| From the Villa ge of Brook ly n |
OUR TIME PRESS THE L OCAL PAPER WITH THE G LOBAL VIEW
| VOL. 22 NO. 8
February 22 – 28, 2018 |
Since 1996
Lerone Bennett, Jr. Chronicler of African American Life, Passes at 89 Historian and journalist Lerone Bennett, Jr. influenced generations of African Americans and the Black studies movement, with his work on Black history as a senior editor of John Johnson’s Ebony Magazine. (Photo: Chicago Sun-Times) Page 12
Information Can PS 25/The Eubie Black School be Saved? Wars DOE Rep: It May Not Be Too Late Neighborhood is Mobilizing in Support of School
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"In or around June and July 2016, Defendants and their co-conspirators used the Facebook group "Being Patriotic," the Twitter account @March_for_Trump, and other ORGANIZATION accounts to organize two political rallies in New York. The first rally was called "March for Trump" and held on June 25, 2016. The second rally was called "Down with Hillary" and held on July 23, 2016." Special Prosecutor Muller’s Indictment of 13 Russians Page 3
By Priscilla Mensah
W
hile many schools have closed in various school districts across the nation under the familiar premise of low academic performance, there are other schools that close on a lesser known basis: under-enrollment. District’s 16’s Public School 25, also known as the Eubie Blake School, is one of the latest schools to be potentially impacted by such a phenomenon. As recommended by the Community Education Council (CEC) of District 16, PS 25 is set to close its doors sooner, rather than later. In an official statement from the CEC as articulated by CEC Chair NeQuan McLean, “the CEC does not have the authority to close schools. We make recommendations which is covered under New York State Education Law s2590-e (18. Provide input, as it deems necessary, to the Chancellor and the city board on matters of concern to the district.) Our recommendations are based upon the information provided by the DOE and community feedback.”
As evidenced by the District 16 CEC meeting held on Valentine’s Day at The Brooklyn Brownstone School, there are community members who are not okay with such proposals or are willing to sit idly by as the idea of closing PS 25 floats around. An important takeaway from both that meeting and the power of community feedback as expressed in the CEC statement, is that there still may be time to stop such a closing. This is important because, rightfully so, not everyone agrees that PS 25 should be closed, and just as the CEC’s recommendation is being heard, so should the voices of those who are against the closing on PS 25.
Some Statistics More than half of the 175 students currently enrolled in PS 25, perform well on standardized testing as listed on insideschools.org. Statistics such as these make sentiments of parents and other community stake holders who don’t want PS 25 to be closed understandable. After all, if a school is delivering on its promise to educate children, why close it?
What the DOE Says
According to Michael Aciman, a Department of Education representative, parents and the public are informed of school closings through a “comprehensive process.” Such a procedure involves sending out literature to parents with detailed information about the school’s closing. Additionally, information about meetings where parents can voice their concerns are also included in such packages. If there are people who feel as if their questions were not answered, they can contact d16proposals@schools.nyc.gov says Aciman. Aciman also delineated a major problem that he feels comes along with low enrollment. In essence, he suggests that if a school’s enrollment is on the lower end of the spectrum then it follows that the school would also have less resources which would make getting the most of an educational experience difficult.
When to Act It is in the best interest of concerned parents, educators, and community ➔➔ Continued on page 3