PDA

View Full Version : NYC converts catholic schools into government schools :(




heavenlyboy34
02-09-2009, 04:56 PM
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/08/nyregion/08schools.html?_r=1&hp

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/michael_r_bloomberg/index.html?inline=nyt-per) and Bishop Nicholas A. DiMarzio of the Diocese of Brooklyn unveiled a proposal on Saturday to convert four Roman Catholic schools singled out for closing into public charter schools (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/c/charter_schools/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier), an 11th-hour lifeline meant to preserve the education provided in the buildings and stave off potential overcrowding in city schools.
[/URL]


It would be the first time such a plan was undertaken in New York and could serve as a model for converting other Catholic and private schools. Mr. Bloomberg framed the plan as an unlikely alliance, the product of creative thinking in a time of economic distress. He said it would “bring stability and much-needed predictability back” to families with children at some of the 14 schools in Brooklyn and Queens that the diocese has marked for closing at the end of the academic year because of declining enrollment and rising operating costs.
At the same time, it would ameliorate what could be an overwhelming influx of students from closed Catholic schools into crowded neighborhood public schools. The four new schools would have room for 1,000 students; students currently enrolled in the parochial schools would be guaranteed seats.
Bishop DiMarzio invoked the story of Noah’s ark in describing the “flood situation” the church faces financially, comparing the mayor to Noah. “He’s throwing out a life preserver and I’m going to grab it,” he said at a news conference with Mr. Bloomberg at City Hall.
The city would lease the buildings from the diocese, but religious instruction would be banned and religious symbols in the buildings would be covered.
Mr. Bloomberg, emphasizing that the proposal was in its early stages, did not disclose the names of the four schools and said the number of schools could shrink or grow. He said leaders of other faiths had also expressed interest in turning their private schools into charter schools. The proposal would require approval by the Legislature because state law bars charter schools from having any ties to religious institutions.
On its face, the embrace of charter schools, which are publicly financed but privately managed, seems an odd cause for the diocese to rally behind, but that may be a reflection of the severity of its financial situation.
Catholic leaders have uneasily watched the growing popularity of charter schools, worried that they might draw away families who might choose Catholic schools but would be dissuaded by tuition costs — the average yearly tuition for elementary schools in the Brooklyn diocese is $3,500. At the heart of the educational philosophies in both charter and Catholic schools is an emphasis on high expectations and strict discipline, illustrated by the uniforms students are required to wear.
Across the country some churches have enacted policies that prohibit selling or leasing space to charter schools. The Archdiocese of New York, which has shuttered 15 schools since 2007 and is considering additional closings this year, has signaled that it is uninterested in renting space to charter schools.
In Albany, which is home to a large number of charter schools, Catholic school enrollment has plummeted in recent years. Church officials believe the charter schools have played a role.
“Our policy is we are very careful about to whom we rent the space,” Sister Jane Herb, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Albany, said in an interview last November. “Charter schools have taken some of the key elements we’ve prided ourselves on over the years. I’m very concerned about enrollment.”
Officials at Catholic schools in Albany have made their religious dimension a key selling point in speaking to parents who are considering both types of schools.
The Diocese of Brooklyn has avoided providing space in its facilities to charter schools if they would be near enough to compete with existing Catholic schools. Although the diocese, with 1.5 million Catholics in Brooklyn and Queens, remains the fifth most populous in the United States, its parochial schools, like those in other urban areas, have seen their enrollments shrink as demographics shifted. Since 2005, the diocese has closed 32 schools.
Bishop DiMarzio said he was eager to support the proposal, saying he believed competition was the best way to improve schools.
“Our whole emphasis is the students,” he said. “We’re looking at a new direction that can be beneficial financially to the city and to the students that we do serve.”

Nationally, there has been little cooperation between charter and Catholic schools. Washington is an exception; seven parochial schools were converted into charter schools there and opened last September.
[URL="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/08/nyregion/08schools.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&hp#secondParagraph"]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/08/nyregion/08schools.html?_r=1&hp#secondParagraph)



Nelson Smith, president and chief executive of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, said the conversion of the schools went smoothly in Washington partly because charter school officials were careful to maintain elements of the old Catholic school culture.
“In Washington, they were very focused on maintaining the sense of high expectations and a well-disciplined environment, and a sense of family at the school,” he said. “For the families, I think that’s very encouraging.”
It is unclear what would happen to teachers at the Catholic schools, many of whom are not certified to teach in public schools. If state law is amended, a provision could be added to provide for alternative certification for current teachers, according to officials with the city’s Department of Education. Staff members and administrators of the new school may not be allowed to be employed by the diocese.
Another potentially thorny issue could be the public schools’ fourth-grade health curriculum, which includes discussions of sexual reproduction. In the past, the Archdiocese of New York has objected to teaching the topic inside its buildings, forcing some public schools that lease space in buildings owned by the church to go off campus to teach the classes.
Catholic schools have historically been a linchpin for Queens and Brooklyn neighborhoods, home to families who had attended the schools for generations. When the Diocese of Brooklyn announced its plan last month to close 11 elementary schools entirely and merge three others with existing schools, it provoked tears and anger from parents.
On Saturday, parents of Catholic school students said they would miss the religious element of parochial schools, though they seemed relieved that some schools might be able to keep their doors open.
“We want the religious structure and upbringing,” said Todd Goodale, a parent of a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old at Our Lady of Angels in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. “You don’t get that in public schools.”
Mr. Goodale said he would not enroll his children at a charter school if it became an option.
Debbie Dagiau said she would feel comfortable sending her seventh-grade son, who is currently enrolled at Blessed Sacrament School in Jackson Heights, to a charter school.
“The ideal situation is to keep it the way it is,” she said. “But if that can’t happen, to me, this is the next best thing.”

dannno
02-09-2009, 05:02 PM
I wish we could convert them to Liberty Charter Schools or something. Catholic schools aren't that much better than public schools.

asimplegirl
02-09-2009, 10:50 PM
man, NYC is just dumb. I realize that more and more everyday.

RSLudlum
02-09-2009, 10:56 PM
Hmmm...anybody else see this Exectutive Order that was signed Friday?



from the official White House Blog: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/working_with_faith/

Friday, February 6th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Working with faith

"Instead of driving us apart, our very beliefs can bring us together," President Obama said yesterday at the National Prayer Breakfast.

E pluribus unum, in other words.


After the breakfast he announced an executive order establishing the new White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and talked about the role faith-based and secular community organizations will play in our economic recovery.

"People trust them. Communities rely on them. And we will help them," he said.

The President named Joshua DuBois to lead the office, and also announced the creation of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships -- a group of 25 religious and secular leaders, listed below.

"Whether it's connecting groups that are training people to do new jobs, or figuring out the role of faith-based organizations in combating global climate change, this office creates those partnerships in a way that's responsible, constitutional, and -- bottom line -- helps those in need," DuBois said.

We asked DuBois to talk a little bit more about the office. Watch the video below.


Members of the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships:

Judith N. Vredenburgh, President and Chief Executive Officer, Big Brothers / Big Sisters of America
Philadelphia, PA

Rabbi David N. Saperstein, Director & Counsel, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, and noted church/state expert
Washington, DC

Dr. Frank S. Page, President emeritus, Southern Baptist Convention
Taylors, SC

Father Larry J. Snyder, President, Catholic Charities USA
Alexandria, VA

Rev. Otis Moss, Jr., Pastor emeritus, Olivet Institutional Baptist Church
Cleveland, OH

Eboo S. Patel, Founder & Executive Director, Interfaith Youth Corps
Chicago, IL

Fred Davie, President, Public / Private Ventures, a secular non-profit intermediary
New York, NY

Dr. William J. Shaw, President, National Baptist Convention, USA
Philadelphia, PA

Melissa Rogers, Director, Wake Forest School of Divinity Center for Religion and Public Affairs and expert on church/state issues
Winston-Salem, NC

Pastor Joel C. Hunter, Senior Pastor, Northland, a Church Distributed
Lakeland, FL

Dr. Arturo Chavez, Ph.D., President & CEO, Mexican American Cultural Center
San Antonio, TX

Rev. Jim Wallis, President & Executive Director, Sojourners
Washington, DC

Bishop Vashti M. McKenzie, Presiding Bishop, 13th Episcopal District, African Methodist Episcopal Church
Knoxville, TN

Diane Baillargeon, President & CEO, Seedco, a secular national operating intermediary
New York, NY

Richard Stearns, President, World Vision
Bellevue, WA