Talk Bronx New York

Angry parents protest the closing of schools at a Department of Education hearing at Brooklyn Tech High School.

 Over the objections of thousands of protesters, the city Education Department’s panel voted early Wednesday morning to close 19 failing city schools.

After more than eight hours of testimony, the Panel for Educational Policy gave the go-ahead shortly after 3:00 a.m.

The four panel members representing the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan voted against most of the closings.

Mayor Bloomberg’s eight appointees along with the representative from Staten Island supported the decision.

At the beginning of the hearing, Schools Chancellor Joel Klein defended the proposals.

“The sad reality is that the schools we must close tonight are not meeting the standards,” he said, barely audible over boos from the crowd.

At one point he left the stage for several minutes, and the crowd interrupted testimony, repeatedly chanting, “Where is Klein?”

Only after he returned did the crowd allow testimony to continue.

Renee Donaldson holds up a sign as she yells against the closing of schools. Read more..

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                 About 3/4 of city high schools receive an A or B.

Most city high schools performed well again on the annual report cards, with a handful getting low grades for the second year in a row, which could mark them for closure.

In reports released Monday, about three-quarters of the schools earned an A or a B, down slightly from the 82% that got high marks last year.

An increase in graduation rates - which would have nudged overall grades higher - was offset by the Education Department’s decision to raise the score needed to achieve each grade.

“Despite setting rising standards and requirements,” said Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, “our schools are still generally moving forward.”

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Clinton Speaks At High School Graduation In The Bronx

New York Senator Hillary Clinton made her first public appearance since leaving the presidential race, speaking at a graduation in the Bronx Sunday afternoon.

Clinton delivered the commencement address at Pelham Prep Academy’s graduation at Fordham’s Rose Hill campus.

“I have just finished the most extraordinary experience that anyone could possibly have,” said Clinton. “Being able to travel around our country, this great, sprawling, diverse country, from one end to the other, meeting thousands and thousands of people who want a better life for themselves and their families, who believe with all their heart in the American dream.”

The former first lady spoke at the graduation to fulfill a promise made to one of the students, Aleatha Williams, a young woman who worked on Clinton’s campaign for the Senate and Bill Clinton’s campaign for president.

“During her historic bid to become the Democratic nominee for president, she taught us all that no glass ceiling is high enough to limit the will of a person who is committed to living up to their true potential,” said Williams.

Clinton was introduced by Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, who said that Clinton’s hard fight in the presidential race should serve as an inspiration to the graduates.

“Someday soon we’ll have a woman for president, and that woman will say, I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Hillary Clinton,” said Klein.

Many of the graduates said they hope they haven’t seen the last of Clinton in this presidential race. They said they want to see an Obama-Clinton ticket.

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CRUNCH TIME:Today’s state test counts toward Chancellor Klein’s report card on all schools, including Bronx Prep.

Bronx Charter School Takes Day Off Before Student’s Biggest Test

January 8, 2008 — As if the stakes weren’t high already.

Fifth-graders at the Bronx Preparatory Charter School preparing for today’s state English exams had to temporarily add “location” to their concerns about the annual tests.

Their parents were told over the weekend that Bronx Prep’s principal and board of directors decided to close the school yesterday - the day before an exam that determines promotion for third-, fifth- and seventh-graders.

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