FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com OCTOBER 31, 2013 • THE COURIER SUN 29 high school news LIC HS students: Don’t ‘take away my school’ BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO aaltamirano@queenscourier.com These bulldogs are not ready to go down without a fi ght. School offi cials, students, community members and local elected offi cials gathered in the auditorium of Long Island City High School, home of the Bulldogs and referred to as “LIC,” on October 23 during a public hearing to voice their opposition to the Department of Education’s (DOE) proposal to colocate a new school within the building. The DOE’s Panel for Education Policy is expected to vote on the proposal that would open a new Career and Technical (CTE) high school in the 14-30 Broadway building by September 2014. Students, with faces painted with the school’s colors and holding signs that read “We are LIC, One team, One Family,” rallied against the co-location before heading into the hearing. “I consider LIC my home away from home,” said Irving Torres, LIC High School senior and student member of District 30’s Community Education Council (CEC). “I will not stand by as I watch my home be attacked by this proposal.” If the proposal is approved, students of LIC High School and P.S. 993, a special needs District 75 school currently located in the building, would have to share their space with the new school. Students fear this will bring cuts to their beloved AP courses and extracurricular activities. In order to make room for the incoming ninth grade class, the DOE will make enrollment cuts at LIC High School beginning in the 2014-2015 school year. The high school, which currently has 2,524 enrollees, will have around 2,000 students by the 2017-2018 school year. “They have yet to tell us who besides the chancellor and the mayor want this,” said Ken Achiron, a teacher at LIC High School for 25 years and chapter leader for the United Federation of Teachers. “The reality is it’s some children fi rst, certain children always, but LIC children never.” In the proposal, the DOE said the school has received an overall “C” grade for three consecutive years on its progress reports and enrollment cuts are only in response to what has already been occurring at the school for years through diminishing student sign up. However, those opposed said the new principal, Students rallied before heading into a public hearing on October 23 to voice their opposition to the Department of Education’s (DOE) proposal to co-locate a new school within Vivian Selenikas, has been taking the school on the right path to success and the co-location would only take away from the school’s achievements. “I’m not going to let them take away my school,” said State Senator Michael Gianaris, who graduated from LIC High School in 1986. “The last thing we need is a new school dropped in here that no one has asked for.” The high school was in danger of THE COURIER/ Photo by Angy Altamirano closing last year when offi cials put it on a Turnaround list alongside Flushing High School and 22 other city schools. “It seems to me that every time our school achieves success, the DOE fi nds a way to combat it,” said Divya Ramdath, president of LIC High School’s student organization. “LIC has a future, only if the DOE allowed it.” The DOE did not respond to requests for comment as of press time. Long Island City High School. Public hearing on Van Buren co-location highlights BOTH SIDES BY MELISSA CHAN mchan@queenscourier.com More opponents have stepped up to fi ght the city and its plans to put an early college inside Martin Van Buren High School. “We’re fi nally climbing out of this rut we were dug into by the DOE,” said junior Sharon Kaur. “Our voices should be heard.” About 40 speakers signed up at an October 23 public hearing to discuss the six-year Career Technical Education (CTE) High School proposed inside the struggling Queens Village school. Most were teachers and students against the Department of Education’s (DOE) plans. “There’s no room intellectually and physically for another school,” said Frank Suriano, a social studies teacher. “It’s total nonsense. It’s got to stop.” But some, including leaders from nine of the largest civic associations in eastern Queens, supported plans they say would “fast track” positive changes. The new school is modeled after a P-Tech design that has been lauded by President Barack Obama. It would give students a chance to get a free Queensborough Community College associate’s degree while in high school, education offi cials said. The early college would also focus on computer science and business technology and give students “realworld work experience” through internships, according to the DOE. “Across the city, we’ve transformed the landscape with our new school options — and we’ve been nationally recognized by President Obama for our visionary offerings,” said DOE spokesperson Harry Hartfi eld. However, Sanjay Patel, director of specialized programs at Van Buren, said the school already has CUNY partnerships and college-ready science programs in the engineering, pre-med, law, forensics and computer technology fi elds. “This is a huge step forward toward the transformation and rise of our school,” he said. Students in the early college program would have to complete internships and take off-site classes at QCC, Patel and city offi cials said. “We have ours right here,” Patel said. “I want the CTE to see what we’re doing.” The new school would open next fall if the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) approves the plans October 30. The PEP vote took place after The Courier went to press. THE COURIER/Photo by Melissa Chan Junior Sharon Kaur spoke out against the city’s plans to co-locate Martin Van Buren High School.
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