THE NEW COMMUNITY JOURNAL
FRIDAY DECEMBER 20, 2013
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NEW YORK COMMUNITIES FOR CHANGE, OUTRAGED HEMPSTEAD PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS DEMAND INVESTIGATION INTO SCHOOL BOARD APPOINTMENT Dozens of angry Hempstead residents, parents and New York Communities for Change members stood out in the cold on Thursday to demand answers and an investigation into the recent appointment of a trustee to fill a vacant seat on the Hempstead board of education. The community has repeatedly asked to have a say in the process, even getting one thousand petitions signed asking for an election. The board rejected community requests for involvement. Instead, it outlined a process to appoint from a pool of candidates who were asked to apply and be interviewed by the board. According to New York Communities for Change member and lifelong Hempstead resident Melissa Figueroa, “I went through that process months ago. Eleven of us did… and nothing happened. Last Thursday, the board held an emergency meeting without advance notice, and they cancelled the regular meeting that was scheduled for today. There, they appointed someone who the community did not elect, and who did not even go through the very process the board outlined for the appointment. The process was a complete sham; a farce. The community got played, I got played, and ultimately the children got played. The board has chosen to completely disregard the voice of the community.” Hempstead is the lowest performing district in Long Island, and parents and community are demanding better. They know that the problems of the district can only be solved if the community is welcomed as a partner in the process. “We are here fighting for the future of our children,” said Maribel Touré, a parent of a Hempstead High School student and member of New York Communities for Change. “This district cannot be turned around if the board continues to close its doors to the community. We are tired of failing schools. We want community schools where the school doors are always open to the community… where the school is the center of the community. First, we need a school board that puts our children first.” Today, these residents are submitting a formal request to NYS Department of Education demanding an investigation into board misconduct and violations of open meeting laws. They are delivering a copy to the Hempstead school board. Civil Rights advocates are also looking into filing a legal appeal. "We are deeply concerned by the Board's lack of transparency around the appointment of a new member," said Jason Starr, Director of the Nassau Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union. "The choice does not represent the democratic will of the Hempstead community and further erodes the ability of parents to have their interests fully represented." Hempstead residents vow to continue fighting until their voices are heard and their concerns are addressed.
NASSAU COUNTY EDITION
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