Brooklyn Assemblyman Calls For Moratorium On School Closures
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After an unprecedented number of school closings were approved this week, an elected official in Brooklyn is drafting state legislation to prevent the Department of Education from doing it again. NY1’s Jeanine Ramirez filed the following report.The Panel for Educational policy meetings last week were contentious. And Schools Chancellor Cathie Black's sarcastic reaction described as problematic, even childish.
Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries says he has a solution.
"The Department of Education needs to be put on time out,” he said.
Jeffries says the DOE's school closures have got to stop. So this week he plans to introduce legislation in Albany to impose a one-year moratorium on any more public school closings in the city.
"They have refused to hear our voices. The school closure policy of the Department of Education is out of control,” said Jeffries. “And that is why the Legislature must step in, impose a moratorium, and get the situation back under control."
The panel decided to shut down 22 schools last week – the largest school closings vote in city history. Jeffries spoke out at Thursday's meeting against the DOE's actions, saying "Many of our schools remain separate and unequal."
Jeffries particularly opposed the shuttering of a school in his district, M.S. 571. The panel also voted to put a charter school in the building, which will continue to house P.S. 9.
Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott defended the move at Thursday’s PEP meeting.
"These schools have not been performing at a level where our children are receiving a quality education,” said Walcott. “We know there are hard-working people who are part of these schools, but they are persistently not educating at a level we think is acceptable and we have a responsibility to phase them out and put high-quality schools in their place."
Jeffries’ moratorium bill would not have any effect on the schools already shut down, but would on any future closings and proposed changes within a school building, including the placement of a charter school.
"The moratorium will give us the opportunity and time to evaluate and make a determination about the best way to improve the quality of public school education in New York,” said Jeffries. “We need a turnaround strategy, not a shutdown strategy."
Jeffries says he will look for a co-sponsor of his bill in the State Senate this week.