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**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
December 5 , 2007
Contact: Sarah Krauss
(212) 669-4193; (917) 541-0936
Gotbaum: DOE Must Hold School-Based Hearings before Closing Schools
-The DOE seems more willing to punish schools than work with them-
In response to the Department of Education's announcement of the closing of six schools, based in part on the grades these schools received in the first-ever progress reports, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum today called for the DOE to hold public school-based hearings before announcing any more school closings.
"The Department of Education has once again announced major changes without consulting stakeholders, most notably the parents and students who will be affected by the school closings. This is very troubling, particularly in East Harlem, where three schools are being shut down. These closings have a devastating and destabilizing effect on the community. The DOE shouldn't make these decisions without input from parents and the larger community and they shouldn't announce the closing via flyers stuffed into kids' backpacks. They should hold public meetings in each of the schools they are considering closing, discuss their plans with parents, and listen to what the parents and students want for their schools."
Gotbaum also questioned basing part of the decision to close these schools on the new progress reports, calling the data used controversial. "Some schools where many kids do not pass standardized tests received A's and B's while other good schools received D's and F's," she said.
When the DOE announced their plan to use Progress Reports to evaluate schools, Chancellor Klein said that "Schools can't improve without first knowing exactly what they're doing well and what's not working. The DOE's press release went on the say: "Schools that earned Ds and Fs will be required to submit 'action plans' that detail specific steps they will take to improve and address their weaknesses in order to meet improvement targets. DOE officials have been meeting with schools to help them develop these action plans. D and F schools that also received low Quality Review scores or that do not meet their improvement targets in the coming years will face consequences including leadership change or closure." [Emphasis added]
Gotbaum added, "The DOE said that schools would be given a chance to address weaknesses. And yet, only a month has passed since these reports were issued. By closing these schools, the DOE has effectively denied them the opportunity to develop an action plan to make improvements. The DOE seems more willing to take punitive action rather than work with schools to help make things better."
Gotbaum also expressed concerns that the closings will put even more pressure on principals already under tremendous strain to improve student performance. "What effect will this have on our students throughout the school system?" she asked. "Will this all result in even more focus on testing and less focus on actual learning?"
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