Officers Imam Abdul-Shahid Muhammad Ansari President Annette Shack First Vice President Fannie Irene Pittman Second Vice President Maxien Robinson Secretary Imani Ansari Assistant Secretary Chiffon King Treasurer NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE GREATER HARTFORD BRANCH PO. BOX 1012, HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT 06143 TELEPHONE: (860) 922-1160 Email: October 14, 2016 Dr. Beth Schiavino?Narvaez, Superintendent Hartford Public Schools 960 Main Street, 8th Floor Hartford, CT 06103 Dear Dr. Schiavino?Narvaez: In a time of severe budget cuts, Hartford?s school officials have focused their attention on closing schools with low performance in the hopes of cost savings, and improving system inefficiencies. The Hartford Board of Education?s proposed closures are the result of both deliberate policy decisions and significant disinvestment in public education over time. Following a national pattern of destructive education reform policies and practices, the Hartford Board of Education is proposing similar reforms resulting in school closures primarily in the north-end of Hartford, which is predominately comprised of low- income African?American and Latino neighborhoods. This proposed action by the Hartford Board of Education will violate Title IV and VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It also constitutes negative treatment and would have an unjustified disparate impact on African-American and Latino students. This school closing plague is not unique to Hartford. Across the country residents of poor communities in several cities such as, New Orleans, Chicago and Newark have filed Title VI complaints with the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights demanding that the Department investigate the racial impact of school closings in their cities. The Hartford Board of Education has neither been forthright nor transparent with the community. The Mayor, the Court of Common Council, the Hartford Board of Education, and the Superintendent of Schools assured the community that the Equity 2020 Advisory Committee would analyze school data across the city, (with input from the community), and would develop a proposal on how the educational system should move forward. This proposal was to be presented to the Hartford Board of Education for consideration. Instead, the opposite occurred. The hired private consulting firm drafted proposals for school closures and consolidations that were presented to the Equity 2020 Advisory Committee. The north-end of Hartford will be negatively impacted with the proposed schooI closures. Empty school buildings will become prime real estate for new charter schools. We have observed the proliferation of charter schools led by interested parties seeking to profit from the vulnerabilities of a disenfranchised north?end community. The Greater Hartford Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), could not turn a deaf ear to the cries of the parents and residents in the Hartford community regarding education and the closing of schools in the north?end of Hartford. The adoption of multiple educational reform strategies has devastated our community schools leaving them grossly unequal compared to their Magnet School counterparts. There has been a total disregard for Black and Latino culture and heritage with the closing of John C. Clark, Jr. School and the proposed closing of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School, Dr. Frank T. Simpson-Waverly School, and Thirman L. Milner School as these schools are named after prominent local and nationally- recognized African-Americans. Based on our findings, we are deeply concerned and disturbed by the actions of the Hartford Board of Education, for systematically divesting in schools located in the north?end; leaving our students and families ill?equipped to compete educationally. We must reclaim our schools and our children who are at risk of educational failure. We must demand that the Hartford Board of Education and the Hartford City Council refrain from closing any schools in the north?end of Hartford and reaffirm the need for quality public education. As such, we the Greater Hartford Branch of the NAACP make the following demands to the Mayor, City Council, Hartford Board of Education, and Superintendent of Hartford Public Schools: 0 Racist and discriminatory practices in our educational system, whether intentional or not, must stop; 0 Board of Education stop the closures of neighborhood schools; stop using closures as an educational strategy instead of providing the supports needed for students to be successful; 0 The Hartford Board of Education transform all neighborhood schools into quality elementary and secondary schools; 0 Respect our heritage and culture by maintaining schools named in honor of prominent African?Americans, John C. Clark, Jr. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Thirman L. Milner, and Dr. Frank T. Simpson-Waverly); 0 Stop the alienation of African?American and Latino community- based organizations with strong ties in the communities from being at the table and factored into the social, cultural, and academic practices within our schools; 0 Call for a moratorium on privately managed charter schools; 0 Stop the practice of disingenuous strategies, community meetings and hearings offered only after decisions have been made outside of transparent processes), that puts profits before students and alienates the communities from neighborhood schools; and The Hartford Public School district must immediately deliver a strategy which will result in the increased employment of African?American and Latino teachers. irreparable harm will be inflicted on this community by deliberate disinvestment, neglect and the closing of John C. Clark, Jr. School and the proposed closing of three additional schools in north Hartford by the Hartford Board of Education. is? i 3 .ugti?cp, g, a ?yx'b/ 9'69} 5:132 r? Ltn? The Greater Hartford NAACP will seek the support of the Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches Scot X. Esdaile, President; Dr. Benjamin Foster, Education Chair and Attorney Darnell Crosland, Legal Counsel to get the approval of National Board of Directors to file complaints with the United States Department of Education and the United States Department of Justice Offices for Civil Rights. in the Pursuit of Freedom, Justice and Equality, f7, "2 j, 4/!JCw/Qtwtoc/y a i, Imam Abdul-Shahid Muhammad Ans President, Greater Hartford Branch NAACP cc: Scot X. Esdaile, President Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches Dr. Benjamin Foster, Education Chair, Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches Dr. Jos? Colon-Rivas, Chief Operating Officer, Hartford Public Schools Hartford Public Schools Superintendent of Schools Cabinet Members Hartford Board of Education Members Luke Bronin, Mayor of the City of Hartford City of Hartford Court of Common Council