January 26, 2020 Your Neighborhood — Your News®
LOCAL
CL ASSIFIEDS
PAGE 11
Officials demand Carranza schedule
safety meeting for District 26 parents
BY JENNA BAGCAL
In the wake of a controversial
education town hall in northeast Queens,
local officials are demanding that
parents get the answers they deserve
concerning school safety.
Less than a week after Schools Chancellor
Richard Carranza abruptly ended
the Department of Education Town Hall
in District 26, the officials authored a letter
requesting that he hold another public
meeting dedicated to the topic of school
safety. Community Education Council 26
recently criticized the chancellor’s town
hall appearance, saying that he failed to
address school safety including the sexual
harassment and violence at M.S. 158
in Bayside.
In the letter, Congresswoman Grace
Meng, Senator John Liu, Assembly members
Edward Braunstein and Nily Rozic
and Councilmen Barry Grodenchik, Edward
Braunstein, Peter Koo and Paul
Vallone said it was “inconceivable” that
Carranza failed to address parents’ serious
concerns. The group demanded that
the chancellor scheduled an evening
public meeting as soon as possible and
referenced a prior letter they sent demanding
answers about DOE protocols
in handling sexual assault in schools.
“Our students, parents and teachers
deserve answers from the Department
of Education when it comes to school
safety,” said Liu, chair of the NYS Senate
Committee on NYC Education. “It
was simply shocking that Chancellor
Carranza could hold a town hall meeting
without ever addressing serious
questions and concerns about reported
incidents of assault and sexual harassment.
Chancellor Carranza must return
to District 26 in short order and have a
constructive dialogue with our community
about these critical matters. It will
be difficult for him to restore any trust
without doing so.”
Following the Jan. 16 town hall, CBS
reported that Carranza called the meeting
Chancellor Richard Carranza at the Jan. 16 town hall in Bayside. Photo:Jenna Bagcal/QNS
“unproductive” and said that parents
were “grandstanding.”
“I would never get up and abruptly
walk out of a meeting like Chancellor
Carranza did,” said Meng. “Parents were
not grandstanding. They were justifiably
angry because they don’t believe their
kids are safe in school. By leaving, the
chancellor failed to adequately address
their concerns. Chancellor Carranza
must immediately schedule another
meeting in District 26.”
M.S. 158 issued a reactive response to
the town hall and troubling incidents on
its campus by sending out a letter to parents
about the procedures and available
resources “should your child experience
any kind of troubling incident or crime at
school.” They indicated that parents could
report these incidents to faculty and staff,
use online complaint forms or email the
Office of Safety and Youth Development.
“Families deserve peace of mind in
knowing that their children’s education
and well-being are of the utmost priority
and that no effort is spared to ensure
their safety in the classroom,” said Rozic.
“The situation unfolding at M.S. 158
Marie Curie sends an alarming message
of instability and the lack of direct
communication from the DOE with parents
is unacceptable. Chancellor Carranza
failed to take the opportunity at
last week’s town hall to provide clarity
and we urge him to return immediately
to address parents and students who
deserve answers.”
District 26 comprises 33 public, middle
and high schools in Bayside, Little Neck,
Douglaston, Flushing, Floral Park, Bellerose,
Glen Oaks and Queens Village.
“Parents are our most important
partners, and in addition to the Chancellor’s
town hall last week, the Superintendent
is in regular contact with schools,
students, and families. We’re exploring
options for additional meetings, and
the incidents at Marie Curie are under
investigation,” said DOE Spokesperson
Miranda Barbot.
Reach reporter Jenna Bagcal by e-mail
at jbagcal@qns.com or by phone at (718)
260-2583.
Vol. 98 No. 4
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