General News
‘Stop the invasion’
May 22, 2008 4:11 PM
UFT District 32 Representative Kathy Sharko and Director of Staff LeRoy Barr lead the May 6 march outside of IS 383, Brooklyn.
The noise of the M train rattling overhead into the Knickerbocker Avenue subway station in Brooklyn was all but drowned out by the spirited protests a distant block away of many dozens of parents, students and teachers who objected to the idea of squeezing a new charter school into IS 383.
Already filled nearly to capacity, the school — also known as the Philippa Schuyler Middle School, a competitive school for the gifted and talented — is scheduled to have the Achievement First Bushwick Charter School put into its building in September.
The May 6 protesters called it the “Stop the Invasion Rally.”
“We are not sardines: don’t cram us!” was the message emblazoned on one of the numerous colorful posters held aloft by the chanting marchers.
According to the Department of Education’s projected numbers, the building will violate its occupancy maximum this coming September and that will be further eclipsed when grades 7 and 8 are attached in 2009.
“It will be detrimental to our school’s culture and its learning environment,” said Charmaine Phillip, a parent. “We have made sacrifices to enable our children to attend and get the full benefit of Schuyler.”
LeRoy Barr, the UFT’s director of staff, said, “We should dedicate ourselves to preserving the integrity of the Schuyler magnet that has for many years provided a quality education to the children of Bushwick.”
A teacher, who asked not to be identified, insisted that resistance to the charter school was based on fear that it will adversely impact existing resources.
Armed and ready to protest are (from left) teacher Christine Boppert, parents Carla Phillip, Maria Pacheco and Keyon Armstead, and Chapter Leader Joyce Baldino.
“The rich curriculum that allows students at IS 383 to excel above standards in all areas will be adversely affected by the addition of the charter school,” observed Kathy Sharko, the UFT’s District 32 representative.
Facilities such as the gym, library and lunchroom will need to be shared, causing major scheduling problems, and safety agents will be assigned double-duty monitoring both schools.
Parents and professional staff fear that areas of Schuyler will eventually be closed off to its students as the charter school increasingly competes for already limited space.
“Cutting down our space will put Schuyler’s science labs at risk and prevent the classrooms from being used to tutor our students for specialized high school entrance exams, Regents and proficiency exams,” said Chapter Leader Joyce Baldino. “Students will not be able to work on portfolios and ‘exit projects’ needed for their graduation. Teachers will not have a proper place to analyze data and meet with students on their progress. That has been a tradition at Schuyler for 30 very successful years.”
