De Blasio To Visit Children’s Workshop At Queens Explorers Elementary School Today
Mayor Bill de Blasio will make an announcement about “3-K for all” in Ozone Park after visiting a workshop at Queens Explorers Elementary School tomorrow morning.
The workshop will start at 11am and de Blasio will make the announcement outside the school, 90-01 101st Ave. Afterwards, he will have a Q & A with reporters.
Later tonight he will participate in a town hall event with Lower Manhattan residents. If it is anything like the debates from Tuesday night, things will be unproductive.
Assemblymember Kim Calls For Korean In More Public Schools
Monday was the 571st anniversary of the Korean language, Hangul, and State Assemblymember Ron Kim (D-Flushing) celebrated it at the Korean American Association of Greater New York. There, he repeated his call for more Korean language education in the state’s public schools.
As the first and only Korean American city politician, Kim has pressured education officials to offer Korean in dual language programs throughout the city.
“Bilingual education in any language is absolutely critical for enhanced cognitive development at young ages,” said Kim. “As a Korean-American, I am proud that the Korean language is the 7th most spoken language out of 140 languages in our city. However, we are not meeting the demand from those families who want their children to have the opportunity to learn Korean in our classrooms, or to continue learning Korean beyond the 5th grade. What is the point of investing all that money and energy for K-5 programs and then letting them forget the language as they enter adolescence?”
The only school in New York that teaches Korean is PS 32 in Auburndale, Queens. Kim compared that to the 40 Chinese dual language programs being taught across the city.
Kim will work with Assemblymember Edward Braunstein (D-Bay Terrace, Little Neck) convince education officials to develop a Korean dual language program at the state and city level. They started with a letter written to Mayor Bill de Blasio.
State Senator Peralta To Announce Improvements To Lexington School For The Deaf
State Senator Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Corona) is set to announce significant capital improvements for the Lexington School for the Deaf at 25-26 75th St, East Elmhurst.
He will join the CEO and Superintendent of Lexington Donald Galloway, Principle Jane Moran, and the students to make the announcement this morning at 11am.
Peralta described the improvements as “much-needed” in a press release gearing up for the announcement. We will report back on what the improvements will be afterward.
