BP MARKOWITZ SENDS LETTER TO CHANCELLOR WALCOTT REQUESTING UPCOMING PANEL FOR EDUCATIONAL POLICY (PEP) MEETING BE HELD IN BROOKLYN

December 5, 2011

Dear Chancellor Walcott,

My office has received hundreds of emails over the past few days requesting that the December 14 PEP meeting be switched to Brooklyn Tech. I believe that if the lower Manhattan space suddenly became unavailable, it should have been moved to Brooklyn in the first place. Considering that so many of the proposals on the agenda for this meeting directly affect school communities and proposed co-locations in Brooklyn – I would like to strongly urge you to change the location to Brooklyn Technical High School.

While your department has stated that you do not choose locations according to the Agenda, I think that in this case an exception should be made. The placement of Success Academy has many in the community concerned about why their needs are not being heard. Perhaps a meeting at Brooklyn Tech could be an opportunity to ask the community for their suggestions going forward.

In fact, I believe that when a school goes on the annual underutilized list that is the best time to invite the community to submit ideas for the space, for the community.

I appreciate your consideration and quick resolution to changing the location of the PEP meeting.

Regards,