Our Insights
What’s Special
Challenging academics and lots of high tech, hands-on learning
The Downside
Hard to receive individual attention in the sea of 5,000 students
Brooklyn Tech has achieved the rare feat of remaining true to its original goal of forming "a more technically literate workforce," while staying up-to-date with the latest technology and skills. The largest of the city's specialized high schools, Tech offers an exciting environment for students who like to design, build and work with their hands.
Integral to the school's mission is the belief that students enjoy learning more when they can touch, feel and do things. This is evident in classes across all subject areas, but most obvious in the workshops and labs of the 18 technical or scientific "majors." On a typical day you may find aerospace engineering majors practicing on flight simulators, law and society majors conducting a forensic analysis of hairs left at a "crime scene," and architectural and engineering majors building two-story house inside a classroom.
The first-floor hallways are lined with an alumni Hall of Fame, reminding students of the school's lauded history and high expectation of success, though Tech lacks the sense of pressure and competition that pervades the some of the other specialized and highly competitive high schools in the city.
Students all start off together in two core technology classes--design and drafting for production and digital electronics, which teaches them to work together using industry-standard practices such as drafting software, reading blueprints, wiring their computer "bread boards," and printing prototypes on one of the school's many 3-D printers. These two courses are meant to introduce kids to the problem-solving and design skills they will need in any college major or career they pursue.
In the spring of their sophomore year, students rank all of the 19 majors according to preference, and those with the highest grade point average are given first choice. Majors require a sequence of four to eight courses that students must complete over two years in addition to fulfilling graduation requirements in math, English language arts and social studies. Tech is generally stronger in math and science than in the humanities.
Some majors are more demanding than others and none can be changed once assigned. Social science research, for example, requires a sequence of six Advanced Placement (AP) courses over two years. Other majors, like software engineering, allow more flexibility because there are fewer required courses. The wide array of AP course offerings are open to all students, as are the school's many music, dance and drama electives.
Some classrooms are just as they were when the building opened; others have been recently renovated, like the mock courtroom, complete with a judge's booth, jury benches and portraits of Supreme Court justices on the wall.
The school, founded in 1922, moved in 1933 to its current campus adjacent to Fort Greene Park. The massive building has wide hallways, several elevators and many huge classrooms renovated to keep up with new technological demands. The 3,000-seat theater is one of the largest in the city, and is used for school plays as well as public events. Students in the "Stageworks" club manage the lighting, sound and sets for events.
There are many sports teams and well over 100 extracurricular activities, including drama, salsa dancing, quilting, photography and a robotics team which has won national championships. Students design, manufacture using heavy-duty equipment and build their robots in-house, not relying on corporate partners as most school teams do. At a school full of budding engineers, though, it is hard to make the cut amongst the hundreds of applications for a spot on this 28-member team. A robust alumni network actively supports the school.
David Newman, a former assistant principal at the school, was named principal in 2017. He replaced longtime principal, Randy Asher who left to oversee the Department of Education's efforts to reduce the number of teachers in the Absent Teacher Reserve (ATR) pool.
Tech has over 20 guidance counselors who work with individuals or small groups at key transition points, like freshmen year and during the college admissions process. Still, at this biggest of all city high schools, it's hard to provide individual attention to each student.
About one-third of graduates go to private or out-of-state colleges and many attend CUNY and SUNY schools, including the highly competitive Macaulay Honors College.
SPECIAL EDUCATION: Fewer than 1 percent of students receive special education services. (Nicole Mader, March 2015; updated August 2018)
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School Stats
Academics
Students
Race/Ethnicity
Safety & Vibe
Faculty & Staff
Advanced Courses
Calculus
Computer Science
Physics
Advanced Foreign Language
AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science
AP/IB Math or Science
Music
College Readiness
Programs & Admissions
From the 2024 High School DirectoryBrooklyn Technical High School (K89S)
Program Description:
Admission to this Specialized High School is based solely on the score obtained on the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT). Students should speak to their school counselors in the Fall to register for the SHSAT.
Offerings
From the 2024 High School DirectoryContact & Location
Location
29 Ft Greene Place
Brooklyn
NY
11217
Trains: , , , to Nevins St; to Hoyt & Schermerhorn; , , to DeKalb Av; to Lafayette Av; , to Atlantic Av; to Fulton St
Buses: B103, B25, B26, B37, B38, B41, B45, B52, B54, B62, B63, B65, B67, B69
Contact
Other Details
This school is in its own building.
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