Friday, February 12, 2010

Notes and Pics on Cypress Hills meeting...


Notes by John S. of CAPE

At about 4:30 there were several people, community members, parents and children.
Once the after school let out, the kids rallied with everyone and several more parents/adults came.

The after school staff rallied with the parents! VERY COOL.

Channel 12 was there covering the story.
The superintendent read the proposal.... it made me feel sick ... so many statements that we heard before, loaded with lies.

Someone from SUNY was there and she said there will be transparency ..... yeah right. (did someone from SUNY come to our hearing?)
A CEC19 person spoke. (too nice to the doe, but supporting the school)

The UFT rep spoke. (too nice to the mayor and doe, but supported the school)

Two charter school people spoke first.

As always, very nice and calm thanking the community, being open, and they used their insulting tag line "All our children go to college." No one goes to college if they are not from a charter school?

The community spoke,
One lady pointed out that the proposal and what the SUNY lady mentioned make it seem as if it was a done deal already. She thought this was a public hearing to make a decision!

She was correct of course, and the meeting was really a farce. Yes, it is a state mandate to have a public hearing but that is just to appease the mandate, not to hear, listen to or even attempt to work with the school community.
They community presented 1000+ signatures and letters from several elected officials.

GEM spoke twice,(it is nice to see these people out there fighting for public education).
I spoke and made a statement on behalf of CAPE.
The meeting lasted until about 8 PM.
Once again, not many parents showing up in this school...and so it goes....and so it goes.
Yours truly,
John S.




Pics by John L. of GEM

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