Hearing on new Manhattan high school on Thursday
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“I was looking for a challenging but not overly intense, neighborhood high school experience,” said an Upper West Side mom. “There just aren’t enough seats.”
This Thursday, June 11 from 6-7:30 p.m. the Department of Education is holding a public hearing in the building that now houses Brandeis High School, to gather feedback from the community on what kind of school they would like to see occupy the remaining 800 to 1,000 seats in the Brandeis High School building on West 84th Street.
Brandeis High School will be phased out starting in 2009; no new 9th graders will enroll, although current students will be permitted to attend until they graduate. In its place, three new schools will open in the building in September 2009: The Urban Assembly High School for Green Careers, the Innovation Diploma Plus school, a transfer school for kids 16 to 20 years old, and the Global Learning Collaborative. The three schools together still leave room for one more high school — thus, the Thursday meeting.
One idea to be presented by District 3 parents and others is the new Frank McCourt High School of Journalism, Writing and Literature, a new school of 800 to 1,000 students. Says their Facebook page writeup: “The Frank McCourt High School of Journalism, Writing & Literature is a new, college preparatory high school with a focus on creative and expository writing, journalism, digital communication, and literature. The school will also provide learning opportunities in Spanish (and eventually French) for students who are bilingual and/or biliterate.“
Planners say that the school will reflect the Upper West Side neighborhood: diverse in all ways and home to so many great writers and thinkers. The school’s rigorous, project-based curriculum will be strengthened through partnerships with neighborhood institutions, including Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, Symphony Space, and Fordham University. Teachers drawn from New York’s literary, journalism, and digital media community will guide and inspire students to become great storytellers and literary critics.
“The school will open with a 9th grade of about 200 students and will add one additional grade per year for a target enrollment of 800 to 1,000 students. A full complement of math, science, and social studies curriculum, as well as extracurricular clubs and sports, will round out this exciting learning community. Admissions will be based both on grades and a portfolio application, with the goal of enrolling a spectrum of engaged students.”
Want to learn more? The hearing’s on Thursday, June 11, starting at 6pm, in the Brandeis building, 145 West 84th Street, with details and more anticipated on Facebook.
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I think it’s important that a new high school in District 3 give preference in admissions to District 3 students, as there is currently no high school that does. Beacon should also change its policy and give preference to Distict 3 students again, and it should do so in time for fall 2010 admissions.
Comment by Seventh grader's mom — June 10, 2009 @ 1:32 pm
There are just not enough good high schools (and middle schools) to go around -especially in Brooklyn. Rather than instituting district preference in District 3 schools, the Bd. of Ed should eliminate district preference completeley. Why should the concentration of good schools in District 2 be limited to those that have the means to reside in those neighborhoods. There should be no district preference at all -at least until each borouogh can offer its students the same quality of education.
Comment by CGMom — June 10, 2009 @ 1:47 pm
I second that, CGMom!
Comment by StudentAdvocate — June 11, 2009 @ 1:31 pm