New York, NY –
The city's teachers union and the NAACP are suing to stop the city from closing 19 low-performing schools. They claim the city ignored state law by not allowing enough community input and by failing to conduct a thorough study listing how each closure would affect surrounding schools. Hazel Dukes, who runs the local chapter of the NAACP, also accuses the city of creating a two-tiered system by replacing some of the schools with charter schools which often have better facilities.
WNYC's Beth Fertig spoke to Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott about the controversy yesterday. He said he hadn't seen the lawsuit so he couldn't comment on the specifics, but he insisted the city followed the law in deciding to close the schools.
Beth Fertig is WNYC’s Contributing Editor for Education. She previously covered politics, which included City Hall during the Giuliani administration, and the U.S. Senate campaigns of Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton. She also covered transportation and infrastructure.
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