DECEMBER 2009 UPDATE: As of July 2009, Sergio Caceres, former principal of MS 218, has been appointed Interim Acting Principal of MS 343, replacing Rose-Marie Mills, who went on to work at the Department of Education.

OCTOBER 2007 REVIEW: MS 343, one of two small schools housed in the former MS 222 building, seems to be a safer and more orderly place than the school it replaced. MS 222 was closed in 2006 because of a history of violence and low performance. Now the building houses two smaller schools, MS 343 and MS 224. Attendance is up, the corridors and cafeteria are orderly, and classrooms are well-equipped with books, computers and supplies. Classroom management is still an issue we heard some teachers yelling and saw a few disruptive kids but we also saw many classes where the teaching was good and the students were engaged.

Surveillance cameras have been placed around the school, discouraging bad behavior. "We needed them," said Parent Coordinator Angela Cunningham, referring to the past, when the school was still MS 222. "We had a lot of fights, physical fights. Literally fights with blood on the floor." On the day of our visit, however, the violent days seem to be history, and students and administrator all agree that they feel safe.

With just 225 students, MS 343 is much smaller than the school it replaced, so students feel less anonymous and teachers can keep a better eye on them. Morever, MS 222 had many overage students who were more likely to get into trouble, Cunningham said. Now, most of the students assigned to MS 343 are the appropriate age for their grade. Still, the school has many children with social problems, including some who live in the nearby homeless shelter. "We get kids with major issues," said Principal Rose Marie-Mills. "If had the budget, I would hire another social worker, because that's how high the demand is."

At MS 343, administrators encourage good attendance with "dress down Fridays," and raffles for I-pods, and theater and baseball game tickets. Classes are small. Most have just 18 students. Students have technology classes twice per week, and the school has seven Smart Boards white boards connected to the Internet. A group of 16 students refurbish computers, which they then take home at the end of the year.

Most teachers we saw managed their students well, and some classes offered interesting class discussions with energetic teachers and students who were eager to participate. For example, students in an 8th grade math class were excited to make algebraic equations using plastic tiles with numbers, letters and signs on them.

A few teachers had difficulty controlling students. In one class, a disruptive student got out of his seat three times to say to another student, "Yo, you're stupid!" and, "Shut-up homeboy!" In another class, a teacher shouted eight times for students to write in their journals.

Although standardized test scores are low, the principal said that 65 percent of the students moved up one level on the English language arts state tests, and 58 percent improved by one level on the math tests in one year. Many students who did not pass were very close. "A very large number of kids fell on the border. Now we have the challenge of moving them," she said.

Special education: There are both self-contained for students with special needs only and collaborative team teaching (CTT) classes, with two teachers, one of them trained in special education.

After school: A community based organization called Just Us Inc. helps to support after school activities such as dance, band, media technology, homework help, and a website club, Monday Friday until 5 pm. Parents may take workshops to learn how to monitor their children's computer use. (Vanessa Witenko, October 2007)