Chancellor Richard Carranza visited the Excellence Community Charter School located at 1960 Benedict Avenue in the Bronx to see the newly opened seven story building the charter school is now housed in. Several reporters including myself were able to accompany Chancellor Carranza as the CEO of Excellence Community Schools Dr. Charlene Reid took him on a tour of the new school.
We visited a kindergarten class first where the children were immersed in learning. All of us then fit into the elevator to ride up to the seventh floor to see some older children. The school is a K - 8 school, with some children leaving in the seventh grade to go onto specialized schools. we saw algebra being taught in a seventh grade math class. We visited a computer room, music room, the gym, cafeteria, and almost every room in the school as Dr. Reid wanted to show how this charter school was working.
A student has to apply to be admitted to a charter school, and there are a series of steps the charter school must go through before admitting students. The procedure is that any current student in the charter school has the right to stay in the school. the next step in admission is that any siblings of current students are given preference. the next step if there is room available is for the home district, then the city district, and lastly if there is room available any student from anywhere in New York State can be admitted. The last step or two rarely happens as space is very sought after in charter schools, and this school I was told has a wait list of almost one thousand applicants.
After the tour Chancellor Carranza met privately with Dr. Reid, and then took some questions from reporters before leaving. There were questions from other reporters about the admission policy, what resources charter schools receive, and how they may differ from public schools. Having been a parent leader years ago I asked the new chancellor about poor student performance in most Bronx schools. I went into specific details about the Average Yearly Progression numbers now compared to before Mayoral Control, and received the answer "I am new here, we have to look at the numbers, they don't always tell the whole story etc." I heard that fifteen years ago from then Chancellor Joel Klein, and said that to current Chancellor Carranza. I offered my help as I did to Chancellor Klein, but parents want to know why their children have problems in public school.
Above - Chancellor Carranza meets Dr. Reid.
Below they observe a kindergarten class.
Above - The pair check in on a computer lab room.
Below - The chancellor takes a selfie of himself under the college flag.
Above - Chancellor Carranza poses with students in front of the Honor Roll Board.
Below - The charter is so successful it has acquired space around the corner on Pugsley Avenue.
