PS 130 PROTEST OF THE MAYOR'S PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS - MAY 2011

The P.S. 130 PTA will deliver this letter and a signed petition to City Councilmember Brad Lander this week.

May 18, 2011

Dear Councilman Lander,

The parents and teaching staff at P.S. 130 want to formally express our dissatisfaction with Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed budget cuts to education.

As parents and teachers of public school students at P.S. 130, we are concerned about the budget cuts and what they will mean for our school and our children’s educational future.

We cannot afford to lose teachers at our school and the proposed budget cuts would mean a loss of over 4,000 citywide. These proposed cuts will only hurt our children by increasing class sizes, resulting in less time and attention being given to each child, which would jeopardize student achievement.

As you may know, our school is bursting at the seams, literally. We do not want to face further overcrowding. Our school has added classes and rearranged space logistically to keep up with the growing demands of the neighborhood. Eliminating teachers and increasing class size will only make matters worse and this is unacceptable.

We understand these are challenging financial times for everyone, families and the city alike. Our children must come first, however; their education is the city’s future.

We question how funds are being allocated and spent in the Department of Education. Is the Department of Education genuinely exploring all of the options? Why must our children pay the price for our current budget situation? Is there no other solution?

Our building is ancient in terms of physical structure and electrical wiring. We constantly advocate for new technology, which will allow our children to be prepared for the demands of higher education and the competitive job market. However, our school is not equipped to accommodate the electrical requirements and space needs to make these technologies run smoothly. Our building is in need of upgrades and spending taxpayer money on that makes sense to us.

Why is there an allocation for the creation of more Charter Schools? Wouldn’t it make more sense to spend tax payer money on the existing schools, where the majority of the city’s children are now? Wouldn’t it make more sense to put more, rather than fewer, teachers into the existing schools, especially in the schools that are struggling academically? This makes sense to us.

Why is the Department of Education seeking to create and employ over 200 new administrative positions at Tweed? What are these positions for and are they really necessary? Do we have information on these positions, job titles, and descriptions? We feel we have the right to know, especially since these are tax dollars being taken away from our children!

We want and expect you to fight for our schools and make our voices heard.

Please see the signatures below in protest of the Mayor’s proposed budget
cuts.

Sincerely,

The P.S. 130 P.T.A.
Toni L. Gozzo, President
Suzanne O’Donnell, Vice President
Rebecca Rent, Secretary
Kitty Martin, Treasurer