Mayor Bill de Blasio got a warm welcome from parents at family night at a struggling school in Brooklyn, but it was the fact that he came to the event at all that's raising eyebrows in the political world. NY1's Grace Rauh filed the following report.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has not held a single town hall meeting since becoming mayor almost two years ago, but a question-and-answer session with parents at Brooklyn Generation School was supposed to give him a taste of what one might be like.
The room was indeed packed. And there were questions, but none that really put the mayor on the spot.
One person asked, "How do we get the word out about our students and achievements and these great programs?" Another asked, "What is one of the major accomplishments that you feel that you made for renewal schools?"
The event proved to be a way for the mayor to promote his education agenda and his approach to improving schools that the previous administration might have written off as failing. The mayor said parental involvement is key.
"A community school and a renewal school means we want the entire community to participate," de Blasio said. "So one of the things you'l see is, not only are you as parents welcomed in, the whole family is welcomed in."
The night was full of praise for strides the school has made, especially when it comes to attendance. But Brooklyn Generation still has significant challenges. Its graduation rate is just 50 percent.
It is unclear whether this event will prompt the mayor to hold a real town hall meeting open to all New Yorkers. In the meantime, he seems comfortable taking questions from a friendly crowd.