In 2019, we launched the Keep Public Schools Public campaign. The campaign aimed to prevent the encroachment of charter schools in Sunset Park. We saw an increase in the number of charter school applications that wanted to open in our neighborhood.
We started this campaign because we believe that public funding should be spent in public schools and that these schools should be accountable to the public. Charter schools have a poor record of addressing special education children’s educational needs and English Language Learners, who represent most Sunset Park students.
As part of this campaign, we organized several postcard-signing drives and a social media campaign supported by our elected officials and several community organizations.