APRIL 2010 UPDATE:  In September, 2008, MS 223 started a dual language program in Spanish and English.  . "The goal is for our students to be bicultural, biliterate and bilingual," said assistant principal, Eric Lincoln in a telephone interview with Insideschools.org.  Lincoln, a former social studies teacher at the school and a member of its founding faculty, said that math is taught exclusively in English, while science social studies and technology are taught exclusively in Spanish. Students also receive traditional language arts instruction in both English and Spanish. 

Interested students can apply to the dual language program by ranking it as one of their choices on the District 7 middle school application form.  According to Lincoln, students selected for the program must have a foundation in both English and Spanish, though they don't have to be fluent in both languages. 

In April, 2010, MS 223 was named a finalist in the Intel Schools of Distinction Awards for implementing innovative math programs and serving as a model for other schools. 

Through a partnership with Computers for Youth, every incoming student is given a desk top computer. (Laura Zingmond, telephone interview, April, 2010).

MARCH 2004 REVIEW:  MS 223 Principal Ramon Gonzalez, who grew up on welfare, attended public schools in East Harlem, and went on to win a scholarship to Cornell University, is determined to offer the children of the South Bronx the same educational opportunities that allowed him to rise from poverty. Gonzalez, 34, has assembled a young, energetic, and idealistic staff and created a small school designed to get kids excited about their studies. The school has a cheerful, welcoming feel, and the children seem happy to be here.

Although the school hopes to prepare all students for college, the administration also wants to give children skills they may use to get a job if they choose not to go on in school. Gonzalez said students learn to "take apart a computer and put it back together again," a useful job skill for any student. He said the teachers are dedicated not only to helping their students, but also to improving the neighborhoods in which they live. "You're not a teacher, you're a community builder," he said.

Housed on the top floor of the old IS 149, a junior high school that was closed because of poor performance, [MS 223 shares a building with another new school, South Bronx Prep.] MS 223 opened in September, 2003, with 134 6th graders and 10 staffers from Teach for America, a program that enlists recent graduates of top-notch liberal arts colleges who are committed to urban education and eager to learn their craft. Nearly all of the teachers were still there two years later when we made another visit.

The teachers bring energy and imagination to the their work. One teacher helped children studying ancient Egypt make a mummy out of a chicken and buried it in the schoolyard. Students also put live worms on white and black construction paper, and learned that they would move toward the white paper in search of light. The teachers seem to be attentive to the kids, and give individual attention when possible. Occasionally, their inexperience shows: while most classes are orderly, it's clear that classroom management is a constant struggle. In a few classes on our first visit, kids got up from their seats or talked out of turn. But in the two years since the school opened, the teachers have gained more experience, and Gonzalez has recruited some more senior staffers.

The school uses the theme of "finance" and "technology" money and computers to motivate kids. There is a "school economy" in which children earn prizes (such as movie tickets or computer time) for good behavior. Managers from the nearby Banco Popular volunteer to help kids think of the jobs they might have when they grow up. Children play fun computer games with historical themes, such as "Civilization." "We know most of our kids love video games, so we use computer games to motivate them," Gonzalez said.

About 30% of the student body receives either special education services or English classes for English language learners.  (Clara Hemphill, March 2004, updated October 2005, February 2006)