Please email the Chancellor and cc the following people using the template below. Thank you for your help and support.
Email:
Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos - mramos70@schools.nyc.gov,NYCPSChancellor@schools.nyc.gov
CC:
Rafael Alvarez - D15 Superintendent - RAlvare4@schools.nyc.gov
Antonio Reynoso - Brooklyn Borough President - AskReynoso@brooklynbp.nyc.gov
Donavan Swanson - Brooklyn Borough Education Liaison - Donavan.Swanson@brooklynbp.nyc.gov
Shahana Hanif - Local City Council Member - District39@council.nyc.gov
Mia Perez - City Council District 39 Education Director - MPerez@council.nyc.gov
Adrienne Adams - NYC City Council Speaker - SpeakerAdams@council.nyc.gov
Lincoln Restler - NYC City Council - District33@council.nyc.gov
Brad Lander - Comptroller - info@landerfornyc.com
Scott Stringer - Mayoral Candidate - Info@scottstringernyc.com
Rita Joseph - City Education Council Chairperson - District40@council.nyc.gov
Danika Rux - Deputy Chancellor of School Leadership - DRux@schools.nyc.gov
Dan Weisberg - First Deputy Chancellor - DWeisberg@schools.nyc.gov
Michael Mulgrew - UFT President - mmulgrew@uft.org
Janella Hinds - UFT VP of Academics - jhinds@uft.org
Leroy Barr - UFT Secretary - lbarr@uft.org
Gregory Faulkner - PEP Chairperson - gregfaulkner1@gmail.com
Camille Casaretti - PEP Member - ccasaretti@schools.nyc.gov
D15 CEC President - Antoniacec15@gmail.com
State Senator Andrew Gounardes: gounardes@nysenate.gov
State Assembly Member Jo Ann Simon: simonj@nyassembly.gov
Empty classroom campaign personal email - emptyclassroomsnyc@gmail.com
Subject: Urgent Request for Review and Response Regarding Space Allocation at K293
Dear Chancellor Aviles-Ramos,
I am writing on behalf of the students, parents, and staff of the Boerum Hill School for International Studies and Digital Arts and Cinema Technology High School located at 284 Baltic Street, regarding urgent concerns about space allocation. We are co-located with a Success Academy and ten of their classrooms have sat empty since the beginning of the year. This is totally unacceptable.
Despite multiple attempts to address this issue, we have yet to receive a meaningful response regarding our concerns. We are popular, growing DOE high schools that need space to truly thrive. Students who want to attend our high schools should not be denied enrollment due to the DOE’s inequitable space allocation and planning.
Given our schools’ significant increase in enrollment and Success Academy Cobble Hill’s significant decrease in enrollment since our Building Utilization Plan (BUP) was last changed on November 30, 2016, we request an immediate review of our campus’s BUP.
Specifically, we seek:
A transparent assessment of current space allocation to determine whether we are receiving equitable access to shared resources.
A formal meeting with representatives from the Office of Space Planning to discuss necessary adjustments and address community concerns.
Updated data on building capacity and usage to understand whether current space allocation complies with the Citywide Instructional Footprint
A clear timeline for review and potential space modifications to ensure our students receive the space and resources they need for a quality education.
We kindly request a written response outlining the next steps by April 4th, so we can begin our programming for the next school year.
The lack of action from the DOE has created frustration and uncertainty for our school communities. We believe that collaborative engagement is essential to addressing these pressing issues. It’s clear to our school communities that there is no real plan set in place by the DOE to address how schools in our situation are supposed to comply with the class size law.
We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and look forward to working together to create a fair and equitable solution. Please confirm receipt of this letter and provide an update on how we can move forward productively.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Affiliation, e.g., PTA Member, Concerned Parent, Community Representative]
[Your Contact Information]