Car wars: NYC teachers battle over spots in parking lot shared by two schools

Deirdre Bardolf
·4 min read
Parking lot guard and security standing at school lot entrance, left; John Dewey HS parking lot at top right; no parking sign at bottom right
Parking lot guard and security standing at school lot entrance, left; John Dewey HS parking lot at top right; no parking sign at bottom right

A parking war has broken out in Brooklyn.

Special education teachers claim employees from a neighboring high school are bullying them away from a parking lot that should be shared.

Staffers from John Dewey High School in Gravesend guard the lot every morning, bang on cars, plaster windows with “no parking” signs and even scream at motorists, as confrontations over the lot’s 100 spots escalate, claim PS 721 staffers.

John Dewey High School staff guard the school’s parking lot and don’t allow more than 10 employees from the neighboring PSK721 to enter and park.
John Dewey High School staff guard the school’s parking lot and don’t allow more than 10 employees from the neighboring PSK721 to enter and park.
A John Dewey staffer guards the gate daily, checking permits and jotting down license numbers.
A John Dewey staffer guards the gate daily, checking permits and jotting down license numbers.

“They bogart the gate and they’ll start screaming and yelling, threatening that you’ll be towed,” said one paraprofessional who now takes public transportation instead of driving.

Nearby construction and the proximity to a third school, NYCHA buildings and an MTA yard make parking in the area a nightmare, staffers at PS 721 say.

The principals of the schools worked out an arrangement for the District 75 special-ed employees, who serve kids with disabilities grades K-12, to get 10 allotted parking spots in the lot at Stillwell Avenue and Avenue X.

Employees say 10 spots is not nearly enough for their staff of around 400, which includes paraprofessionals and therapists.

The battle has been going on for years but “fizzles out” and returns, a teacher told The Post.

PS 721, also known as the Brooklyn Occupational Training Center, opened in 1976.

Ongoing construction, the close proximity of three public schools and NYCHA buildings and an MTA yard make parking in the area a nightmare, staffers say.
Ongoing construction, the close proximity of three public schools and NYCHA buildings and an MTA yard make parking in the area a nightmare, staffers say.

“We have dealt with the signage and the threats from John Dewey school aides since September … but within the past three weeks, it has gotten worse.”

On June 4, PS 721 principal Barbara Tremblay sent out an email notifying staff that they would have “no access” to the lot beyond the 10 spots.

“I have to leave my house an hour early to get one of the 10 spots they allow us,” said a teacher. “People park, like, a mile away. I see my colleagues running to get here.”

“I live 10 minutes away but I come an hour early,” said one administrator who arrives at 7 a.m. to snag a spot on the grass.

Despite a staff of around 400, PS 721 only gets 10 spots in the John Dewey parking lot. Obtained by The New York Post
Despite a staff of around 400, PS 721 only gets 10 spots in the John Dewey parking lot. Obtained by The New York Post

“Your license plate number has been recorded,” read signs that covered a Buick. “If your vehicle is parked in this area again it will be towed away at your expense.”

Teachers doubt the legitimacy of the warnings.

“The school aides will transfer the information to Dewey admin, who then call the PS 721 main office to question if the owner of said car is indeed employed at P721K,” one teacher explained.

The teacher said the Dewey staff mock and belittle anyone complaining about the issue in a UFT Facebook group.

Employees arrive early to try and get a spot on the grass outside the John Dewey High School parking lot. J.C. Rice
Employees arrive early to try and get a spot on the grass outside the John Dewey High School parking lot. J.C. Rice
“We have dealt with the signage and the threats from John Dewey school aides since September on and off … but within the past two to three weeks, it has gotten worse,” one teacher told The Post. Obtained by The New York Post
“We have dealt with the signage and the threats from John Dewey school aides since September on and off … but within the past two to three weeks, it has gotten worse,” one teacher told The Post. Obtained by The New York Post

“The culture that has been created is disgusting . . . even mocking that we are ‘blind,’ an insensitive and derogatory comment given the nature of students we teach.”

The woman guarding the entrance and checking for parking passes on Thursday identified herself as a Dewey employee and said there is not a conflict “anymore.”

“There isn’t an issue … People are just dumbasses,” she said.

“There’s not enough parking for our school,” she added. “People just get aggravated that they can’t park here.”

Employees display parking permits and a guard monitors every car that enters to check for them and jot down vehicle info.
Employees display parking permits and a guard monitors every car that enters to check for them and jot down vehicle info.
The parking lot fits at least 100 cars — and many spots remained empty even after school began, The Post observed.
The parking lot fits at least 100 cars — and many spots remained empty even after school began, The Post observed.

She claimed the lot is private, though employees from PS 721 argue it’s city property.

A petition is in the works, the teacher added, and has over 100 signatures so far.

“This is a schoolwide issue that the majority are upset with,” said a teacher.

The city Department of Education did not immediately answer questions.