advantageous to the Miccio Center; it's just transferring the problem from one potential site and dumping it on another. Even my son, who's only 8, commented that if PAVE took up residence at the Miccio Center, wouldn't that be just as bad as having it at PS15, and I have to agree with him - his instincts are right.

In an earlier post to this blog, another blogger pointed out that there are federal funds available now to help charter schools pay for private sites, taking the burden off the "regular" public schools. Why isn't PAVE applying for these funds and simultaneously continuing their search for alternate space? Perhaps they are, but that issue hasn't come up in any of the discussions I've heard about so far.

Why does the decision about PAVE's location need to be made within the week? I realize that they need to have their site set up in time to start classes in August, BUT there's still the rest of May, June and July to secure another location and do whatever renovations and work needs to be done.

Personally, I'm not ready to give up yet. I think something can be worked out that makes sense for everyone involved. I also feel that if we cave in on this, it sets a bad precedent for all the other public schools that are being faced with similar encroachments.

outside.in · PS 15 - Patrick F. Daly School · Brooklyn, NY

outside.in · PS 15 - Patrick F. Daly School · Brooklyn, NY

PS 15 - Patrick F. Daly School
71 Sullivan St
Brooklyn, NY
Got something to say about PS 15 - Patrick F. Daly School? Say it in discussions.
Latest thread in Brooklyn Discussions Ice Cream Parlor in Brooklyn?
See all 197 threads about Brooklyn · or start a new one!
Red Hook Parents Upset: DOE to Put New Charter School In PS 15 onlytheblogknowsbrooklyn.typepad.com - March 31, 2008
The mother of a student at PS 15 in Red Hook wrote to say that the Department of Education has decided to place a new charter school in their building starting next fall. Many of the parents connec... »
what: education · charter schools · department of education · doe
Upcoming: The Return of "Off the Hook" gowanuslounge.blogspot.com - March 28, 2008
"Off the Hook: Original Plays by Red Hook Kids" returns April 18-19 in Red Hook for its ninth production since the series began in 2004. So far, 30 local young people have written and performed 39 ... »
what: events · theater · kids · red hook · plays off the hook
No Holds Barred: When Brooklyn Kids Take the Stage onlytheblogknowsbrooklyn.typepad.com - March 27, 2008
I just got this invite in my inbox about "Off the Hook: Original Plays by Red Hook Kids" returns April 18-19 in Red Hook All of the enthusiasm, inventiveness, and fearlessness that Brooklyn kids ar... »
what: arts · events · theater · children
Something to say about PS 15 - Patrick F. Daly School? Join us and you can add articles and stories.
Parents win: Education Department agrees not to add charter school to Red Hook’s PS 15 http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/31/8/31_08_parents_win_education.html - February 21, 2008
Falling to an aggressive political assault by parents, teachers and even the widow of a beloved former principal, the Department of Education caved this week, agreeing not to sandwich a charter sch... »
what: education · charter schools · department of education · doe
Rules of the Playground errorink.wordpress.com - January 23, 2008
Read my most recent story on a renovated playground at Red Hook, Brooklyn’s elementary school, Patrick F. Daly Public School 15. »
what: news · red hook · playgrounds · story

videos

I have a 45 minute montage of video clips available that's arranged sequentially, and had titles inserted between sections identifying some of the key participants and speakers. Because it's a large file, it's been impossible for me to upload to the blog so far - but it DOES fit on a CD perfectly, If anyone's interested in a copy, call me and we'll make arrangements for you to get a copy on CD.

Emily Brown * 917-325-1348

Videos

I'll be uploading more video clips from the public hearing over the next few days... keep checking back. It's much faster for me to do this at the library...

More video clips from DOE Public Hearing

more video clips from the DOE Public Hearing

Video Clip from DOE Public Hearing re: siting PAVE Academy at PS15

So far, the majority of the posts I've added to this blog have been material I've found on the internet about the controversy over the relative merits of public schools and charter schools, and the background on the PAVE Academy. I haven't written much original material about this yet because the blog started out as a research project; I wanted to learn as much as I could about the controversy and share it with the Red Hook community so we could all form conclusions together.

In selecting the material I've posted, I admit that I have a bias - and it's very much against the movement to promote charter schools in general, but more specifically, it's about not wanting to give up on the idea of an equal-access, truly public and democratic education system for any and every student. Our public school system is far from perfect, and I know that; some charter schools appear to be doing a good job of helping students succeed and excel. What I oppose is the concept of eliminating one type of school system in favor of another; I'm opposed to privatization and moving away from accountability to the public, which is what the charter school system seems to be promoting. So far, I've heard a lot of arguments from the charter school side that their schools are public schools. If they were truly public schools, why do they accept students on a lottery basis instead of open enrollment? This seems to be one of several major inconsistencies.

Another argument put forward by the charter school movement is that they receive less funding than public schools do - I've heard one figure quoted most often, that they receive 70% of the funding that public schools do. I counter this argument with these facts: there are several foundations set up to fund charter schools that are specifically tailored to fund only charter schools, and exclude public schools from applying for and receiving funds. It also appears that here in New York City, despite the enormous budget cuts our schools are facing, charter schools receive a portion of the money still allocated to schools specifically to recruit new students. I have yet to find any mention of funds allocated to public schools to do the same thing, in spite of the pattern of co-siting charter schools within public schools that have low enrollment.

I'll be writing more of my own material - and posting it - from now on.

It's good to see that other organizations are using this blog as a resource despite Spencer Robertson's comment in an email a little while ago that not many people are actually reading it. The web counter shows that at least 150, sometimes closer to 300 people are at least looking at it on a daily basis. It's even begun to show up in the Google Blog alerts for PS15 that I get on a daily basis. I hope others find it useful; the problem PS15 is having is one that many other schools share, and I'd like to hope that one day we can band together and reform the DOE's destructive practices.

--
"Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world; indeed, that is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

Read my blog, Charter Free PS15 at http://charter-free-ps15.blogspot.com/

Conspiracy Planet - Julian Robertson Lawsuit Archives - King & Spalding: Legal Weasel Richard Marooney

Conspiracy Planet - Julian Robertson Lawsuit Archives - King & Spalding: Legal Weasel Richard Marooney: "King & Spalding: Legal Weasel Richard Marooney
by URI DOWBENKO


(PHOTO: The possibly senile former alleged billionaire Julian Robertson who has sued Conspiracy Planet and Al Martin Raw.com)

There are many questions to be answered. First of all, why would Julian Robertson sue Conspiracy Planet and Al Martin Raw.com -- opening himself up to discovery regarding the failure of his hedge fund Tiger Management? Did legal weasel Richard Marooney of King & Spalding law firm talk him into it -- or is he so hot-headed that he didn't foresee the inevitable consequences -- that he would be forced to divulge the facts about the demise of his company, confessing as he did, that 'We are in a market I don't understand,' according to the Sunday Times of London (April 2, 2000?

Is Marooney sleeping with Judge Loretta Preska to get favorable rulings from her? Or is he just having drinks with her? How else to explain Judge Preska's judicial misconduct regarding the case?

Here are the facts regarding collusion, if not conspiracy, with plaintiff's attorney.
More"

Conspiracy Planet - Julian Robertson Lawsuit Archives - Motion: Mental Exam for Julian Robertson

I wonder if this is why Spencer Robertson thought it was ok to call PS15's principal to request that she tell me to stop posting material to my blog before the public hearing. Let them try suing me. I've got absolutely nothing, and they'd be wasting their time.

Conspiracy Planet - Julian Robertson Lawsuit Archives - Motion: Mental Exam for Julian Robertson:

"Motion: Mental Exam for Julian Robertson
by CONSPIRACY PLANET
'You'd
have to be crazy to sue me, especially if you're a failed hedge fund manager
like Julian Robertson,' says Conspiracy Planet publisher Uri Dowbenko. 'That's
why we filed a motion in his frivolous lawsuit for a court ordered psychological
examination for him.'

The Motion for a Court Ordered Mental Competence
Evaluation of Plaintiff Julian Robertson is the latest salvo in the battle for
the First Amendment. After all, the 73-year old Robertson may or may not
understand the lawsuit that his attorney Richard Marooney of King & Spalding
law firm has filed against Conspiracy Planet, Al Martin Raw, Uri Dowbenko and Al
Martin

The 'legal' harassment of writers and
publishers is the latest trend to stifle free speech in America, as the First
Amendment remains under attack while writers and publishers continue being sued.

Donald Trump sued author Timothy L. O'Brien and Time Warner for
his book 'TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald,' in which O'Brien wrote that
Trump was worth $250 million, not the $2."

Conspiracy Planet - Julian Robertson Lawsuit Archives - Julian Robertson v. Conspiracy Planet: Answer

Conspiracy Planet - Julian Robertson Lawsuit Archives - Julian Robertson v. Conspiracy Planet: Answer: "Julian Robertson v. Conspiracy Planet: Answer
by URI DOWBENKO
The 73-year old Julian Robertson still hasn't learned. Is it old age, senility, arrogance, ego or a combination of them all?

In 1996 Julian Robertson filed a frivolous lawsuit against Business Week Magazine for $1 billion because it was 'a nice round number' he said. He settled out of court with no moey changing hands.

More recently, failed hedge fund manager Julian H. Robertson Jr., who escaped to New Zealand after losing all but $6 billion of $23 billion under management in his Tiger hedge fund, sued Conspiracy Planet in yet another meritless and frivolous lawsuit.

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________

JULIAN H. ROBERTSON, Jr. ) No. 05-CV-7046 Judge Preska

Plaintiff, ) ANSWER TO COMPLAINT
v."

Conspiracy Planet - Julian Robertson Lawsuit Archives - Court Orders Discovery for Julian Robertson

Conspiracy Planet - Julian Robertson Lawsuit Archives - Court Orders Discovery for Julian Robertson

Court Orders Discovery for Julian Robertson by URI DOWBENKO
Is failed hedge fund manager Julian "I Don't Really Understand the Markets" Robertson mentally competent to file yet another frivolous lawsuit? After all he sued Business Week magazine for $1 billion because it was "a nice round number," then settled out of court with no money changing hands.Discovery ordered by Federal Judge Loretta Preska may answer this question, as well as whether the 73-year old Robertson, who used to manage Tiger Management LLC and who filed suit against Al Martin Raw.com and Conspiracy Planet.com, really understands the import of this legal action, or whether it is an abuse of process and act of champerty by his attorney Richard Marooney of the King & Spalding law firm.Robertson's mental health is certainly at issue, especially in filing this suit against Uri "You'd Have To Be Crazy To Sue Me" Dowbenko, publisher of Conspiracy Planet and other alternative media websites"DOCUMENT REQUEST NO. 3 All documents authenticating Julian Robertson’s most recent medical/ physical exam records, as well as mental health exam (mental component) certifying his ability to understand the lawsuit undertaken against defendants, as well as a list of all prescribed medications attributable to plaintiff during the last 3 years.

Conspiracy Planet - Julian Robertson Lawsuit Archives - Julian Robertson Refuses Mental Exam

This is interesting...

Conspiracy Planet - Julian Robertson Lawsuit Archives - Julian Robertson Refuses Mental Exam: "Julian Robertson Refuses Mental Exam
by URI DOWBENKO
Julian Robertson, who managed his Tiger hedge fund from $23 billion down to $6 billion in 2000, has refused court ordered discovery for a mental exam regarding his frivolous lawsuit against Al Martin Raw.com, Conspiracy Planet.com et al.

His attorney Richard Marooney of King & Spalding has responded by stonewalling the request for 'All documents authenticating Julian Robertson's most recent medical/physical exam records, as well as mental health exam (mental component) certifying his ability to understand the lawsuit undertaken against defendants, as well as a list of all prescribed medications attributable to plaintiff during the last 3 years'.

Marooney writes 'In addition to the foregoing General Objections, Plaintiff objects to Request No. 3 on the grounds that it is overbroad, unduly burdensome, intentionally designed to harass Mr. Robertson, and calls for information that is not relevant to any claim or defense of any party.'

Defendants maintain that the mental status of 73-year old Julian 'We Are in a Market I Don't Understand' Robertson is not irrelevant.
More


Other Top Stories
Julian Robertson Refuses Mental Exam by URI DOWBENKO
Court Orders Discovery for Julian Robertson by URI DOWBENKO
Julian Robertson v. Conspiracy Planet: Answer by URI DOWBENKO
Motion: Mental Exam for Julian Robertson by CONSPIRACY PLANET
Conspiracy Planet:Julian Robertson Needs PsychExam by CONSPIRACY PLANET
King & Spalding: Legal Weasel Richard Marooney by URI DOWBENKO"

Tiger Foundation

Tiger Foundation

This is the foundation run by Spencer Robertson's father, who is also a charter school supporter. Notice in the material below, taken directly from their website, the anti-NYC-public-school attitude - they practically blame the public school system for promoting the poverty cycle for urban children:

http://www.tigerfoundation.org/education.html

"One of the best means of breaking the cycle of poverty is to provide
children with a high quality education. Unfortunately, the New York City
public school system frequently fails the students who need that education
the most - those born into poor families, in communities lacking resources
and other educational options.
Thus, the Education program's overarching goal is to improve the city's public school system and to offer every child in New York City a high quality education.
Currently, the Foundation funds a variety of model schools and other systemic reform initiatives including charter schools and professional development for teachers and school leaders. We continue to examine how best to support individual charter schools and the broader charter school movement. We believe that charter schools are an excellent vehicle for public school reform.
Substantive change in a system this large and complex takes time, while daily kids struggle in inadequate public schools. Therefore as a secondary goal, the Education program supports academic enrichment programs designed to compensate for the deficiencies in schools, as well as some alternatives to the public school system. The Foundation funds a variety of academic enrichment models designed to offer intensive educational supports to students. All of these programs are offered by community-based organizations, not the public schools themselves. We do not support pure summer interventions or school-day curricular enhancements. All of the programs must document concrete outcomes showing improved academic performance."

Well, now we know where Spencer Robertson learned his agenda - right at home, from his father. Is this someone who's going to cooperate with PS15 if he's allowed to share space in our school? I wouldn't trust the arrangement to be beneficial to PS15 at all over the long term.

Gmail - NYC Public School Parents - More on school overcrowding and what should be done

Gmail - NYC Public School Parents - More on school overcrowding and what should be done

EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL

EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL
This article looks like it could be at least an important part of the solution to our problem; I'm surprised that Spencer Robertson, whose father is a philanthropist himself, doesn't appear to be aware of it. It's also nice to know that other people out there are noticing and reading my blog; in a recent email I received from Spencer Robertson, he said that he'd only recently read my blog and commented that he doubted that many other people were actually looking at it (despite the fact that there's a webcounter on it that as of today shows a count of over 1100 "hits"). Hmmm.

What I like about this particular material is that it doesn't just present the problem, but offers a potential solution for at least some charter schools, and presents specific examples.

Charter Schools To Receive Multimillion-Dollar Boost
Charter schools that have been struggling to find homes in New York will
receive a boost today from the Bush administration, in the form of a
multimillion-dollar grant. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings is
presenting the award to a local group that finances, constructs, and renovates
charter school buildings, Civic Builders, Inc. The money will be used to aid
building efforts in New York City and Newark, N.J., charter schools, according
to sources familiar with the grant. Both the New York City schools chancellor,
Joel Klein, and the Newark mayor, Cory Booker, will be on hand at today's
announcement. The grant comes as charter schools in the city face what officials
at Civic Builders have termed a space "crisis." Charter schools are publicly
funded but privately managed, and state laws often do not guarantee them space
in public school buildings. In New York City, Mayor Bloomberg and his Department
of Education have worked to help secure space for charter schools, welcoming
them into public school buildings with some extra space, where the charter
schools usually get a hallway or floor and part-time access to the cafeteria and
gymnasium.They are becoming more and more common, but these sharing arrangements
are politically perilous, with parents and teachers at existing schools crying
foul and enlisting elected officials to back their protests. One school's
protest has migrated to the Internet, where a Red Hook mother started a Web log,
Charter-Free PS15. Another protest planned for this Wednesday is also expected
to draw attention to the issue.Civic Builders helps charter schools construct
and lease buildings that are separate from public facilities. With the help of
private philanthropy, it has transformed a Bronx parking garage into a
43,000-square-foot school and a kosher salami factory in Hunts Point into a
school with an arts specialty, and built a 90,000-square-foot school complete
with a 10,000-volume library, a climbing wall, and a rooftop athletic area in
the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. The grant is part of a federal
program aimed at making it more attractive - and less risky - for
philanthropists to invest in charter school construction projects. The Bush
administration has already awarded more than $175 million in grants to similar
projects across the country, according to Education Department grant lists.Source

NYC Public School Parents: Charter schools: the billionaire's boys club?

Click on this link - NOW!: NYC Public School Parents: Charter schools: the billionaire's boys club?

Response to a Comment on a recent post

A cyber-philosopher going by the moniker Socrates recently left a new comment on the post "May 7th Public Hearing":

So you would prefer that schools don't teach students to be good people? You
would prefer that they are soul-less institutions of purely academic
orientation? How sad.

Hmmm. With everything else that I brought up in that particular post, this is the one thing this clever person picked up on. He/she/it completely missed the point that what I - and several other community members had an issue with was the way the issue was raised (patronizingly, smugly, and out of context in a public hearing) leaving teachers, parents and others with a really bad taste in their mouths, and then dealt with afterwards. Tim Burke may have been trying to make a positive point about the PAVE Academy's curriculum, but he presented it so poorly that it came across as an insult to at least part of a roomful of people, and then, instead of apologizing, became confrontational.

I think "Socrates" is probably an armchair philosopher who wants to engage in an epistemological, ontological debate (there's a couple of $10 words fer ya, Socrates - see? I went to college too) about whether it's a good idea to teach values in school. Values get taught in school intentionally and unintentionally, directly and indirectly all the time - by teachers, guidance counselors, other kids, etc. It's part of the socialization process. It's also part of the disciplinary process when kids act up in school.

But I'm going to answer your question with some other questions.

• How do you define a "good" person? Your definition might be different from mine, and it would be interesting to see where the overlaps are AND where the differences are.
• "Socrates", if you have a child, who would you prefer to have teaching him or her about values and character in school? Would you prefer your child learn from people who treat him fairly, who encourage him to develop intellectual curiosity and fair play in dealing with people he interacts with, whether they're peers or authority figures? Would you prefer he learn about character from people who negotiate well and look for common ground and real consensus in their solutions to conflict, or from people who are routinely patronizing, rude, and whose primary interests appear to be to get what they want whatever the cost, by any means necessary?

As a parent, I can tell you right away that I have no issue whatsoever with having the PS15 staff help build the character of my son, because over the past 5 years, they've done a wonderful job with him - he's curious, he scores well on tests, he's learned a huge amount about working out differences with other students fairly, he's empathetic and sympathetic, and because he's treated well there, he also makes an effort to reciprocally do the right thing and treat others well. I'm looking at the big picture, which is that they've participated in helping develop a boy with good character. On the other hand, I've watched the DOE and the PAVE Academy people work in tandem to ensure that the PAVE Academy gets exactly what it wants - which is a rent-free location for their school, with no fiscal or other accountability to the public whose taxes support education - through underhanded tactics. They've demonstrated very poor character in my book because they've misrepresented information to the public (I'm being kind here: others would call this LYING); in other cases, they've restricted or hidden information. They've also proceeded with their plans independently of the very people most affected by the long range impact of these plans, and they seem to feel that if they repeat certain meaningless key phrases often enough, their opposition will give up and roll over. This is arrogant and patronizing, and not to be tolerated from anyone.

Read through the earlier posts to this blog and connect the dots yourself (including Spencer Robertson's emails to me, which I've posted here) if you need to see the many other reasons I don't think the PAVE Academy people are equipped to appropriately help children build good character, and shouldn't be preaching about it to anyone until they can demonstrate some good character traits themselves.

I certainly wouldn't want MY son learning about character from people or organizations whose values are corrupt. That's part of why I don't want the PAVE Academy anywhere near my son's public school. Let them do their business elsewhere.

Emily Brown

May 7th Public Hearing

I'd like to thank everyone who spoke up on behalf of PS15 last night; a lot of factual information was presented, and some very passionate and wonderful testimonies offered as well. You were all wonderful!

 

I'll be writing a lot more about the meeting later on, but wanted to point out that NOT ALL of the adults who appeared wearing PAVE's t-shirt were actually affiliated with PAVE - some of them were affiliated with other charter schools completely (Paul van Linden Tol recognized them ffrom another recent CEC meeting). I think it's tacky on Mr. Robertson's part to try to "pad" his supporters by disguising them as being directly affiliated with his school.

 

I'm glad to notice as well that I wasn't the only one who took issue Timothy Burke's description of PAVE's curriculum as being one that focuses on building character, as hough Red Hook residents need help in that area. What made it worse was that he got defensive and almost argumentative about it afterwards. Seems like particularly bad public relations for PAVE... maybe he needs a muzzle next time Mr. Robertson takes him out in public.

It's sad that the DOE representatives can't find a way to make a commitment one way or the other about whether we'll be playing host to PAVE next year - their stock response seemed to be unanimously and repeatedly "we'll have to see, onlhy time will tell, we'll get back to you about that." Do keep in mind, though, that this comes from Michael Duffy, who told me several weeks ago when I called to find out about when the public hearing would be scheduled claimed not to know and claimed he needed to check with a colleague - and oddly enough, he's the one who signed the letter announcing last night's meeting.

 

It looks as though we have several politicians and John McGettrick in our corner, though, and I hope that their help does the trick.

 

I just got a call from a parent from a public school in Bushwick that is in the same dilemma. She'd be interested in working together to present a larrger unified front.

 

And thanks for looking in on my humble blog; as of yesterday, the site had  more than 1000 hits (and Spencer Robertson seems to think nobody's reading it at all).

 

Emily
--
"Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world; indeed, that is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

Read my blog, Charter Free PS15 at http://charter-free-ps15.blogspot.com/

New York City Center for Charter School Excellence | NYC Charter School

This link discusses the 19 new charter schools approved for opening in the coming year - click on this link to see more: New York City Center for Charter School Excellence NYC Charter School: "PAVE".

Charter Schools, Special Programs, Choices & Enrollment, New York City Department of Education

Here is the Department of Education's official definition of charter schools: click on this link Charter Schools, Special Programs, Choices & Enrollment, New York City Department of Education

2007-08 Class Size Report (updated on 2/15/08), Class Size Report, DOE Data, About Us, New York City Department of Education

Click on this link 2007-08 Class Size Report (updated on 2/15/08), Class Size Report, DOE Data, About Us, New York City Department of Education for more information about the DOE's reports on class sizes.

Enroll Your Child | PAVE Academy Charter School

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: moderator <emilyholiday@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, May 7, 2008 at 9:19 AM
Subject: Enroll Your Child | PAVE Academy Charter School
To: emilyholiday@gmail.com


[http://www.paveacademy.org/enroll-your-child]
This explains the enrollment process at the PAVE Academy: Enroll Your Child PAVE Academy Charter School.

One thing I don't understand is this: in the original proposal for the PAVE Academy, it stated that the goal was to have a balance of 50% Latino / 50% African American students enrolled at PAVE. How is it possible to do that and also have a random, impartial lottery?

--
Posted By moderator to noskeeters at 5/07/2008 09:19:00 AM

--
"Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world; indeed, that is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

Read my blog, Charter Free PS15 at http://charter-free-ps15.blogspot.com/

Dean of Students and Families

This is the only position I've seen posted so far where certification was required - but only two years of teaching experience are required, and the candidate could potentially get the position with only a B.A. By the way, the Dean would also be expected to fill in for absent teachers... what happened to using substitute teachers?

Parent Involvement and Power

Click on the link in the box above to read a sobering article about how the education system has been restructured in ways that make it even more difficult for parents to be truly involved and have an impact. Something needs to be done.

the public advocacy project

the public advocacy project - Parental Power and Mayoral Control: Avenues for Parent and Community Involvement in New York City Schools Clara Hemphill
Clara Hemphill is an acclaimed author, editor and social entrepreneur. The New York Times called her three books “the most definitive guides” to New York City public schools. New York magazine named her one of the 200 most influential New Yorkers for her work “empowering parents” as founding editor of the Insideschools.org website. As a reporter and editorial writer for New York Newsday, she shared the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting. New York magazine called her writing on the homeless “worthy of Dickens.” A foreign correspondent for The Associated Press and a producer for CBS News based in Rome in the 1980s, she covered the war in Lebanon, the attempted assassination of the pope and numerous Mafia murders. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, Robert Snyder, and two children, who attend public school.

the public advocacy project

This section of the public advocate's website focuses on the Commission on School Governance: click the link the public advocacy project

Bloomberg Proposes Lean Budget - New York Times

Look carefully through this article to see how much money is being spent on charter schools, despite budget cuts to education in NYC - click on this link: Bloomberg Proposes Lean Budget - New York Times

NY1: Education: Charter Schools cannot be audited

According to this article, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has been barred from auditing the city's charter schools because of a judge's ruling that the DOE (rather than the state) oversees charter schools. Click on this link: NY1: Education

DOE Public Meeting: siting of charter school PAVE Academy at PS15 in Red Hook - Black New Yorkers for Educational Excellence | Google Groups

Here's something picked up by a Google Group, one that looks excellent - click on the following link: DOE Public Meeting: siting of charter school PAVE Academy at PS15 in Red Hook - Black New Yorkers for Educational Excellence Google Groups

Background on the Gag Order - and Why I Cannot Comply

On Saturday, May 2, I got a phone call from Mrs. LaBoy, the parent coordinator at PS15; she explained that Ms. Wyns-Madison (the principal) had gotten phone calls from Spencer Robertson and the Department of Education requesting that I stop posting material to my blog, at least until after the meeting on Wednesday May 7. Initially I agreed to stop posting for a few days until after the meeting.

I've given this careful consideration for the past few days, and I can't in good faith NOT continue to keep the blog going. I'm sincerely sorry if this puts Ms. Wyns-Madison in an awkward position.

I'll be blunt: I'm annoyed with the DOE and with Mr. Robertson; approaching the principal about this, when it should be abundantly clear that she is not affiliated with this blog, is an underhanded maneuver. It's also a spineless, cowardly tactic to use. The only reason I've gone along with it up to this point is because I respect Ms. Wyns-Madison as a true professional, and didn't want to make a difficult situation worse for her. She's been placed in the middle of a situation by a bureaucracy whose sense of entitlement is grossly inflated, and it's also interesting to note that the DOE apparently listens more to the charter school camp than they do the public schools. I hope that this isn't an indication of what sharing space and negotiating with Mr. Robertson (and the DOE) will be like in the future should the PAVE Academy be co-sited in PS15.

I don't know about you, but in my case, blood's thicker than water; one of the most important reasons I started the blog in the first place is because my son attends PS15, and I'm trying to protect his interests - along with the interests of his classmates and their families. I'm taking this issue very personally because it's an attack on my child's school.

I find it somewhat ironic that I'm being told to suppress a public forum after spending more than a decade promoting freedom of expression in Brooklyn through hosting a series of literary readings that on occasion presented somewhat controversial political material. I also initiated and coordinated the Brooklyn Alternative Small Press Fair, which for five successive years promoted independent publishing in Brooklyn - and which incorporated many participants who presented political material that larger presses wouldn't deal with (see www.geocities.com/emilybrooklyn/smallpressfair for more information on that).

What really rubs me the wrong way about this is an issue of standards and integrity: when I was applying for grants to cover expenses for the Small Press Fairs, I had to be completely accountable in my grant proposals for certain key issues including the location of the event (I had to provide a letter of agreement with the directors of the venues I used stating that the event would be held on their premises on specific dates) and all financial information (receipts had to be provided for every expenditure), and I had to explain in detail exactly how my event would serve the community - and I got funded each year I requested grant monies because I presented totally feasible proposals and budgets, and I stuck to them. I was also responsible for providing detailed interim and final reports regarding the events to my funders. Why aren't Charter Schools held to the same level of accountability and integrity? Without knocking the relevance of the humanities programs I've been responsible for, it seems to me that educating children is a higher priority - there's far more at stake - so why aren't the agencies responsible for educating and helping shape our children held to the same or a higher standard?

I'll be posting more shortly - but I just wanted to let everyone know why the blog was so quiet for several days. Meanwhile, as of Monday, the number of viewers was well over 900, and I'm hoping that by Wednesday, we'll have passed the 1000 mark.

Emily

Blog Under Attack - Gag Order In Effect

I've been officially asked to stop posting to this blog until after Wednesday's meeting. Much as it annoys me to be subject to censorship, I'm taking it under consideration - for now. Apparently I've hit a nerve with both the DOE and Spencer Robertson.

As of Wednesday night, though, look for new posts. Blogger is terrific: it now allows users to schedule when a post will appear at a future date and time - and I've scheduled a series of posts to appear starting at 6:00 on May 7.

Official DOE Fact Sheet about PS15/PAVE Academy Co-Siting

If you click directly on the picure, you'll be able to see a bigger version... I'll try to re-post this in a better format later, but I just wanted to get this up. It's the document that John White from the DOE specifically requested I post.

Gmail - NYC Public School Parents - 2 new articles - emilyholiday@gmail.com

Click this link: https://mail.google.com/mail/?source=navclient#inbox/119b318e8b5ff61d

NYC Public School Parents

NYC Public School Parents Click on the link for this terrific blog that ISN'T connected to the DOE.

John White wants me to post something on the blog on behalf of the DOE

I just checked my email and got this message from John White. Of course, the file he wants me to post requires software I don't have installed on the computer I'm using, so I can't open it. Hmmm. I wish I knew what it says.

He emailed me back later on Friday and told me he'd send the document to me in another format on Monday.
Emily

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: White John <JWhite8@schools.nyc.gov>
Date: Fri, May 2, 2008 at 4:58 PM
Subject: posting
To: emilyholiday@gmail.com

Per your online request for additional information regarding the siting of PAVE Academy, please see the attached fact sheet. I am requesting that you post it on the blog you operate.

John C. White

New York City Department of Education

(212) 374-5580

--
"Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world; indeed, that is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

Read my blog, Charter Free PS15 at http://charter-free-ps15.blogspot.com/

CEC15 D15 THIS IS A FRIENDLY REMINDER

CEC15 D15 THIS IS A FRIENDLY REMINDER


District 15 Community Education Council
Invites you to
A Special Working Session for our Friends and Colleagues
Tuesday, May 6th6:30 P.M. - 8:30 P.M.
Dear Friends & Colleagues,
CEC15 has amended our Tuesday, May 6th working session to allow for a conversation with you.
Several of you have requested a time to meet with the CEC to inquire about how we may work together, or just to have more information about CEC. This is the opportunity.
You may be aware that CEC15 has had several changes since re-convening in September. Many of you have, in various ways, had to deal with a plethora of issues this school year - issues such as the School Budget Cuts, School siting, Changes in the gifted and talented programs, Middle school applications, the 8th grade promotion policy, and more which has kept us busy.
As volunteers with jobs, careers and family obligations, we struggle with the same time constraints as you. However we are eager to connect with you. Please prepare any questions you may have and be ready to share your organization's information with us.
Please RSVP to our Administrative Assistant, Romaine Smith at RSmith45@schools.nyc.gov or call our office at (718) 935 - 4267.

We look forward to seeing you on the Tuesday, May 6th @ 6:30pm - 8:30pm at 131 Livingston Street, room 610, 6th floor. Refreshments will be served.
Best Regards,CEC15

Gmail - Would you like to get coffee tomorrow/after the hearing? - emilyholiday@gmail.com

Here's an email I got from Spencer Robertson today:

Spencer Robertson to me 10:32 AM
Hi Emily- I am going to be out in Red Hook for a good portion of the
morning tomorrow. Would you like to get some coffee? Until this morning I hadn't
spent much time on your blog (apparently I'm not alone), but reading it, you
seem to have formed, what I think is safe to say, a fairly low opinion of me. I
initially thought your objection to PAVE was surrounding the prospect of it's
co-location, but reading deeper it seems as though it has somehow gotten
personal. I think that's unfortunate given the very limited interactions we have
had. When and if we meet, I'd be more than happy to explain the difference
between a for-profit entity and a not for profit 501(c)(3) and answer any other
questions you might have. I'd enjoy the opportunity to sit with you and
listen to your concerns. Hopefully I can address them, but at the very least you
will have a better understanding of me and what we (PAVE) are trying to
accomplish, and vice versa. I look forward to meeting at some
point- All the best- Spencer

I'm not entirely happy with the tone of the communication (and by the way, I've worked for quite a few not-for-profit organizations in the past 25 years, and I'm a member of one now as well - so I'm completely familiar with the differences between for-profit and not-for-profit entities) - BUT, at least he's willing to open a dialogue about concerns over the school situation.

URGENT! DOE Meeting on May 7 at 5:30 re: siting of PAVE Academy at PS15

While checking my email this morning, I found this message from another parent whose child attends PS15:

When I was dropping off my daughter at PS 15, Ms. LaBoy (the parent
coordinator) informed me that DOE is holding a public meeting on the
siting of PAVE Academy at PS 15 next Wednesday, May 7 at 5:30 PM.
While DOE claims that this meeting is akin to the legally mandated public
hearing, it's unclear whether PS 15 parents and staff will be allowed to
testified. Moreover, the families awarded seats at PAVE via of
the lottery have already received notice that the school will be located PS
15 - weeks before the so-called public hearing. Sadly, the PAVE
families are being coached to raise a ruckus at the May 7 meeting to show
support for the charter school - clearly a sick and divisive tactic on
Spencer Robertson's part.

I'm glad she passed this information on - but it's warped that I made direct contact with the DOE offices in charge of charter schools on numerous occasions, and they claimed ignorance of when this meeting would be scheduled or even WHO was responsible for scheduling this.

Are we being intentionally deceived because the DOE has already made a decision about the siting of the charter school? I think it's very likely. I think it's also warped that Mr. Robertson also feels a need to resort to tactics like this to ensure that he has a location for his charter school; how does this serve the Red Hook community in any positive way? Is this someone we want to be stuck trying to negotiate with over two or more years? Does anyone else reading this blog think that this may be more about Mr. Roberston protecting his business interests rather than genuinely trying to help Red Hook's children? He makes a lot of noise about the importance of choice in education... I think we need to show him that true choice is a two way street.

I'll be contacting the school this morning to get more information about this, as well as the DOE.

If you support PS15, please make a point of attending this meeting and speak out. Email me at emilyholiday@gmail.com or phone me at 917-325-1348 if you want to discuss more details.

Emily