By Michèle De Meglio
Students and staffers at Tilden High School joined forces with one of the city’s most powerful union bosses to criticize the city Department of Education (DOE) for failing to consult with parents before deciding to phase out the school. “There used to be a process in terms of closing and redesigning schools that was a state process,” United Federation of Teachers (UFT) President Randi Weingarten explained at a town hall at Tilden, “so everybody knew that if a school was going to be closed, there was a reason why.” But when the DOE weighed the option of phasing out Tilden, located at 5800 Tilden Avenue, because of its low graduation rates, neither parents, community residents nor elected officials were asked to offer their opinions on the plan. And that has led to outrage with what they call the DOE’s “top-down” management style. “We would like to see the chancellor and the mayor sit with us because we are intelligent…and could really make a change,” said Muba Yarofulani, president of the Presidents’ Council for District 18. “It’s important that the process include consultation with the parents,” agreed city Councilmember Lew Fidler. But “consultation has to occur before decisions are made.” There would have been plenty of time to meet with parents before the ax fell on Tilden, Fidler insisted. “They’ve had this school on the hit list and death watch for at least a year,” he asserted. Fidler said he learned of the DOE’s plan to phase out Tilden from a news report – not department officials. “We’ve got to be part of the process,” Fidler said. “They [DOE officials] need to understand that there are partners in this. They don’t know everything.” Debra Casimir, president of Tilden’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), said parents must be kept in the loop when major changes are in store for their kids. “Before making any sort of decisions, we must first be informed,” she said, “because these children are our children. We’re here to represent them.” The DOE maintains that community outreach is a major component of department policies, especially when schools are being closed. On the heels of complaints from parents about a lack of communication between the department and parents, Schools Chancellor Joel Klein has announced plans to attend meetings of Community Education Councils (CEC) throughout the city to answer parents’ questions and discuss reforms. At the Tilden town hall, several students voiced their disappointment with the DOE’s plan to phase out Tilden over the next three years and fill its building with small high schools. Two schools will open at the new Tilden Educational Campus in September. “Tilden has provided a place where I can learn, explore and expand my mind,” said Nzinga Collier. Some students were hopeful that the DOE would reconsider its plan to phase out Tilden. “It was a good school,” said David Logan, a senior. “The phasing out is going too far,” said Kenechi Martins, a junior. “The school is good as it is. The kids just need to tone down their behavior.” “We can do better,” agreed Collier. But “how can we prove ourselves if we don’t have a chance? “We’re asking you to give us a chance to grow,” she added.
