Here’s a copy of the joint statement made by the local electeds after the School Board’s decision regarding The Little Room was made public on Wednesday morning.

Local Electeds Speak Out in Support of Special Needs School

Brooklyn – On December 17, 2008 the Brooklyn Heights Montessori School announced that The Little Room would be discontinued at the end of August 2010. Since 1970, the Brooklyn Heights Montessori School (BHMS) has been home to The Little Room, a nationally-recognized special education program specifically designed for pre-school students with speech and language delays. The Little Room program is a vital asset to the Brooklyn community that needs to be preserved. It serves over 120 children each year, many of whom are then able to enter mainstream classrooms.

Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, State Assemblywoman Joan L. Millman, State Senator-Elect Daniel Squadron, and Council Members Bill de Blasio and David Yassky released the following joint statement:

“While we are thankful that The Little Room has a home through the end of 2010, we are concerned about the November 2009 deadline imposed by the Board to shut the program down if a viable alternative location is not found. This is not a sufficient amount of time to identify, secure, and raise the necessary funds to renovate a new location, especially since a full-time director is still needed. We are asking the Board of Trustees to extend its self-imposed deadline to August of 2011 and to explore hiring a consultant to aid in rapid relocation of the program.

“Given that the Montessori approach to education rests on the fundamental belief that each child learns best within a social environment that supports and respects each individual’s unique development, we ask the school to provide the same support and respect to The Little Room.”