Parents rallied in Harlem Thursday to blast the NAACP's involvement in a lawsuit to halt the closure of failing schools and expansion of charter schools.
The families, many with kids in city charter schools, and advocates criticized the civil rights group for joining the teachers union in a fight to block the closure of 22 schools and stop 17 charter schools from opening or growing.
"Charter schools are public schools, too - we need space to grow," Harlem Children's Zone founder Geoffrey Canada told the crowd of about 2,500 people gathered outside a state administrative building on 125th St.
"The simple obstacles in the situation should not have led to a lawsuit," said Canada.
Parents at the rally said the NAACP is working against the interest of minority families who have children in charter schools by participating in the suit.
"People of color go to these charter schools. If anything the NAACP should be on our side," said Yasmeen Holloway, 30, a transit worker from Harlem whose daughter Kayla Doctry is a kindergartener at the Harlem Success Academy II charter school.
Several charter schools, including Harlem Success Academy, suspended instruction Thursday morning so that parents and children could attend the rally.
"Parents and teachers wanted to be here. It's an emergency," explained Harlem Success Academy founder Eva Moskowitz, who attended the rally along with teachers and students from her schools.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2011/05/26/2011-05-26_parents_rally_in_harlem_to_protest_naacps_involvement_in_school_closure_lawsuit.html#ixzz1NZk57PtX
The families, many with kids in city charter schools, and advocates criticized the civil rights group for joining the teachers union in a fight to block the closure of 22 schools and stop 17 charter schools from opening or growing.
"Charter schools are public schools, too - we need space to grow," Harlem Children's Zone founder Geoffrey Canada told the crowd of about 2,500 people gathered outside a state administrative building on 125th St.
"The simple obstacles in the situation should not have led to a lawsuit," said Canada.
Parents at the rally said the NAACP is working against the interest of minority families who have children in charter schools by participating in the suit.
"People of color go to these charter schools. If anything the NAACP should be on our side," said Yasmeen Holloway, 30, a transit worker from Harlem whose daughter Kayla Doctry is a kindergartener at the Harlem Success Academy II charter school.
Several charter schools, including Harlem Success Academy, suspended instruction Thursday morning so that parents and children could attend the rally.
"Parents and teachers wanted to be here. It's an emergency," explained Harlem Success Academy founder Eva Moskowitz, who attended the rally along with teachers and students from her schools.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2011/05/26/2011-05-26_parents_rally_in_harlem_to_protest_naacps_involvement_in_school_closure_lawsuit.html#ixzz1NZk57PtX
No comments:
Post a Comment