Turn all schools into Beacon centers, Parker says
State senator sponsors bills to change education system
Thirty-three of New York City’s schools are Beacon Schools, functioning as community recreation centers at night, and on weekends giving kids a chance to play basketball, take computer classes or learn how to dance. But one Brooklyn lawmaker says all public schools should be turned into Beacon schools.
State Sen. Kevin Parker (D-Flatbush-Midwood-Park Slope) has introduced two bills aimed at changing the city’s educational landscape.
One bill would create a public-private partnership that would allow for state funds to be used to pay to keep school buildings open during after-school hours, while at the same time allowing private enterprises to sponsor Beacon School programs where kids could get homework help, play sports and take part in drama classes and other enrichment programs.
“If we did that, we would get rid of our gang problem in a generation,” Parker told the Brooklyn Eagle on Wednesday. Beacon Schools give youngsters a place to go and give them a chance to feel like they belong, according to Parker.