https://youtu.be/BRHdTVjse3M
00:07 never thought I would stand up here I
00:09 talk to you my name is Alexandra kim and
00:12 i live at 928 willow out my family is
00:16 relatively new to hoboken we moved here
00:18 less than three years ago and we're in
00:19 certain about the reputation of the
00:21 schools but to our delight our boys have
00:24 flourished in the public pre-k in
00:26 district schools we have met the most
00:28 wonderful families and kids along the
00:30 way and as they have moved on to
00:31 different schools we have wish nothing
00:33 but the best for them and their families
00:35 and so we felt very ambivalent about the
00:39 lawsuit between the district and a local
00:41 charter school we fell uncomfortable
00:43 about the political and financial costs
00:45 the silence from civic leaders and the
00:47 impact and local elections but lately I
00:51 have felt troubled by the political
00:52 gaming outside and inside the sport and
00:55 so I decided to read up on the issues
00:57 and here's what I learned at the heart
01:01 of this case a charter school has asked
01:03 the state for permission to renew and
01:05 expand its charter the school has the
01:07 burden to show that this would not
01:09 exacerbate segregation in the district
01:12 segregative effect is essentially a
01:15 civil rights question and it's legal
01:17 question and I believe we need the
01:19 courts to help us figure this out here
01:22 are three reasons why as residents we
01:25 should be interested in whether public
01:27 monies provide equal educational
01:29 opportunities to students regardless of
01:31 race income or status as a former Abbot
01:34 district we cannot enjoy a free public
01:37 pre-k at the same time as preventing
01:40 equal protection questions from going to
01:42 the court hoboken has free public pre-k
01:45 as a result of the abbot lawsuits which
01:48 ask similar questions as this case to
01:51 remedy the segregation that the court
01:53 found it permitted funding for public
01:55 pre-k and certain urban districts
01:57 including ours public pre-k is enjoyed
02:00 by many families in this town including
02:02 the children of non district school
02:05 leaders as parents we are two divided
02:08 and emotionally invested in a certain
02:10 answer
02:11 in our country it is the courts that
02:13 clarify our understanding of civil
02:16 rights and then hoboken we have never
02:18 needed this more than though to be clear
02:21 no one is calling for schools to be
02:23 closed or calling anybody what's it
02:25 rather we are asking for a neutral party
02:28 to answer these hard questions for us
02:32 secondly I wanted to address the
02:34 embarrassing antics at the last board of
02:37 education meeting I expect that there
02:40 will be a difference of opinion and
02:42 values among this board but when the
02:44 interests of this district students
02:46 conflict with outside interests the code
02:48 of ethics makes it clear which takes
02:51 priority the code also dictates that
02:54 board members do not take private
02:56 actions that would compromise the board
02:58 so here's another way of looking at it
03:00 when you play for the Yankees but root
03:02 for the other team and provide them with
03:04 inside strategy then no one will trust
03:07 you will want to play with you will want
03:09 to hire you and certainly no one
03:11 watching the game will like you the code
03:14 of ethics not only exists to protect the
03:17 interests of our district children but
03:19 also to protect your public and
03:21 professional reputation you can advocate
03:24 for any group of children but you cannot
03:26 do so from that chair if this is too
03:28 difficult for you that I know some
03:30 highly qualified people who can serve a
03:32 district children wholeheartedly I want
03:36 to say this as nicely as possible but
03:38 you need to get your act together we are
03:40 talking about the civil rights of
03:42 children and any reasonably intelligent
03:45 person we know that political gaming is
03:47 inappropriate most of us in our family
03:51 histories have experienced being the
03:53 other for many families in hoboken that
03:56 struggle is still very real today I call
03:59 on school leaders to act sensitively and
04:02 model integrity around issues of civil
04:05 rights in our community thank you to the
04:07 majority of the board who have refrained
04:09 from political gaming and who have acted
04:12 at great personal cost to defend the
04:14 civil rights of children in our district
04:16 thank you
04:18 you
