Downtown Brooklyn “Borough School Support Center” Opens As A Resource Hub For School District 13
School District 13’s new resource hub for all things “school community” is now open at 131 Livingston Street in Downtown Brooklyn.
Called a Borough Field Support Center (BFSC), the space — which also caters to Districts 14, 15, 16, 19, 23, and 32 — will be the city Department of Education’s (DOE) way of providing “integrated supports to schools across areas of instruction, operations, including finance and human resource support, and student services including health resources and counseling, support to English Language Learners, and support to students with disabilities.”
BFSCs and their staffs “will serve as critical partners for our superintendents,” said Chancellor Carmen Fariña. “The caliber of leadership within each BFSC will help lift up the quality of each school, and help cultivate new partnerships between schools.”
The Downtown Brooklyn BFSC is headed by Director Bernadette Fitzgerald, who was the principal and assistant principal at P.S. 503 in Sunset Park, as well as elementary school teacher at P.S. 372 for a decade prior.
There are also BFSC hubs in Bay Ridge and Flatlands, serving Districts 17, 18, 20, 21, and 22. Those are headed by Director Cheryl Watson-Harris, who previously taught at P.S. 91 before moving to Boston to take on a principal and Network Superintendent.
“Being an elementary school principal for seven years, I know how vital it is for school staff to have access to the supports and resources their students need to thrive,” said Bernadette Fitzgerald, Brooklyn North BFSC Director. “From connecting teachers with professional development opportunities to helping principals address the unique needs of their students with disabilities, we are committed to making sure all our schools have the tools they need to succeed.”
The new “Strong Schools, Strong Communities” support structure is driven by the DOE’s vision for instruction and builds on the Vision for School Improvement and the Framework for Great Schools.
