Troubled School District Is on Road to Recovery.

[elleng]

The day before classes ended in June in the long-troubled Long Island school district here, 300 high school students were called to the auditorium to see the superintendent. Only this time, no one had done anything wrong.

Instead, the students were handed blue T-shirts printed with “Roosevelt High School Outstanding Student 2010” and were invited to celebrate at a barbecue on the school grounds with chicken and ribs, Italian ices and a disc jockey, while their not-outstanding classmates stayed behind in classes. . .

“Bringing fun back into learning,” he said, “that’s been my focus.”

Jessica Castillo, 16, described the barbecue as “awesome” and added that her friends had already pledged not to miss it next year. They joined study groups in French, English and math this summer to bring up their grades.

“My friends are like, ‘What do I have to do to go there?’ ” Jessica said. “I tell them, ‘You have to get your grades up, and then I’ll see you on the dance floor.’ ”


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/nyregion/16roosevelt.html?pagewanted=1&hpw

[Chris P. Bacon]

1. The article cites more students in honor roll. But let's go back to this other NYT article

From December 2009, about the joke that the honor roll system has become:

"As Honor Students Multiply, Who Really Is One?"

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/education/01honors.html?_r=1

[elleng]

2. Understand what's been accomplished here, recently?

as in, student attitudes?

[NYC_SKP]

4. I get it, and I don't even need to read the article. ALL students are honor students.

And the superintendent is awesome for starting the year this way.

You tell kids you believe in them and they're more likely to live up to that expectation than if the year starts with rules and expectations that they'll be breaking them.

Great story!

:kick:

[elleng]

5. xactly! Was wondering whether Bacon understands!

[Suich]

3. Welcome to DU, Chris P. Bacon!

:party: :party: :party: