The long-anticipated B-TECH school recently opened with great fanfare and excitement as a co-location at the Martin Van Buren HS Campus. The B-TECH HS will provide a pathway for higher education and meaningful job prospects to students willing to dedicate themselves to academic pursuits. One of the unique benefits offered by B-TECH is a tuition-free college education at Queensborough Community College. By partnering with SAP, a Fortune 100 company, B-TECH graduates will be eligible for open job slots at SAP. As a co-located school, B-TECH will likely elevate the status of Martin Van Buren after years of disappointing test scores and graduation rates.
This newspaper covered the B-TECH opening. Photos of a beaming B-TECH principal alongside elected officials was part of the story in many newspapers. The smiles and presence of these elected officials seem to create the illusion that B-TECH was widely supported by them. The fact is B-TECH was almost sabotaged by them. The local press reported extensively on these same local officials who appeared last year at anti-B-TECH rallies and public hearings. Their opposition nearly scuttled the program before it even began. If not for the strong and vocal support of many local civic leaders, the battle may never have been won. Alongside me; Bobby Sher, the president of Bell Park Manor Terrace, the co-op directly adjacent to the school; Rhonda Kontner, president of Royal Ranch Homeowners Association; and Jerry Wind, president of Bellerose Hillside Civic Association, bravely defended B-TECH against the vociferous opposition of area politicians and UFT members, who packed the audience to shout down any dissenting voices. These civic leaders spoke eloquently about B-TECH’s well-designed plan to restore high standards and quality schooling to this community while offering students a roadmap to success through academic excellence.
Now that B-TECH is a fait accompli, it is gratifying to see the change of heart by these now smiling elected officials. Councilman Mark Weprin, whose earlier opposition to B-TECH stemmed from his objection to the Department of Education’s roll-out of the plan, was almost muted by the strenuous opposition of Assemblyman David Weprin and state Sen. Tony Avella. Now that these local officials have joined with the civics to support this program, we are all working together to help it succeed!
Readers should remember that if not for the civic leaders who stood up against a barrage of vitriol and political grandstanding, this opportunity for students and families might never have materialized. This should be an eye-opener for residents who are not members of their local civic associations. Civics have proven time and again that they are champions of our communities. For a nominal membership fee of $25 or less per year, you can help your local civic association and it will be your best return on a $25 investment.
Bob Friedrich
President, Glen Oaks Village
