Hon. Dennis Walcott Chancellor New York City Department of Education Tweed Courthouse 52 Chambers Street New York, NY 10007 Dear Chancellor Walcott: We, the undersigned, write to urge the New York City Department of Education to reconsider its proposal to implement the "Turnaround" intervention model at William Cullen Bryant high school. Bryant is a neighborhood institution that does not close its doors to any student in our community who wishes to attend. It serves a large immigrant population, helping many new Americans receive a quality education on their way to becoming productive members of society. By closing Bryant, terminating half of its staff, and reopening it under a different name, DOE will spread uncertainty throughout the school and negate the recent progress that students, teachers and administrators have been able to make. We ask DOE to work together with our community to find a less intrusive, more constructive approach to providing the best education possible for our students.