MS 596 Peace Academy Listed As One Of 62 “Struggling Schools” At Risk Of Takeover

The city Department of Education (DOE) released a list of 62 “struggling schools” that are at risk of takeover — by nonprofit organizations such as a charter school management group, a university, or another educational entity approved by the state DOE commissioner — and MS 596 Peace Academy is included.

This means that a series of efforts at rapid improvement are expected this year, if takeover is to be averted. According to the DOE, the first step in these efforts is to hold public meetings with parents, educators, students and the overall school communities — meetings where everyone can find out what changes might be in store.

MS 596 Peace Academy’s meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29 from 6-9pm at the school.

The District 13 school at 300 Willoughby Avenue serves students across Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, and part of Bed-Stuy.

As noted in Chalkbeat, “in addition to the Sept. 30 deadline to complete the public hearings, the city must send state officials the list of metrics they want to be used to evaluate schools’ progress by Oct. 2.”

The meetings offer a potential community engagement challenge for the de Blasio administration, which has emphasized the importance of the connections between families and schools. In New York City, public hearings at struggling schools under the Bloomberg administration had a reputation for being contentious, emotional affairs that lasted long into the night and often left families feeling unheard.

City officials said these hearings would be different. They are scheduled last just three hours, and no schools are in danger of being closed immediately.

“These hearings play a part in our larger goal of involving families in their child’s education, and we look forward to hearing directly from parents, students, and community members about what their school needs to improve and be successful,” spokeswoman Devora Kaye said in a statement.