Resist Hunter, DOE
Richman Staff Fighting Move

By MEREDITH KOLODNER

Teachers and Principals at the Julia Richman Education Complex got a political boost last week when the Reverend Al Sharpton led their march aimed at stopping the Department of Education from demolishing the building.

The Chief-Leader/Pat Arnow 'BEACON OF HOPE': The Rev. Al Sharpton, who with United Federation of Teachers Vice President Michael Mulgrew (right) led a march of Julia Richman Teachers and students protesting their school's planned relocation, said the way to respond to the school's success was 'not to evict you, but to exalt you.'

'Made Me Want to Teach'

The raucous protest by hundreds of educators, community members, and students alongside United Federation of Teachers officials and several City Council Members was held to convince Mayor Bloomberg and DOE officials not to re-locate the schools to a space at East 25th St. and 1st Ave. now occupied by Hunter College. The college wants to tear down the 68th Street JREC school building and erect a new state-of-the-art science facility in its place.

The Chief-Leader/Pat Arnow 'HANDS OFF, HUNTER': Teachers, administrators, students and community members from the Julia Richman Educational Complex rallied outside Hunter College in an effort to stop the college's administration from demolishing their school building in order to construct a new state-of-the-art science facility.

"This is the school that makes me want to be a Teacher," said Annie Lederberg, who teaches science at Urban Academy, one of the schools in the Julia Richman building. "I can't think of one decent reason to destroy it. They have a Plan B; they should use it."

The educators argue that the new science building should be constructed at either the larger 25th St. site or in an alternative location. Hunter has already issued a request for expression of interest for developers to build a new school building at the downtown site, which would also allow the option for commercial development. Hunter officials said they are moving forward with their plan and hope to issue a request for proposals this summer.

The protesters gathered in the park behind JREC before they marched the three blocks to Hunter College. They unfurled a 40-foot banner draped on the back of the massive brick building below a row of six gated windows that read, "Hunter College: Hands Off! Save Our Community!"

'Blame the Mayor'

But Councilman Robert Jackson aimed his fire at the city. "I am not happy to be here today," he said. "And I don't blame Hunter. I blame Mayor Bloomberg and the Department of Education."

DOE officials have promised that the 25th St. location will provide a new, state-of-the-art building for the six schools, calling the deal a "win-win" situation since the school would be built without cost to the city. They say they are not reconsidering their decision and that the children will not be moved until the new 25th St. building is finished, estimated by 2012. "Once the designs are in the works," said DOE spokeswoman Margie Feinberg, "the school community will have a great deal of input about how the space looks."

But the educators say they don't believe they will get the same quality of space and community that they currently have.

About $30 million of city money and millions in private donations has been spent to renovate the building since the phasing out of the original high school in the mid-1990s, when the graduation rate was about 37 percent.

'Exalt Your Success'

Mr. Sharpton pointed out that the citywide graduation rate for African-Americans today is 35 percent, while the average in the Julia Richman building is about 85 percent.

"The way to respond is not to evict you but to exalt you, to raise you up as a beacon of hope," Mr. Sharpton told the crowd. "You've become a national symbol, and we're going to make sure you don't become a local disgrace."

The JREC building now houses six schools with about 2,000 mostly minority students who share access to a 1,400-seat auditorium, a teaching kitchen, dance studio, swimming pool, art studio and a nursery for students' babies.

The educators question why the DOE would want to disrupt a set of schools that have been recognized nationally as a model for small-school excellence.

"They've done everything that you've asked," said Michael Mulgrew, the UFT vice president of career and technical high schools, "and because of a business deal, you're going to move them. There should not even be a discussion about this."

Business Decision?

Opponents of the plan say that real-estate interests are pushing it forward, since the space at 25th St. could provide a prime location for not only a school building, but for lucrative new housing developments and retail space attached to it.

The outpouring of support for the school among students was as fierce as it was among educators. "We love our school so much," said Mio Cook, an 11th grader at Urban Academy. "It's like our home. Usually people can't stand going to school. We should have more schools like this one, not less."

Ms. Cook and several other students who live in East Harlem added that commuting to the relatively affluent neighborhood on the upper East Side that has welcomed them and set up internships and other partnerships has been an important part of their experience.

'Embarrassed, Hurt'

Another former JREC student, who said she had dropped out of high school before attending and graduating from Urban, is now a sophomore at Hunter College. Chantale Soekhoe said, "I am embarrassed and hurt that my college would propose uprooting a community that works so successfully for so many types of students, many of whom at first - like me - don't see themselves as college-bound."

She added that her friends at other schools, including Columbia University and New York University, often take shuttle buses to satellite campuses in different parts of the city. For example, Columbia's medical facility is at 168th Street while its main campus is at 116th Street.

The JREC faculty, students and community board members said they would continue to push for a change in policy.

"There's going to be no end to defending this," said Avram Barlowe, a Teacher at Urban Academy. "It's going to take a lot of vigilance."