Thursday, November 26, 2009

Meeting - The Harlem/Manhattan Chapter of the Coalition for Public Education/Coalicion por la Educacion Publica


Meeting
The Harlem/Manhattan Chapter
Coalition for Public Education/
Coalicion por la Educacion Publica


Event: Harlem/Manhattan Chapter Meeting

Time:
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Day & Date: Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Location:
St. Mark's Roman Catholic Church
65 West 138th Street
(Between Malcolm C Blvd (Lenox Ave.) & 5th Avenue

Transportation:
Train: 2,3 to 135th Street
Bus: M7 or M102 to West 138th Street

Contact:
Mark A. Torres
Co-Chair, Coalition for Public Education/Coalicion por la Educacion Publica
Tele: 646-696-8485 or
(Mr. Torres is also a Member of People Power - "Independent Politics for Independent People.")

Sunday, November 8, 2009

1ST Meeting - The Harlem/Manhattan Chapter of the Coalition for Public Education/Coalicion por la Educacion Publica


1st Meeting
The Harlem/Manhattan Chapter
Coalition for Public Education/
Coalicion por la Educacion Publica


Event: First (1st) Harlem/Manhattan Chapter Meeting

Time:
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Day & Date: Thursday, November 12, 2009

Location:
Metropolitan AME Church
58 West 135th Street
(Corner of Malcolm X Blvd (Lenox Avenue) and West 135th Street)

Discussion Topic:
Effective Organizing to Improve and Defend our Public Schools.

Transportation:
Train: 2,3 to West 135th Street
Bus: Bx 36, M7 or M102 to Malcolm X Blvd (Lenox Avenue) and West 135th Street

Contact:
Mark A. Torres
Co-Chair, Coalition for Public Education/Coalicion por la Educacion Publica
Tele: 646-696-8485 or
(Mr. Torres is also a Member of People Power - "Independent Politics for Independent People.")

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

CANCELLED: Membership Meeting Tonight - Tuesday, October 27, 2009

The Coalition to Save Harlem Membership Meeting scheduled for tonight, Tuesday, October 27, 2009 is cancelled.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Post Event Report: Town Hall Meeting with the United Nations Special Rapporteur On Adequate Housing

Post Event Report: Town Hall Meeting with the United Nations Special Rapporteur On Adequate Housing

Congratulations to all who made this an event possible. The Coalition to Save Harlem is proud to have been an organizing member of this event. Folks came out and testified about their housing issues to the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Adequate Housing Raquel Rolnik. She listened intently.

In fact, a Blog Site has been created to follow the activites of the UN Housing Rapporteur's visit in the United States. Check it out at
RestoreHousingRights.org

One by one the Community Residents told their story. "Grandstanding" was not allowed during the event so that those experiencing this sad housing situation in New York City would get an opportunity to speak. "Say it like you mean it" was definately the order of the evening. It was obvious that the outreach coordinated by the New York City Chairperson Rob Robinson, a Board Member of Picture the Homeless (and a gentleman with a history of being homeless) was successful in reaching those who needed this public conversation with the UN Housing Rapporteur. This Town Hall provided an evening of realization (the Housing Rapporteur was in NYC), education (the testimonials provided a learning "eye opening" experience) and conversation (people made new relationships and strenghtened older ones).

See for yourself ...
(due to technical difficulties, there is no audio for the first 16 minutes)


Friday, October 16, 2009

Event: Town Hall Meeting with the United Nations Special Rapporteur On Adequate Housing

Event: Town Hall Meeting with the United Nations Special Rapporteur On Adequate Housing
Come out and support housing as a Human Right in New York City. Voice your concerns about the foreclosure crisis, growing homelessness and inadequate public housing and section 8.

Time: 6:30
Day & Date: Thursday, October 22, 2009

Flyer:
  • Poster/Flyer may be downloaded from the CSH Flyer Depot here
  • Flyer (1/2 Page) may be downloaded from the CSH Flyer Depot here
Note: NESRI and NLCHP will collect testimony (both written and video) from communities where the Special Rapporteur is unable to visit.

Location:
Union Theological Seminary
3041 Broadway at 121st Street
New York, NY 10027

Twitter: @NESRIorg [Hashtag #housingmission]

Contact: (To be involved in the Town Hall)
Meredith Vatsek
National Economic and Social Rights Initiative [NESRI]
Telephone: 212-253-1710 Ext. 307

Background:
The Special Rapporteur is appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council to examine and report back on the housing situation of a given country. This is the first official visit to the United States by a United Nations Special Rapporteur on Housing.

Sponsors:
  • Picture the Homeless
  • Good Old Lower East Side [GOLES]/[PHROLES]
  • Organizing Asian Communities [CAAAV]
  • Fifth Avenue Committee
  • Families United for Racial and Economic Equality [FUREE]
  • Make the Road
  • Coalition to Save Harlem [CSH]
  • Concerned Citizens of Greater Harlem
  • East Harlem Anti-Displacement Taskforce
  • Partnership for the Homeless
  • Tenants and Neighbors
  • Urban Justice Center
  • Mothers on the Move
  • Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Program [NEDAP]
  • The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board [UHAB]
  • National Economic and Social Rights Initiative [NESRI]
  • Poverty Initiative
  • and more .....
... And More Information ...:
The UN Special Rapporteur on Housing Raquel Rolnik will be making an official visit to the United States – October 23rd through November 6th. This is the first official mission to the United States by a Special Rapporteur on Housing. The Special Rapporteur will primarily focus on concerns around public housing and Section 8 (social housing), homelessness and the foreclosure crisis. She will make official visits to Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC. During her time in Washington, DC she will meet with federal officials including individuals from the Obama administration and congressional members. After her visit, she will draft a report of findings.

The Special Rapporteur is appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on the housing situation of a given country. The general objectives of this visit will be:
  • to examine and report on the status of the realization of housing rights in the United States, with particular attention to aspects of gender equality, non-discrimination and the protection of the poor, the vulnerable and minorities;
  • to engage in dialogues with the U.S. government, United Nations and intergovernmental agencies and civil society in their efforts to secure these rights;
  • to identify practical solutions and best practices in the realization of rights relevant to the mandate; and
  • to follow up on relevant concluding observations made by treaty bodies and other international bodies and assess their impacts on policies adopted by the U.S.
The visit will focus on social housing (public housing and Section 8), homelessness and the foreclosure crisis. Her office has selected Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, New York and a rural community as the locations of her site visits. The New Orleans visit will be a follow-up to the recent International Advisory Group on Forced Evictions fact-finding mission there.

Additionally, the Special Rapporteur will have official meetings in Washington D.C., as well as meet with national housing rights groups. NESRI and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty will be coordinating the visit. NESRI will facilitate planning of the site visits and NLCHP will facilitate the meeting in Washington, D.C.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Event: Behind The Bench II

Event: Behind The Bench II
A Community Forum to address the laws and legal issues that affect communities and the world.

Note:
Live Television Taping / Workshop.

Flyer: May be downloaded from the CSH Flyer Depot here.

Time: 5:30pm to 8:pm
Day & Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Location:
Harlem Branch Library
9 West 124th Street
(Between Malcolm X Blvd. & 5th Aves.)
New York, NY
Tel: 212-369-2705

Contact:
Cornelius Ricks
Phone: 347-413-2774
Email: seericks1@gmail.com or harlemcommunity@gmail.com

Technical Director:
Hon. Patti Jacobs (harlemcommunity@gmail.com)

Distinguished guest speakers and panelist are:
  • Hon. Paul Kerson, Esq. – (Ret.) Westchester County. Criminal Court
  • Hon. Jay Stuart Dankberg, Esq. – (Ret.) NYC Housing Court
  • Asst. Attorney General Guy Mitchell, Esq. – Harlem
  • Kenneth Gilbert, Esq. – Defender Service of Harlem
  • Hon. Keith Wright, - State Assembly Member
Cornelius Ricks asks?
  1. Should we trust in judicial justice?
  2. Are lawyers a part of the status quo that exploit those who cannot afford a lawyer?
  3. Are judges free to make independent judgments or are their decisions influenced by the police, public, and district attorney office?
  4. Should judges be appointed by the governor and mayor or be elected?
  5. In landlord tenant disputes how influential is the landlord lobby?
  6. Why are Asians and Whites not arrested at the same rate as Blacks?
  7. Why do police brutality cases go unpunished?
  8. Why has legal community refused to support Attorney Alton Maddox gain his license back to practice law in New York?
Also check out:
Conversation with Harold Channer and Cornelius Ricks

Thank You Village of Harlem for making the Housing In Harlem Event a Success!

Thank You Village of Harlem!

Coalition to Save Harlem would like to thank the Village of Harlem community for making the first Housing In Harlem Event held this past Saturday, October 10, 2009 a success.

CSH

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Event: Housing In Harlem "Speak Out": Housing is a Human Right!

Event: Housing In Harlem "Speak Out": Housing is a Human Right!

Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Day: Saturday, October 10, 2009

Cost: Free

Note: Flyer can be downloaded from the CSH Flyer Depot here.

Food: Continental Breakfast & Lunch

Registration:

  • Online here or click on the Registration Button in the right panel.
  • By Telephone: 646-355-8813 [Leave Name (Spell), Contact Telephone Number & Email Address (If you have one)]
Location:
Countee Cullen Community Center
242 West 144th Street
New York, NY 10030
212-234-4500

Description:
The Coalition to Save Harlem is hosting an event in the Village of Harlem titled - Housing in Harlem "Speak Out": Housing is a Human Right!

The event program will be interactive and provide an open Community Forum for Harlem Residents to obtain information, have discussions, network and ask questions about Governmental Policies that affect Housing in the Village of Harlem.

There will also be Community Discussion about preparation for the United Nations Housing Rapporteur's visit to the Village of Harlem later this year.

Program Goals

  1. To provide an open Community Forum for Harlem Residents to obtain information, discuss, ask questions and hear solutions about Governmental Policies that affect Housing in the Village of Harlem.
  2. To build a broad based housing movement that increases and improves participatory democracy on all levels of Housing issues.
  3. To mobilize a core group of Harlem Residents to collaborate and write testimony that will be submitted during the hearings on housing that will be held by the United Nations Housing Rapporteur later in the year.
  4. To alert Harlem Residents to recent and pending legislation that will affect housing in the Village of Harlem.
  5. To be a catalyst for Harlem Residents to get involved in preserving their Village.

Transportation:

  • BUS:
    M2, M10, M15
    (On M15 disembark at either Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. or Frederick Douglass Blvd. and walk 1 block south to 144th St.)
  • TRAIN:
    IRT #3
    to 145th St. & Malcolm X Blvd (Walk 1 block West and 1 block south to 144th St.)
    IND A,B,C,D to 145th St & St. Nicholas Ave. (Walk 3 blocks East and 1 block south to 144th St.)
    IRT #1 to 145th St & Broadway (Walk 6 blocks East and 1 block south to 144th St.)
Contact:
Email: HousingInHarlem@gmail.com
Telephone: 646-355-8813

Event Twitter: @HousingInHarlem [Hashtag #HIH09]

Host:
Coalition to Save Harlem [CSH]
Lincolnton Station P.O. box 737 New York, NY 10037
Telephone: 646-355-8813 Fax: 718-670-3230
Email: Contact.Coalition2SaveHarlem@gmail.com
Twitter: @HarlemCoalition
Blog Site: CoalitionToSaveHarlem.blogspot.com

Monday, September 14, 2009

Event: 6th Annual Harlem Business Economic Summit - "Strengthing Harlem's Small Businesses"

Event: 6th Annual Harlem Business Economic Summit - "Strengthing Harlem's Small Businesses"


Time: 8:30 - 1:45 PM
Day & Date: Monday, September 28, 2009

Cost: FREE

Note: Please remember
  • Your business cards for the fast track networking session and
  • Writing pad for the workshops
Location:
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building
163 W. 125th Street
Harlem, NY


Register:
Please call HBA's Summit Registration line at 347.346.3903 to register.
We apologize as the web registration page is not available at this time. Sorry for the inconvenience.


Background / Theme:
"Strengthening Harlem's Small Business Community" is the theme of HBA's 6th Annual Small Business Economic Summit.

During these tough economic times, all businesses are struggling whether it is identifying sources of capital, trying to increase revenues to keep the doors open, maintaining and/or affording a location in Harlem or seeking the next contracting opportunity to increase the bottom line, you are not alone. Come and connect with hundreds of small business owners, elected officials, industry professionals, and exhibitors. Admission is FREE and please remember your business cards for the fast track networking session and a writing pad for the workshops.

Program:

  • Registration: 8:30 am
  • Vendor Expo & Continental Breakfast: 9:00am - 10:00 am
  • Workshops: 10:00 am - 12:30 pm Networking: 12:45 pm - 1:45 pm

Sponsors

Event: The Last Call - Citywide Candidates’ Night

Event: The Last Call - Citywide Candidates’ Night

Time: 6 pm to 9pm
Day & Date: Monday, September 14th (PRIMARY EVE)

Location:
St. Mark The Evangelist Church
65 West 138th Street
(Between Fifth and Lenox Avenues)
In the Village of Harlem

Candidates (Confirmations to date):
NYC Council District 9: Landon Dais, Carlton Berkeley
NYC Council District 8: Gwen Goodwin, Calvin Solomon
NYC Council District 7: Manuel Lantigua, Julius Tadjidin
Public Advocate: Norman Siegel; Bill DeBlasio, Mark Green, Eric Gioia
Mayoral Race: Tony Avella

Contact:
For additional information call: 212-690-3903

Background:
Hear from the candidates before casting your vote. Harlem’s future depends on your choice: Candidates for New York City Council in Districts 7, 8 & 9, Public Advocate, and the Mayoral race. All citywide and Upper Manhattan primary candidates have been invited.

Make the smart move to come out to this citywide candidates’ night. This will be the last chance for candidates to state their platform and ideas the night before the Democratic Primary Elections! This is the final stretch! Don’t let anyone take your vote for granted!!

Sponsors:
Harlem Committee for Ethical Government
East Harlem Preservation, Inc. (http://eastharlempreservation.org/)

Friday, September 4, 2009

ALERT: Missing Girl - Tiara Cook | 12 y/o

PLEASE HELP

Missing Teenager


Name: Tiara Cook
Age: 12yrs old
Ht: 5’3 Lbs: 100
Last Seen: Harlem/Morningside Area
Details: She was last seen wearing blue denim jeans, a red & white striped shirt, white sneakers & small black micro Braids in hair
If anyone has information,
Please contact:
347-570-2453/ 212-234-5962

Flyer for Distribution and Posting HERE

Friday, August 28, 2009

Event: Founding Convention - The Coalition for Public Education


The Battle Over Public Education
&
School Governance Isn't Over!
Network with like minded individuals
Become Informed and Involved in the Process of School Governance
Take a Stand for Democracy

Event: Founding Convention

Time:
12 Noon - 5 P.M.
Day & Date: Saturday, august 29, 2009

Download: Flyer (English) (Spanish)

Location:
DC 37 Headquarters
125 Barclay Street & West Side Highway
New York City

Food:
Light Supper and Refreshments

Program:
  • Education Experts
  • Key Not Speakers
  • Break Out Sessions
Audience:
  • General & Special Education Paraents
  • Teachers
  • Administrators
  • Custodians
  • Bus Drivers
  • Crossing Guards
  • Bus Matrons
  • Cafeteria Workers
  • Guidance Counselors
  • School Psychologists
  • Social Workers
  • Paraprofessionals
  • Parent Coordinators
  • Secretaries
  • School Aides
  • Students
Contact

Monday, June 29, 2009

Report Card on Manhattan Community Board 10

The Coalition to Save Harlem[CSH] has been in the process of grading Manhattan Community Board 10. Manhattan Community Board 10 is the Community Board that is responsible for Central Harlem.

The Board Members of the Community Board are selected and appointed by Politicians (Manhattan Borough President and City Council Members) they are not elected by the Community.

New York City Community Boards influence decisions such as the type of housing that will be built in a community (luxury versus income targeted), what buildings will be landmarked, Community Needs etc.

The CSH grading of Manhattan Community Board 10 will be ongoing.

The Manhattan Community Board 10 Report Cards can be found:
  • On the CB10 Grades page located here, or
  • By clicking on the link in the right hand column named "Manhattan Community Board 10". The link is isted under the title "Grades"
Also one can click on the following date links to go directly to specific Report Cards.
  • Manhattan Community Board 10 Chairman Grades
    W. Franc Perry III, Chairman [2008 - 2010] Executive Board
  • Manhattan Community Board 10 Committee Grades
    Chairpersons Board Committees
  • Manhattan Community Board 10 Overall Group Grades
    Board Members
  • Manhattan Community Board 10 Staff Grades
    Geneva Bain, District Manager Board Staff

Thank you Community


Coalition to Save Harlem and Harlem Youth Gathering would like to thank the Village of Harlem community for making the first Harlem Youth Gathering held this past Saturday, June 27, 2009 a success.

CSH | HYG

Monday, June 22, 2009

Event: It's All About You - Summer 2009 - Harlem Youth Gathering

Event: It's All About You - Summer 2009 - Harlem Youth Gathering

Time: 11 AM to 3 PM
Day: Saturday, June 27, 2009

Flyer can be downloaded from the CSH Flyer Depot here.

Location:
Harriet Tubman School (PS 154)
250 W 127th Street
New York, NY 10027

Description:
The "Event: It's All About You - Summer 2009 - Harlem Youth Gathering" is a Youth Centered informational and educational event for Harlem Youth. The day's events will focus on providing Resources, a Job Fair and providing information about their Rights (when stopped by the police, information of school record, etc.).

Because a major goal of the event is to make it as youth centered as possible, there will be opportunities for youth who are positively impacting the Harlem community to share their experiences and organization's literature with those youth who are searching for ways to also perform positive actions in the community that lead to a better education, a sense of social responsibility and the development of effective leadership skills.

There will be sessions where the Youth will be able to do "hands on" conflict resolution, learn about alternatives to incarceration, and "green" jobs.

There will be information available on the Building Trades, Registering to Vote, Housing Rights and Legal Services.

Contact:
Email: HarlemYouthGathering@gmail.com
Telephone: 718-512-8690

Sponsor:
Coalition to Save Harlem [CSH]
Lincolnton Station | P.O. box 737 | New York, NY 10037
Telephone: 718-512-8690 | Fax: 718-670-3230

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

REMINDER: Town Hall Meeting | Restoring the Harlem Victoria Theater

EVENT: Town Hall Meeting | Restoring the Harlem Victoria Theater

NOTE: Akinlabi Mackall, Member of the Coalition to Save Harlem will be a Panel Speaker.

TIME:
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
DAY & DATE: Wednesday | June 17, 2009

LOCATION:

Oberia Dempsey Center
127 West 127th Street
New York, New York 10027

Download UPDATED flyer from the CSH Flyer Depot here.

TRANSPORTATION:
  • Train - 2 or 3 trains. Exit the 2 and 3 trains at 125th and Malcolm X Blvd (old Lenox Avenue) walk uptown to 127th Street, make a left on 127th Street and walk towards Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd ( old 7th Avenue).
  • Bus - cross-town buses on 125th Street.Disembark at Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd or Malcolm X Blvd.
CONTACT: For More Information
Email haarlemvictoria125@yahoo.com

BACKGROUND:
The purpose of this very important and most needed gathering is to inform the community through a panel discussion about preserving the Victoria Theater for the benefit of the Harlem Community. HVRG has commitment letters for funds to develop the project. This will be the first time the Harlem Community has had a chance to be a part of a project of this magnitude ($100 Million).

The agenda will provide information on the Stimulus Package, economic development, tourism, education, culture, jobs (approximately 500 living wage positions) and training.

SPONSOR:

Harlem Victoria Restoration Group [HVRG]
http://haarlemvictoria.com

Thursday, May 21, 2009

EVENT: No To Mayoral Control Coalition Meeting

EVENT: No To Mayoral Control Coalition Meeting

TIME:
6:00 PM
DAY & DATE: Wednesday, May 27, 2009


FOOD:
Refreshments will be served.

LOCATION:
District Council 37 – Private Dining Room
125 Barclay Street
New York, NY 10007

RSVP: Khalia Kweli

CONTACT:
Khalia S. Kweli
Political & Legislative Aide
Political Action & Legislation Dept.
District Council 37
125 Barclay Street
New York, N.Y. 10007
(212) 815-1550 phone
(212) 815-1553 fax
KKweli@DC37.net

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

EVENT: Town Hall Meeting

EVENT: Town Hall Meeting | Restoring the Harlem Victoria Theater

TIME: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
DAY & DATE: Wednesday | June 17, 2009

LOCATION:

Oberia Dempsey Center
127 West 127th Street
New York, New York 10027

Download flyer from the CSH Flyer Depot here.

TRANSPORTATION:
  • Train - 2 or 3 trains. Exit the 2 and 3 trains at 125th and Malcolm X Blvd (old Lenox Avenue) walk uptown to 127th Street, make a left on 127th Street and walk towards Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd ( old 7th Avenue).
  • Bus - cross-town buses on 125th Street.Disembark at Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd or Malcolm X Blvd.
CONTACT: For More Information
Email haarlemvictoria125@yahoo.com

BACKGROUND:
The purpose of this very important and most needed gathering is to inform the community through a panel discussion about preserving the Victoria Theater for the benefit of the Harlem Community. HVRG has commitment letters for funds to develop the project. This will be the first time the Harlem Community has had a chance to be a part of a project of this magnitude ($100 Million).

The agenda will provide information on the Stimulus Package, economic development, tourism, education, culture, jobs (approximately 500 living wage positions) and training.

SPONSOR:

Harlem Victoria Restoration Group [HVRG]
http://haarlemvictoria.com

Image: From Harlem Victoria Restoration Group Web Site.

Business Plan Competition

EVENT: Business Plan Competition

NOTE:
Information Session
Thursday, May 21, 2009 | 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM (Please call and check on date and time. It may be this Wednesday, May 20, 2009)

AWARDS:
  • 1st Prize - $5000
  • 2nd Prize - $2500
  • 3rd Prize - $1000
Download: Flyer from the CSH Flyer Depot here.

KEY DATES:
Deadline --> Monday, July 20, 2009 | 6:00 PM
Finalists Selected --> Wednesday, July 29, 2009 | 8:00 PM
Finalists Presentations --> Tuesday, August 4, 2009 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Awards --> Monday, August 5, 2009 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
  • You must be 19 years or older
  • A legal resident or US Citizen
  • An Upper Manhattan resident living above 110th Street who is interested in opening a for-profit start-up business in Harlem, or
  • An owner of an existing for profit business located in Upper Manhattan, north of 110th Street with revenues under $500,000.
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS:
  1. Access to alternative funding sources and potential equity investors.
  2. The grand prize winner will receive feedback from an experienced alumni or faculty practitioner with Columbia Business School's Entrepreneurship Center.
LOCATION:
Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone [UMEZ]
290 Malcolm X Blvd. | 2nd Floor Conference Room
(124th & 125th Street)
New York, NY 10027

CONTACT: For More Information
Telephone 347-346-3903
Email info@hbany.org

BACKGROUND:
The Harlem Business Alliance (HBA) Business Plan Competition seeks to cultivate business concepts that will lead to the development of new enterprises and expansion of existing businesses within Upper Manhattan (north of 110th Street).

SPONSOR:
Harlem Business Alliance
http://hbany.org

Thursday, May 7, 2009

EVENT: No To Mayoral Control Coalition Meeting

EVENT: No To Mayoral Control Coalition Meeting
TIME: 6:00 PM
DAY & DATE: Thursday, May 7, 2009



FOOD:
Refreshments will be served.

LOCATION:
District Council 37 – Private Dining Room
125 Barclay Street
New York, NY 10007

RSVP:
Please reply or call Khalia Kweli @ (212) 815-1550 to R.S.V.P.

CONTACT:
Khalia S. Kweli
Political & Legislative Aide
Political Action & Legislation Dept.
District Council 37
125 Barclay Street
New York, N.Y. 10007
(212) 815-1550 phone
(212) 815-1553 fax
KKweli@DC37.net

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

EVENT: [Tonight] May 2009 Manhattan Community Board 10 General Monthly Meeting

EVENT: [Tonight] May 2009 Manhattan Community Board 10 General Monthly Meeting

RESPONSIBLE FOR: Central Harlem

TIME: 6:00 PM
DAY & DATE: Wednesday, May 6, 2009

NOTE:
  • Bring Picture ID to enter building.
  • You must sign the "Speakers List" to make an Announcement.
LOCATION:
Adam Clayton Powell Jr.
State Office Building | 2nd Floor (Gallery)
163 West 125th Street
New York, NY 10027

INFORMATION:
General Monthly Meeting of Manhattan Community Board 10 (Central Harlem) occurs the first Wednesday of every month from September to June).

Sometimes there are meetings during the months of July and August.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Economic Recovery Conference for Non-Profit Organizations | 15th Congressional District

Event: Economic Recovery Conference for Non-Profit Organizations 15th Congressional District

Time: 9 AM - 12 PM
Day & Date: Monday, April 27, 2009
Sponsor:
Congressman Charles B. Rangel
15th Congressional District

Requirments:
  • Organization be located in the 15th Congressional District, or
  • Organization serve constituents in the 15th Congressional District
Location:
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr
State Office Building
163 West 125th Street
New York, NY 10027

Congressional letter regarding the event is located in the CSH Flyer Depot here.

Note:
Opening Plenary Session - Art Gallery 2nd Floor
Workshops - 8 th Floor (Following Plenary Session)

Registration:
RSVP by Friday April 24, 2009 through the web form located at

Workshops may include, but are not limited to:
  • Housing
  • Tax
  • Energy
  • Criminal Justice
  • Veterans
  • Health
  • Education
  • Economic Development
  • Jobs
  • Green Initiatives

Thursday, April 9, 2009

RESCHEDULED: Town Hall Forum on the Federal Stimulus Package

RESCHEDULED: Town Hall Forum on the Federal Stimulus Package

Time:
9:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Day & Date: Friday, April 17th, 2009

Note: Flyer is located in the CSH Flyer Depot here. [Date is Incorrect]

Location:
Harlem Hospital Center
506 Malcolm X Blvd
New York, New York

Sponsors:
Senator Bill Perkins, 30th District
Senator Eric Schneiderman, 31st District
Senator Jose Serrano, 28th District

Contact (For Information):
To be placed on our list to receive mo9re information on this event please fill out the attached form. You may also call Senator Bill Perkins office at 212-222-7315

Background:

Findout:
  • How your community may benefit from the Stimulus Package
  • What projects are eligible for funding
  • What you need to know to obtain that funding

Friday, April 3, 2009

Event: Health Care For All Rally | April 4, 2009 | Harlem | State Office Building

Event: Health Care For All Rally | Harlem | State Office Building



Time:
2 - 4 PM
Day & Date: Saturday, April 4, 2009

Location:
Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building
163 W 125th Street | PLAZA
(125th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard)
New York, NY 10027

Guest Speaker(s): include Congressman Rangel

Background:
Join us on the 41st Anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. for a rally in support of the efforts to achieve our right to comprehensive health care reform by President Obama and his allies in Congress!

Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane. - MLK, Jr.

Organizers:
New Yorkers for Change

Co-Hosts:
  • NYCforChange
  • Brooklyn for Barack
  • Democracy for New York City (DFNYC)
  • Grassroots Action Network
  • Healthcare Equality Project
  • Health Care for All New York
  • Institute for Puerto Rican and Hispanic Elderly
  • Manhattan College Democrats
  • Metro New York Health Care for All Campaign
  • Park River Independent Democrats
  • Raising Women's Voices for the Health Care We Need, Rekindling Reform
  • SEIU 1199 United Healthcare Workers East
  • Upper West Siders for Change
  • Westchester Health Care Reform Task Force
  • Honorable Deborah Cooper
  • Virginia Davies.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Political Announcement & Event: Monique Washington (Ndigo) Announces Candidacy for City Council District 7

Political Announcement & Event: Monique Washington (Ndigo) Announces Candidacy for City Council District 7

Time:
10 AM
Day & Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Note: Press Release can be downloaded from the CSH Flyer Depot here.

Location:
In Front of the Statue of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.

Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building
163 West 125th Street
New York, New York 10039

Contact:
People for Monique "Ndigo" Washington
P.O. Box 1580
New York, NY 10027
Phone 212-561-6791
Email peopleformwashington@hotmail.com

Background:
Mother and Community Organizer announces Candidacy for City Council tomorrow morning at 10am in front of the statue of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. at the State Office Bldg.

Event: Your Rights and Responsibilities when interacting wiith the police (Stop, Question, & Frisk procedures)

Event: Your Rights and Responsibilities when interacting wiith the police (Stop, Question, & Frisk procedures)

Time: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Day & Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Food: Refreshments served

Location:
PSA6
2770 8th Ave @ 148th St

Contact: For more information contact PSA 6 Community Affairs
Officer John Ramos
Tele: 212-694-7723
Email: john.ramos@nypd.org

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Event: Emergency Meeting - Response to Al Sharpton's National Action Network's (NAN)annual gathering for 6PM Monday, March 30, 2009 @ DC37!!

Event: Emergency Meeting - Response to Al Sharpton's National Action Network's (NAN)annual gathering

Purpose: To plan an "informational rally" for either Thursday or Friday at the Sheraton Hotel (actually across the street).

Time: 6 PM
Day & Date: Monday, March 30, 2009

Location:
DC37 (125 Barclay & West Side Hi-way)

Sponsors:
  • DC37
  • BNYEE
  • NY Coalition for Neighborhood School Control
Background:
The Sponsors of this emergency meeting position: We can't let the Sharptons of the world run their hustles unchecked-- especially when it's about our children's future. The Learn NY and Education Equality Project have gone unchallenged for such a long time that they feel confident that they can win over the majority of NY's citizens with there multimillion dollar smoke and mirrors hype machine.

National Action Network’s Annual Convention | April 1 - 4, 2009

Event: National Action Network’s Annual Convention

Fee: Free and open to the public; please register

Location:
Sheraton Hotel & Towers (811 7th Ave., NY, NY)

Time & Day & Date:
Thursday, April 2, 2009 (Entire Conference April 1-4th)
  • 10:00 -11:00 am: Plenary Session: Arne Duncan, United States Secretary of Education
  • 6:00 - 7:30 pm: American Conversation: Reverend Al Sharpton and Newt Gingrich
Friday, April 3rd: Education Equality Project Day
  • 10-11:30 am: "How to ensure a high-quality education for your child"
    Featuring:
    Joe Williams, Democrats For Ed Reform
    Ginny Ford, Executive Director of D.C. Parents for School Choice [PRO CHARTER]
    Kyesha Bennett, Harlem Parents United [PRO CHARTER]
    Bill Jackson, GreatSchools.net
  • 11:30 am - 2:30 pm: Luncheon - A Conversation on Education
    Featuring:
    Reverend Al Sharpton – President/Founder, National Action Network
    Joel Klein – Chancellor of New York City Public Schools
    James Mtume – Radio Personality
    Margaret Spellings - Former United States Secretary of Education
    Adrian Fenty – Mayor, Washington, DC
    Mike Bloomberg – Mayor, New York City
    Antonio Villaraigoso – Mayor, Los Angeles
    Kevin Johnson – Mayor, Sacramento
    Claudio Sanchez –National Public Radio
  • 4:00-5:30 pm: Panel: "Schools that work"
    Featuring:
    Kevin Chavous, Former Chair of the Washington D.C. Council Education Committee
    David Whitman, Author of Sweating the Small Stuff
    Jarvis Sanford, Principal of Dodge Renaissance School
    Ben Chavis, Principal of American Indian Public Charter School in Oakland
    Ryan Hill, TEAM Academy
    Steve Barr – Green Dot Schools
Co-sponsor: EEP.

Background:
Join the National Action Network in New York City on April 2nd and 3rd as leaders like U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigoso, Washington D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, and former U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings discuss how to close the achievement gap in our public schools and restore the civil rights of children to an equal education.

The event is part of the National Action Network’s annual convention. It brings together leaders from government, nonprofits, and the business world to discuss today’s pressing civil rights issues. The discussion will focus on the building blocks we can put in place today to close the achievement gap.

LINK: http://www.educationequalityproject.org/page/s/NANconvention

The Myth of the "Powerful" Teachers' Union

Bill Maher Reveals His Ignorance...Again

The Myth of the "Powerful" Teachers' Union

By DAVID MACARAY

There’s a myth circulating out there that not only threatens to ruin the reputation of America’s school teachers, but has the potential to side-track any realistic hopes of education reform. It’s the assertion that “powerful” teachers’ unions are responsible for the decline of public education in the United States in general, and California in particular.

Propagators of this myth claim that the reason test scores of American children have sunk so low in recent years is because our public school teachers are too incompetent and lazy to provide adequate instruction.

Moreover, because the teachers’ unions are so domineering and evil—because their leaders will do anything to maintain union hegemony, including not allowing demonstrably inferior teachers to be fired—school administrators are powerless to act.

You hear these charges everywhere. Arianna Huffington, the late-to-the-party liberal and celebrity blogger, has been echoing such claims for years. For Huffington to be riffing on the state of public education is, in itself, remarkable, given that she lives in Brentwood, her daughters attend prestigious private schools, and the closest she’s ever come to an inner-city school was the day she accidentally drove by one, causing her to hastily lock the doors and windows of her Prius and speed away.

On Friday, March 13, comedian and uber-liberal Bill Maher joined the attack on his HBO show. In one of his signature tirades, Maher, a California resident, railed against the “powerful” California teachers’ union, accusing it of contributing to the crisis in public education by not allowing the school district to remove incompetent teachers.

Maher came armed with statistics. He noted with dismay that the U.S. ranked 35th in the world in math, 29th in science, and that barely 50% of California’s public school pupils manage to graduate from high school. He blamed the teachers for this.

Although every teacher in the LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District), has a college degree and a teaching credential and managed to survive the scrutiny of a lengthy probationary period, Maher piously maintained that these teachers were unqualified to run a classroom.

Granted, Maher is a professional comic trolling for laughs, and not a “social scientist” dispensing wisdom, so we shouldn’t be looking to this man for enlightenment. Still, considering his liberal creds (from the environment to civil liberties to corporate mischief to drug law reform), it was demoralizing to hear someone this hip say something so stupid and simplistic.

Maher made a huge deal of the fact that, because of the union’s protective shield, less than 1% of California’s tenured/post-probationary teachers get fired. Although this ratio clearly outraged him (he appeared visibly upset by it), had he taken five minutes to research the subject, he’d have realized that this figure represents the national average—with or without unions.

In Georgia, where 92.5% of the teachers are non-union, only 0.5% of tenured/post-probationary teachers get fired. In South Carolina, where 100% of the teachers are non-union, it’s 0.32%. And in North Carolina, where 97.7% are non-union, a miniscule .03% of tenured/post-probationary teachers get fired—the exact same percentage as California.

An even more startling comparison: In California, with its “powerful” teachers’ union, school administrators fire, on average, 6.91% of its probationary teachers. In non-union North Carolina, that figure is only 1.38%. California is actually tougher on prospective candidates.

So, despite Maher’s display of civic pride and self-righteous indignation (“We need to bust this union,” he declared), he was utterly mistaken. The statistics not only don’t support his argument, they contradict it.

Fact: During the 1950s and 1960s, California’s public school system was routinely ranked among the nation’s finest. You can look it up. More significantly, the teachers in those classrooms were union members. The same teachers who were winning those awards for excellence belonged to the “powerful” teachers’ union. Let that sink in a moment: Good schools, good teachers, big union.

Which raises the question: Has anything else changed in California (and the rest of the country, for that matter) in the last 40 years to lead one to believe there might be causes other than labor unions to explain the drop in graduation rates? Have there been any significant changes in, say, cultural attitudes or demographics?

For openers, how about the disintegration of the American family and the decline in parental supervision/involvement? Being a good student requires discipline, application and, perhaps, a certain level of respect for authority. Have we witnessed any “breakdowns” in these areas over the last 40 years?

Or how about the rise in urban poverty? Or the hollowing-out of the middle-class (the average worker hasn’t received a pay increase, in real dollars, since 1973)? Or the assimilation of non-English-speaking immigrants? Or the decrease in per capita funding on California public education? Or the chaos created by school boards arbitrarily mandating wholesale changes in “educational ideology” every two years (LAUSD has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on consultants)?

Ask any teacher, child psychologist, sociologist, or real estate agent, and they’ll tell you the same thing: As a general rule, good schools are found in good neighborhoods, and bad schools are found in bad neighborhoods. Simple as that.

Moreover, people know this “formula” to be true. Not only is the promise of good schools one reason why people with kids buy homes in good neighborhoods, it’s not uncommon for parents in California to lie about their home addresses in order to get their children assigned to better schools.

An experiment: Try moving those “good” teachers from decent school districts—where the kids show up each day, on time, prepared, bright-eyed and attentive, having completed their homework, having eaten a nutritious breakfast, etc.—to one of those South Central LA shit-holes, where crime is rampant, neighborhoods are ravaged, families are in crisis, and 40% of the students live in foster care.

See if these “good” teachers, by virtue of their innate “classroom abilities,” are able to improve the test scores of these stunted, overmatched and underprivileged kids. See if these “good” teachers can do what a generation of parents themselves, and society itself, can’t seem to do; see if the graduation rates in these depressed communities rise significantly.

And, as part of that same experiment, move the “incompetent” teachers to these healthy, self-sustaining districts and see if the students in these schools don’t continue to score significantly higher, even with the “bad” teachers now running the show.

Fact: Oregon has a good public school system. So do South Dakota, Vermont, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Maine and Washington, among others. Is that because the folks living in these states are exceptionally bright? Is it because their teachers are extraordinarily talented?
Or is it because these school districts are stable, relatively homogeneous, and don’t face a fraction of the challenges facing California?

For the record, the teachers in these aforementioned good schools are overwhelmingly unionized. Oregon and Washington teachers are 100% unionized; Wisconsin is 98%; Connecticut is 98%; etc.

Also, comparing the scores of American students in foreign countries is a bit misleading. The United States was not only the first nation in the world to offer free public education, it was the first to make it compulsory.

In the U.S., by law, you must attend school until at least age 16 (some states have even higher age requirements). That means our national average is going to incorporate test scores of every kid from every background in every neighborhood in the country.

In India (where I once lived and worked), great emphasis is placed on education; accordingly, India has a decent school system, one that scores well. But school attendance is not mandatory. Indeed, India has 400 million people who are illiterate. One wonders what their national test scores would be if those many millions who can’t read or write were factored in.

Fact: Teachers can be fired. Who honestly believes a teachers’ union—whether in California, Oregon or Connecticut—has the authority to insist that management keep unqualified teachers? Since when does a labor union dictate to management? Since when does the hired help tell the bosses what to do? The accusation is absurd on its face.

Fact: During the first two years of employment, any teacher in the LAUSD can be fired for any reason, with no recourse to union representation and no access to the grievance procedure. Two full years. If the district doesn’t like you for any reason, they fire you. No union. No grievance. Nothing. Could any arrangement be more favorable to management?

Yet, the myth persists, the myth of the Unqualified Teacher. Instead of identifying the real problems facing California’s schools (daunting as they may be), and trying to solve them, people stubbornly insist that thousands of our teachers—every one of them college-educated, credentialed, and having survived two years of scrutiny—need to be fired.

Let’s be clear; no one is suggesting that all teachers are “excellent.” Obviously, you’re going to find marginal workers in any profession. But, realistically, how many “bad” teachers could there be?

Surely, America’s colleges, universities, and credentialing system can’t be so hideously flawed that we no longer trust their output—that our teachers aren’t worth a damn. Moreover, if it’s the unions who are protecting them, why does South Carolina—where 100% of the teachers are non-union—fire only one-third of one-percent of them?

Fact: The fault for unqualified teachers remaining on the payroll lies entirely with the school administrators. These overpaid, $120,000 a year, gutless bureaucrats want us to believe that we live in a world turned upside down. A world where, fantastically, the bosses answer to the employees.

Arguably, the problems facing America’s public schools are staggering. But because politicians are essentially spineless—fearful of doing or saying anything that would risk antagonizing their “base”—they refuse to address the real issues. Instead, they play little mind-games with the voters. It’s not a pretty picture, but it’s where we stand.

And if television personalities like Arianna Huffington and Bill Maher honestly believe all this anti-union propaganda being circulated, they’re more gullible than we thought.

David Macaray, a Los Angeles playwright (“Borneo Bob,” “Larva Boy”) and writer, was a former labor union rep. He can be reached at dmacaray@earthlink.net

Published: CounterPounch.org | Weekend Edition | March 20-22, 2009
LINK:
http://www.counterpunch.org/macaray03202009.html

Event: Defend Public Education: Counter the Education Deformers

Event: Defend Public Education: Counter the Education Deformers

Time: 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Day & Date: Saturday, March 28, 2009

Purpose: Conference/Strategy Session on fighting testing/school closings/ATR

Location:
John Jay College
North Hall Building | Room 1311
445 W 59th St.

Conact:
Norm Scott - normsco@gmail.com, norscot@aol.com, 917-992-3734
Angel Gonzalez - asc-ice@gmail.com, 718-601-4901
Sam Coleman - sam_p_coleman@yahoo.com
Transportation: Train - A,C,D,B, 1 to 59th St.

Background:
Will charter schools and small elite schools drain away the highest performing students, leaving the public schools and the teachers in them to be branded as failures because they are working with the students who need the most help but are denied the resources to do an effective job? Have we seen the end of the zoned neighborhood schools in poor urban school systems? As school after school is closed, often for nefarious reasons, will we end up with a corps of teachers forced to move from school to school teaching in subject areas for which they were not trained in what is fast becoming a dead end career? And a corps of children and parents shut out of their own neighborhood schools?

We see this conference as a first step in building a coalition of teachers, parents and students to plan campaigns to take back public education from the privateers.

Angel Gonzalez, Sam Coleman and Norm Scott, three of the organizers of the "Stop the School Closings/Defend Public Education" Conference at John Jay College on March 28 appeared on WBAI radio Thurs. Mar 26. at around 7:40. Education At The Crossroads WBAI - 99.50 fm with Basir Mchawi http://archive.wbai.org/files/mp3/090326_190001eatcrossr.MP3

See the video ad produced by Education Notes for the March 28 conference to save public schools at John Jay College in NYC, is a prime example of the manipulation of the community by charter school advocates. Harlem Success, led by Eva Moskowitz has pushed its way into public school spaces with the support of the NYC Department of Education. The push by Bloomberg and Klein to support charter schools is a prime example of their failure to solve the problems that exist in public schools. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEp7rg_L5JI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEp7rg_L5JI

Sponsors:
  • The Independent Community of Educators and
  • The New York Coalition of Radical Educators

Endorsers:
  • ATRs-School Closings Committee of ICE/UFT
  • Justice Not Just Tests (JNJT),
  • Federacion de Maestros de Puerto Rico – Support Committee of NY
  • Teachers for a Just Contract - TJC/UFT
  • Teacher Advocacy Group NYC – TAGNYC
  • Teachers Unite
  • People Power Coalition
  • Center for Immigrant Families
Information Source: Press Release - Education Notes Online

Friday, March 27, 2009

Suit Challenges City Plan to Replace Three Schools


March 25, 2009
Suit Challenges City Plan to Replace Three Schools
By Javier C. Hernandez

The United Federation of Teachers and the New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Tuesday charging that the city’s Department of Education violated state law by moving to replace traditional public schools with charter schools without proper consultation of neighborhood school boards.

The suit, filed in State Supreme Court on behalf of the teachers’ union and parents with children at Manhattan and Brooklyn schools, argues that the city needed approval from local school boards before it decided to close neighborhood schools and hand their buildings over to charters. Those schools are publicly financed but managed independently, and generally admit students via lottery.

The three schools mentioned in the suit — Public School 194 and Public School 241 in Harlem and Public School 150 in Ocean Hill-Brownsville — were marked for closing late last year because of poor academic performance and lack of popularity with local residents. Education officials offered the families of children attending those schools priority in admission to the charter schools as well as to schools in nearby zones.

The suit said those changes amounted to a redrawing of neighborhood lines and should have been approved by the local board, known as the Community Education Council.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Education declined to comment on the lawsuit or to discuss the broader issue of charters and zoning.

The lawsuit accuses the department of “utilizing its powers over school creation to alter attendance zones unilaterally without the consent or involvement of the people the community school serves,” and adds that it “continues to act by fiat.”

Randi Weingarten, president of the teachers’ union, said in a written statement, “Parents should have a voice when it comes to their children’s education, and by eliminating community schools without public hearings, the D.O.E. is taking away that voice.”

Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in an interview that the failure to seek approval showed that city officials do “not respect the law and the constraints that have been put on their authority.”

“What has been done here is the elimination of attendance zones basically without any consultation or approval,” she said.

The three schools would be the first in the city to be wholly replaced by charter schools. (Up to now, when new charters are opened in existing school buildings, they have occupied a floor or two alongside their traditional counterparts.)

The transition raises tricky legal questions, since charter schools are generally not permitted to discriminate in admissions, though Chicago and Washington have experimented with favoring neighborhood children in admissions. Already, the Harlem Success Academy, which is scheduled to move into the P.S. 241 building, has revised its charter to give priority to students from failing schools in the area.

The lawsuit comes amid the broader debate over whether the State Legislature should renew the 2002 law giving New York’s mayor control of its schools, which expires in June. Since the mayoral takeover, the local school boards have declined in influence, with zoning among their few remaining powers.

“This is our last shred of authority,” noted Jennifer Freeman, a member of the education council that represents much of Harlem, and a plaintiff in the suit.

Ms. Freeman said she did not oppose charter schools but would have liked to have had a constructive exchange with education officials before a final decision was made.

“I would love to have a public process where the community could understand better what we hope to get from charter schools — why this one was chosen over others,” she said. “I would like to be able to air these issues in the open.”

She also faulted the city for failing to consult local school boards before deciding to close schools, and she said the city did not give the community notice about a public hearing on the charter school plan.

Betsy Gotbaum, the city’s public advocate, is also a plaintiff in the suit.

The lawsuit could throw a wrench into what seemed to be an attractive strategy to encourage the growth of charter schools, an educational model that has earned steady praise from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and his schools chancellor, Joel I. Klein.

An important obstacle to fledgling charter programs is acquiring space. Traditional public schools generally do not have to worry about money for facilities, which comes from the district, but charter schools only get money for operations. That means charter operators often struggle to find buildings they can afford, especially in pricey urban markets like New York City, and have to raise funds aggressively to pay for space.

“Finding suitable space for an expanding charter school is one of the greatest challenges we’ve got,” said Nelson Smith, president and chief executive of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. “It’s a major constraint on our growth.”

Mr. Smith said that 15 states allow charter schools to receive public funds for facilities. Many charter schools across the country face resistance from public school districts that have watched the rise of charter schools with caution, worried that they might draw away dollars and talented students from other local schools.

LINK: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/
education/25charter.html?scp=1&sq=Suit%
20Challenges%20City%20Plan%20to%20
Replace%20Three%20Schools&st=cse