I wrote a post about the NYC Department of Education’s determination to destroy once-esteemed John Dewey High School in Brooklyn. The post was called “The Ugly Face of Reform in New York City.”
First, they turned it into a dump for the low-performing kids rejected by their small schools and charters. Then they began systematically starving it of needed resources. As this comment shows, even the students know the score:
I am currently a student at the school. Many people don’t realize how hurt we really are, we lack so many things. Our budget is dry, insufficient equipment, low enrollment, slashed programs and classes, new inexperienced teachers replacing traditionally great ones that have been their for DECADES before I was even born! We’re turning into a typical high school. A conventional one at that, and that’s not a good thing. There’s no such thing as bands or cycles anymore. Where is the liberty we used to have of changing our schedules to fit our own needs academically? Where is the freedom of being metal detector free (even though many high schools throughout NYC are implementing metal detectors anyway) and where are all the students on the campus?
It’s exasperating. We did not deserve this. I personally try my best to make a number higher in that school, my 92 average is for the school, and for my family. Not necessarily for me. I want to turn that 62% graduation rate into a 63, and I want my classmates to want the same thing. I don’t want Dewey to be another school on the list that reads “Closed Schools Due to Poor Performance” and I certainly do not want Dewey to be restructured into small schools with a sugar coated name. I also do not want another Insideschools page that reads “This school was closed in due to poor performance.” in the header. And no, I hope the administration doesn’t win this time. They’ve closed enough schools, far too many, and this is the breaking point!
Can’t anyone volunteer to be a principal? One who actually cares about the school? Not Elvin and her inexperienced crew. Shockingly, some of the new appointed AP’s have never taught/are not teaching any classes. The DOE knows the demise of Dewey, but they’re purposefully ignoring it. And they can get away with it, like the corporate rats because the people are sheep. A herd of sheep. They would rather kiss *** than to speak up for themselves. It’s sad. This is not like me, I don’t even know how I managed to type this much. Just know this proves my anger, as a Dewey student. This will not be the end for us. Trust me, we’re in this too deep and we’ve fought too much to go down now. The DOE picked the wrong school to mess with. The worst part is that this corruption is not only happening in NYC, but also in Chicago, and other cities.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Just imagine how proud of this tenacious student John Dewey would be; if he were alive today. What a great letter. Thank-you for sharing.
Is it true that Finland’s reforms were inspired by Dewey’s ideas?
Yes, that’s what Pasi Sahlberg says in “Finnish Lesson”
Diane
The great schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy – the famous Reggio Emilia Approach is also based on Deweys ideas.
This heartbreaking story shows the viciousness that is at the heart of corporate education reform. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the interests of the students, but is all about greed and the will to power.
I hope this young student has classmates that feel the same. Everyone is frustrated.
On a related note, I just read about the insane police state that is suffocating so many NYC schools. I’m an American citizen living in Canada, so I really had no idea things had gotten so bad. How can we ever hope to change these communities for the better when going to school is seen as nothing but a pipeline to prison? Here is that article: http://jjie.org/york-story/93676
I am curious how one would defend Dewey, a school with a 62% graduation rate. Almost half the kids don’t even leave with a high school diploma. And the one’s that do graduate are almost all affluent students, many of whom could pass the standardized exams prior to attending Dewey.
I don’t think Dewey would be happy about this were he alive today.
Further, it is unclear to me, why someone would label Kathleen Elvin as inexperienced. She taught for over 20 years and was a principal at school that successfully educated all students for 6 years.
Kathleen Elvin would be lauded by Dewey. She is an outstanding advocate for students, all of them. She is tenacious in her expectations that adults do right by students. Unfortunately, in the recent history, this hasn’t been the case.
As a parent, Kathleen Elvin is the principal I want of my school.
If you read the story about the school, not just the student’s letter, you would know that Dewey was set up to fail by the NYC DOE. It was turned into a dumping ground for low-performing students. The low graduation rate says nothing about the quality of the school or the staff, but reflects he DOE’s determination to kill the school, as it has killed other large high schools.
As for Professor Dewey, he would be appalled by the data-driven approach that now determines whether schools live or die. Have you ever read Dewey?
The graduation is calculated on a four-year stat. Many of Dewey’s students come from other countries and deal with language issues as well as learning to adapt to a new school system. The five-year graduation rate (even 4.5) is more realistic. There was a wonderful documentary recently on PBS that showed some real life issues of students and teachers.
And the student didn’t say Elvin was inexperienced. S/he said that many of the APs have never taught in the classroom. I am heartbroken for my former colleagues as well as for the students who will never experience the positives of Dewey.
Look up the graduation rate before the turnaround label came. No one cared about the drop out rate until the corporations figured out how to make money off schools. Wake up! There’s big money in failure for these people. All of it in their pockets, none for kids. School closings help no one, except the Walton’s, the Broad Foundation, the Gates and their buddies. Listen to the kids. Why don’t they get a voice in all this?
I’m proud of you John Dewey student!
I’m a NYC Public School teacher & they tried to shut us down too. It’s not over for Dewey. Remember that you ARE John Dewey High School. Yes, things have been taken away. But they couldn’t close us & this is reason to celebrate & look around for the things that Dewey still has to offer you. & Please keep speaking out for all the kids out there. You are the future. You have to lead the revolution.
This is probably more than you want to know, but here’s a story I wrote in June about how things came to this pass at Dewey. http://www.bkbureau.org/who-killed-john-dewey-high
Diane….can you send this to the newspapers to publicize this?
Many journalists read this blog. The bottom line in New York City is that no one has the power to stop Mayor Bloomberg when he decides to close schools. A judge slowed him down this past summer, but he will starve those schools of resources. It’s not media that’s needed, it’s leadership with new ideas that support schools, not close them.
I agree, but who will lead? And with an active Alumni Association with students and original Dewey staffmembers who designed the original curriculum, who are willing to help, how can we help?
The public needs to know how bad this is and what has happened to many fine institutions. The “children” as the Mayor calls them, are suffering and he and his policies caused the suffering.
I’m the vp of the John Dewey Alumni Association. We have been working hard and trying and we didn’t succeed to help. See the glory days of Dewey jdhsarchives@webs.com.