Parent's Thoughts on the 10/19 Metropolitan Meeting

Notes from Sue Blank

Metropolitan avenue school will open September 2010.  It will be a single campus as home to 2 schools:

• 6^th grade – 12^th grade; 700 students ; 27-30 per classroom

• 9^th grade-12^th grade; 1000 students; 27-30 per classroom

The purpose of tonight’s meeting was to hear position statements from key ( only?) (finalists?) contenders for the Principal’s position. 

They provided forms for audience to complete –

• For each applicant’s presentations state strengths/ weaknesses and recommendations. (Deb – this feedback is on the presentation or the presenter or both?)

• Forms can be submitted in hard copy to community superintendent, portfolio rep, or can be completed on line, or scanned and returned to NewSchoolsTeam@schools.nyc.gov

Also, if you want to get on the mailing list 

For the 6^th-12^th grade school:

1)      Kavita Gupta

• Spent yrs as a math educator at middle schools and high schools in Bx & Manh

• Prior to that was at the NYU school of Business

• Proposes a school emphasizing math, science and technology

• Focus on foundational skills and collaborative effort

• Feels especially strongly that work is most productive for students working in small groups, making observations, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting their findings

2)      Damon McCord & Pat Finley

• Preparing to develop a plan, had met w/ parents and Community-based organizations (no idea which) and did outreach w/ district 28

• Propose a rigorous program to teach critical thinking using:

  • the Expeditionary Learning Program (not sure what this is) and field work.

  • Science, technology and sustainability (what is this?) education for which they have est’d partnerships w/

    • the Cloud Institute for Sustainability,

    • the Council on the Environment ( the folks who being us the Greenmarket at Atlas Mall) will provide the after school programs

    • Sam Schwartz Engineering for student internships in Architecture and Planning

  • Leadership programs for the students – Exchange programs, honor society

• Between the two, they claim experience with:

  • teaching in the public and pvt middle schools and high schools (15 yrs)

  • cooperative team teaching

  • Int’l baccalaureate pgms

  • Outward bound pgms

  • Administration (10 yrs)

• Disclosed having a 200,000 $ grant fr the Gates fund's for the metropolitan school’s curriculum

3)      Josh Howard

• Experience:

  • 6 yrs as NYC teacher

  • Taught ESL in Turkey

  • Taught English at Kennedy H.S. (on L.I.?)

• Platform of values equip students w/ skills needed for college and for leading exceptional lives

  • Commitment

  • Compassion

  • Craftsmanship

  • Citizenship

  • Collaboration

• Emphasis on:

  • College readiness

  • Using the arts as a means to civic engagement (this includes partnerships w/ the Epic theater, Int’l ctr for Photog, BAM

  • Personnel development

• Other offerings

  • Ea student participates in arts w/ a daily advisory gp mtg – 30 minutes/d

  • Student Progress Report using Grade Edge Software, s.t. parents can check on their child’s progress at any time

  • Make A.P. courses available to those who are ready

  • Effective Effort Teaching (what’s this?)

 For the 9-12^th gr school

1)    Katherine Kahalis

• Envisions a student-centered model, and creating 2 smaller learning communities, each w/ ~ 400 kids

  • Math, science, tech community

  • Theater, music theory

• All students will be obligated to take survey courses during their 1^st yr.  These courses will address architecture and engineering, banking & finance, Music theory, theater to maximize exposure to different career options

• Will have A/P honors courses available, as well as the availability of electives leading to internships

• Expects ongoing interactions w/ parents and community

2)  Marci Levy-McGuire

• History –

  • Former marine biologist

  • Biology teacher at Packer School in Brooklyn

  • Professional development for teachers

• “Principals need systems and structures to support students and teachers”

• Envisions a performing and visual arts school at which everyone is a teacher & student; and performer & audience

• Art curriculum to include:

  • Music

  • Film

  • Visual Arts

  • Theater

  • Dance

• Students will be ready for college

• Kids will do field work and have ‘block schedules’ to work on a single problem fr beginning to end

 

3)  Robert Quintana

• Experience – 24 yrs experience in district 24

  • Asst Principal – IS 125 (Qns)

    • Avg regents score was 94

  • Wk w/ Dist 24 superintendent

  • Wk in dist 24 as social studies teacher

    • Got his eighth graders to qualify for 11^th grade regents.

  • UFT chapter leader

• Proponent of discipline and rigor

• Envisions the school having emphasis on medical sciences and technology (did he claim that it was based on feedback of District 28 parents’, and to that end has est’d partnerships w/ Hall of Sci, NYU School of Med’s Director of Education, Jamaica Hosp, ICI (?)

• Will incorporate PROSPER –a system to develop formative and summative skills.  (the former = assess each student’s skills, identify gpas and address them; the latter content-based)

• Intents to have community planning time and including parents

• Data driven

• Strong college prep- A/P class bent

4) Jillian Perkins

• Experience

  • in schools in NY, California and Mexico

  • At her NY school has 96% of students? Graduates? Attending college

• Envisions – anthropology and art school

• Wants hands on engagement w/ culture; learning math through music; learning history through archeology

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Notes from Lisa Herlinger-Thompson on the Office of Portfolio Planning’s,
District 28 Metropolitan Campus Applicants meeting on October 19, 2009. There
are 2 schools planned for the Metropolitan Avenue campus (Metropolitan near
Woodhaven) in Queens: a 6-12 IS/HS, and a 9-12 HS. At tonight’s meeting there
were seven Prospective School Leaders (prospective principals) who gave 5-minute
presentations on their mission, vision, and educational philosophy for the new
schools. Three applicants presented for the 6-12 and four applicants presented
for the 9-12. This is my summary (hopefully unbiased) of the focus of each
candidate.

IS/HS Applicants
• Kavita Gupta: Has a background in business before coming to teaching. Her
focus is Math, Science, and Technology. These subjects would be infused across
the disciplines. She believes in a diverse, inclusive environment in which
students take part in inquiry-based and activity-based learning. A collaborative
method of partnering with the community and parents is also important.

• Damon McCord and Pat Finley: These candidates are interested in a rigorous
academic program, which utilizes the expeditionary model of education. They
support a focus on college preparation and leadership opportunities. Science,
Technology, and sustainability are the core of the curriculum. They mentioned a
number of partnerships with places such as the Cloud Institute, an engineering
firm, and Outward Bound.

• Joshua Howard: His plan includes aspects of commitment, compassion, and
citizenship, among others. The focus throughout all academics is to make sure
that everything has an authentic purpose and relates to the community. He
believes in emphasizing college preparation and personalized instruction for
students. Partnerships with various arts organizations in the community,
including BAM, would support the learning.

HS Applicants
• Katherine Kelalas: Wants to incorporate the positive elements of both big
schools and small schools by creating two smaller learning communities. One
focused on Math, Science, and Technology, the other on Theater and Music. The
arts would be run by partnerships with arts organizations and include
internships. The school would utilize inquiry-based and inter-disciplinary
learning techniques. This school would also emphasize college preparation.

• Marci Levy-Maguire: Has a background in Science and is interested in a
school focused on performing and visual arts. She is passionate about creating a
collaborative environment that is inclusive of all students. Block scheduling
would allow students to really focus on a question they are studying, as opposed
to running from class to class.

• Robert Quintana: Interested in a school that offers rigorous education that
is student-centered with strong college preparation. He believes in common
planning time with content teachers that is also open to parents. His focus
would be Medical Science and Technology with partnerships with local medical
facilities.

• Jillian Perkins: Interested in a school that has a hands-on learning
environment with a strong college preparation that incorporates cooperative
learning. Her focus is on anthropology, culture, and the arts. By students
investigating their own culture in an inquiry-based way, they can use that as a
lens and bridge their learning to all subjects: learning through and with the
arts.