Sunday, May 18, 2014

APPEAL TO KEEP JAMAICA HS GOING OFFICIALLY REJECTED BY CHANCELLOR

We interrupt our non-stop coverage of the proposed UFT contract (at least partially) to bring you some other education news.  Jamaica High School has lost its final attempt at getting a reprieve from the new Chancellor and Mayor.

Regular readers know the community has fought hard to save our 122 year old storied school.

Unfortunately, we received the word this month that our final valiant effort to save Jamaica High School has been rejected by the Chancellor's office.  Thanks to the amazing community activist Jackie Forrestal's lead, we were able to put together a fantastic coalition of elected officials, civic leaders and school leaders to try to convince the new Chancellor to save our 122 year old school.

Jamaica was slated for closure in 2010 but was temporarily saved by a lawsuit.  As one of Joel Klein's final acts as Chancellor, he decided to phase out our school a second time at the end of 2010.  We have been slowly downsizing since that time but never giving up our dream of keeping the school alive.

In January of 2014 (Jamaica's last year), our fully functioning School Leadership Team wrote a highly detailed proposal on how Jamaica could still exist in September. Councilmember Karen Koslowitz, new Borough President Melinda Katz, Assembly-member David Weprin and others lobbied Chancellor Carmen Farina strongly on behalf of Jamaica being saved.  The local Community Board unanimously passed a resolution in support.  We had major momentum behind us.

Principal Enric Kendall had a meeting with Deputy Chancellor Phil Weinberg in March. Kendall also met Chancellor Farina.  Weinberg toured the building back then and visited some of us. It looked as though we had a chance to keep a piece of the underutilized building for a reconstituted smaller Jamaica High School. However, in the end the same deafness to the wishes of the community that plagued us in the Bloomberg years continued under the new regime.  We recently found out they would not be starting a new Jamaica High School or keeping what is left of the old one.

As for the UFT, it appears they just abandoned the lawsuit they filed back in 2011 to save Jamaica and many other closing schools.  I can't say I'm surprised by these results but I am truly disappointed. 

We did our best ladies and gentlemen but in the end it seems very little has changed with Mayor de Blasio as compared to Mayor Bloomberg when it comes to the schools except they didn't close any schools this year.

I believe their strategy next year might be to threaten closure if schools don't agree to become "charter schools lite" that can basically ignore the contract under the Mulgrew-Farina agreement.  Why else would teachers agree to throw away their contract in the so called PROSE schools that have been proposed in the new contract?

I want to thank everyone who was involved in the fight for Jamaica at any point.  No other closing school that I know of made it this far in terms of possibly rising from the ashes.

27 comments:

Chaz said...

Nothing really changed with Carmen Farina as Chancellor. Very disappointing.

Anonymous said...

PROSE or CLOSE will be the saying in the future for struggling schools unless we vote this insult of a contract DOWN!

Arthur Goldstein said...

This chancellor is not doing a whole lot to differentiate from her three corporate predecessors, unfortunately. Very sorry, James.

Anonymous said...

Vote No so we can get the contract we have worked hard 4058for!!!!

Anonymous said...

So that means you all become ATRs, wow, that means you can all be fired within 50 days for 2 problematic issues, isnt that convenient?

Anonymous said...

All this energy into this election, and this is what happens under this "progressive" mayor.

--And this is speaking as a fervent de Blasio speaker from before the run-off.

Leticia James needs to step forward and fill the void in proper leadership. Her lawsuits to stop closures or co-locations were a beginning. She needs to continue this and make the case to topple him in 2107. BDB & Farina are making it easy for her. It's James' turn to become a leader.

Anonymous said...

--just to be clear ex-fervent BDB supporter.

Francesco Portelos said...

Chancellor Carmen Fariña is no friend of ours. She needs to go back to retirement. I say this not just because of this story, but because of the many messages I get from targeted educators and survey telling me he's inundated with teacher cases.

Anonymous said...

We need to take control of our careers and vote NO to the garbage Mulgrew negotiated. He shows no respect toward us. We need to send a message and vote against the contract.

Anonymous said...

Don't fall for the union propaganda and misinformation campaign. They did not represent our interests in this contract. Vote No!!!

Anonymous said...

James you, your staff and students and others put up a hard fight. You are all to be commended for trying to save your historic school. I'm so sorry it has come to this. Carmen Fariña is a piece of _________ (fill in the word you want). She has not been worth her weight for more reasons than this. But this is a major one as is letting Portelos become an ATR after the decision he received from the DOE hearing officer.

I noticed that... said...

James I'm truly sorry to hear about the devastating news. I know how hard you worked to save the school you love and taught in for many, many years. Seeing your school close is liken to the death of a loved one. Everyone must remember this day so when we go to vote in the union election May 2016 we can remind everyone that the union only saves its own skin and not those who are dedicated to their school, their students, and their community.

My heart goes out to you, the remaining staff and the students of Jamaica HS.

ed notes online said...

James,
You fought an amazing battle to keep the school open. I assume the UFT was not on board in this fight? I would think strong support from might have helped. But then again by closing the school you are no longer a thorn in their side at the Delegate Assembly. There are people who would be seduced by the idea that they should keep quiet in hopes that the UFT will help. Glad you didn't buy into that.

Unknown said...

We tried the same for Columbus, got the same rejection.

Anonymous said...

Mulgrew needs to be more of a union leader and less of a propagandist. Vote No to this garbage contract.

James Eterno said...

Norm- The UFT abandoned the lawsuit according to a lawyer friend. What more needs to be said about their so called help?

Anonymous said...

Mary Conway-Spiegel Tried the same for Christopher Columbus Hs Got the same result.

Anonymous said...

I think my days in believing a candidate are over. Carmen is bringing back many of the Klein reforms, and the fact they turned a deaf ear to the community is totally opposite of deBlasio's campaign promise.

If he is a one-term mayor and the next guy is a gung-ho anti-public school Republican (oh wait, that's the Democrats new motto), I don't think I would care.

This is the year I am changing my voting status and I think every teacher who wants change needs to do the same. Also, dropping out of COPE seems to be making more sense since the candidates the UFT endorses are people like Bloomberg and Pataki.

Anonymous said...

So sorry James!! I know how hard you and everyone else involved tried to changed their minds!
JHS forever in our hearts...

Anonymous said...

Subway and bus workers approved a new contract with the MTA on Monday for 8 percent raises over five years.

It passed overwhelmingly, with 82 percent of transit workers voting yes.

“Transit workers can hold their heads high by having won raises in every year of the five-year deal,” said union president John Samuelsen.

They will get retroactive pay hikes of 1 percent for 2012 and 2013, followed by 2 percent raises in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Workers will also chip in more for their health care

Anonymous said...

Mulgrew is a lousy union leader and cares little about teachers. He is incompetent and only cares about screwing the members and other municipal unions in the city.

Anonymous said...

Hello James, I was really hoping that Jamaica HS would have survived, with the new chancellor and the new mayor, there was some hope. You fought a great battle and you were on the side of justice, and you and others who lead that struggle. I congratulate all of you who stuck with it to the end. Especially our teachers who stayed on to dare the system, dare to struggle dare to win. But it is not over, as you have documented well about the new contract, let's Vote No to this sell out contract!! Victories await.
Gustavo

Anonymous said...

Transit got those two four percent raises that we are waiting until 2020 for years ago. Add that in the comment please.

Anonymous said...

Is it too late to appeal the closure to Commissioner King under Education Law §310?

Anonymous said...

Here are the procedures for filing an appeal to the Commissioner of Education:

http://www.counsel.nysed.gov/appeals

Anonymous said...

Gail Denker 4:55pm May 27

I'm so sorry. It breaks my heart because JHS will always be my home. You and everyone worked so hard and I appreciate all that everyone had done. I am so sad that I will never be able to "go home" again.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for trying. Those were some of the best times.

A Former Jamaica Teacher