The board has officially withdrawn the plan to change the use of Room 17. I am genuinely stunned by this result and I know it only happened because you showed up to defend this space. Please keep an eye on things moving forward while we enjoy this win together.
March 13, 2020
Final supporters
Dear Board of Trustees
We the undersigned, pursuant to the Feb. 7 meeting with four members of the Board of Trustees, are seeking written assurance from the board’s executive committee that any and all decisions regarding a change in use for Room 17 would be withdrawn pending further consideration of the impact on Brooklyn Music School, its students and community.
We believe the continuation of group piano, ensemble and other classes that use Room 17 are vital to the students and to Brooklyn Music School. We fear that the loss of substantial revenue and precious space from converting Room 17 into a classroom would be a tipping point that would lead to an ever cascading decline in resources for Brooklyn Music School, its students and community.
Please provide this assurance regarding Room 17 in writing to the Committee of Concerned Parents & Students. This step would ensure that further engagement between the Board of Trustees and the students and parents of Brooklyn Music School may proceed on a foundation of good faith, trust and mutual respect.
Thank you.
Updates
March 2, 2020
I have been busy drafting letters to the Board of Trustees this week to ensure they understand why Room 17 is so essential to our students. The credit for getting them to listen really belongs to the community that stepped up to sign this. I will post a summary of their responses as soon as I hear anything back.
22 Comments
Don't destroy this fine, longstanding Brooklyn institution serving the needs of *all* in favor of a high-tuition private school! Keep Room 17 for music lessons for children of all levels of need.
—BMS is a wonderful institution affordable for the masses. Muse Academy is a startup for the wealthy. They should fund their own building.
We need the Board of Trustees to advocate for BMS students. The loss of room 17 or any more rooms will reduce services of students and revenue to serve the needs of a very few privaleged students who are not part of the BMS community.
BMS has been my 13 year old son’s home away from home since he was 5. What message are we sending children when we displace them from their homes because of lower socioeconomic status?
My children Elsa and Mikel (10 and 8 years old) have taken classes at the BMS since 2014. they also participate in summer camps. The use of room 17 is crucial for many of the classes my children and other BMS students take. Please do leave the space room 17 for the BMS students and community. Thank you, Maria
Being a longtime parent, volunteer and even temporary employee while a different K-5 school shared space with BMS in the late-2000s, I'm well aware of the conflicts that arise when the tenant grows too big. During that time, BMS lost a chance to partner with a jazz consortium program, had to discontinue hosting programs of a community puppetry arts group, cut its dance and group music lesson offerings and also lost prospective students due to scheduling issues with shared rooms. If Room 17 is now in question, then BMS has reached its capacity in rooms that can be rented to Muse. Note that despite the many private and public K-5 schools in the area, some not even enrolled at full capacity, Muse has an exciting theme that makes it unique. However, poor planning on part of the Board Directors of both landlord organization and tenant school has caused Muse to grow without taking into account future space. It doesn't take much skill to be able to count upcoming grades and required classrooms versus available rental space. Most people familiar with NYC construction know that building BMS' annex will take years. It should be embarrassing to those in charge that this classroom issue was not anticipated and addressed years ago. As with previous tenant schools, Muse should immediately make arrangements to rent classroom space in a nearby facility. It should investigate the availability of a classroom across the street as other schools have in the past.
Please keep KEY Piano room! BMS Piano PArent
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The board has officially withdrawn the plan to change the use of Room 17. I am genuinely stunned by this result and I know it only happened because you showed up to defend this space. Please keep an eye on things moving forward while we enjoy this win together.
March 13, 2020
Final supporters
Dear Board of Trustees
We the undersigned, pursuant to the Feb. 7 meeting with four members of the Board of Trustees, are seeking written assurance from the board’s executive committee that any and all decisions regarding a change in use for Room 17 would be withdrawn pending further consideration of the impact on Brooklyn Music School, its students and community.
We believe the continuation of group piano, ensemble and other classes that use Room 17 are vital to the students and to Brooklyn Music School. We fear that the loss of substantial revenue and precious space from converting Room 17 into a classroom would be a tipping point that would lead to an ever cascading decline in resources for Brooklyn Music School, its students and community.
Please provide this assurance regarding Room 17 in writing to the Committee of Concerned Parents & Students. This step would ensure that further engagement between the Board of Trustees and the students and parents of Brooklyn Music School may proceed on a foundation of good faith, trust and mutual respect.
Thank you.
Updates
March 2, 2020
I have been busy drafting letters to the Board of Trustees this week to ensure they understand why Room 17 is so essential to our students. The credit for getting them to listen really belongs to the community that stepped up to sign this. I will post a summary of their responses as soon as I hear anything back.
22 Comments
This is literal gentrification happening within the building and the institution and it's unacceptable. Parents and faculty voices are not being considered and respected by the FULL board, and it's a terrible look for what was once a wonderful, community based institution.
Don't destroy this fine, longstanding Brooklyn institution serving the needs of *all* in favor of a high-tuition private school! Keep Room 17 for music lessons for children of all levels of need.
—BMS is a wonderful institution affordable for the masses. Muse Academy is a startup for the wealthy. They should fund their own building.
We need the Board of Trustees to advocate for BMS students. The loss of room 17 or any more rooms will reduce services of students and revenue to serve the needs of a very few privaleged students who are not part of the BMS community.
BMS has been my 13 year old son’s home away from home since he was 5. What message are we sending children when we displace them from their homes because of lower socioeconomic status?
My children Elsa and Mikel (10 and 8 years old) have taken classes at the BMS since 2014. they also participate in summer camps. The use of room 17 is crucial for many of the classes my children and other BMS students take. Please do leave the space room 17 for the BMS students and community. Thank you, Maria
Being a longtime parent, volunteer and even temporary employee while a different K-5 school shared space with BMS in the late-2000s, I'm well aware of the conflicts that arise when the tenant grows too big. During that time, BMS lost a chance to partner with a jazz consortium program, had to discontinue hosting programs of a community puppetry arts group, cut its dance and group music lesson offerings and also lost prospective students due to scheduling issues with shared rooms. If Room 17 is now in question, then BMS has reached its capacity in rooms that can be rented to Muse. Note that despite the many private and public K-5 schools in the area, some not even enrolled at full capacity, Muse has an exciting theme that makes it unique. However, poor planning on part of the Board Directors of both landlord organization and tenant school has caused Muse to grow without taking into account future space. It doesn't take much skill to be able to count upcoming grades and required classrooms versus available rental space. Most people familiar with NYC construction know that building BMS' annex will take years. It should be embarrassing to those in charge that this classroom issue was not anticipated and addressed years ago. As with previous tenant schools, Muse should immediately make arrangements to rent classroom space in a nearby facility. It should investigate the availability of a classroom across the street as other schools have in the past.
Please keep KEY Piano room! BMS Piano PArent
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This is literal gentrification happening within the building and the institution and it's unacceptable. Parents and faculty voices are not being considered and respected by the FULL board, and it's a terrible look for what was once a wonderful, community based institution.