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Schools

PEP Approves Co-Location of Brooklyn Success Academy

Panel for Education Policy votes 'yes' on plan establishing charter school in Cobble Hill.

Wednesday's public hearing to discuss whether or not to open a controversial Success Charter School in Cobble Hill was theater at its best.

Scores of angry educators along side outraged parents of public school children flooded the auditorium of Newtown High School in Queens and harangued members of the Panel for Educational Policy, calling them puppets, among many other insults.

But PEP's 13 member panel kept their cool and politely sat by, entertaining the crowd's criticism.

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Then, when all was said and done, after most of the crowd had left, the 13 member panel of appointees briefly discussed the issue, before voting almost unanimously in favor of co-locating the new Brooklyn Success Academy inside the same facility that currently houses Cobble Hill's Global Studies School and P.S. 368.

"Clearly the losers here tonight were the parents who came out to voice their opposition to a charter school being opened in their neighborhood," said PEP appointee Patrick Sullivan as he left Wednesday's meeting.

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Sullivan, who was the only member of PEP's panel to vote 'No' on the proposal to open a charter school inside P.S. 368, expressed serious reservations over the panels decision.

“There seemed to be no real support for this Charter school from the community. In fact I received 550 e-mails against opening one up in that location. So I don’t think that the mayor should have just decided unilaterally for the entire community,” he said.

Still, there were several attendees at Wednesday's public hearing who voiced support for the creation of more charter schools in Brooklyn and the city.

"I’m here on behalf of my kids, and to ensure that every child in New York City gets an opportunity to receive a quality education, and that’s why I support the creation of more charter schools,” said Jose Herrera of Coney Island.

Even so, a vast majority of those who turned out on Wednesday mounted raucous resistance against anyone who championed on behalf of charter schools, systematically shouting down proponents of alternative education whenever possible.

"You are committing education genocide," blasted one angry attendee. “Keep these charter schools out of my neighborhood,” added another as Herrera tried speaking over their heckling.

At one point during the public hearing, what seemed to be nearly the entire audience inside the auditorium at Newtown High School stood up and shouted a vote of “No Confidence' on the validity of PEP’s inevitable decision, before staging a mass walkout on the proceedings.

"This is what democracy looks like," chanted the group of approximately one hundred protesters as they marched out of Newtown High School’s auditorium.

Eventually the group congregating in front of Newtown High and engaged in a round of Occupy Wall Street style 'Mic' checks.

However, back inside Newtown High School, committee members continued to hold their hearing.

Finally at 10 p.m. Wednesday night, inside an almost empty auditorium, the committee wrapped up the public hearing with a vote to open a new Success Charter in Cobble Hill.

The Brooklyn Success Academy will now begin the process of accepting students for its incoming class of fall 2012.

Nevertheless, the few spectators that remained behind on Wednesday to hear the panel's decision couldn't help but stress their disappointment in the committee's final verdict.

“It’s just a sad moment for the New York City Public School system,” said Ernie Ramirez of Bedford Stuyvesant. “Especially sad for the children,” he added.

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