CETF Responds to Brizard's Plans to Help Open Privately-Run Charter Schools

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

Rochester's Community Education Task Force Responds to Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard's Proposed Closings of Schools 2 and 6, and His Plans to Help Open Privately-Run Charter Schools

December 27, 2010

ROCHESTER, NY – Hundreds of upset parents, educators, students, and other community members attended the most recent Rochester Board of Education meeting on December 16, 2010 to protest against Rochester City School District (RCSD) Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard's announced plans to close schools 2 and 6.

According to a 12/22/10 City Newspaper report
(http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/news/articles/2010/12/EDUCATION-Ri...), Rochester Teachers Association president, Dr. Adam Urbanski "says he was also angered by the timing of the superintendent's announcement to close Schools 2 and 6. It caused many teachers and parents to think the schools are going to eventually become charter schools, Urbanski says, and that he [Urbanski] endorsed the idea." According to the same report, “Brizard says he isn't offering schools 2 or 6 as space for charter schools. But he says he is actively talking to officials of several charter schools—though he wouldn't identify them—about sharing district building space... Brizard says he would not charge the charter schools for leasing space from the district. But the charters would be responsible for maintenance and utilities."

The latter pronouncement, which was made public for the first time via the above referenced report, comes at the same time that parents, students, and staff of Schools 2 and 6 have been told that their community-based neighborhood schools will be closed. The proposal to close Schools 2 and 6 is ostensibly based on the need for so-called "swing space" to house students from other schools while those schools are being renovated as part of the RCSD's 1.2 billion dollar Facilities Modernization Plan, which represents the largest public works project in Rochester's history, and is to be carried out over the next fifteen years. Brizard claims that, in order to qualify for the funding, New York State (the major funder) is insisting on so-called "right-sizing” the RCSD. In other words, the administration claims that the State is demanding school closings (based on a decline in student enrollment).

The idea of closing schools because of so-called "underutilization" of space represents a false dichotomy. Mounds upon mounds of unarguable scholarly research supports the critical importance of small-school-settings, which is what exists at Schools 2 and 6. With regard to so-called "extra" space, this offers a golden opportunity to establish on-campus support services, of which so many of our students are in desperate need. Such efforts are already underway at both Schools. For example, School 2 has the only on-site mental health program in the region, and perhaps in the state. Other such programs could and should be developed—not to mention the need for modern science labs, computer labs, and adequate physical education facilities. The possibilities are endless, and this would fit right in with modernization plans.

The bottom line is that quality neighborhood schools (in all neighborhoods—as opposed to certain select, elite ones) serve as anchors and centers of community-based activities. There is no need to close any school in Rochester. Ultimately, what needs to happen is that SOME of Rochester's oldest school buildings need to be torn down and replaced with new state-of-the-art structures, and the rest need to be modernized—period. If the State of New York doesn't like that idea—which, again, is part of the argument that Brizard's Administration is using, i.e. that the State is dictating to them that they have to so-called "right-size" in order to have modernization money approved—then it's time for us (the Board, Administration, parents, educators and their unions, and other concerned community members) to collectively take on the State in defense of that which is best for our children and community—period. We know (better than does the New York State Department of Education, Board of Regents, Commissioner of Education, State Legislature, State Comptroller, Governor, and/or any other talking-head bureaucrats) what's best for our children and community. The issue is local control, and it's past time that we engage in the fight on behalf of our children, once and for all.

Regarding the proposed plan to close Schools 2 and 6, Brizard and his administrative team have not sincerely engaged educators, parents, students, and/or community members and the plausible alternative proposals they've raised. The continued pretense that there are no workable options for “swing space” rings hollow, especially in the face of not only strong community demands for alternatives to Brizard's destructive and divisive plan (many of which were offered at the 12/16/10 Board meeting), but also his secretive negotiations to offer existing space to privately-run charter school developers (for free)!

The Community Education Task force finds it audacious and disrespectful for Brizard to announce that privately-run charter schools, financed with public money, will occupy district space, instead of using any and all available space to minimize the disruption to RCSD students during upcoming renovations. We find it unjust and highly problematic that concerned tax-paying RCSD stakeholders are forced to scramble to come up with alternatives, while Brizard can find district space to turn over to private operators.

If there is even the potential conversation of any charter schools sharing space in traditional school buildings, we fail to find any good reasons why charters should not contribute toward the cost of the space. These funds would justly mean that the District would have additional resources to put into services for students within the traditional environment. Students in the traditional public school environment are most often in greater need of support than charter school students, the latter of whom (due to "skimming" and "deselection" processes) are frequently not, in the main, representative of the overall demographics of Rochester's student population.

This type of scheme seems potentially dangerous in the sense that it is indicative of the possibility that some students and families are more valued than others, which is the last thing we need. We must avoid school environments in which it becomes clear to students 'down the hall, around the corner, or on the other side of the building' that they are not as valued as others who occupy common space. The whole idea gives serious reason for caution and pause. We should never (even if unintended) engage in any educational practice that pits students and families against one another.

Given his harmful plans, Superintendent Brizard should not be permitted to move any further with this explicit privatization scheme. He needs to be held accountable and reined in from his bankrupt agenda, which clearly reflects his lack of sensitivity and real concern for social and academic impact, as well as community needs. When considerable opposition from parents, educators, and other tax-paying community members is ignored and not taken seriously, this only deepens the already widening divide between Brizard and those who have the objective best interests of students at heart (and those who have the most to lose). Thus, the Community Education Task Force calls on the Rochester Board of Education, RCSD parents, educators, students, and all affected community members to rein Superintendent Brizard in now.

CONTACT:

Mark Friedman: 585-490-5917
Tim Adams: 585-739-0376
CETF-internal@lists.rocus.org
PO. Box 15604, Rochester, NY 14615
http://Communityeducationtaskforce.rocus.org