Two years ago, Boys and Girls High School got a D on its annual progress report. Soon after, the state and city sent the sprawling Bedford-Stuyvesant institution a clear message: raise your grade – or else.
Thousands of parents, teachers and students caught a glimpse of the “or else” earlier this month when the city’s Department of Education (DOE) voted to close 22 schools. Boys and Girls wasn’t on this year’s list of schools to close, but it could be next year. If it’s to survive, Boys and Girls will need to show serious improvements soon – a tall order for a large school with a new principal and many struggling students.
“It’s a greater challenge than I ever imagined,” said Bernard Gassaway, who took over as principal last school year.
