tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post5367227516308163832..comments2024-03-24T11:39:28.574-04:00Comments on NYC Public School Parents: Jim Devor on how the innovative admission plan of D13 & D15 school was engineeredPatrick Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10631038958645725010noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-76662106955694881812013-01-14T10:41:24.566-05:002013-01-14T10:41:24.566-05:00three things.
1. This new building was built to ...three things.<br /><br />1. This new building was built to house two schools:<br /><br />A. PS133 -- a district 13 school with 300 seats (since PS 133 has 300 students they would basically be returning the school from it's temporary location, and <br />B. A tbd D15 school with 500 seats.<br /><br />The building with built with two entrances, completely separate classrooms, science labs, two offices for heads, two offices for parent coordinators, two officers for counselors and nurses, bull pens for staff, etc etc. The only shared space would be kitchen, cafeteria (would have two sides), gym and outside (would have two "spaces"). This cost 65 million dollars. SIXTY FIVE MILLION dollars. And then at the eleventh hours -- this plan was pushed forward.<br /><br />2. Given the quotas listed above in the article, the new school could be considered the "richest" in D13. Only PS8 would have a lower free lunch %. This is not my idea of diversity. (As stated, the current PS133 is a title 1 school and has very high free hot lunch and ELL numbers)<br /><br />3. The idea that there are too many kids in D15 and therefore you need more schools is poor urban planning. People move to areas with good public schools. (see: park slope). D15 has many many great public schools all thru park slope, not to mention cobble hill and carroll gardens. D13 has a handful of great schools. In fact, I think PS8 might be the only zoned school considered attractive enough for families to move to the district.<br /><br />This area does not need more schools. The city needs to build new, high quality, 65 million dollar schools in areas with a lack of options. If you build it, they will come. <br /><br />(Traffic planning is the same -- build more parking lots, get more traffic. You build ANOTHER school in Park Slope and you don't ease crowding, you just attract more families)<br /><br />I wish all the best to the great kids at PS133. I am sorry people didn't think they were great just the way they are and moved them to the new space as promised.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com