Threatened Day Care Center to ACS – Your Numbers Don’t Add Up!
September 24, 2012
By Joe Maniscalco
Leaders of the Alonzo Daughtry Day Care Center in Brooklyn – one of the many successful early learning programs located throughout NYC that the Bloomberg administration nevertheless wants to replace with new sponsors as part of its EarlyLearning initiative – is blasting the Administration for Children’s Service [ACS] for allegedly skewing a recent evaluation so that another group can take over operations.
On May 4 of this year, Alonzo Daughtry Day Care Center Director Dr. Karen S. Daughtry, received official notice that the early childhood learning program her group has operated for the last 44 years is not being recommended for EarlyLearning because they scored below 75 on a Request for Proposals [RFP] submitted last year in accordance with Bloomberg’s new education model.
However, at a rally held at the House of The Lord Church at 415 Atlantic Avenue, on Sunday, September 23, Dr. Daughtry pointed to documentation which indicated that the three evaluators scoring the Alonzo Daughtry Day Care Center’s RFP, had originally arrived at an average rating of 82.6 – well above ACS’ stated threshold for acceptance.
According to Dr. Daughtry, she received a tip on April 12 informing her that the people responsible with scoring the day care center’s RFP were instructed to lower the score, and that they were “livid” because of it.
Following the change, the Alonzo Daughtry Day Care Center’s RFP average fell from 82 to 66.3. Scores were flipped from 61 to 63, 87 to 67 and 100 to 69.
“This is proof that there is something rotten in the cotton,” said event coordinator Peggy Washington.
New York City Councilmember Letitia James called the scoring process “bogus” and charged that the Alonzo Daughtry Day Care Center – which boasts numerous graduates who have grown up to accomplish great things in a diverse array of professional fields – is on a “political hit list.”
“Children are going to get hurt,” Councilmember James said. “And this is going to put people out of work who look like me.”
DC1707 Political Director G.L. Tyler said that the new EarlyLearn model is merely an attempt by the mayor to try and consolidate HeadStart with Day Care, so that “he can put less monty into the system.”
“What he’s done with the merger, is he’s trying to invite for-profit organizations to take over as HeadStart programs, which we find horrible because they’re there for profit – and not necessarily to service children,” Tyler added.
Dr. Daughtry criticized new sponsors successfully accepted into the EarlyLearn program like Brightside Academy headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, because they lack strong ties to the community.
According to the Alonzo Day Care Center director, the duration of community involvement was not given any significance in the EarlyLearn RFP scoring. An official protest has been filed, which ACS officials say is under review.
In response, Alonzo Daughtry Day Care Center supporters promise to step up their protest with daily rallies held outside ACS headquarters, located at 150 William Street in Manhattan, beginning this week on Tuesday, September 25 from noon to 1 p.m.
Although frail following recent health issues, the Reverend Herbert Daughtry – son of the day care center’s namesake – promised acts of civil disobedience that will likely end in his arrest.
“All of you concerned about how I’m doing and how I’m feeling, just come on down and find out,” Reverend Daughtry said.
