NYC Parents, Charter School Leaders to Demand de Blasio Administration Stop Systematic Denial of Charter Schools Seeking Public Space

**MEDIA ADVISORY FOR MARCH 2, 2017**

12PM at City Hall: NYC Parents, Charter School Leaders to Demand de Blasio Administration Stop Systematic Denial of Charter Schools Seeking Public Space

New Report Shows de Blasio Administration Has Denied 79% of Public Charter School Space Applications Since Passage of 2014 Facilities Law

Full Report Linked Here: Pathtopossible.org/spacetolearn

New York, NY – A new report released Thursday shows that the de Blasio administration has denied 83 of the 105 requests for public facilities submitted by public charter schools, despite thousands of open seats in districts where charter schools have sought to expand. This policy has posed massive challenges for New York City’s public charter schools, many of which have been delayed from opening new locations in the city’s high-need communities after being denied public space.

On Thursday afternoon, dozens of parents will join charter leaders on the steps of City Hall and demand that the City stop shutting public charter schools out of public buildings. Ian Rowe of Public Prep, Matthew Levey of the International Charter School of New York, and other leaders of citywide charter networks will explain how the Mayor’s unfair space policies threaten the charter sector’s ability to grow and reach high-need communities.

The de Blasio administration has consistently denied almost every application that public charter schools have submitted for public facilities, even in school districts that have thousands of seats available. These repeated denials have delayed many public charter schools from opening new locations on time, and kept children from attending these great public schools. Currently, more than 44,000 children remain on public charter school waiting lists.

WHO:
Dozens of Public School Parents from Across New York City
Leaders of Citywide Charter Networks
Ian Rowe, CEO of Public Prep
Matthew Levey, Founder of the International Charter School of New York

WHAT:
Dozens of NYC Parents and School Leaders to Demand City Stop Barring Public Charters from Public Space

WHEN:
12:00 PM
Thursday, March 2, 2017

WHERE:
City Hall Steps
New York, NY 10007

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