This morning in Brooklyn�s Owl�s Head Park, the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center- Teach NYS Initiative, Parents for Pre-K Choice, Council Member David G. Greenfield (D-44) and community leaders from across New York City joined together to call on Mayor Bill de Blasio to ensure all families have the option to send their children to half-day Pre-K, a 17-year-old program that is facing significant downsizing this year.

The gathering represented a wide spectrum of New Yorkers, including parents, educators and advocates from across the City and from a variety of communities.

Andrea Stockton, an organizer with NYC Parents for Pre-K Choice noted, �It seems unnecessary to force full-day programs on everyone, simply to meet a stated goal. By allowing families a real choice, in the form of easy online registration for all full and half-day programs simultaneously next year, we could truly see �Pre-K for all.��

Theresa Gonzalez, another organizer with NYC Parents for Pre-K Choice, added, �Right now we do not know how many seats will be available for half-day programming next year; this leaves many families in a state of limbo.�

Council Member Greenfield noted, �Families throughout our city have different needs, they work different hours and have different life styles; we cannot force families into a one-size-fits-all program. That simply won’t work. We must allow our parents to choose which UPK program works best for them.�

Jake Adler, New York State Policy Director for the Orthodox Union, said, �We are happy to be part of a broad-based coalition advocating parental choice, w working closely with parents on the ground. We will continue our fight to make Universal Pre-K truly universal.�

Other participating organizations included the Sephardic Community Youth Center; Community Education Council District 20; Yeshivah of Flatbush; Masores Bais Yaakov; and Nesivos Bais Yaakov.

(YWN Desk – NYC)