Parents in both communities: traditional public and charter see what's going on. Angry charter parents have been forwarding me Council emails; public school parents are letting Councilman DeFusco have it on Facebook.
We are not dummies. We, parents with children in traditional public and charter schools, are being used as political pawns by Council members Jen Giattino, Tiffanie Fisher, Peter Cunningham, Michael DeFusco, and Ruben Ramos who have all gone on record individually and collectively opposed the $1M grant to the HPEF. Tiffanie Fisher angrily called the HPEF "the mayor's pet political project." (GA is thankful that KMS coughed up money for the charters, because charter families are our friends, our neighbors.)
What is remarkable is that the Hoboken City Council's opposition to the $1M gift to the HPEF is a historic first-ever demand that any donation made to one school district should provide "proportional benefits" to be shared with all districts.
Mike DeFusco's buzzword is "parity." Here's a question.
Mike DeFusco's buzzword is "parity." Here's a question.
Did the City Council demand "parity" for Hoboken District School children when they were left out of past public benefits/ developer givebacks?
NO.
One only has to look back at recent cases: the City giving a whole building to one district (123 Jefferson) and a Larry Bijou (developer) giveback of a brand new school to another. Not a peep from the Council about "parity" for the Hoboken district children- or the Hoboken Charter district.
One only has to look back at recent cases: the City giving a whole building to one district (123 Jefferson) and a Larry Bijou (developer) giveback of a brand new school to another. Not a peep from the Council about "parity" for the Hoboken district children- or the Hoboken Charter district.
Ask yourself.. what makes the Hoboken School District uniquely targeted for the City Council's attention? Why attack the $1M donation to the district children, when they have never questioned a charter giveback or benefit?
Is it because the Hoboken District educates the least affluent, least-white student population? Is it because the Hoboken District has the highest proportion of free and reduced lunch students? Is it because the Hoboken District cannot refuse to educate any child, no matter what their special need is-- thus Hoboken district educates (by far) the greatest population of special needs children, and those most severely disabled?
click to read
Or, is it because many Hoboken District children are educated in hundred-year old buildings with shitty thru-window AC units? That's good enough for them?
CITY COUNCIL... WHERE WERE YOU TO DEMAND "PROPORTIONAL BENEFITS" FOR ALL CHILDREN WHEN YOU VOTED FOR THIS:
9.17.14 Hoboken City Counci... by on Scribd
Don't remember? Where was the Council outcry for "parity" when it removed "Green Acres" status from 123 Jefferson Street so it could 'give' an entire city building over to one charter school district for a planned renovation? I recall Wallace kids being taught in trailers in the school parking lot because of lack of classroom space. No "proportional sharing" of this city-owned building for a Hoboken District expansion? Trailers are okay for the brown kids?
And that City-owned building was handed over to one district at bargain-basement rent. Read this sweetheart deal the City of Hoboken gave one charter district in 2015, to the exclusion of all others.
"The fixed basic rent during the term of this Lease shall be payable by Tenant in equal monthly installments as described in paragraph (a), in advance, as follows: $1,100.00 PER MONTH FOR THE FIRST YEAR for the conference room, and an additional $0.00 (ZERO)_PER MONTH FOR THE FIRST YEAR for the office space, if said option is utilized, , which shall include all utilities."
7.20.15.Ordinance.first.reading.hola.Lease. by GrafixAvenger on Scribd
Speaking of the Hoboken district's need for new expsnsion space...
CITY COUNCIL... WHERE WERE YOU TO DEMAND "PROPORTIONAL BENEFITS" FOR ALL CHILDREN FOR THIS LARRY BIJOU DEVELOPER GIVEBACK?
You know, GA is very happy for my friends who have kids who are going to this brand new, lovely developer giveback. Including the Mayor!
But, I cannot recall the City Council's righteous indignation that Larry Bijou should provide a "proportional benefit" to the children of the other school districts-: the Hoboken Public School District and Hoboken Charter District. Can you?
Boy, those are some nice interiors in that developer giveback. I'll bet it doesn't have shitty window AC units that make classrooms too cold or too hot.
CONCLUSION
GA simply has to say to Jen Giattino, Mike DeFusco, Tiffanie Fisher, Peter Cunningham and Ruben Ramos: how dare you treat the Hoboken District kids differently than you- the City Council- have treated Hoboken's other district children.
I hope that KMS Dennis Martin has a change of heart, and doubles his gift to the HPEF.
When it benefits the rich families, they are all for all the benefits going to charter schools.
ReplyDeleteWhen it benefits the poorer families, how dare the benefits go to the public schools.
EXACTLY!!!!
DeleteBTW, I suspect this classicism is why a certain CC member was making noises about the library last week.
DeleteBingo. Spoiled elitist. Libraries are for the little people. (Actually they are! Lots of little people on the 3rd floor, in the Children's section!)
DeleteLooks like Hoboken Charter High School is now using space at the Multi-Service Center. According to the minutes of the April 5, 2017 meeting on the city website, the City Council authorized the Mayor to negotiate a lease with the school for 25 months.
DeleteUsing the CC's idiotic logic, that use of the MSC probably should not be allowed because it is not proportional with the other charter schools and public schools use of that space.
DeleteThe Council approved Hoboken Charter HS to lease the Multi-Service center without providing parity to the other charters and public schools? It's Ravi's fault!
ReplyDeleteIMHO adding money for charters while still paying the full $1 million to the HPEF is a plus no matter who negotiated it and no matter the lack of purity of their motives - though I heartily agree about the lack of purity. It's reminicent of Beth Mason's last minute fake private hospital "deal" except at least this one actually involves getting something real. Usually political games cost the city.but in this case it seems like it actually delivered a benefit.
ReplyDeleteOverall this project will be a huge boon to Hoboken schools both because of the one time payments and more so because of the $200,000 per year of school taxes that will be paid to the district (without adding any students) when the hotel is up and running.
The substantial payments negotiated by the Mayor, and the small addition negotiated by the Council are terrific news for the City.
But can we please stop calling these payments gifts or grants? They are not gifts. They are the "price" the developer is paying for an 18% increase in density and that density increase is pretty damn valuable (would love to see an economic analysis). The days of pretending developer "give backs" are free or gifts or the product of the developer's "generosity" ended (I thought) when Dave Roberts left office and Peter Cammarano went to jail. Remembering that is important if we don't want to slide back to the bad old days. It is our elected officials jobs to make sure that when we give away valuable zoning upgrades to developers we get fair value back in return.
I have faith in Ravi so I have confidence we are getting fair value for the up zone. But nothing here is a gift.
Could you imagine the drama is Ravi decided give money to the charters....since he is a elysian dad i'm sure that would of gotten him some bad press...instead the council of crap keeps putting the spin that they have been reading "The Art Of The Deal".... and don't worry Elysian couldn't even get Ravi's email address correct.....
ReplyDelete