East Side Middle School has become one of the most popular and successful middle schools in the city under the steady leadership of Principal David Getz. The school has about 350 students, and the low enrollment has allowed East Side Middle to foster an environment where academics count, but so do kindness and familiarity among students and staff. Housed on the top two floors of an elementary school, P.S. 158, the physical plant of East Side Middle leaves a lot to be desired: the corridors are narrow and the classrooms are cramped. But the staff is cohesive, the kids seem happy and the atmosphere combines hard work and fun.

I'm an 8th grader at ESMS this year, and I've truly loved this school. The halls are tiny and crowded, but the students here are great and it's easy to make friends. The teachers all have a... read more

After 3 years at ESMS, having volunteered for or attended many school functions, I never exchanged one word with Mr. Getz despite numerous attempts, although he seemed friendly with other... read more

"Some weeding of teaching and administrative staff needs to be done in order to assure that ESMS maintains its strong reputation - especially if it is to survive its move to the new location -... read more