An article in the Nov.27-Dec. 3 edition of The Downtown Express provided the following details about the debate:
Girls Preparatory Charter school, with grades kindergarten through fifth, wants to expand to include middle-school grades 6 through 8. The Department of Education has proposed three alternative plans to rearrange several district schools to make room for the charter school ...
But parents at Shuang Wen, a district bilingual English-Mandarin school with grades K to 8, at 327 Cherry St. near Montgomery St., and parents at P.S. 20 on Essex St. near E. Houston St., dont like the idea of sharing space with other district schools to accommodate the charter school expansion. &
Some parents at the meeting contended that the D.O.E. alternative plans for Girls Prep take resources away from mostly low-income immigrant students. They characterized the loss of resources as a violation of their civil rights.
But Miriam Lewis Raccah, founder and executive director of Girls Prep, said she understood Shuang Wen and P.S. 20 parents concern because her school is also squeezed for space. She said Girls Prep has been successful in small, shared spaces and that other schools could also be successful.
Labels: girls school, charter school, new york
Posted By: Aspen/CRC
