October 23, 2023
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN,
We are a mighty community of well-connected parents and stakeholders. We are deeply concerned regarding the current happenings at Brighter Choice Community School (aka BCCS and PS K627) in the heart of Bedford Stuyvesent, Brooklyn.
Since Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips was placed at BCCS at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, the experience for both students and parents has been consistently chaotic, confusing and downright concerning.
Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips’ behavior flies in the face of the words he espoused in his BCCS Family Welcome Letter dated September 1, 2023. In the aforementioned letter, Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips described himself as a “collaborative”, “caring” “fun-loving” and “warm” leader who would ensure “every student feels valued, supported and safe”. He claimed to look forward to “a productive and enjoyable year of gains” through “partnership” with parents.
Concerned Parents of BCCS have not seen these espoused qualities demonstrated with any consistency since the beginning of September 2023, and have aggregated the following list of examples that contradict Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips’ purported mission:
- Numerous reports of Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips yelling at students throughout the school day
- A BCCS family exited the school due to their child, who had a known and documented medical history, being forced outside onto the playground during the first week’s heatwave. The child went home ill and was subsequently hospitalized. When the parent later came to the school to ask questions about their child’s day, they were met with an icy reception by leadership. They immediately pulled both of their children from the school.
- A new automated attendance tool was utilized without any communication to parents. A parent was contacted with an automated message stating her child was absent that day. The parent knew this was in error because she dropped the child off. She became worried and attempted to reach the school but could not contact anyone to confirm her child was safely inside the building. It was a worrisome window of time before she was able to verify that her child was indeed in class.
- Failure on behalf of Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips to effectively communicate changes to long-standing school policies and traditions. In one case, he announced a major school policy change to an auditorium of students before making parents aware.
- Failure on behalf of Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips to communicate respectfully to parents when questions are asked regarding the school
- Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips ignores email communications from parents and does not respond
- Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips actively avoids interacting in meaningful ways with the parent community. During the Latinx Heritage Month event, he avoided mingling with children and parents for the duration of the first event of the school year.
- Leadership under Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips caused numerous families to exit the school within the first two weeks of the school year due to lack of communication, lack of respect, a condescending tone and a dismissive attitude toward the community BCCS built prior to his arrival.
- Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips does not respect the schedules of parents (i.e.beginning the first SLT of the year nearly an hour late, showing up an hour late to let PTA into the school building for a weekend event)
- Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips suggested parents hold the SLT and PTA meetings the same day for the convenience of the teachers. After hearing from parent leaders that scheduling back-to-back would not be practical, he stoked division between parents and teachers by implying that parents did not care about teachers’ schedules. Chancellor’s Regulations (A-655 Article 3, Section 1) clearly states “SLT meetings should be scheduled at a time convenient for parent members on the team via a yearly-conducted Parent Poll”.
- Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips dictated how Title 1 Committee meetings would function without consulting with the Title 1 Committee Chairperson, who is a BCCS parent leader. Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips made such dictates without having attended an actual Title 1 Committee meeting himself.
- Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips made the decision to move all school/parent communications from Remind to Class Dojo, then subsequently scolded a parent who asked a clarifying question on the platform.
In District 16, as outlined by Superintendent Brendan T. Mims’ Core Beliefs, parents and parent leaders are key partners and stakeholders that advocate for school and district success.
The vision of Superintendent Brendan T. Mims additionally outlines empathy and engagement as two of the four tenets of District 16.
Furthermore, Chancellor David C. Banks states in pillars three and four, respectively, that in order to “build trust in NYC public schools”, school administrators must “prioritize student wellness” and “make families true partners”.
Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips does not demonstrate positive communication, prioritize student wellness with his actions and words, nor does he display empathy for parent stakeholders. Further to the above, he does not embody the collaborative qualities that the BCCS student and parent body require to function as a successful Community School.
Due to this well-documented and extensive list of issues over a noticeably short period of time, we feel that Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips is not fit to lead the students at Brighter Choice Community School.
Signed,
CONCERNED PARENTS OF BCCS
Updates
October 23, 2023
Reaching this level of visibility highlights how deep the frustration within our school community truly runs. It is exhausting to fight this battle every single day but seeing this many people acknowledge the reality at BCCS keeps me moving forward.
28 Comments
Principal shows little interest or concern for our children's education when approached regarding equipment failure in the classroom necessary for everyday lectures he just disregarded the issue just stating there was no funds and couldn't even provide an estimated time when funds would become available to purchase the equipment needed, Or try to come to a solution to repair the equipment. I got a little concerned and contacted all parents of the class, thankfully We all came into an equal amount and brought the class a temporary equipment to cover the everyday lectures. As parents we shouldn't have to worry about getting equipment for the class and think about if our children really have everything that is needed in order for the classroom to function the right way.
We have noticed the lack of communication especially during the Hispanic heritage event when the principal was angry at the phone in the building entrance and no security was present when we arrived. Also the Hispanic heritage walk through seemed poorly communicated beforehand. I have not witnessed all of the other claims but am concerned about them for sure.
This is absolutely unacceptable. BCCS was our families safe haven when our daughter was bullied and sexually harassed at her former charter school. BCCS was so welcoming from the staff especially principal Daniels and Ms Reynoso, to the students. No matter what time of day we always had our questions answered we had reassurance the whole student body was safe and well cared for. It saddens us to see this happening to our beloved community school.
I really hope this works. The principals actions are unacceptable with the way he treats the students & staff. My son does not want to go to school most of the time because he has complained about the way Mr. Philips talks to all the kids. I have witnessed him screaming at children and being very harsh and I was astonished
Former BCCS parent and PTA board member here. I’m signing in solidarity with the BCCS community — my community. This school is supposed to be a safe space for kids and families of BedStuy and the impact this shift will have on the students and their education journey is unforgivable.
Transferred my child from brighter choice to a new school in Staten Island. She been in dual language class since 3K and is now in the 1st grade. New school called to confirm… they told her my child has an IEP and was NEVER in dual language classes!! What?! If she had one or that was the situation that’s fine… but why are you giving FALSE information about the students? They really need to do better!!!
As a former parent of Brighter Choice Community School and an educator it saddens me to see the changes that have taken place at this institution of learning. Entering a new environment as an administrator it isn’t always easy transitioning and making changes but you should try your best to find a median space. The abrupt changes and disregard for the current events and policies and exchanges of conversations that have been discussed and expressed are not acceptable for an individual that is attempting to bridge gaps. At this time I think it is in the best interest of the school to take the necessary steps to ensure that the children are the most important focus and that are well respected and loved genuinely and that families input thoughts and ideas are taken into consideration.
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October 23, 2023
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN,
We are a mighty community of well-connected parents and stakeholders. We are deeply concerned regarding the current happenings at Brighter Choice Community School (aka BCCS and PS K627) in the heart of Bedford Stuyvesent, Brooklyn.
Since Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips was placed at BCCS at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, the experience for both students and parents has been consistently chaotic, confusing and downright concerning.
Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips’ behavior flies in the face of the words he espoused in his BCCS Family Welcome Letter dated September 1, 2023. In the aforementioned letter, Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips described himself as a “collaborative”, “caring” “fun-loving” and “warm” leader who would ensure “every student feels valued, supported and safe”. He claimed to look forward to “a productive and enjoyable year of gains” through “partnership” with parents.
Concerned Parents of BCCS have not seen these espoused qualities demonstrated with any consistency since the beginning of September 2023, and have aggregated the following list of examples that contradict Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips’ purported mission:
- Numerous reports of Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips yelling at students throughout the school day
- A BCCS family exited the school due to their child, who had a known and documented medical history, being forced outside onto the playground during the first week’s heatwave. The child went home ill and was subsequently hospitalized. When the parent later came to the school to ask questions about their child’s day, they were met with an icy reception by leadership. They immediately pulled both of their children from the school.
- A new automated attendance tool was utilized without any communication to parents. A parent was contacted with an automated message stating her child was absent that day. The parent knew this was in error because she dropped the child off. She became worried and attempted to reach the school but could not contact anyone to confirm her child was safely inside the building. It was a worrisome window of time before she was able to verify that her child was indeed in class.
- Failure on behalf of Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips to effectively communicate changes to long-standing school policies and traditions. In one case, he announced a major school policy change to an auditorium of students before making parents aware.
- Failure on behalf of Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips to communicate respectfully to parents when questions are asked regarding the school
- Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips ignores email communications from parents and does not respond
- Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips actively avoids interacting in meaningful ways with the parent community. During the Latinx Heritage Month event, he avoided mingling with children and parents for the duration of the first event of the school year.
- Leadership under Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips caused numerous families to exit the school within the first two weeks of the school year due to lack of communication, lack of respect, a condescending tone and a dismissive attitude toward the community BCCS built prior to his arrival.
- Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips does not respect the schedules of parents (i.e.beginning the first SLT of the year nearly an hour late, showing up an hour late to let PTA into the school building for a weekend event)
- Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips suggested parents hold the SLT and PTA meetings the same day for the convenience of the teachers. After hearing from parent leaders that scheduling back-to-back would not be practical, he stoked division between parents and teachers by implying that parents did not care about teachers’ schedules. Chancellor’s Regulations (A-655 Article 3, Section 1) clearly states “SLT meetings should be scheduled at a time convenient for parent members on the team via a yearly-conducted Parent Poll”.
- Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips dictated how Title 1 Committee meetings would function without consulting with the Title 1 Committee Chairperson, who is a BCCS parent leader. Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips made such dictates without having attended an actual Title 1 Committee meeting himself.
- Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips made the decision to move all school/parent communications from Remind to Class Dojo, then subsequently scolded a parent who asked a clarifying question on the platform.
In District 16, as outlined by Superintendent Brendan T. Mims’ Core Beliefs, parents and parent leaders are key partners and stakeholders that advocate for school and district success.
The vision of Superintendent Brendan T. Mims additionally outlines empathy and engagement as two of the four tenets of District 16.
Furthermore, Chancellor David C. Banks states in pillars three and four, respectively, that in order to “build trust in NYC public schools”, school administrators must “prioritize student wellness” and “make families true partners”.
Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips does not demonstrate positive communication, prioritize student wellness with his actions and words, nor does he display empathy for parent stakeholders. Further to the above, he does not embody the collaborative qualities that the BCCS student and parent body require to function as a successful Community School.
Due to this well-documented and extensive list of issues over a noticeably short period of time, we feel that Interim-Acting Principal Keiron Phillips is not fit to lead the students at Brighter Choice Community School.
Signed,
CONCERNED PARENTS OF BCCS
Updates
October 23, 2023
Reaching this level of visibility highlights how deep the frustration within our school community truly runs. It is exhausting to fight this battle every single day but seeing this many people acknowledge the reality at BCCS keeps me moving forward.
28 Comments
I am concerned about the change in tone of communication from the school- there seems to be a wall in terms of access to the principal, especially concerning student safety. When speaking with the principal, he does not sound like a partner but rather, he sounds like he’s trying to figure out whether he’s directly responsible and should act/care. In rolling out changes, he has also sounded condescending, which isn’t a leadership quality. This school has staff/teachers who send their own children here, and many parents who work in education, and his tact and radius of concern are both lacking.
Principal shows little interest or concern for our children's education when approached regarding equipment failure in the classroom necessary for everyday lectures he just disregarded the issue just stating there was no funds and couldn't even provide an estimated time when funds would become available to purchase the equipment needed, Or try to come to a solution to repair the equipment. I got a little concerned and contacted all parents of the class, thankfully We all came into an equal amount and brought the class a temporary equipment to cover the everyday lectures. As parents we shouldn't have to worry about getting equipment for the class and think about if our children really have everything that is needed in order for the classroom to function the right way.
We have noticed the lack of communication especially during the Hispanic heritage event when the principal was angry at the phone in the building entrance and no security was present when we arrived. Also the Hispanic heritage walk through seemed poorly communicated beforehand. I have not witnessed all of the other claims but am concerned about them for sure.
This is absolutely unacceptable. BCCS was our families safe haven when our daughter was bullied and sexually harassed at her former charter school. BCCS was so welcoming from the staff especially principal Daniels and Ms Reynoso, to the students. No matter what time of day we always had our questions answered we had reassurance the whole student body was safe and well cared for. It saddens us to see this happening to our beloved community school.
I really hope this works. The principals actions are unacceptable with the way he treats the students & staff. My son does not want to go to school most of the time because he has complained about the way Mr. Philips talks to all the kids. I have witnessed him screaming at children and being very harsh and I was astonished
Former BCCS parent and PTA board member here. I’m signing in solidarity with the BCCS community — my community. This school is supposed to be a safe space for kids and families of BedStuy and the impact this shift will have on the students and their education journey is unforgivable.
Transferred my child from brighter choice to a new school in Staten Island. She been in dual language class since 3K and is now in the 1st grade. New school called to confirm… they told her my child has an IEP and was NEVER in dual language classes!! What?! If she had one or that was the situation that’s fine… but why are you giving FALSE information about the students? They really need to do better!!!
As a former parent of Brighter Choice Community School and an educator it saddens me to see the changes that have taken place at this institution of learning. Entering a new environment as an administrator it isn’t always easy transitioning and making changes but you should try your best to find a median space. The abrupt changes and disregard for the current events and policies and exchanges of conversations that have been discussed and expressed are not acceptable for an individual that is attempting to bridge gaps. At this time I think it is in the best interest of the school to take the necessary steps to ensure that the children are the most important focus and that are well respected and loved genuinely and that families input thoughts and ideas are taken into consideration.
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I am concerned about the change in tone of communication from the school- there seems to be a wall in terms of access to the principal, especially concerning student safety. When speaking with the principal, he does not sound like a partner but rather, he sounds like he’s trying to figure out whether he’s directly responsible and should act/care. In rolling out changes, he has also sounded condescending, which isn’t a leadership quality. This school has staff/teachers who send their own children here, and many parents who work in education, and his tact and radius of concern are both lacking.