Critics Vow To Continue Fight Against Charter Scho

Posted: May 27 2009 at 6:43pm | Views: 4118

CRITICS VOW TO CONTINUE FIGHT AGAINST CHARTER SCHOOL

The co-president of the PS 160 Parents' Association (PA) vowed, this week, that he is determined to explore all legal avenues in his fight to stop the Equality Charter School from locating at PS 160, a Co-op City, Bronx, New York elementary school.

Sebastian Ulanga, following through on his vow to "go the limit" in his fight against having the charter school in Co-op City's PS 160, has filed a grievance with the board of directors of the charter school and with the New York State Department of Education.

Ulanga said that an attorney has agreed to represent those challenging the charter school, free of charge.

State law provides for the state's Department of Education to license charter schools throughout the state and for the city's Department of Education to authorize them within the city's five boroughs.

Ulanga vowed, this week, "We'll tie the people from the Equality Charter School and Department of Education officials up in legal knots. We are planning an attack against them on procedural grounds because they have violated the procedures that are legally required before the location of a charter school is determined. Thye have violated Article 56 of the New York State Charter Schools Act of 1998. We are determined to go the legal limit in fighting this school as long as those associated with it remain determined to have it in PS 160."

The co-president of the PS 160 PA stressed, "We plan to mobilize the community in opposition to having the Equality Charter School invaded our space at PS 160. Our message is loud and clear, be we intend to make it even louder when we stage a demonstration along Einstein Loop in opposition to what the people at the Equality Charter School and the people at the city's DOE have in store for us. We will not rest until we reverse the decision by DOE to located the Equality Charter School in PS 160."

Ulanga noted, "The decision to locate the Equality Charter School in Co-op City's PS 160 violates the rights of children and parents from PS 160, especially the large number of disabled children who attend Co-op City's PS 160. The DOE's decision to locate the Equality Charter School in PS 160 fails to take into account the fact that Co-op City's PS 160 is a barrier-free school that is especially equipped to handle the especially large number of disabled students, many of whom are wheelchair-bound, who go to PS 160.

Ulanga stressed, "We are fighting the location of the Equality Charter School in PS 160 because it is poor policy to have the middle-school students from the charter school in the same building as the elementary-school students at PS 160. We intend to explore all technicalities and required procedures in our effort to stop what the city's DOE has in store for us. We are prepared to go to court, if necessary, to block the location of the Equality Charter School in PS 160."

By Michael Horowitz

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