A New Start by Dale Wolkoff

I worked at Lafayette High School for 23 years before I had to leave do to its closure.

Of course being used to the administration at Lafayette, my colleagues, and

my surroundings, I was quite anxious as to where I would continue my career.

When Human Resources called me and told me to report to Tele the following day, I had reservations. Because I use public transportation and live in Sheepshead Bay I thought the commute would be a bit much. However, I shortly found myself saying to everyone “It is definitely worth the trip.”

I am abolutely delighted to

be part of the TELE staff. From the very first day everyone made me feel very welcomed. The administration is great! The ISS department is very special. My supervisior cheap viagra pills Vivian Demoleas made me feel a part of the department from the very first day I started. She is a pleasure to work for and I enjoy coming to work everyday.

A Reflection by David De Martini

One of the things I love about being an Assistant Principal is that I’m not tied to a desk, and that my responsibilities take m

e all over the school building and give me the opportunity to closely work with teachers, students, counselors, parents and other administrators. Unfortunately, that makes it a bit difficult to describe a

typical day. My day starts at about 6:45 am when I (and a surprising number of teachers) usually arrive. This is a time when I like to grade papers and prepare teaching materials for my Online Journalism class. It’s also a time when teachers come to my office to get supplies, to ask for advice, or to consult with their colleagues about the day’s lessons, or the previous day’s challenges.

On my best days, I will have spent the majority of the school day in classes, watching as our students participate in debates, make presentations about the novel they are reading, play in the final game of a basketball tournament, act out a scene from Romeo and Juliet, or sing a song from The Wiz. I might also have conferences with teachers about a new book or elective course that they would like to teach, or about how they could better help their students to succeed in their classes.

While most would think that my day ends at 3 pm, there are many things that happen after hours at HSTAT. Sometimes I’m invited to the Writing Club to listen to members share their poetry, short stories, or personal essays. On other days, I visit the Japanese Club as they practice calligraphy or as they screen an anime film. Once or twice, I’ve sat in with the Rock Club as they practiced old songs (the only ones

they thought I would know) to try to decide which song to play at our Cultural Show.

Although it’s hard to describe a typical day, I would say that most of my days are far from typical. I feel incredibly lucky to have a job that is challenging, interesting, and ever-changing, and that I get to work with students, teachers, counselors, parents and administrators whom I admire and respect.

HSTAT Progress Report: We Are An A because…

Today the Chancellor will announce “Progress Report” grades for all of the schools in the City. I am proud t

o say that we will receive an “A.”

Congratulations! I am delighted that the extraordinary work that you do for our young people is being recognized.

The Progress Report is an interesting (and limited) document. It focuses on how well our students do on Regent exams, how many students graduate, the type of diploma students earn, and how many credits students accumulate each year. Additionally, how well specific populations of students perform (groups of students which the Department of Education believes to be “at risk”) is factored into the score a school receives. The surveys completed by students, parents, and teachers also become part of our score. These factors are then computed and compared to the performance of schools citywide and then computed and compared to a group of 40 schools who work with students who have 8^th grade test scores similar to those of our young people. After all the computations are completed the schools are ranked, and the top 15% of the schools in the city receive an “A.”

I am genuinely happy that we are being recognized for the exceptional work we do. However, I believe the Progress Report fails to capture the essence of a school, and it fails to measure the things that make our school such a great place. We are an “A” because we push kids to come to tutoring. We are an “A” because we stop students in the hallway to ask if they are okay and because we smile at young people and compliment them regularly. We are an “A” because it matters to us that our students do more than pass, it matters to us that they learn (and we know there is a big difference.) We are an “A” because we plan

lessons by asking ourselves: “How can my students engage in this material?” not by asking ourselves: “What is this material these students should learn?” We are an “A” because self-reflection is at the core of our work, and each of us regularly asks ourselves how we can do our jobs better. We are an “A” because in the heart of every adult in this building there is the belief that our work can help young people have better lives and can make this world a better place.

I am happy that this year the Department of Education believes that we are an “A.” And I am proud beyond words of all the unmeasured things you do each day that make our school a truly extraordinary place.