THE ASSEMBLY

STATE OF NEW YORK COMMITTEES

ALBANY Banks
Cities
Consumer Affairs and Protection
Environmental Conservation
Steering

MICAH Z. KELLNER
th
65 Assembly District

Support for the Relocation of Richard R. Green and PS 151

Testimony of Assembly Member Micah Z. Kellner
Before the Panel for Education Policy
Wednesday, January 19th 2011

My name is Micah Z. Kellner and I represent the 65th Assembly District in Manhattan,
including parts of the Upper East Side, Yorkville, and Roosevelt Island. Thank you to the New
York City Department of Education and the Panel for Educational Policy for the opportunity to
testify tonight. I would like to speak in support of the two Manhattan proposals on the agenda,
which are directly linked. I fully support both the proposal to re-site PS 151 in the former PS 66
facility, now housing Richard R. Green High School for Teaching, and the proposal to co-locate
Richard Green in the Broadway Educational Complex.

Not too long ago I was sitting with parents in the basement of a community center,
working to make PS 151 a reality. In just two school years, this beloved school has become an
important community fixture on the Upper East Side, and it is now time to find it a permanent
home. I applaud the DOE for proposing a move that would provide PS 151 with a permanent
home at the former PS 66 building, which was always meant to be an elementary school.

Moving PS 151 to a new home is a major piece in the school rezoning puzzle. Upper East
Side schools have been plagued with overcrowding and waitlists for years – redrawing the zones
of our schools will finally bring some relief to our community. The District 2 Community
Education Council (CEC) recently approved a rezoning plan based on the understanding that PS
151 will move into the former PS 66 building, giving it a capacity suitable for its newly enlarged
zone. If this proposal is not approved, the Upper East Side rezoning plan will unravel and East
Side kids will be condemned to more overcrowding, more waitlists, and more uncertainty. It is
vitally important that this proposal be approved.

PS 151’s move cannot happen without the coinciding relocation of Richard R. Green
High School for Teaching. Richard Green’s students also deserve an appropriate home. For 20
years, the lack of space in their building has forced students to contend with a dual-use
auditorium/cafeteria, the lack of a gym, and no science labs. The spaces
that they do have are too small for growing young adults. Six foot tall seniors should not

have to continually duck in small staircases built for six year olds. Moving Richard Green to the
Broadway Educational Complex will allow these students to finally learn and develop in a space
designed for them.

▫ 834 Legislative Office Building, Albany, NY 12248  (518) 455-5676, FAX (518) 455-5282
▫ 315 East 65 Street, New York, NY 10065  (212) 860-4906, FAX (917) 432-2983
E-mail: KellnerM@assembly.state.ny.us
 It is also important to note that the proposals under consideration tonight, along with the
rezoning proposal, are necessary but not sufficient steps in relieving overcrowding on the East
Side. We need more elementary and middle schools to respond to capacity needs. A plan must
be formulated that alleviates existing school overcrowding while simultaneously planning for
future growth. It is vital that the DOE recognize that new schools must be created now, not later.
With each coming school year, more children are entering Kindergarten, and it is imperative that
the DOE examine how we calculate capacity needs. Ultimately, the continuing overcrowding
and waitlists will only be solved by the creation of new schools.

I urge the Panel for Education Policy to approve these proposals, not just for the students
at PS 151 and Richard Green, but also on behalf of the 5,000 children that go to school every day
on the Upper East Side. Thank you again for the opportunity to testify tonight.