[aaus-list] Yuliya Tymoshenko and Ukrainian in New York City

[Bohdan Oryshkevich]

Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko in an interview in the London 
based Financial Times this past weekend went out to commend 
her interviewer, Chrystia Freeland, for teaching her children 
Ukrainian. (registration required) 
http://search.ft.com/search?queryText=Tymoshenko&aje=true&dse=&dsz=&x=13&y=1; 
 
Maintaining or developing a second language outside of French 
in Canada or Spanish in parts of the United States is often a very 
steep uphill battle. 
 
The reality is that New York City and New York State are 
currently strongly encouraging the chartering of publicly 
funded charter schools.  Eighteen charter schools are opening 
this September in New York City.  This represents a tremendous, 
unrealized opportunity to the Ukrainian-American community.  
A model school in New York City would go a long way to 
creating an anchoring institution that would enable the 
development of a more permanent Ukrainian presence in New 
York City.  Such a school would have resonance in Ukraine and 
could lead to personal support from the Ministry of Education, 
the President, and/or the Prime Minister in Ukraine. 
 
There is every reason to believe that it would be possible, if not 
easy, to establish a high quality k-12 program with a 
Ukrainian theme in New York City.  This would be largely 
funded by the New York City government.  Contributions from the 
Ukrainian American community and assistance, if not 
contributions, from the Ukrainian government could create a 
financially sound, academically outstanding school.  Partnerships and 
exchanges with leading schools in Ukraine would also be both 
logical and possible.  Precedents for such an initiative already exist.  
The Hellenic Classical Charter School in Brooklyn, a borough of New 
York City, has a partnership with the Greek Ministry of Education.  
It serves a broad population not limited to Greeks. 
 
The establishment of a sophisticated urban school with a Ukrainian 
theme in New York City could go a long way to helping develop an 
urban Ukrainian language in Ukraine.  If you can make it in New 
York, you can make it anywhere, as we say here. 
 
I posed a question in this regard at: 
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/ask-about-new-yorks-charter-schools/#respond 
 
Thank you for your attention. 
 
Bohdan A. Oryshkevich 
New York City
USA/USA Program 
www.ukrainianscholarships.org 
 
The links below provide all the basic information to make 
the development of a Ukrainian themed charter school a reality.
 
18 New Charter Schools to Open in September, Bloomberg Announces: 
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/education/19schools.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
 
Ask about charter schools in New York City this week: 
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/ask-about-new-yorks-charter-schools/#respond 
 
The New York State Charter School Website: 
http://www.newyorkcharters.org/
 
The New York City Center for Charter School Excellence: 
http://www.nycchartercenter.org/ 
 
Hellenic Classical Charter School: 
http://hccs-nys.org/ 
http://www.newyorkcharters.org/proHellenicClassical.htm 
Greek Ministry of Education is a partner of this school in Brooklyn 
 
Uncommon Schools is a not for profit organization that helps groups charter schools: 
www.uncommonschools.org 
 
The Bilingual Family: A Handbook for Parents (Paperback): 
by Edith Harding-Esch (Author), Philip Riley (Author) 
Cambridge University Press
 
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