Parents Vow to Fight Closure of P.S. 22

P.S. 22 was added to the list of schools recommended for closure today, but parents are already organizing to fight to keep it open.

“We’re going to fight to the end to keep the school open,” said PTA president Tameka Carter.

The pre-K though 5th grade school, located at 443 St Marks Ave, opened in 1996. Also known as the Children's International School, it has about 500 students, more than half of which are bussed in from other parts of Brooklyn.

In recent years the school has been declining, according to the city Department of Education, receiving an A on its DOE report card in 2009, a C in 2010 and an F last year. Most recent test scores had 30.10 percent of the students passing the standardized English test and 32.50% passing math. 

"These are never easy decisions, but when a school has failed to serve its students well year after year—even after receiving additional supports—we have a responsibility to provide students with better options," said Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott in a statement.

But parents said the scores don't reflect the full picture.

“The F does not define P.S. 22,” said Carter, adding that the problems were due to budget cuts not the teachers or students.   

The Department of education added the Classon Avenue school to its list of recommended closings this afternoon along with six others. Yesterday it marked 12 schools for closure. In addition, the DOE wants to reduce the number of grades in six schools, including P.S. 161, The Crown School, in Crown Heights. (See full list below.)

The the Panel for Educational Policy, the mayoral-contolled body that oversees the school system, is expected to vote on the closures at the  Febr. 9 PEP meeting.  

Last year, the PEP voted to on Underhill Avenue, despite active parent opposition.  

One group, Democrats for Education Reform, applauded the city's decision to shutter what it considered to be underperforming schools.

"These are schools that simply aren't worthy of Gotham's schoolchildren," said Joe Williams, DER's executive director yesterday. "The DOE has done everything in its power to help each and every one of these schools help themselves. They’ve given untold dollars, attention and professional development and the only thing our city has to show for the DOE’s efforts is another set of children unprepared for life’s challenges."

But several people picking up kids from P.S. 22 this afternoon said their children have had good experiences at the school and it would be detrimental to them to have to start over in a new place.

Troy Smith, whose nephew attends the 5th grade in the school, was surprised to learn the news. “He’s been learning, so I don’t see why they say it’s not a good school,” he said.

Councilwoman Letitia James said that there had been tensions in the school between the teachers and the administrators.

“P.S. 22 has had its challenges,” she said, but added, “I don’t think closing down schools is a viable policy decision. They should be providing more resources to the school, more specialized teachers, (and) additional social services.”

Sharon Wedderburn, chair of the education committee at Community Board 8, said the best solution would be to put new administrators in place.

"One of the issues that's been identified at the school is leadership, and certainly if we can change the leadership, have new leadership that teachers would be supportive of it would put the school in a situation where it would better serve the needs of the children in the community," she said.

Paul Leonard contributed reporting.

Here is the full list of schools recommended for closure or truncation:

DBN

School Name

Grade Level

14K019

P.S. 019 Roberto Clemente

Elementary

23K631

General D. Chappie James Elementary School of Science

Elementary

31R014

P.S. 014 Cornelius Vanderbilt

Elementary

02M429

Legacy School For Integrated Studies

High school

03M283

Manhattan Theatre Lab High School

High school

08X295

Gateway School For Environmental Research and Technology

High school

08X650

Jane Addams High School For Academic Careers

High school

17K544

International Arts Business School

High school

13K103

Satellite Three

Middle

17K587

Middle School For The Arts

Middle

32K296

J.H.S. 296 The Anna Gonzalez Community School

Middle

13K336

Academy Of Business And Community Development

Secondary

17K022

P.S. 022

Elem

27Q215

P.S. 215 Lucretia Mott

Elem

02M460

Washington Irving High School

High school

07X655

Samuel Gompers Career And Technical Education High School

High school

10X660

Grace Dodge Career And Technical Education High School

High school

11X322

Aspire Preparatory Middle School

Middle

13K596

Knowledge And Power Preparatory Academy VII

Middle

The six schools where grades could be eliminated:

DBN

School Name

Grade Level

17K161

P.S. 161 The Crown

K-8

11X270

Academy For Scholarship And Entrepreneurship

Secondary

23K493

Brooklyn Collegiate: A College Board School

Secondary

23K298

P.S. 298 Dr. Betty Shabazz

K-8

03M415

Wadleigh Secondary School For The Performing Arts

Secondary

16K393

Frederick Douglass Academy IV

Secondary