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Comments

• [1] John from New York City June 22, 2009 - 08:40AM

  SMALL SCHOOls dont always operate in a legal way. Some are great but there are so many can the city keep track of all of them?

  There is a high school on w 50th called Facing History if a student is late they illegally make the students wait outside until the 1st period is over (70 min) before they are let in the building. That is illegal.

  
  
• [2] Elizabeth from Queens June 22, 2009 - 10:30AM

  I spent several months reporting in one of the bedraggled big high schools that are being phased out and replaced by smaller "boutique" schools by Bloomberg. Though the "mini-schools" did better academically, it was apples and oranges: the students admitted to the small school were much likelier to meet standards, whereas Stevenson was a school of last resort for kids who couldn't get in anyplace else (Leo Casey at the United Federation of Teachers did a damning report on this issue: http://www.edwize.org/tales-of-two-schools-large-and-small)

  The small schools were largely staffed by Teach for America 21-year-olds who considered their time in the Bronx volunteer work before their real careers, and who often left after a year or less. Stevenson's mechanic's program, which educated many of the auto-body shop owners in the area, was gone, as were the sports teams that contributed the hardware in the lobby and motivated many students to maintain their grades. I went in thinking that dismantling that failing school would be a good thing, but my conclusion was much more complicated: one size doesn't fit all. http://www.coveringeducation.org/schoolstories/stevenson.html

  
  
• [3] Michael Markowitz from Manhattan June 22, 2009 - 11:30AM

  The Chancellor's responsibility is to maximize benefit and minimize adverse impacts. NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

  (Another commenter covered "creaming" quite well already.)

  Did the captain of the Titanic take credit for the conditions on a few lifeboats?

  
  
• [4] Bob from the Bronx from The Bronx June 22, 2009 - 11:33AM

  The 100+ comprehensive neighborhood high schools have served their communities for generations. The "comprehensive" school took into consideration the different learning needs of a diverse population. They offerend 3 diplom/course of study options: Regents/academic for the college bound, commercial diploma for thiose mastering professional skills, and General for those who chose not to specialize. The auto shop programs (mentioned by post #2) were present, along with other career ed options, such as business (accounting, secretarial, marketing)

  culinary arts, computer repair, pre-engineering, opthalmic dispensing, dental hygenist, nursing, etc., to some extent, in EVERY comprehensive high school that led to many successful careers for our students. With the elimination of the 3 tracks & imposition of an academic diploma track for all high school students, force those who wan career education to attend the handful of vocational around the city, but those students are missing the experience of a richer academic/cukltural learning environment offered in larger comprehensive schools. There always have been alternative, experimental, small schools, which are fine in the mix of schools. However, the Mayor has made it a policy to systematically close ALL comprehensive high schools in the Bronx & Manhattan (as well as minority areas of Brooklyn & Queens) over the objections of students, parents, alumni & community groups. The new mini schools have a purely academic focus, along with a "theme," that may or may not be operational. They offer little in the way of arts, electives & more diverse academic offerings, (such as more that one foreign laguange). This style of dictatorial, top-down mayoral control overiding community wishes, would never fly in the suburbs. The true agenda is to break the teachers union & privatize the school system.

  
  
• [5] Michael Markowitz from Manhattan June 22, 2009 - 11:40AM

  It's not just about bigger and smaller. What is the demographic make-up of each?

  For example, JFK HS in the Bronx -- a BIG high school with 1426 kids (per DOE website) -- is over 95% non-white-or-asian (per DOE website) -- in a city that (per 2000 census) is 54% black or hispanic.

  55 years later, when will word of "Brown v. Board of Ed" reach Tweed, let alone be reflected in the New York City Schools system?

  
  
• [6] mc from Brooklyn June 22, 2009 - 11:49AM

  Some large high schools are happy the way they are. My son goes to a high school with 4,000 students. He is getting an outstanding education. There have been threats to break it up. We don't want it. We like it the way it is.

  
  
• [7] Eric from B'klyn June 22, 2009 - 11:53AM

  Do your guests see a roe for noncommercial advertising, ie PSAs, to raise public awareness of environomental or public health issues?

  
  
• [8] KMTMB June 22, 2009 - 10:35PM

  Michael Markowitz from Manhattan: JFK HS is being phased out. JFKHS will have only 10th and 11th grades this Fall.There are now, I believe, 5 small independent HSs and the building is now "The Kennedy Campus". I'm not sure what population the racial and ethnic demographic is based on. I am going to speak with my colleagues in the building in each of the schools about there view of their student demographic and the size of their student population.

  My experiences, which are a few years old, at JFK don't support the DOE demographics you quote but I'm intrigued enough to research.

  
  
• [9] Ann Kjellberg from Manhattan June 23, 2009 - 08:30AM

  Thanks for doing this important segment. The substance of the Bloomberg/Klein reforms seems to receive so little detailed analysis. You mention that the essays in "NYC Schools Under Bloomberg and Klein" are very negative, but you don't mention whether or not they are correct. Many parents, educators, and scholars who have been involved in the system and looked at it closely do in fact have a "very negative" view of it. Most of its enthusiasts seem to be journalists and politicians, except for some charter school parents afraid of losing their seats and getting sent back to the zoned schools that get nothing like the same level of supports.