A N N U A L R E P O
Nurturing Promise: Progressive Education for New York City’s Twice-Exceptional Students
OUR MISSION
The Lang School educates twice-exceptional children by offering these highly promising learners a child-centered, empirically validated education with integrated supports that foster independence and self-advocacy.
OUR CORE VALUES
Civility
Self-reflection
Growth mindset Community
OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM
Mark Otto Head of School
Caroline Blasco Director of Lower School & School Psychologist
Lauren Carey Director of Middle & Upper School
Jeffrey Galaise Assistant Head of School
Reid Kuioka Director of Enrollment & Data Systems
Timon Lorenzo Director of Finance & Operations
Wendy Rissmeyer Executive Assistant to Head of School & Supervisor of Development
Mark Silberberg Director of Admissions, Growth, and Purpose
Maria Velonakis Controller
OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Robert Mihran Cox Board Chair
Shira Cornfeld Vice Board Chair
David Walsh Treasurer
Jamal Obi Sullivan Secretary
Pam Clarke Board Member
Rob Cousins Board Member
Aziz Dehkan Board Member
Peter Flom Board Member
Elyssa Gaffin* Board Member
Alison Sheehan Board Member
Gavin Simms Board Member
*Indicates Trustees that joined the board after the ‘23-’24 school year.
A NOTE FROM OUR HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dear Lang School Community,
I am thrilled to share our first-ever annual report for the 2023-2024 academic year at The Lang School, and I do it with enthusiasm for all that we have accomplished together and all that is yet to be done This report celebrates notable highlights from the past year including academic accomplishments and community celebrations. Each milestone reflects the dedication and hard work of everyone involved in our Lang family. Additionally, the annual report serves to provide insight and transparency
into the financial status of the school as it pertains to revenue, spending, and fundraising and how all of the above impacts our ability to meet the needs of every student at Lang.
Lang is on the rise! More families are reaching out to Lang with great interest in what we do for our students. This increasing interest brings exciting opportunities for growth, along with the chance to thoughtfully address the logistical and financial aspects of expansion. In addition to looking back on our achievements, this report also outlines our vision for the future of Lang. We are excited to share our plans for continued growth and improvement, which are grounded in collaboration with the entire community. Together this year, let's pave the way for the future of Lang
Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to our school and a special thanks to everyone who guided me in the first year of my journey at Lang, in particular our exceptional Board Chair, Rob Cox. With our continued partnership, we will maintain our commitment to excellence where every student thrives.
Warm regards,
Mark Otto Head of School
A NOTE FROM OUR BOARD CHAIR
I would like to express my gratitude to our entire community –our expanded Board of Trustees, our revitalized Parents Association, and our faculty and families who have made a deep commitment to ensuring Lang’s students' ongoing success by tuning in to the unique contours of their twiceexceptional learning profiles We all pulled together for our inaugural “Love a Lang Kid” campaign, showing the power of our small-but-mighty community. I would like to heartily thank our Head of School, Mark Otto, who wrapped up an impressive first year at Lang. Mark really took the time to understand our school. Mark, we ’ re lucky to have you with us!
This past year, our learning community accomplished so much, and with this first Annual Report, we are excited to recap the highlights with you all: Lang undertook our first-ever Accreditation Review by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). This process began with a months-long self-study project to report on our progress toward surpassing independent school goals and standards. Next, The Lang School welcomed a NYSAIS visiting committee who spent a week on campus meeting the entire community and comparing their independent observations with our self-report. This rigorous accreditation evaluation held a mirror to our self-perceptions – including a careful review of our financial status, governance structures, curriculum, instruction, and more.
In addition to the NYSAIS accreditation review, our leadership and Board reviewed and revised Lang’s governing documents to ensure they exceeded standards and reflected our unique needs. We have also begun to collaboratively develop our multi-year strategic plan, which we look forward to sharing soon.
Finally, we ’ ve strengthened our financial future by timely securing a lease on adjacent premises on floor 9M to accommodate growing demand for our unique education and to ensure we can retain the small school feel of a contiguous campus On a personal note: from the first campus visit to the decision to enroll, and throughout the years at The Lang School, it has always been a privilege to serve and support this community. I would encourage each of you to consider how you might contribute to The Lang School this coming year. I hope you will offer the best of your time and talents and – where possible – your financial support as well
Rob Cox
OUR PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION
Diane Hayes
Co-Chair
Diane Hayes is a parent of Dorothy Ruth Hayes, a fourth grader now in her second year at The Lang School. Professionally, Diane has worked in pharmaceutical sales, and as an ESL teacher at a large language school in Moscow, Russia, and upon obtaining her M.Ed from NYU in 2012, she worked as an ESL teacher here in NYC both for the DOE and came an active on as Dorothy hat one of the they are doing m. And school
McDonald
McDonald has been a member of the Lang ty since 2022. Her son, Thomas Demuth, is grader and enjoys, among other school , the Lang teachers, semester showcases, ewspaper. Professionally, Brannen drives and Operations for Adobe. She is looking o supporting the Lang Parent Community ering with co-chair Diane Hayes.
MOMENTS TO REMEMBER
BOTANICAL GARDEN TRIP
Our Lower School students enjoyed an enriching field trip to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. The excursion offered a hands-on exploration of the gardens, deepening their understanding of our science curriculum. During the "Investigating Flowers" guided workshop, students discovered the fascinating purposes behind flower colors, fragrances, and patterns. They learned how these features contribute to the plant's reproduction through pollination and fruit formation, turning a simple appreciation of flowers into a valuable lesson in botany.
HISTORY FAIR
The Lang School's third annual History Fair was a great success, with Upper School students showcasing months of research through creative projects on diverse historical and sociological topics. Held on April 19th, the event featured presentations guided by the SPICE model (Social, Political, Interaction, Cultural, and Economic aspects), offering unique insights into history and society.
The "Love a Lang Kid" fundraiser, launched in collaboration with our devoted Parents, Staff, and Board of Trustees, stands as a significant accomplishment in supporting the unique students at The Lang School. This initiative aimed to raise essential funds to enhance our students' educational experiences, and it successfully united our entire community. We are thrilled to share that, together, we raised $111,274, surpassing our fundraising goals.
The Lang School continues to be a place where students with specialized needs find the support to thrive. Through this campaign, and the stories of Lang kids, we emphasized the importance of sustaining the life-changing education our students receive. The overwhelming generosity of families, staff, and supporters demonstrates the deep commitment to our mission.
Reflecting on the "Love a Lang Kid" fundraiser, we take pride in its success and the impact for Lang, ensuring our ability to maintain our existing supports and services, including financial aid and ongoing capacity building. This achievement highlighted the power of collective action and the profound difference love and compassion can make. Thanks to our community's support, The Lang School continues to be a place where unique minds can flourish.
SPIRIT WEEK
Spirit Week featured Marvelous Monday for character dress-up, Wacky Tacky Tuesday for outrageous outfits, Way Back Wednesday for decadethemed fashion, and Trendy and Triumphant Thursday for showcasing your style on the red carpet.
FIELD DAY
Our Field Days in the spring and fall are beloved traditions that bring the entire school together for a day of fun and teamwork. Students enjoy a wide range of activities, from soccer matches to flying kites and making bracelets. Field Days are a wonderful opportunity for students to bond and create lasting memories.
PARENT TESTIMONIALS
“We could truly not be more grateful to have found The Lang School, where our son is currently in his second year as a middle schooler. Lang has enabled our family to exhale and has had a positive impact on all aspects of our lives since our son began attending. We would heartily encourage the families of twice exceptional learners who are struggling in a traditional academic setting to explore Lang as an option. Once he began attending, we could tell that our child felt truly accepted at school. He no longer received the message he was a problem because he did not fit the norm. He stopped complaining of being bored in school and we got to see his academic potential and interests once he was engaged and developed trust in the staff. Lang provides social, emotional and academic support specific to his needs. Due to the progress he made in his first year at Lang, our son attended two weeks of sleepaway camp for the first time. It was difficult to imagine him being successful in such a setting before Lang. We know the faculty and staff at Lang are wholly focused on how to best meet the complex needs of twice exceptional learners. They’ve achieved a delicate balance between providing an appropriately challenging academic curriculum and working through the social and emotional challenges that are part of our son ' s autism and ADHD. To help such students realize the kinds of gains we see every day in our son takes true expertise and passion. “
- Kirstie Pendergrass and Keith Malvetti
“Lang has been instrumental to our son ’ s development and growth Our child has 2 profound learning disabilities; even well-regarded prep schools were flummoxed in how to deal with them The result was a sweet but sad child, who wasn’t learning Lang changed all that At Lang, our child’s learning differences are helped, and turned into a strength At Lang, his innate intelligence is steered in productive ways Other than his parents, nothing has been more beneficial to our child development than The Lang School ”
- Jonas and Jennifer Katzoff
“We are forever grateful to have found Lang and for Lang to be our school August started Lang in second grade, nine years ago, when our family was struggling to find the right school for him August was clearly very smart and extremely curious, but a mainstream school was not providing him with what he needed to succeed He was in trouble a lot of the time, labeled as disruptive and uncooperative Lang was a lifesaver for him and our family Lang understood him, accepted him and embraced him He was never in trouble even when he was having a hard day; supports like movement breaks and fidgets were put in place, as well as excellent counseling and teaching August is an engaged and excited tenth grader and Lang is his second home He has grown in every way: as a student, community member - and truly, as a person ”
- Shira and Alex Cornfeld
CONGRATS TO OUR CLASS OF 2024
At Lang, we are focused on preparing our students for life after Lang, including College and Career. We are so proud of our Lang graduates and their accomplishments during their time with us. Every graduate worked hard to develop the academic, social-emotional, and executive functioning skills that will help them thrive and succeed beyond Lang. We set a high standard for excellence, and our students continue to rise to the occasion with support from their teachers and families. Below is a snapshot of the outstanding colleges and universities our graduates have been accepted to over the past few years. We look forward to adding new schools with each graduating class.
Middle School Graduates
Tilly Nathan-Campbell
Ash Olsen
Hendrix Russell
Max Dvorin
Willow Glenn
Ethan Weitz
Cullen Yee
High
School Graduates
Zavier Gaffin
Winston Transitions
Sonny Hafif
Drexel University
Miles Pilchik
Rochester Institute of Technology
Maxwell Tobiasen
University of Alabama
College Acceptances Through the Years
ADELPHI UNIVERSITY ● BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY ● BOSTON UNIVERSITY ● CARNEGIE MELON ● CUNY BROOKLYN COLLEGE ● CURRY COLLEGE ● DREXEL UNIVERSITY ● FORDHAM UNIVERSITY ● GOUCHER COLLEGE ● HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY ● MARYMOUNT MANHATTAN COLLEGE ● MITCHELL COLLEGE ● NYU ● NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY ● PRATT INSTITUTE ● PACE UNIVERSITY ● RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC ● SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS ● SKIDMORE COLLEGE ● SUNY STONY BROOK ● SUNY PURCHASE ● PARSONS ● TEMPLE UNIVERSITY ● UCSD ● URSINUS COLLEGE ● WAGNER COLLEGE ● YESHIVA UNIVERSITY
WE ARE GROWING!
We are thrilled to announce The Lang School is expanding within 26 Broadway to accommodate our growing community. Over the past few months, our Board Chair and Head of School have been actively negotiating an agreement for additional space that will both support our current needs and accommodate growth as more students join the Lang community in the years ahead. This new space will allow us to build out additional classrooms, learning centers, sensory rooms, and more through multiple phases. The expansion will require significant planning and design, as well as capital funding. We are excited to make the most of this new space for learning and the opportunities that come with it.
To make this vision a reality, we need the support of our entire community. We ask our families to share the great work we are doing at Lang within their personal networks to help with student recruitment and expand our fundraising efforts. Together, we continue to provide an exceptional educational environment that empowers every Lang student to thrive.
2024-2025 ENROLLMENT INSIGHTS
Lang continues to attract new families as a result of our innovative programs and success. Since 2017, we have grown from 40 students enrolled to 76 in 2024.
Current Enrollment
Grades‘24-‘25 Enrollment
ENROLLMENT INSIGHTS
Understanding Our Student Population: A Snapshot of Student Learning Profiles
Projected Enrollment Over the Next 3 Years
As we grow, we plan to add 8 - 10 students per year, over the next three years. When we take into account potential attrition and our annual growth goals, we expect to serve approximately 95 - 105 students by the 20272028 school year, and potentially more, as we build out various phases of construction within our new space.
A LOOK BACK AT OUR 2023-2024
FINANCES IN FOCUS
Below you will see our budget overview for the 2023-2024 school year. These charts illustrate that tuition revenue alone did not cover all of the annual expenses.
2023-2024 Revenue
$927,250
Total Revenue Inclusive of Gifts/Fundraising and
Funding: $7,280,066 Total Revenue Without Gifts/Fundraising and Grants/Public Funding: $6,276,935
FINANCING OUR FUTURE
We are pleased to share an overview of our finances with the Lang community and we are committed to ongoing transparency, helping everyone to better understand our spending priorities, resources, and needs. We are thoughtfully investing in priority areas that are essential to the success, growth and sustainability of Lang. As we continue to grow, so too will our financial needs.
What can you do to support Lang?
2.
Share the great work happening at Lang with friends, family, blogs, etc. which will help us to enhance our recruitment and grow enrollment.
1. Utilize your personal and professional networks to encourage supporters to donate generously to our Annual Fund.
Last year our Love A Lang Kid campaign raised over $100,000 from over 300 individual donors! Previously, Lang had only 19 individual donors and our school community had never held a fundraising campaign. When combined with other donations, we raised a total of $927,250 for the 2023-2024 school year!
We are raising the bar! This year ' s fundraising goal is $1,100,000. We have hired a development consultant and the Board of Trustees has created a Development Committee focused on supporting this work. Over the next few months, we will lay out a comprehensive plan to the community and we hope to have your full support.
WHY DO WE NEED AN ANNUAL FUND?
The Lang School's annual fund plays a pivotal role in sustaining our educational mission and supporting our diverse community. While tuition covers a significant portion of our operating costs, it alone does not fully meet the financial demands required to maintain our unique approach to education. At Lang, we prioritize a lower staff-tostudent ratio and smaller class sizes overall, as well as a robust support staff and therapeutic team, to ensure personalized attention and tailored support for each student's individual needs. This commitment necessitates additional resources beyond tuition revenue to ensure we can support the following priorities:
Provide Financial Aid to Increase Equity and Access: Equally important to us is our dedication to equity and access. We are committed to serving students and families who may not have the means to finance the full cost of tuition, while they seek reimbursement from NYCDOE. Through our robust financial aid program known as Connor’s Funding, and supported by our annual donations, we strive to ensure that a Lang education remains accessible to all who would benefit from it. However, providing this support means that a significant portion of our operating budget is often delayed as we await tuition reimbursement from the Department of Education. Our Annual Fund is how we ensure we have the cash on hand to continue operating while we wait for NYCDOE to provide tuition, which typically takes 12 months or more.
Capital Improvements:
We are thinking ahead with growth in mind. Lang’s campus is already distinctive with special spaces and places tailored to teach, inspire and engage twice-exceptional students. To accommodate a growing student body and to further enrich the learning environment, we are expanding this year to integrate 1790 feet of adjacent space. The expansion will add 30% more space to our campus for classrooms, swing spaces and therapy rooms for support services. An investment in Lang will help to realize these improvements and their lasting impact for years to come.
Growth and Sustainability:
Lang’s student-to-staff ratio (2:1) speaks for itself. The Lang approach to teaching and learning is multidimensional and includes social thinking instruction, project-based learning and executive functioning support. Every student has a team that includes teachers and specialists in learning and socioemotional development. It is a priority for Lang to grow this staff of dedicated specialists commensurate with the growth of the school.
As we look to establish a strong and sustainable foundation for the future, the need for dedicated support and administrative staff becomes increasingly vital. These individuals play a critical role in maintaining the school's operations, allowing teachers and specialists to focus on what they do best educating and supporting Lang’s twice-exceptional students. To ensure our bedrock is strong, we must add staff in areas such as finance and development. Support for Lang helps to ensure that we build capacity in areas that are critical to both student success and the continuity of our services.
Percentage of Families Receiving Support Through Connor's Funding
Over 40% of Lang families rely on some form of financial aid. As such, it is critical that we increase fundraising efforts to ensure sustained equitable access to our school community. Your generous contributions to the annual fund directly impact the lives of our students and help us fulfill our mission of providing an exceptional educational experience that promotes growth, inclusivity, and academic excellence for all.
Carter
Connors
CHARTING OUR FUTURE
As we embark on the next phase of our journey, we are excited to share our vision for the future of Lang over the next three years. Together, we will craft a comprehensive strategic plan that will guide our growth and development, ensuring that we meet the evolving needs of our students and families. Our staff and Board of Trustees have begun this work and I look forward to sharing this vision with our families as well.
Central to our mission is enhancing our instructional excellence across all classes. We are committed to providing a rigorous curriculum that includes innovative approaches like project-based learning, designed to foster critical thinking and creativity while meeting the diverse needs of 2e learners. Equally important is our dedication to supporting the social-emotional growth and executive functioning skills of our students, ensuring they thrive academically and personally while at Lang and well beyond.
In line with our values of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), we will expand our efforts to create a school environment that is welcoming and accessible to all Our curriculum will continue to celebrate diverse perspectives, enriching our collective understanding and fostering a culture of empathy and respect. We seek to continue our work to diversify both our student body and staff so that it is more representative of the city in which we live. Diverse communities enhance the learning environment for all students and we are committed to this work.
Looking ahead, we are determined to grow Lang in every facet from expanding our space, growing student enrollment and staffing and amplifying our annual fundraising. These efforts are essential to maintaining our high standards of education and ensuring that every student receives the support they need to succeed.
We invite each member of our community to join us on this journey Your involvement and support are crucial as we work toward Lang's long-term success. Together, we will develop a school that not only meets the needs of today's students but also prepares them to thrive in an ever-changing world.
With gratitude and anticipation,
Mark Otto Head of School