Current event # 5

Title and link: City Names Six Schools to Close After Poor Grades
Author: ELISSA GOOTMAN
Source: New York Times

Summary: N.Y.C will close six schools after earning D's and F's in a report released by New York Department of Education. The city officials explained that the criteria was based on the schools' report cards and the history of performance in these schools. Three of the failing schools are located in East Harlem, a middle and elementary school in the Bronx and a small high school in Brooklyn. According to the report released by N.Y.C Department of Education, there are 50 city schools that received D's and almost 100 that got F's.

The main question for Department of Education is how are they going to replace these schools with new schools. Some of these six schools will be phased out gradually; they will not accept new applicants for next year and finally they will be replaced by new schools. The school that I teach in now will be phasing out in two years. In the past the school was closed and reopened under a new name a few times. Closing and reopening a school under a new name does not mean that something essential about the school has changed.

I think that schools that will be phased out should be replaced by new schools with new leaders, new vision and a new curriculum. In addition to that, the school should be given the necessary resources to attract staff and students in a completely new environment. A lot depends on the administrators of the school who set a tone and relationships with staff and students. One other thing that I believe is important refers to the school and class size. It is known now that large schools are not performing as good as small schools where people can actually build a strong community and where everyone knows everyone. Class size is essential for the success of the students and will enable the teacher to help his/her students much more than in a large class size.