Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina visited Boys & Girls High School in Bedford-Stuyvesant today to unroll a set of initiatives aimed at turning around failing public schools – many of which are in poor black and Hispanic neighborhoods.
But the organization, StudentsFirstNY, which advocates in favor of Gov. Cuomo’s proposed reforms that includes tougher evaluations for public school teachers, more charter schools and the possible takeover of failing schools by private entities, called the initiatives misleading.
De Blasio and Farina’s plan revolves around the $150 million School Renewal program, which dedicates experienced new leadership and new resources to 94 schools that have struggled for years. The effort will be overseen by the new Executive Superintendent for the School Renewal Program, Aimee Horowitz, a leader with a track record of turning around troubled schools and raising student achievement.
Horowitz has most recently served as superintendent for Staten Island high schools and 14 Renewal Schools, including Boys and Girls High School and Automotive High School. She was also the founding principal of the College of Staten Island High School for International Studies, which maintained a graduation rate of well above 95 percent under her leadership.
De Blasio and Farina visited Boys and Girls High School, the oldest high school in Brooklyn, to showcase the school as an example of the new momentum created through the School Renewal program.
De Blasio noted there is a new school principal with a track record of achievement, new Advanced Placement course offerings to challenge students, twice as many seniors on track to graduate on time, climbing attendance rates, and a new Saturday Academy to provide students with small group instruction and Regents Exam preparation on weekends. As part of Boys and Girls’ transformation, every teacher must reapply for his or her position, said de Blasio.
“The status quo is not acceptable. That’s why we are giving struggling schools something they’ve never had before: the leadership, focus and support they need to finally succeed. This is what real change will take,” said de Blasio. “Many of these schools have been broken for years, and they won’t be fixed overnight. But make no mistake: this strategy is working. This is why it is so vital we renew Mayoral Control and secure the fair funding our students need.”
But StudentsFirstNY Executive Director Jenny Sedlis said the organization remains incredibly concerned about the children trapped in failing schools like Boys and Girls High School.
“The de Blasio administration failed to mention the fact that enrollment has fallen radically from 809 in October to 557 in February – a precipitous 31% drop. The administration must answer where have those students gone, especially considering reports of counseling out last November,” said Sedlis.
