4 APRIL 20 - APRIL 26, 2018 BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP
Sunset Park welcomes Schools
Chancellor Carranza with celebration
BY JAIME DEJESUS
JDEJESUS@BROOKLYNREPORTER.COM
It was a warm welcome in Sunset
Park for New York City's new
Schools Chancellor Richard
Carranza.
Councilmember Carlos Menchaca
and the Consulate General of Mexico
in New York hosted a reception for
Carranza in the gymnasium at Sunset
Park High School, 153 35th Street, on
Monday, April 16.
Members of the community were
invited to enjoy music from mariachi
bands and food as well as to hear from
the new chancellor, who spoke of his
heritage and issues the city's schools
face.
“It’s very important that we understand
we have a voice not only here
but in America,” he told the large
crowd, referring to Sunset’s diverse
community. “I’m going to also speak
in Spanish because I want everyone
here to understand how incredibly
honored I am to be in New York City,
how honored I am to be here in Sunset
Park and be a part of a vibrant
community.”
He told that crowd that he comes to
the important position humbled.
"I don’t come to this role having all
the answers. Far from it,” he said.
“We’re going to talk. But I want you
know that I’m looking forward to that
talk. I’m looking forward to understanding
what the needs are, not only
in this community, but in all the five
boroughs. I want you to understand
that I come to you with a very humble
heart. "
He also hinted at how he may
handle certain issues, in particular,
discrimination.
“We have all we need to find the
solutions to our challenges right here
in this room and community,” he said.
“I’m happy to be a part of that but I’m
also going to tell you that we're going
to call it like we see it. If there are
issues of discrimination, we’re going
to call it discrimination.”
Menchaca also spoke.
“Tonight we get to meet him but
more importantly he gets to meet
you,” he said. “Already I’ve seen him
talk and listen to folks and hear the
voices of our community and that is
one of the most special things we do
here in Sunset Park. This community
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photo by Jaime DeJesus
Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza dancing with a young
Sunset Park resident.
has been speaking and they have been
speaking loud. So much we do is because
of our community. We have so
many things we need.”
After the speeches, the mood was
festive as Carranza — the grandson
of immigrants from Mexico — performed
with NYC Mariachi, which
surprised him with a performance.
“The fact that he’s Mexican-American
is especially symbolic and special
in a community like Sunset Park,”
Chairperson for Community Board
7 Cesar Zuniga told this paper,“not
for any other reason than we need to
give these young kids real examples
of what is possible. To have a face that
resembles the faces in this community
is really special.”
Jennifer Gonzalez-Funes, who was
born and raised in Sunset Park, and
is now principal of Staten Island's P.S.
10, a school with a large population of
Mexican-Americans, was proud to be
a part of the festivities.
“My ties are really deep in this neighborhood
so to meet Carranza here in
the hometown with the Hispanic community
in a celebration, it’s amazing,”
she said.
Although it was a celebration, residents
made it clear they hope Carranza
will enhance the city’s education.
“That doesn’t mean that we’re not
going to hold him accountable, that
we’re not going to recognize that he
has a big and tough job,” Zuniga said.
“We’re really going to be counting on
him and holding him accountable
to make sure we are doing the right
thing by these kids, particularly in
a place like Sunset where we have
issues like overcrowding. We’re
excited but we also want to have a
meaningful working relationship
with him.
"I know the mayor and the administration
are really working
hard on Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 but we
also need to start thinking about
supporting kids earlier before they
come to school, so I want to get him
focused on that," Zuniga went on. "I
want to get him focused on English
language learners and how we are
still under-resourced."
“I hope he can bridge that gap, especially
for the immigrant community,
and be an inspiration for us,” added
Gonzalez-Funes.
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