FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 19, 2010
Contact: Erica Perez: 347-323-1499
Emma Hulse: 317-371-3845
Parents to Rally Saturday in Support of I.S. 302, Demand City Take School Off the Chopping Block
Brooklyn’s I.S. 302 Faces Closure by City Despite Steady Improvement
City Recently Announced Dozens of Schools to be Closed
Angry parents will rally on Saturday in support of Brooklyn’s I.S. 302, which faces closure by the City despite marked gains in student performance over the past four years. The City announced in late October it would begin a process to close I.S. 302 and 46 other schools.
The move came as a shock to parents at 302, where student performance has improved from a “D” grade to an “A” by the City’s own measurement. Last year the school received “proficient” on its quality review, with Department of Education staff noting that the administrative team at 302 “is committed to improving the performance of students, and their zeal for success guides the strategic use of all school resources and organizational decisions towards achieving this goal.”
Adding to the outrage from parents, thousands of students would be displaced over the next three years if 302’s phase-out started next year as proposed. If 302 is shuttered, there will not be room for the additional students in District 19.
At a time when exam scores have fallen across the board in New York City and resources have disappeared, community members believe that the school and its students are being set up to fail. In addition, the parents will charge Saturday that DOE is failing to address the crisis and systematically denying low-income students of color an equitable education.
WHEN: Saturday, November 20 – 12:00 PM
WHERE: I.S. 302 Rafael Cordero y Molina, 350 Linwood St., Brooklyn – between Atlantic and Liberty
WHO: Parents, students, alumni, teachers, elected officials, clergy members, community leaders and others concerned about the future of I.S. 302; members of Cypress Hills Advocates for Education (CHAFE) and the Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation.
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