A classic Career and Technical Education (CTE) school, William E. Grady High School teaches students the fundamentals of automotive repair, carpentry, plumbing, cooking and other trades while simultaneously providing a traditional secondary education. In 2010, Grady was labeled one of the lowest performing schools in the city and given extra funds to improve. With an experienced, no-nonsense principal at the helm, the school has a renewed focus on serving vocation-minded students who might struggle in a typical classroom environment.

The mood among Grady students was optimistic and positive during our visit. The predominantly male student body appeared far more engaged during hands-on vocational courses, but students were respectful and mostly attentive in the English, math, history and science classrooms we visited. Litter-free hallways were decorated with large murals painted by Grady students, and attractive displays of student work were common sights. Vocational training is the norm, but several students we spoke to were making plans for college.

The $1.4 million in federal funding has gone to extensive in-school and after school tutoring, college trips and a renovated entrance way that serves as a cheerful balance to the drab and intimidating metal detectors.

Grady’s guiding force is principal Geraldine Maione, a former Grady history teacher (and ex-principal of Brooklyn’s Franklin D. Roosevelt High) who feels she was drawn by fate to return to Grady in time to save the school from the scrap heap. After a year of her tenure, students have begun to pass more courses, and attendance and morale has improved. Safety concerns persist for students, but, like teachers, they reported progress in most areas of school life on the Learning Environment Survey. Equally important, Grady students now sense the affection of a seasoned educator who one moment will loudly call them to account for wearing a forbidden cap, and a second later envelop them in a hug and remind them how much she cares about their futures.

“Children are the most important things in this building,” Maione said, moments after firmly telling a young teen to pull up his sagging jeans. “When you love children, you’ll find a way to reach them. … If kids know you love them, they’ll never disrespect you.”

Grady offers state-certified vocational courses in air conditioning and refrigeration, computer repair, automotive repair, carpentry, electrical installation, plumbing, heating and culinary arts. Shop classes equipped with modern equipment and tools are often lively places where students actively engage in hands-on learning. When we visited, teens in state-of-the-art auto shops had several cars up on hydraulic lifts, cooks in the busy classroom kitchen were preparing lunch for the teachers’ dining room, and kids learning to build a one-story house from the ground up were pouring concrete pads and footings.

Most vocational programs are designed to train students for apprentice-level jobs in a trade. For example, students who complete the three-year carpentry program can qualify for “an entry-level position, no problem,” said senior shop teacher Steve Lamendola, himself a master carpenter. That typically translates to a $42,000 starting salary. The school works with 18 different trade unions, many of which have programs that encourage companies to hire Grady graduates. Grady tracks graduates who have become carpenters, and “80 percent of them are still employed,” Lamendola said. “They’re holding on to our kids.”

In addition to shops, the Grady campus features a large gym, weight room, yoga/dance room and a basement studio where TV and film production are taught. A writing center produces a student newspaper and literary magazine, and also helps students craft essays for internship applications. The modest library has a small computer lab. The school offers a number of after-school programs, including a variety of varsity sports. The campus, located adjacent to busy Shore Parkway, features a turf-coated football field.

On the downside, metal detectors greet students at the main entrance. Kids in most classrooms seemed obedient but rarely enthusiastic, and Grady’s graduation rate is below average. Some classes lack academic rigor, and educators admit they need more AP courses. Principal Maione indicated in 2011 that she was nearing retirement, and she was hopeful a like-minded administrator would continue the rebuilding work she had begun.

Grady has self-contained special ed classes, integrated co-teaching (where students with special needs are taught alongside other students) and special education specialists (SETTS). It is located four long blocks from the Brighton Beach stop on the B and Q subways

College: In 2011, 30% of students who entered the school four years earlier enrolled in college. Only about 5% of students were consider “college ready,” based on their scores on standardized exams.

Admissions: Grady is open to all New York City residents and follows the educational option formula, designed to ensure a mix of low, average and high performing kids. (Skip Card, October, 2011)