A new model for building the Morton St. school 75 MORTON ST., continued from p. 14
Community vision for a middle school
TIMELINE TO OPENING DAY Design plans for the building should be completed by late summer or early fall by S.C.A. and its chosen architectural firm, John Ciardullo Associates, whose portfolio includes the Beacon School, on W. 61st St., a 1,200-student high school. Beacon School offers a “dynamic, inquiry-based curriculum,” with a 400-seat performing arts theater, regulation-sized gym, science labs, art and music rooms and blackbox theater — almost a mirror image of what the community has asked for in the Morton St. school. By early 2015, the project — a gut-rehabilitation of the existing building — would be put out to bid, with the lowest-bidding contractor selected as required under city regulations. Construction could take 30 months, up through mid-2017, but the community has not given up on a fall 2016 opening and will propose ideas on how time can be saved. On a parallel path, planning for the school’s programming will begin this fall with what D.O.E. calls a community mapping and needs as-
sessment. Jackie Lee of D.O.E. says of this groundbreaking approach, “We are trying to develop new processes in big foundational ways because we’re trying to do this across the city — have real communication with communities.” Through a series of neighborhood meetings throughout School District 2, a “map” of the district would be created showing student population, demographic information, middle school locations and, importantly, the programming that middle schools currently offer. Given the chancellor’s laser focus on a middle school curriculum filled with physical activity and the arts, this exercise might reveal, for example, that more dance studios are needed in new middle schools coming online. Or, given the needs of District 2 children, more sensory gyms for special-needs students might have to be built. The Alliance and C.E.C. are already working hand in hand with D.O.E. in sketching out this district mapping and needs assessment process.
FULL-SIZE GYMNASIUM (NO “GYMNATORIUM”)
GREEN ROOF WITH GARDEN AND GREENHOUSE
AUDITORIUM WITH STAGE THAT SEATS WHOLE SCHOOL COMMUNITY
TECHNOLOGY / MEDIA / LANGUAGE LABS
DANCE STUDIO / FITNESS ROOM OUTDOOR PLAY AREA (ON EXISTING SIDE PARKING LOT) SENSORY GYM FOR DISTRICT 75 STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER ART STUDIOS FOR PAINTING, SCULPTURE, CERAMICS PHOTOGRAPHY DARKROOM MUSIC ROOMS, RECORDING STUDIO BLACK-BOX THEATER SCIENCE LABS (BIOLOGY, PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, EARTH SCIENCE)
MORE NEXT STEPS Anticipation of construction crews arriving next year has made Alliance parents and community members more energized than ever. Future topics for school advocates will include the job description and hiring process of the new middle school’s principal, and identifying local organizations — like the Downtown Whitney and Google — that could partner with the school to bring the curriculum even more alive. The Alliance is hopeful to receive a grant from Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer’s Office to pay for a professional facilitation firm, NYC Public, to orchestrate its ongoing meetings, a tactic that was effective for consensus building in past meetings. The local C.E.C. will continue its work on proposing to D.O.E. an overhaul of the middle school admissions process. The dysfunction of three simultaneous systems — lottery, selective screen and zones — has created an agonizing process for parents and their fifth graders. Tanikawa sees this as an opportunity to also achieve more diversity in District 2 schools.
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June 19, 2014
LIBRARY HEALTH CLINIC (WITH PRIVATE SPACE FOR ADOLESCENT TREATMENT / ADVICE) CAFETERIA TO SEAT 50 PERCENT OF STUDENTS AT ONCE BREAKOUT SPACES FOR SMALL-GROUP WORK COMMUNITY ACTION ROOM FOR CIVICS, STUDENT COUNCIL, SCHOOL NEWSPAPER PARENT RESOURCE ROOM ENLARGED WINDOWS FOR NATURAL LIGHT COMMUNITY ACCESS TO SCHOOL FACILITIES AFTER SCHOOL
“Diversity has to be done through the admissions process,” she said. “We need to weigh the opinion of all parents, and it’s a huge discussion that needs to happen.”
BREAKING NEW GROUND In planning the new Morton St. school, early signs are encouraging that it is not business as usual at D.O.E. and S.C.A. The school has become a catalyst to roll out a new model of community collaboration for creating schools. Keen Berger, the task force’s chairperson, is an author of bestselling textbooks on child psychology and the mother of four graduates of P.S. 3 in the Village 20 years ago. When asked why it was critical that parents and the community be so involved, Berger responded, “There’s a mantra in developmental psychology that parents are children’s first teachers and have to be involved in their education every step of the way.” Alliance member Heather Lortie chimed in, “The old administration planted new schools. We want to grow our own.” TheVillager.com