Addabbo’s Statement on Mayor Bloomberg’s State of the City Comments Regarding Area High School Closures

Queens, NY, January 16, 2012 – NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens), released the following statement today, reacting to Mayor Bloomberg’s State of the City comments regarding high school closures in his district:    

I intend to work with both the NYS and NYC Department of Education, the mayor’s administration and other involved parties on ensuring the best quality education available to students at the three Turnaround schools in my district, namely Grover Cleveland, John Adams and Richmond Hill High Schools. I want to make sure that each student has a seat at the school they currently attend and that parents’ concerns are answered.  

I believe that since these schools and their names have played an integral role in the character and history of our communities, any new name should take into consideration and incorporate the school’s current name.   

As a member of the State Senate Education Committee, I encourage all parents to work with their elected officials in obtaining information and addressing their issues with the Turnaround process and the quality of their child’s education at the schools. The Turnaround process has much at stake, such as the student’s education, critical federal funding and teachers’ and principals’ job stability. The navigation through this process will not be an easy task. 

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