I am a proud parent of a third-grader at PS 184Q in Whitestone. Over 70 parents attended an emergency PTA meeting June 17 to voice their frustration over budget cuts that are forcing our principal to increase our class sizes to 35 students in both the fourth- and fifth-grades by removing a class from each.
This, coupled with the fact that PS 184Q has had no instruction in music, art, library and physical education for years because we have no adequate funding. To make matters worse, we were told recently the science cluster is being taken away, just when fourth-graders will be taking science state exams next year.
Many neighboring schools in our area are able to have these programs and more made possible by the city Department of Education or grants that support instruction. For years, we have been told the salaries being made by the PS 184Q community are too high, resulting in disqualification from obtaining the funding we need. This is shocking and untrue.
The neglect and lack of concern by the DOE is unacceptable and borders on neglectful abuse. In our case, the “no child left behind” slogan needs to be changed to “every child left behind.” While the PS 184Q administration hurled obscure DOE formulas at the angry parents attending the meeting and we lack the numbers to support a third class, it only fueled our outrage to take our fight further up the DOE chain of command to our elected officials and the media.
We believe any organization that forces a school to increase class sizes with students at such a young age and does not recognize the importance of having the aforementioned programs is not worthy to run a school system.
As vocalized as the parents attending our meeting were, we are determined to bring PS 184Q’s issues to the forefront and request PS 184Q parents to advocate for our children’s education by calling 311 to file a complaint with the DOE and writing City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside), state Assemblywoman Ann Margaret Carrozza (D-Bayside) and state Sens. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone) and Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose), requesting they petition the DOE to restore cuts to PS 184Q before the 2009-10 school year begins.
Mark Sandor
Whitestone
