In this article, I serve as a secretary for the critical policy analysis presented by hundreds of teachers, parents, students, and community members during 19 public hearings on school closures in New York City. In testimony at hearings, community members rejected the narrow, statistical approach they felt the Department of Education was using to develop policy. They examined the stated motives for school closures, the terms on which school closures were justified, the interests negotiated in policies, and the consequences of these decisions. Finally, this article challenges academics and policymakers to engage more authentically with community knowledge.