January 12, 2012: Vol. 35, No. 3

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January 12, 2012 / Brooklyn news / Fort Greene

Schoolyard brawl: Parents fight over Fort Greene charter expansion

By Kate Briquelet

The Brooklyn Paper

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Community Newspaper Group / Kate Briquelet

Richard Chase says that Community Roots Charter School would take away learning space from his third-grader, Andre, if it gets to create a middle school inside PS 287 on Navy Street — but the city says there's plenty of room because an existing charter school is moving out.

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Parents at a Fort Greene elementary school are lashing out against the city’s proposal to move a new charter school into their building, claiming that their own expansion plans were denied to make room for a school with more political clout.

Hundreds of parents packed the auditorium of PS 287 on Wednesday night, waiting for their chance to speak their mind about the Community Roots Charter School’s bid to open a new middle school within the Navy Street learning institution — a plan that already has the support of a local councilwoman and the city’s chancellor of schools.

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Tensions erupted after charter school proponents hogged the microphone for two hours before PS 287 advocates could even chime in. One PS 287 mother was pulled out of the auditorium screaming as rumors swirled that critics of the plan were being silenced to stifle opposition.

“Community Roots is robbing our children,” said Cynthia Garrett, who has a kindergartner at PS 287 and is a graduate of the school herself. “They’re taking over our cafeteria and our library, and we just get to hear about how great their school is.”

PS 287 PTA president Edgardo Rivera bristled as supporters of the plan shared Community Roots success stories.

“What about us? What about this community and this school?” said Rivera, who claims his school has tried in vain to expand to include a K-8 program. “We’re trying so hard but the [Department of Education] keeps telling us no. If the city were shoving a school down your throats, you’d be out there fighting.”

PS 287 already shares its facilities with a charter school, the Khalil Gibran International Academy — an Arabic language school that is currently being phased out and relocated. Rivera said that parents aren’t against Community Roots — they also demonstrated against Khalil Gibran in 2008, because they wanted the space for their own expansion.

But the city has repeatedly scuttled PS 287’s attempts to add middle school classes, citing low enrollment.

This isn’t the first time that Community Roots — which operates a K-5 program just blocks away on St. Edwards Street in a building it shares with PS 67 — plotted an expansion in a public school. Last year, the city scrapped plans for the charter school to occupy more space inside its current home after PS 67 families complained.

But this time the move has drawn support from elected officials including Councilwoman Letitia James (D-Fort Greene), who has slammed charter schools in the past.

It also has the backing of the city’s Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott, who claims he’s “very bullish” on Community Roots because “there’s a great opportunity for quality education to take place.”

“We have been working with the community over the last year,” said Walcott at a town hall meeting in Gravesend on Wednesday night. “We’re confident that there will be support there.”

A big crowd of Community Roots parents showed up at PS 287 to defend the charter school.

Abi Fenelon says Community Roots went above and beyond to help her daughter, who has been diagnosed with autism.

“The [Department of Education] told me that she would never read above grade level,” Fenelon said. “She reads and does math above grade level, she writes music and plays guitar. Every child who dreams big needs to be here at Community Roots Charter School!”

Department of Education spokesman Frank Thomas said that PS 287 has enough room for both schools, since the Khalil Gibran International Academy, an Arab language charter school that also resides in the building,

PS 287 currently utilizes only about half of its 571-student capacity — while Community Roots has a waiting list of 700 students, according to city data.

PS 287 has gone from receiving an F in city progress in 2006-2007 reports to earning an A in 2008-2009 followed by two straight Bs. Community Roots received an F in its first progress report in the 2009-2010 school year and took home a C last year.

The city is big on wildly popular Community Roots despite its low scores, citing its strong culture of parent involvement and ties with the community. According to an Education Department survey in 2010-2011, 100 percent of parents reported that they are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the school.

If the city’s plan is approved, the charter school will host its first class of 50 sixth-graders in September.

The Panel for Education Policy will vote on the Community Roots expansion on Jan. 18 at Brooklyn Tech High School [29 Fort Greene Place between DeKalb Avenue and Fulton Street in Fort Greene, (212) 374-0208], 6 pm. For info, visit http://schools.nyc.gov.

Correction: Earlier versions of this story incorrectly reported the number of charter school supporters and opponents who attended the Jan. 11 meeting. Altogether, hundreds of parents showed up.

Reach Kate Briquelet at kbriquelet@cnglocal.com or by calling her at (718) 260-2511.

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NYC parent from Bed Stuy says:

This is how Community Roots parents "hogged" the microphone: There was a sign up sheet for speakers and then speakers were called in order. CRCS parents lined up and signed up early. PS 287 parents did not.

At one point in the hearing, CRCS parents offered their number to PS287 parents, but by that time many if not most of them had left.

It is a flawed system.

Jan. 12, 7:54 am

NYC Parent from Fort Greene says:

"Hundreds of parents from PS 287"... Really. I was there and there were about 30 parents from 287 and about 200 from Community Roots. The author is either biased or did not take the time to actually figure out who was there. Either way, this story is wrong.

To use the term "dozens" when referring to to Community Roots is ridiculous. More than 40 of them signed up to speak and when there was there was huge applause.

Get your story straight or just admit you are writing propaganda.

Jan. 12, 8:12 am

An Almost Silenced Parent of PS 287 from Fort Greene says:

There were more than 30 parents from PS 287 in attendance at the meeting last night including myself and my children. I was one of the few parents who stayed after many parents left the auditorium after so many Community Roots supporters spoke. We were there early a great many of us instead of signing in went into the cafeteria to pick up our children from afterschool. It was unfair on how many PS 287 parents who were in attendance were silenced due to one sign up list for speaking. Clearly with such high emotions there should have been more organization on behalf of the organizers. There was not 200 parenst from Community Roots. If you want to call out anyone call out the DOE.

Jan. 12, 8:23 am

porterized from Clinton Hill says:

Ms. Birquelet, are you sure you attended the same hearing I did? "Dozens" from Community Roots? "Hundreds" from 287? "Hogged" the microphone?

Isn't reporting about asking questions and getting facts? This reads like opinion.

Jan. 12, 8:23 am

Brooklyn Parent from District 13 says:

For clarification (lest the article be perceived as accurate reporting) - that auditorium was FULL of hundreds of Community Roots parents and supporters. There was probably a 3:1 ratio with Roots folks being the greater number. It's unfortunate that more 287 parents did not volunteer to speak as there was the opportunity and it wasn't taken. Roots parents were eager to hear both sides. It's a shame that this careless reporting only serves to draw attention to itself and the paper by being inflamatory rather than providing a balanced view of the situation.

Jan. 12, 8:23 am

Brooklyn Parent from District 13 says:

And to the 287 parent who felt silenced - I do agree that the sign up system is flawed and the process should have been more clearly communicated to the crowd.

Jan. 12, 8:27 am

Concerned Parent from Clinton Hill says:

Lashing out...claiming...denied...political clout...hogged... chime in...rumors swirled...bristled...plotted...scrapped... Nice verbs, Kate, but is this what qualifies as journalism these days? It would be nice to read a story about local schools that didn't try to incite people to hate or sound like George W. Bush talking about the axis of evil.

Jan. 12, 8:58 am

Really?!? from Prospect Heights says:

This article is unprofessional, biased and incorrect. Business as usual I guess from the media.

This article is about as accurate as the racist and inflammatory comments by the Reverend last night.

Good job, keep up your inflammatory reporting, hope you sleep well at night.

Jan. 12, 9:01 am

bb from Greenpoint. says:

So many people emotionally invested in maintaining the diabolically crummy status quo in NYC public schools.

Jan. 12, 9:18 am

JR from District 13 says:

First off this is quickly dissolving into a fight between parents when the fault clearly lies with the DOE and city government who refuse to build new schools to meet obviously high demand.

Secondly I must point out this reporters assertion that "Hundreds of parents from PS 287 packed their Navy Street school’s auditorium." That is simply not true. CRCS parents clearly made up more than half of the room and that's putting it conservatively.

Thirdly the signup sheet was for everyone to take advantage of. If CRCS parents showed up, stood on the line, signed, waited and finally spoke passionately under conditions set by the DOE, how is that hogging the microphone? Please enlighten us further with your crack reporting. I guess its easier to shout and claim unfairness than it is to actually position yourself, in your own building with plenty of notice to make your voices heard.

Thanks for penning a lazy and divisive political hit piece.

Jan. 12, 9:21 am

Paul from Williamsburg says:

The City did not scrap plans for Community Roots' expansion last year into the P.S. 67 building, the plan was withdrawn by the school in the interests of peace in the community, and the limitations of available space in that building.

This is really horrible reporting, there are so many misstatements of fact.

The DOE selected this location, as it did last year when the plan was for the expansion into the P.S. 67 building. Unfortunately it pits parents against parents when we all want the same thing, quality education for our kids.

If this plan goes through, although I am sorry that P.S. 287 did not get their expansion approved, I can say that we will work very hard to be good neighbors, and together we can lift both schools higher for the benefit of all the children in the building.

Jan. 12, 9:54 am

Dan from Prospect Heights says:

Eliminate the bias and inflammatory word choice and this article still falls short due to assumptions made by the reporter. Anyone familiar with Community Roots (CRCS) could tell you that the there were at least 200 individuals from CRCS in attendance. I suspect the claim that “hundreds of PS 287” families were there is because the reporter assumes that all the people of color in attendance were from PS 287.

Rich and white are not part of the admission process for CRCS. In fact it’s a lottery; a lottery which this September will be giving preference to 40% of the incoming kindergarten seats to residents of the public housing near the school. I understand how, with no DOE officials present, justifiably frustrated PS 287 parents might lash out at CRCS. I can understand how some parents might be tricked into believing that CRCS is part of some conspiracy as a result of misinformation from overzealous clergymen who felt the need to speak out of turn because they had some place else to go (talk about feeling privileged).

What I can’t understand is how “journalist” can fall so far short of accuracy and objectivity, or put so little effort into getting the facts. I feel for the parents at PS 287, but I also want to assure them that CRCS will be a good neighbor and will actively seek to uplift the entire school community in the building.

Jan. 12, 10:11 am

D13 Mom from PHeights says:

Kate! Your reporting is so racist! I cannot believe you made such a biased judgement in assuming that all the parents of color were from PS 287. WOW!

That auditorium was 90% Community Roots families. It was actually really sad that PS 287 leadership could not be bothered to show up or rally their parents in any way.

Try doing some actual research before you write your next article.

Jan. 12, 10:28 am

A parent from Fort Greene says:

The Educational Impact Statement that was handed out at this hearing states very clearly that the building has a capacity of 571 students, and that PS 287 has 217 students (with projected enrollment falling), which means that 287 fills less than 40% of the space. Even with the addition of 150 Community Roots students, there will be room for 287 to grow. As Letitia James said, this is simply about capacity, in a city where many school buildings are overcrowded and in a district that desperately needs more middle school seats. Most of the Community Roots parents who spoke at the hearing live in the surrounding area and are committed to building bridges and working collaboratively with the families of 287.

Anyone who opposes this plan is as misinformed and biased as Kate Briquelet.

Jan. 12, 10:34 am

Lisa Franklin from Brooklyn says:

As a Community Roots parent who was there last night and spoke, I find it unfortunate that this article slants the story.

Community Roots did not "hog the microphone". It was a public hearing and the order was determined by who signed up first. I showed up around 5:30 and all of the Roots speakers had NOT signed ONE name on the sign-up list.....and it remained that way for SEVERAL minutes. Any PS 287 supporters were welcome to step up to that sign-up sheet to sign in, just as the Roots parents, did.

Many of the Roots parents (including myself) even stepped off the line for the very purpose of letting non-Roots parents go in front of us. Unfortunately, there were very little that I saw who chose to get on the line.

So, it was quite unfortunate to hear yelling from PS 287 supporters from their auditorium chairs saying that their voices weren't being heard. All voices had the opportunity to speak. If 287 supporters chose not to get on line during the sign-up window, then it's not true to say that their voices were silenced. That a newspaper with journalistic integrity is perpetuating that notion without being objective and stating the facts that ANYONE could sign up is unfortunate.

Yes, there is a lot of emotion that can get in the way of having a discussion, but emotion shouldn't get in the way of facts. At the end of the day, regardless of how people feel about educational policies, Community Roots is a school that is offering the neighborhood more seats for all of District 13. Would be wonderful if our neighborhood journalists could be impartial and focus on the facts and be part of the solution (more discussion/less arguing) and not part of the problem (creating drama-heavy headlines of "school brawls" and notions of microphones getting "hogged").

Jan. 12, 11:03 am

JudahSpechal from BedStuy says:

Proporganda is strong here on the comment pages. Rip the reporter instead of the issue. if the report fell short, I would think interested parties would fill in the blanks. Reading the comments here, Gives an insight into what the cafeteria was like. I wonder what changed Council James stances on Charter School( been pimping??). Pipping Parents v. Parents over kids education is despicable

Jan. 12, 11:49 am

Joe Gonzalez from Brooklyn says:

Many cry babies who are now complaining are the same folks supported Bloomberg's first, second and third terms as mayor.

If you don't like Tish James's support for Community Roots, don't forget it when she is running for public office in 2013. Also remember she voted for Christine Quinn for City Council Speaker. At some point Tish James needs to remember who voted her into Office. Tish James finds money for benches and trees along Flatbush Ave but can't find funds for local schools & housing projects both of which need help.

Jan. 12, 12:27 pm

Lisa Franklin from Brooklyn says:

Judah...can you be specific as to what "propaganda" you see in the comments section?

Regarding "ripping" the reporter, I don't see anyone "ripping" the reporter, but expressing concern that their reporting is laden with drama and incorrect information. That is not ripping, but holding a reporter who should be objective to the accepted standards of journalism. How can a microphone be "hogged" when there was a sign up sheet available for anyone to sign? How can a microphone be hogged when 287 supporters chose not to sign up, but instead chose to yell from their seats? For those that like their facts TRUE and free of drama, the (boring) fact is that EVERYBODY had equal access to the sign-in sheet.

As for the headline that reads that there was a "brawl" instead of just reporting on many voices of support and/or dissension expressed at a public hearing, that too is another mis-leading statement.

Regardless of how anyone feels about co-location of schools, journalism is supposed to be held to a standard of objectivity and facts.

If you like your journalists to use incorrect information and misleading dramatic reporting, then that's your prerogative, but I think it does the public a disservice and leads to even more dissension.

In addition to the "hogging of the microphone" and the "school yard" brawl statements, other incorrect information is:

1) that Roots "plotted" an expansion. Don't think planning a middle school expansion that adds more seats to District 13 can be considered the nefarious-sounding "plotted"

2) the city did not "scrap plans". Roots elected not to move forward with middle school co-location.

Disagreement about co-location is fine, but it would be more productive if everyone could focus on the facts and the needs of ALL students in District 13.

Jan. 12, 1:21 pm

Rachael from Brooklyn says:

The race card, when will we grow out of it. The only one who can keep you down is yourself. P.S 287 representatives failed themselves and those they claim to fight for by not signing up to speak and behaving in an unruly manner when faced with overwhelming support for CRCS. I arrived at the hearing at 5:50 pm and saw the sign up list with a people signing up their name. It wasn't hidden in a corner but in plain view so why oh why did even one person not put his or her name on the list? Why did Mr. Rivera not encourage the parents to speak? When you chose not to make your voice heard, you can't cry out and say no one is listening to me. As adults we should be ashamed that rather than speak we want to hide behind a divisive influence like Rev. Taylor who has no legitimate basis for his opposition other than the skin color of some kids and their parents, or Mr; Rivera who thinks Roots should stay where they belong (other side of the fence) because he pays taxes, well guess what Mr. Rivera so do the parents of CRCS, many belong to the 99%. Many work and pay taxes but most importantly these are district 13 families. Every single parent up on that podium from roots yesterday were from D13. A chance lost for even one child is one too many. Ms. Khem opposed eloquently and vehemently charter schools but sees no irony in her taking advantage of the opportunities presented for her children when she sent them to charter schools outside of her district but is comfortable denying this district a quality middle school because it is charter? Everyone says the schools are there you just have to look, well we did and found one Community Roots!!!!

Jan. 12, 1:22 pm

Moses from Park Slope says:

Fort Greene Place has the final e, Kate.

Jan. 12, 2:24 pm

Concerned Citizen from Bed-Stuy says:

I find it appalling that this "journalist" made assumptions about attendance at this hearing based on race. This is the problem with these hearings, because there are no DOE representatives there to state the facts, people spread propaganda and make assumptions that pit schools against each other. Last year, the dispute resulted in a race issue, and this year we are seeing the same thing. Community Roots Charter School is NOT a "white school". The population is extremely diverse (in terms of race, socio-economic status, and special needs). The only reason this school stands out as a "white school" is because our NYC public schools are still very much segregated. That is the issue we should all be angry about.

Also, just to clarify, Letitia James was a supporter of CRCS last year as well. She didn't support the expansion because she felt that there was not enough space for the school to expand at their current site. This year, that is not an issue. THere is more than enough space for CRCS to expand by 150 seats.

Jan. 12, 3:09 pm

JudahSpechal from Bedstuy says:

Lisa anyone can write their facts & opinion these days in comment sections which are usually at the end of a story. It's called technology. In a democracy we would like to believe "I hold the truth" I wasn't at the meeting. Most comment here focus on the reporter, not the issue. To take time here to educate a reporter on how he should do his job is nothing but an infantile attempt at drunkng out the issue. Which to me state that Community Roots, DOE, Council James are up to no good. Roots flooded that cafe, what did they tell u folks come out if ur child wants a seat?

Jan. 12, 3:41 pm

ak from Clinton Hill says:

Are you serious Brooklyn Paper? Are you actually standing behind Kate Briquelet’s article on the community roots expansion meeting? It is racist, inflammatory, bating, and incredibly irresponsible – she did a great disservice to the community and embarrassed herself and the paper she works for. She got ALL the facts wrong. read the comments, including from non CRCS attendees - she assumed the packed house consisted of primarily 287 parents because they were black - when in fact there were around 200 CR supports, and a huge number of those people of color in attendance were actually CR parents. She said that CR supporters hogged the microphone when in fact it was a DOE controlled sign up sheet and the CR supporters showed up early to the 287 building, waited in line, and signed up to speak, per protocol. Some even offered their allotted numbers to 287 parents when they yelled that they weren’t being heard. The fact is they would have room to expand even with the CR middle school in place, which will only add 150 students to a building well below capacity. The predatory language used in the article would have been laughable if it had not been so dangerous.

What gives - why in the world is this fox news style journalism being allowed - there is an important duty real journalists have to convey information, not to incite contentious culture wars between neighbors. Please consider carefully before continuing along this path - we are in desperate need of quality reporting, what we don’t need is divisive hate mongering. Please – writers and editors etc - do your duty and report honestly on this most important issue.

Jan. 12, 3:44 pm

JudahSpechal from Bedstuy says:

Other than photo, I don't recall race being raised other than in comments. In our society I find race comes up when people get desperate & have nothing else to say. R u people raising race because this school is across from the Projects?

PS. Most young African American parent I know are just as concern about these child's a lot more that most of u folkes. They more that mostthat failed to take school seriously are realizing some harsh realities which they do not want for their kids.
Two School in the same building, interest way for the Political pimps to convince folks to get rid of Public School. "death by low Registration

Roots got a c grade, so what' am I missing? Must be the Charter in it's name.

Jan. 12, 3:52 pm

JudahSpechal from Bedstuy says:

Interesting Community Roots have a lot of Lobbyist.
Council James is the same elected pimp who threaten a developer with flooding A Dock St school development in a condo with bringing Project people to flood meetin to scarce the Dumbo Sec with the impression the "little johnny" classmates will be from the Projects. Wake up people. Whether u r black or white u r pawns. Wake the f' up for ur kids sake.

Jan. 12, 4:01 pm

Lisa Franklin from Brooklyn says:

Judah,

Yes...anyone can write their opinions in the comments section....and it's a wonderful thing. It's called freedom of speech and it's allowing all of us to have healthy discourse. I appreciate that many of us are engaging in a respectful way....regardless of how we feel about the co-location matter.

The reason I (and others) are coming down on the reporter is because a journalist reporting on an event or issue in the neighborhood has a higher standard than us general commenters voicing our opinions. A newspaper is supposed to report from both sides and to not purposely use inflammatory language that gets away from the core issue - in this case a public hearing, which is designed to hear both sides. And both sides were indeed heard. That more PS 287 supporters didn't choose to sign up to speak is a different issue....but that doesn't mean that those that did choose to sign up and speak were hogging something.

I'm not here to voice my opinion on the core issue because I did so in the forum that seemed most appropriate - at the public hearing.

Roots parents came out to support an opportunity for additional middle school seats in District 13.

So, everyone is "up to no good". Interesting. Can you tell me why adding more middle school seats for District 13 is not a good thing for the community? I'm genuinely curious to know why that is because it's good to hear a range of perspectives.

Jan. 12, 4:17 pm

ruby from clinton hill says:

not a parent at either school but i was against the co-location the last time because of the restricted capacity of ps 67 facility. i also didn't like the way some CRCS parents were insisting that their "philosophy" required that the middle school and the elementary be kept in the same school. sorry, that is the kind of "philosophy" that you have to get over, especially when you're asking for the benefits go to the more affluent (at CRCS) with the sacrifices to be made by the less privileged (at the two other schools).

however, now that CRCS has changed its lottery weightings to provide substantial preferences to those in public housing, the local community and the less affluent families in it in particular stand to benefit much more from whatever good stuff CRCS can offer its students. with those elements, the justification for the additional resources being granted to this school doesn't bother me.

but let's be honest: expanding CRCS to middle school mostly benefits the families who already are in CRCS, since the presumption is that kids will attend k-8 and there are not additional seats for new kids added at 6th grade. it's not nothing, but it also shouldn't be surprising that non-CRCS families don't find the "additional middle school seats" argument compelling. i think most of us would prefer that the DOE spend its time and energy creating quality options for all D13 middle schoolers, instead of pushing its charter school agenda through divisive charter school expansion and co-location strategies.

Jan. 12, 5:17 pm

11217 says:

Poor reporting. And language like "hogged the microphone" is shoddy and un-journalistic. Brooklyn Paper can do better.

Jan. 12, 5:21 pm

TG from Prospect Heights says:

Here's why the "additional middle school seats" math works:

1. Quality middle school seats (at schools other than CRCS) are at a premium, and if the current CRCS students that contunue into middle school are not competing for them, there's more opportinity for others.
2. It is possible that not all current CRCS students choose CRCS for middle school (because of magnet preferences etc.), so there will be MS seats open to new applicants.
3. Not sure if CRCS is contemplating slighly larger class sizes for the MS (that's what it looked like from the ranges shown in the DOE documents), but that will add seats as well.

Jan. 12, 5:36 pm

Rachael from Brooklyn says:

"but let's be honest: expanding CRCS to middle school mostly benefits the families who already are in CRCS, since the presumption is that kids will attend k-8 and there are not additional seats for new kids added at 6th grade."

Aren't most of these students D13 students? There are many other factors that seem to be ignored. Kindergarten is not th only grade where new seats open. There was a parent with her daughter in fifth grade who enrolled this school year. I said this before and think its worth saying again "we can't afford not to give even one child this opportunity."

Jan. 12, 5:37 pm

Lisa Franklin from Brooklyn says:

Judah,

The reason race is unfortunately brought up as a divisive measure is probably because many Roots protesters seem to use that as a divide.....rather than as a means to unite.

Last year, there was a huge poster posted outside of PS67/Community Roots that gave the impression that Roots was taking over a historically black school. The irony is that Roots is extremely diverse and almost all of the parents that spoke in support of Roots last night (myself included) were not white.

I think the prior commenters that referred to race in this article was wondering how the journalist came to their original conclusion (since corrected) that the audience was predominantly in support of PS 287. Short of interviewing each and every parent in the auditorium and polling them which school they supported, it was questionable how the writer came to that conclusion.

And if you were at the meeting last night, you would've heard a religious leader use "white supremacy" as a reason for these school issues. As an African American myself, that was quite disappointing to hear such a simplified (and inflammatory) reason given by a leader that should be seeking to find ways to unite the entire community, not divide. The fact is that there are children of all races and ethnicities in District 13 - as well as many other NYC school districts. Community Roots happens to reflect that wonderful diversity. So, theoretically, race shouldn't be an issue. Like you, I don't think it should be.

Jan. 12, 5:38 pm

JudahSpechal from BedStuy says:

Liza, I like what Ruby Racheal posted. These confusion come because of a lack of leadership from the elected pimps in BK. the working poor are understand seize. They r being priced out of Brooklyn, I swear Brownville is the only alternative. So wants to live there. Why not make even PS 287 parents feel inclusive.

Jan. 12, 6:54 pm

JudahSpechal from BedStuy says:

If i were a 287 parent, I might see this as an invasion. We should work to eradicate "untutored mobs" in our community. Fact remains any one w/enuff$$can go in most poor hood and take over. No one speaks for the poor. Fact is in America today a white person is given an ear if they scream racism than a blk person. The poor has no voice. Then here come Roots & their lobbyist. Others will always have organization over the poor. Very difficult to get working poor to organize. The 287 parents who cares will always be out organize

Jan. 12, 7:12 pm

Kindergarten parent says:

As a PS 287 parent, that was there on time, was told that the list wasn't available! By the time i signed my name with 3 other PS 287 parents, we were numbers 39-42. It should've been a list for PS 287 and a list for CRCS!!!IT WAS A LACK OF ORGANIZATION..
As a 1st time parent, i see that the Charter School systems are taking away from the public schools! Yall live rent free (basically), reaping off the public school benefits, and bringing nothing to offer to the PS students. Yall do more taking away than giving. Yall took 67 library for your own use (something that public schools always had) and i am really afraid of what yall might do to my son school.
i feel like Charter schools should be in their own building... hands down, yes we have the capacity but why should we share it with a school that our children would never be able to attend? with all the energy the DOE put into making these charter schools work and expand is ashamed. They can at least come up with another public JHS other than mixing the charter schools with the public schools. I may be misunderstanding a little bit, but from observation, this is what im getting...
Special Thanks to Letitia James for trying to use our motto against us!!! I felt that she came off a little too aggressive against the PS287 parents! Letitia James, FYI personal issues should be set aside especially when its dealing with CHILDREN! we all know that she is probably the reason why 287 haven't gotten their expansion. She came to one of our meetings talking this, that, and told us that she was supporting us as well with our expansion and we have failed to see that!! Why not do both at the same time??????? i know CRCS thanks her GREAT NIECE for attending such a nice school...
i will say that we will work together @ all times... we cant be mad for something neither of us have control over. i just hope one day you guys EVENTUALLY get your own SPACE...

Jan. 12, 7:42 pm

Lisa Franklin from Brooklyn says:

Judah...nice to see that we're in agreement because I too liked what ruby wrote. It was honest (about not supporting roots initially); factual (real info about new lottery preference for those in surrounding areas); reasoned (that there is space in 287 and that either way it frees up seats in the district). Given that she's not a parent at either school, it's refreshing to read an impartial voice from someone who was able to really weigh the pros/cons without the emotion and make a reasoned opinion based on facts not rhetoric. I think if most people look at it objectively like that, they would probably come to same conclusion -- that there is indeed value to the community in having additional middle school seats.

Someone said last night that it shouldn't be a question of whether *A* middle school opens in district 13, but how many. More educational options is a good thing. There are some districts in the city that have WAY more options than district 13, and I'm not sure there would be protest to add another option for their community.

I've enjoyed the discourse here, but don't want to "hog" the comments section. My only goal was to speak out on this reporter's biased reporting. It would be great if she could respond to these comments and/or print a retraction of the inaccuracies. People make mistakes, but I have much respect for professionals who can admit it and pledge to take public concerns to heart for future situations and give the public what it's entitled to: fair, balanced and ethical reporting. Not having that is more heart breaking to me than any amount of school dissension because of the overall damage that unbalanced and inflammatory "reporting" does to a community.

Jan. 12, 8:17 pm

JudahSpechal from Bedstuy says:

Reporter should not print correction. 0%censorship! Kindergarten parent nice post. 287 parents needs to organization, fight for your child's future. Council James is a Trojan horse by herself. She's a chameleon too! 287 parent organize vote her out. I'll be there handin out fliers w/u all. Vote her out, vote her out!

Jan. 12, 11:07 pm

TRUTH from In between FACT & FICTION says:

It is amazing how so many people could be in one room and have different opinions about what happened. Firstly, CRCS parents don’t get mad and blame Kate for reporting the news live as she and everyone else saw it. Kate did her job! You all are just ticked off because your scam to dominate the mic and force P.S.287 parents not to speak or have anywhere to sit was exposed. It is not Kate’s fault that your plan was obvious, contrived and poorly executed. Everyone noticed it. Come on do you think that no one from 287 was going to speak! You want to share space but you HOGGED the MIC! OK!
First of all we the parents of 287 could not get in the building to pick up our children or get out because the people who wanted to speak stood in front of the main entrance blocking the door. It was clearly a set up to speak first. The 287 parents have class and decency and we know how to politely take turns and to respectfully sit down in the auditorium while WAITING PATIENTLY for the speaker sheet to open up at 5:30. While we waited orderly for the meeting to begin CRCS never sat down until they signed the speaker sheet. Such a poor display on the part of CRCS and the DOE to allow this to happen. Respect is what we value. Don’t blame Kate for writing the report as she and others saw it. In regards to the numbers technically only the first 50 people who spoke we can count as CRCS because they identified themselves when they spoke. The rest of the people sitting in the audience lets be real they were friends, grandparents, and anyone one else that CRCS called to show up to make them look good. Good tactic…it was cute how from the gate you started of displacing the 287 community by HOGGING the mic, STACKING the seats so the parents of 287 had to stand or sit in the back or leave because they did not want to sit there any longer listening to the we feel good about ourselves stories. CRCS you clearly showed how you think and operate by how you behaved. No wonder the 287 parents were upset. Fair is fair and wrong is wrong. Kate don’t take their comments to heart. They are just ticked because their tactics did not work. The truth will always prevail to the righteous! How do live downtown Brooklyn knowing that you are taking resources away from an entire community of people? Go back to elementary school all of you and learn how share! Or better yet get your own.

Jan. 12, 11:53 pm

Rachael from Brooklyn says:

"privileged" is just one of the few words used to paint charter school families and I can't seem to imagine why? I work 2 jobs, seven days a week to provide for my family, pay taxes to the city and state and yes my kids go to CRCS, in addition I am black, and an immigrant. Where is the privilege in that? To assume that every child attending a charter school is privileged is unfair and discriminatory.
When are we going to stop this pettiness? If I can't have it the next person can't? How does this benefit us?
In response to Truth, if adults from P.S 287 were truly that classy, why not have someone speak up and say "hey we did not know there was a sign in sheet" though I must say that's kind of hard to buy since you had the home advantage. How is it possible that not a single person signed up until it was too late? What could be fairer than speak in the order you signed up? Why cry out now? Everyone pushed it on to the next person and this resulted in very few people talking. "We are fighting" i hear and read it a lot but saw little of that yesterday. No school belongs to any group of people. I live in the district, pay taxes and yet you tell me "take your child to private school". We all have a right to get what we want and as has been Identified, this is possible. Why were there no arguments to learning space being taken from third graders with the present school? Suddenly space is going to be taken away if another school takes up the same amount of space used by a previous school? How real is this perceived threat? Or does it only exist in the minds of adults who can only see through color and socioeconomic status? The sooner we stop viewing the world with such tunnel vision, the easier it will be to help our kids dream and achieve big things.

Jan. 13, 12:44 am

audience member from D13 says:

I am a CRCS parent who was there in the auditorium. I did not speak. The other members of the audience were CRCS parents, some CRCS staff. We are not loosely associated with CRCS. We are not hopeful future members of CRCS called upon to fill the seats. Not lobbyists, etc. (By the way, there are 700 people on our waitlist. I don't think any of them were there. But a large showing in support of a school like CRCS would show the DOE that parents want schools like it. I think that it would be ok for non-member supporters to come to a CRCS hearing and send that message.)

Our families are really happy with the school. Many of us spoke. Some of us showed support by being there. When I walked into the building, I asked if the sheet at the security desk was the speaker sign up sheet. It was not. It was the general sign up sheet. I was told that the speaker sign up sheet was just inside the auditorium. If I wanted to speak, I knew i needed to sign up to speak, first come, first served. If I wanted to speak, I would not have chosen to sit down. As I understand it, everyone who signed up to speak, got a turn. The doors were not being blocked and i highly doubt that there was any intent to keep anyone from picking up his or her child. Please don't second guess the motives of CRCS, attack anyone's character, etc. (to kindergarten parent, or anone else who hears it- the library story is not true.)

Sharing buildings is a tough sell. Siting hearings at a proposed location can feel like a home team and an away team. But that is not what this is - we are not against you. It's a messy manifestation of how there aren't enough tax dollars to give every school its own building so the notion of "school" is different now. DOE is surveying buildings to see where there is capacity and the truth is that all school buildings in NYC belong to all NYC taxpayers. So it does not matter to the DOE that we are used to thinking of a school and a building as one and the same. If there is space in a building, a couple of small schools can be housed there.

Jan. 13, 1:44 am

Cindy from d13 says:

What is frustrating about these co-location battles is that most of the parents involved come to the table without much understanding of the larger issues involved. Understandably, they want more room for their kid and they view the issue through that lens.

What's happening at these hearings and PEP meetings is a much, much larger issue than what is happening inside your school, and I urge parents--particularly parents who see themselves as informed citizens who live conscious, ethical lives--to do some research. Learn about Bloomberg's agenda for school reform, which is about privatizing public schools and relying heavily on standardized test scores. Read about other co-location battles (there have been hundreds) and think about whether or not you trust the DOE's numbers when it comes to how much space exists in a building. Read about the inequities in how they compute space available for charters and district schools--art rooms aren't counted as being used for district schools, but are for charters.

Then, consider the fact that the PEP has NEVER ONCE voted against a DOE proposal. What happened at your hearing last night matters not one bit to the DOE. There could have been hundreds of parents speaking against and 5 for the charter (as there were at the recent hearing for Success in Cobble Hill) and at the end of the hearing the DOE would vote the same way.

I would love to see CRCS parents acknowledge that in this situation they will benefit from an unfair, undemocratic system and that they will speak out against that system even though, in this situation, it is working for them.

Jan. 13, 7:23 am

another parent from Fort Greene says:

Cindy from d13 is right. First, CRCS is an unusual charter school, and I think the district is fortunate to have it. Second, the parents and staff of PS 287 are absolutely right to be concerned that their rights and educational mission will be compromised by this co-location, based on the abysmal track record of the DOE in facilitating these things. Too often--and especially in this rapidly gentrifying district--co-locations are put in place in a way that makes a demographically less fortunate school community feel like dirt. Moreover, the DOE's environmental impact statements are complete fiction. Still, if there really is room in this school, District 13 desperately needs middle school seats, and maybe a compromise plan could allow PS 287 students the same preference that the CRCS elementary school students will have for admission to the CRCS middle school. That seems fair, doesn't it?

Jan. 13, 7:58 am

AWP from ClintonHill says:

@JudahSpechal:I understand your sympathy with this reporter... You both share an aversion to facts. Next time, I suggest you actually attend the event. It might give your opinions some validity.

Jan. 13, 9:55 am

JudahSpechal from BedStuy says:

You know I would love to wake up one day & find that every news outlet & media org. Broadcast my philosophy, ideology. Only my views. But that would be
Like eatin burgers for every meal. I have a 0% tolerance for censorship of any kind. Attack journalism, attack other's ideology, but truth be told fact, & reality will always be facts & reality. Chew on that as you all come to terms with reality. W/o it we are in glass houses & card houses. Remove your shoe feel the ground beneath your foot.
Your child, my child will be co-existing in this world side by side. Better for them if they r all educated. Because I fear, as you should too that my child or ur child should fall victim to the "untutored mob" that emerges from substandard education. Do not be divided, least we all be conquer. Remove ur shoe.

Jan. 13, 10:35 am

ruby from clinton hill says:

i agree with cindy and "another parent."

rachael, when most (reasonable) people talk about charter schools having advantages over zoned schools, they are usually talking about the structure of them, the additional money they often have, and the admission processes which result in a student population with the kind of background and/or resources that makes them more likely to succeed. and with CRCS in particular, it is a fact that the school's overall population (right now, at least) is more affluent, with far fewer minorities, than most if not all other D13 elementary schools.

as to the middle school seats thing, i understand the math but unless there will be new seats available beyond the ongoing students, i just don't think you can honestly expect to garner a lot of external support on that basis. it amounts to a trickle down theory. to be plain: you're talking about something that mainly will benefit the same people who already have received the benefit of sending their kids to CRCS (smaller classes, more teachers, more money, free afterschool, etc.). in my view, the DOE ought to be more focused on finding middle school solutions that are scalable and don't rely on outside funding and the "creaming effect" to make them appealing. a girl can dream.

nevertheless, as i said, i'm in support now that the majority of the beneficiaries will, or could be, at-risk kids from the local communities, and now that the costs are not as extreme for the co-located schools.

Jan. 13, 5:18 pm

Concerned Citizen from Bed-Stuy says:

Just to clarify with facts, charter school students receive the same amount of money from the state per student as public school students do. The additional funding that makes charter schools appear to be so "affluent" comes from fundraising and applying for grants, the same methods that are used in many of the most successful public school in this city. The only real advantage that charter schools have is that they are led by an independent board of directors rather than the DOE. This type of leadership allows more flexibility than the DOE because of the number of schools and students that the DOE oversees. Also, while the charter school movement may have lobbyists, Community Roots Charter School does not have lobbyists. The voices you heard at the hearing and in this comments section are the voices of passionate parents and other stakeholders in their childrens' lives.

Jan. 13, 11:43 pm

Peter from Park Slope says:

The head of Bloomberg LP is probaply laughing
in the nice Bermuda sun after a relaxing golf game;
Just as long as he can keep the teachers Union on
the defensive it's all good to him.
Of course all that bullying and endless "testing"
of students and teachers is not about education;
it's about this billionare's general hatred of unions,
and a shill game where education is"Public"
when these "charter schools want free space, but
"Private"when they are paying themselves.

Jan. 14, 1:56 pm

Keep the main thing the main thing! from Fort Greene says:

The real truth is when you further investigate the B that PS 287 proudly proclaims and the C that Community Roots has, you clearly see that the both schools performance levels are horrible. Instead of counting the numbers of parents in attendance at the community meeting, let’s focus a minute on the real numbers that count - P.S. 287 has a staggering 3.5 out of 25 on the performance section of the progress report and Community Roots is not that far ahead with performance levels of 8.7 out 25. Instead of bickering like kids, parents should wake up and start questioning why the performance levels for both schools are so low. It looks like the fight should be about teaching and learning rather than space in a building.

Jan. 14, 3:21 pm

A parent from Fort Greene says:

If you really want to look at the data underlying the so-called Progress Reports, you'll see that Community Roots outperforms the city, the state, and District 13 on all standardized tests. In fact, it is one of the highest performing schools in the district. PS 287, by contrast, has dismal scores. The schools are not in the same "peer group," which is why comparing their progress report grades is meaningless. Regardless, scores on standardized tests tell you almost nothing about a school's "performance." Not that either school's performance is really relevant to this discussion.

Jan. 18, 1:35 pm

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