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Chinatown's Shuang Wen School Supporters Blast DOE 'Witch Hunt'

By Patrick Hedlund | September 30, 2011 3:07pm

CITY HALL — Parents and students from Chinatown’s Shuang Wen school lashed out the Department of Education Friday, accusing the agency of pursuing a “witch hunt” against the high-achieving dual-language school.

The Cherry street elementary school, which is ranked the top in Manhattan according to the DOE’s progress reports, has been weathering a series of investigation by the city related to its financial and enrollment practices.

During a rally outside DOE headquarters on Chambers Street Friday, parents and advocates demanded that the city release the results of its investigations instead of letting the appearance of impropriety continue to taint the school’s reputation.

“What are these scandals that are plaguing Shuang Wen? We don’t know,” said Chris Siragusa, a parent of two students at the school, who called the DOE’s treatment a form of “outrageous harassment.”

“We just want the details. As a parent, I’m outraged,” he added. “How much money has been wasted on this witch hunt?”

Siragusa explained that the department has also frozen some $500,000 in funds raised privately by the school’s parent association and Shuang Wen’s nonprofit arm, which manages an after-school Mandarin language program for the school.

Friday’s rally was the latest in a series of recent actions by the school community, which announced a discrimination lawsuit against the DOE back in June and also protested the ouster of longtime Shuang Wen principal Ling Ling Chou in July.

The department is investigating Shuang Wen’s after-school program, which requires a fee for each student to participate, as well as enrollment practices at the heavily Asian elementary school. The DOE has declined to comment on the investigations, citing the fact that they are ongoing.

Still, advocates wondered why the city would allow the threat of possible punishments hang over Shuang Wen, despite the DOE acknowledging its success as the best-ranked school in Manhattan.

“They’re destroying something that’s so invaluable to the community,” said parent Vincent Wong. “All we’re asking is for the DOE to be fair, to recognize what this school has achieved.”

On its 2010-2011 progress report, Shuang Wen ranked in the 99th percentile of elementary schools citywide, with near-perfect marks in math and student attendance.

Some said the DOE’s motivations for the investigations are baseless, noting that a “forensic” analysis of the school’s finances by a party hired by Shuang Wen found no evidence of impropriety.

“The DOE has no idea what the school did wrong,” Wong said. “That’s why they’re not telling us.”

Charges of discrimination were also leveled at the department, which parents accused of attacking the mostly low-income, Chinese student body.

“They do not respect the Chinese community,” said Shuang Wen parent Diana Chen. “You really have to ask, whose side are they on and why.”

Parents also said the recent transition in leadership at the school has presented challenges.

“It’s been very rocky. There’s no trust left,” said Siragusa, of the replacement of Chou after 12 years as head of Shuang Wen in favor of new principal Iris Chiu, a 19-year DOE veteran.

“She’s acting as an agent of the Department of Education, and not an advocate for our children.”

The DOE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.