A South Bronx charter school founded by a former city councilwoman replaced its city-issued toxic lighting fixtures by itself — rather than waiting for a Department of Education retrofit for the public schools in the same building this summer, the Daily News has learned.
The Bronx Success Academy, founded by Eva Moskowitz, spent its own money to replace the lights — which are leaking with cancer-causing chemicals — while two other schools in the same Morris Ave. building have to wait.
“I think it’s terrible,” Dean Gross, a science teacher at M.S. 203, which shares space with the charter school, Bronx Academy of Letters and P.S. 168.
Gross said he’s forced to teach students in a windowless classroom with a poor ventilation system and no air conditioner — and lighting fixtures that leak polychlorinated biphenyls, which are linked to cancer, reproductive and neurological problems, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
“Our kids in the building have so many issues to begin with,” Gross added. “We’re the number one asthma district in the country. This does not help. The teachers are dragging. They’ve got headaches and stomach pains.”
Union health and safety officials are to meet with the city Tuesday to discuss how Success Charter Network removed the tainted lighting fixtures.
The Bronx Academy of Letters, one of four schools in the building, had its lights replaced last summer as part of a classroom redesign, according to the city.
Marge Feinberg, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education, said the building’s remaining tainted lights would be switched out this summer. Feinberg added the city spent more than $1.7 million upgrading the three public schools.
“The funding was spent on Smartboards, bathroom upgrades, laptop carts, drinking fountains, reconfiguring classroom space for Bronx Academy of Letters, and new classroom doors,” Feinberg said.
Monday, May 13, 2013
NYCDOE's Marge Feinberg: We Can't Afford To Remove PCB's From Schools Because We Spent The Money On Smartboards
Oh, yes - that's what she said:
I don't have to imagine it...it is right there in front of me...and knowing what we know about Ms. Moskowitz, does anyone really believe that she spent her own money? And moreover, does anyone really believe that anyone but Ms. Moskowitz and her "public school" got any of those listed items?
ReplyDeleteIf anyone knows of someone that does believe any of this, let me know, I have some stuff to sell.
You're most likely dead right here - Moskowitz got DOE money to take the PCB's out. The others have to wait.
DeleteBut on the plus side, they do have new smart boards and laptop carts.
A DOE...spokesperson...who says inappropriate things...bring her to a 3020a.. And terminate her!
ReplyDeleteThe Bloomberg administration from day one has unleashed a media campaign to tout the education policies of the city. Ms Feinberg has been around for quite some time and her job is to spin, protect, and tout the great accomplishments of the department of education under the mayoral control of Mile Bloomberg. Feinberg's response is consistent with the dribble that mayoral spoke persons like Howard Wolfson spout at every opportunity to defend them mayor regardless of accuracy or how harmful the issue may be. It is a reflection upon the business model and the type of person this mayor chooses to employ to protect his interests and legacy. This disgraceful episode is another in the history of te Bloomberg mayorality and we can only hope that when he leaves office the gutless reporters who allow this and other acts against the public schools will be fully exposed.
ReplyDeletePerdido, there are a few pieces being left out of the story, but I know two teachers who work in the building.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all it does seem some money did go into improving Bronx Academy of Letters. What is left out is that Letters is part of the powerful (nearly charter) Uban Assembly Network. On top of that, last year the founding Principal of Letters left the school to take a job as a top official for Students First NY. (I am sure that she has a close connection with Eva and therefore for the better end of the deal.)
On the other hand MS 203 which is clearly being ignored, was voted by the PEP to phase out, back in March. The space that they lose as they phase out is being given to Sucess as they expand from elementary to middle school in the building. You can sleep easy knowing that the lights will surely be repaired before the Success kids get into those classrooms.
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