Days before its closure vote, P.S. 114 is still fighting back

Michael Hall, the father of a second grader at P.S. 114, said the Canarsie elementary school should remain open.

Teachers, parents, and community activists protested the city’s plans to shutter a Canarsie elementary school today in front of the Department of Education’s headquarters.

Unless the city’s plans change, next Monday the citywide school board will vote on P.S. 114’s proposed closure. But before that happens, members of the Coalition for Educational Justice and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio are trying to put pressure on DOE officials to change their minds. De Blasio described the city’s approach to P.S. 114 as “a horrible Catch 22.”

“The Department of Education for years neglected the evidence presented by parents and teachers that the school was failing and that the leadership was failing the students,” de Blasio said.

“And then, after years of neglecting that evidence and the very intense efforts of parents and teachers to try and make things better, the DOE turns around and says there’s no choice but to change things and close this school.”

Michael Hall, the parent of a P.S. 114 second grader, said the city had unfairly branded the school a failure.

“Just give us a chance,” he said. “We’re in good standing with the state. Good standing means close us? Go figure!”