Alfred E. Smith Career & Technical Education (CTE) High School is one of the public schools proposed to be phase out by the NYC Department of Education (DOE) due to poor graduation rates. The DOE's Panel for Education Policy (PEP) has modified it's original proposal. Currently, it states that a "new proposal that will keep open the school’s automotive technology program and phase out the school’s other programs. A second proposal will be submitted to open two schools in the facility that will focus on over-age and under-credited students, and engineering training and education."
We welcome change, but phasing out our Building Trades is not the answer and unacceptable; not having a plan that involves the continued use of the building to educate the economically disadvantaged South Bronx students in pre-engineering, plumbing, carpentry, electrical, and HVAC is disgraceful.
Phasing out Alfred E. Smith HS and eliminating its unparalleled Career & Technical Education Building Trades component is unequivocally a mistake and not the solution to the problem.
New York Times article, Jan 15th, 2010
cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/using-music-to-fight-the-school-closings/#more-122167
New York Times article, Jan 21st, 2010
cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/part-of-one-closing-school-will-be-spared/#more-123915
To read quantitative reasons why our CTE/shops class should not be phased out see this link:
docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0ASrinkbsP6p3ZGMzcnhoM3hfMjZma3RudDhmYg&hl=en
To see the DOE's phase-out proposal and learn more about our school and this situation go to this link:
docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0ASrinkbsP6p3ZGMzcnhoM3hfMTZjZ3MycW1wcA&hl=en
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
- Submit a public comment to Samuel Sloves (HS.Proposals@schools.nyc.gov, 718-935-4414). TYPE Alfred E. Smith CTE High School in the subject line. Feel free to use any/all of the above reasons, or just simply state you don't want to see AES BUILDING TRADES phased out.
- Reach out to politicians: re-send this email to the following people (and whoever else you can think of):
Helena Foster 718-55-7790 foster@council.nyc.gov
Vanessa Gibson 718-538-2000 GibsonV@assembly.state.ny.us
Michael Benjamin 718-589-6324 BenjamM@assembly.state.ny.us
Carmen Arroyo 718-292-2901 Arroyo@assembly.state.ny.us
Complete political list, see this link:
docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0ASrinkbsP6p3ZGMzcnhoM3hfMjNmM3ZoMzdmZw&hl=en
Cast:Save AES CTE HS, South Bronx
Tags:South Bronx, NYC, Alfred E. Smith CTE HSl and DoE's Proposed School Phase Out