The Middle School of Media, Law and Fine Arts

East Flatbush Community Research School has a supportive environment and lots of parent involvement. While both teachers and students complain about problems with order and discipline, students say their teachers give them individual attention and help them control their behavior.

The school was opened in 2007 as one of two replacement middle schools for IS 232, which closed due to poor performance. In 2018, the East Flatbush Community Research School merged with the other small school in the building, The Middle School of Marketing and Legal Studies.

A Department of Education evaluation called the Quality Review gave East Flatbush Community Research School high marks for engaging parents and helping students resolve their issues.  

 “I have a lot of teachers that help me out,” a student told the DOE evaluator. “If I get in trouble, they help me work it out. If I don’t have time to do my homework at home, they give me time with a computer on their time.”

Another student praised the basketball coach: “He helps me cool down if I am going to fight, he helps with my homework. I would be failing without him.”

The parent of a child with special needs said: “It’s not just academics here. They encourage our kids to reach their highest potential…his mentor really helps him to learn to control his temper about things that happen at school and at home.”

Most students enter with weak skills and academic achievement has a ways to go.

Admissions: Open to Brooklyn students. In recent years the school has had room for anyone who wants to attend. (Clara Hemphill, web reports, April 2019)