Each fall the New York State Education Department reviews data from the thousands of schools across the far reaches of the State and identifies schools who are moving away from Adequate Yearly Progress – the No Child Left Behind measurement rubric.
The SED then enters into a “negotiation” with the Department of Education … the Department preemptively closes some schools, and others end up on the Schools Under Registration Review (SURR) list.
This year the Department announced the closing, actually the phasing out of 14 schools, and another seven: six middle schools and one transfer high school, ended up on the SURR list.
A State team, made up of a Regional Superintendent (fka, BOCES) and his/her staff members, a CSA rep, a UFT rep, a parent rep and SED and DOE reps make up the team, usually 10-12 folk. They spend three days in the school, observe teachers, interview supervisors, teachers, parents and kids, and review school data and student work. In the evenings they write the Report, and, on the fourth day read the Report to the school community. About two months later, after the SED “massages” the draft, the Report is released to all.
The Report is made up of “findings” and “recommendations,” and, in rare instances, can suggest that the school should be closed.
The only high school on the list this year is Bushwick Community High School, a transfer high school. Transfer High Schools only accept students who have been failing to accumulate credits and pass Regents exams in other schools. Bushwick Community will accept kids with zero credits.
They accept the most at risk students … kids who have been stumbling for years, kids well along the path to dropping out of school. Needless to say most of their kids do not graduate in their cohort year, four years after they entered high school, and, some may never graduate. In 2006 Bushwick had a 46% dropout rate … however … 54% of the kids did not drop out.
Bushwick works with kids on the edge of the abyss, rather than nurturing the school the Department threw them off the cliff. Not a surprise.
The P-schools, schools for pregnant girls, also an at risk population, also not surprisingly, did not have “good data.” The solution: close the schools!! What happened to the kids? The Department has no idea … in theory they would return to other schools, and, maybe, enroll in schools with LYFE programs. In reality, most probably dropped out …
Bushwick Community is a wonderful school … a creative, caring, dedicated staff that is proud of what they accomplish. The Department, that counts widgets rather than the lives of young people, failed to explain to the State the mission of Bushwick. Hopefully the State Team will realize that Bushwick is a special place … that should be cherished … and, hopefully, will not face the same fate as the P-schools.
9 Comments:
1 TRandall
· Mar 10, 2008 at 9:11 am
As the Principal of Bushwick Community High School I appreciate the wonderful things said about our school and the fact that at least someone out there understands what a Transfer School does!
Thank you,
Tira Randall
Principal
2 tharvey2
· Mar 14, 2008 at 9:14 am
This is my first year at BCHS and I have to say, this school is the real deal. There is no one that I know of in the city that operate the way we do. We care in word and deed. We educate the students’ socially, politically and academically. As a parent, I would send my child here. We are educating one student at a time. If we educate one, then we have educated their legacy thus creating a better society.
3 Steve
· Mar 19, 2008 at 6:13 pm
I’m a long-time early childhood educator in New York City’s public schools. During my 2004/2005 sabbatical, I had the distinct pleasure to spend time in BCHS classrooms, and with BCHS teachers. The school is amazing. In a school system that too often treats youth as either products or problems, BCHS is a community in which young people who have been failed by the system have a place to determine their own futures.
4 rania
· Mar 20, 2008 at 3:08 pm
I’ve had the opportunity to work with a group of students at BCHS last year and found the experience very energizing for an educator. The students, the teachers, and the principal have created a very positive environment that actively works toward a system of education that not only engages but adapts to the society we live in. I fully support the school.
5 brian
· Mar 20, 2008 at 11:49 pm
I have had the distinct plessure of co-teaching an arts class at BCHS this semester. I have been a teaching artist in high schools and middle schools throughout the city and I can honestly say that BCHS is the most positive learning environment I have ever taught in. The level of student engagement is often profound and the commitment of the faculty and administration is inspiring. When friends and family criticize the public schools, I often point to BCHS as a beacon of hope- a model of what public education could be.
6 orawise
· Mar 26, 2008 at 11:36 pm
This is my second year co-teaching an after-school program for credit at BCHS (which in and of itself is a unique opportunity the school provides its students with). I have never seen a school as safe, healthy, and intellectually stimulating as BCHS. The other day I asked a student if BCHS was different than his last school and he answered, “I learn more here”. New York City needs BCHS.
7 ryvka
· Mar 26, 2008 at 11:37 pm
This year I have had the humbling experience of working with a group of BCHS students twice a week, and would not be exaggerating to describe it as the finest and most unique educational institution I have ever been a part of. I have been teaching for almost 10 years, in a wide variety of schools, some of them ranking highest in their areas, and can say with full confidence that the depth of learning that I have witnessed at BCHS is unprecedented. Never before have I seen such a strong and committed team of administrators, faculty, and students. It would be nothing short of criminal to shut down this amazing site of learning.
8 MikeS
· Mar 28, 2008 at 3:39 pm
It is very difficult to work in a transfer high school due to the different types of accountability that are involved. Having worked in one, I understand the stress involved in terms of making it work, dealing with a population that most do not want to work with, and do educationally sound things.
Having stated that I also find it fascinating that out of the 25-30 transfer high schools in the city, BCHS is the only one that ended up on the SURR list. They all work with the same population, underaged and overcredited students. I am willing to guess that the BCHS staff will state that they work with a population that no one else will work with affecting their statistics but that is simply not true.
The accountability factors are there between the state, city, and federal government and are not going to change. It seems like the real issue is that the BCHS administration needs to be more aware of those factors and take the steps involved of doing what they have to do to survive. Bushwick sorely needs this school as there is no other choice (as of yet)in the community.
9 MikeS
· Mar 28, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Whoops, realized I meant, “They all work overaged and undercredited students”.
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