OCS parent speaks out during Dec. 8 rally
By Rob Callaghan
Recently, Opportunity Charter School (OCS) of Harlem has been targeted by the Department of Education (DOE) for closure. The school’s charter is up for renewal and the DOE has placed the school on its “early engagement” list. The news came as a shock to parents, teachers and the school’s administration given the school’s success with students with special needs. Some parents and teachers expressed concern that OCS has been put on this list to create more space for Eva Moskowitz’s Harlem Success Academy 4, which shares space in the same building. Opportunity is one of three schools, along with Wadleigh Secondary School for the Performing Arts and Frederick Douglass Academy II, which are co-located with Harlem Success schools and are on the closure list.
Last week, the entire Opportunity Charter School community rallied in support of the schools’ 5 year renewal. Parents, teachers, and students, decked out in their Opportunity colors, held a rally outside the school, chanting “5 more years!” The rally on Dec. 8 was the second such event held in the past few weeks.
On Nov. 11, the Department of Education held at a public hearing regarding the school’s charter renewal. At the meeting, students, parents, alumni and teachers took to the podium to express their unwavering support for the school’s mission and questioned the motives for shuttering the school.
United Federation of Teachers Vice President Leo Casey reaffirmed the UFT’s commitment to the teachers, parents, and students of OCS. He also noted the school’s achievements with special needs students, and questioned the motivation for closing the school, “If a decision about Opportunity Charter School is made based solely on education, and not political reasons, it cannot be closed” said Dr. Casey. He left the stage to thunderous applause from the assembled crowd.
Despite losing her voice, parent teacher association president Shire Tribble addressed the crowd with the help of math teacher and basketball coach Natasha Seabrook who read a statement on Ms Tribble’s behalf.
When asked about the event days later, Ms. Tribble questioned the logic of closing down a school like OCS, “Opportunity is the only school that serves this many students with IEPs,” she said, “OCS has been very successful serving these students, so why would they be put on this list?”
The parent leader also spoke about how important the school has been to her and her daughter “Opportunity is family-oriented and really encourages parents to take part. The teachers give my daughter one-on-one attention that allows her to be the creative person she is.”
About half of Opportunity’s students have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and many of the students entered the school having fallen behind. The school has been very successful serving this high needs population. The middle school received a B on its latest progress report and received extra credit for improving high-need students’ ELA scores. At the same time, the high school outperformed similar schools on the student performance category (i.e. graduation rates and Regents exam scores) on their most recent high school report card. Opportunity has been particularly successful graduating special education students; the school’s special education graduation rate was almost double the city’s average for special needs students.
These events serve as a reminder of the important place Opportunity has in the Harlem community. Students, parents, teachers, and alumnus are committed to making sure the school remains open to fulfill its unique vision. Third-year assistant teacher Crystal Chandler noted the vital role Opportunity serves, “It’s essential to keep OCS open. We serve every student that walks through those doors – no matter what. There is no reason we should be on this list. We are Harlem’s success!”
The New York Department of Education, which authorized the school’s charter, will make a decision on whether to renew Opportunity’s charter within the next few months. To show your support for the school community please submit comments via email to: charterschools@schools.nyc.gov
In addition, the New York City Parents Union, a citywide group of public-school parents, has started a petition to keep Opportunity open. Read and sign the petition.
UPDATE: In January 2012, the New York Department of Education granted a two-year renewal to Opportunity Charter School, allowing it to continue to fulfill its mission to serve students with special education needs.
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