Two Brooklyn high schools given "out of time" status by the state for their low graduation rates and test scores will be replacing more than half of its staff members for the upcoming school year.
The changes coming to Automotive High School in Greenpoint and Boys and Girls High School in Bedford-Stuyvesant are part of the city's "school renewal" program and a deal approved by the state. Staff at both schools, including the principals, had to reapply for their jobs.
“Turning around a struggling school is difficult work, and requires difficult decisions," said Chancellor Carmen Fariña in a statement. "Schools need to have the right leadership, the right teachers and the right school staff to raise student achievement."
Hiring committees at each school, comprised of Education Department staff members, union representatives, parents and a representative of the superintendent, unanimously approved the rehire of both principals, according to the Department of Education. The committees plus the school principals then made decisions on staffing.
At Automotive, 42 percent of total staff will return to the school in the fall, including most teachers that reapplied. Fourteen teachers will keep their jobs. The committee decided not to rehire three teachers; 21 teachers did not reapply.
At Boys and Girls, 33 percent of total staff will return to the school next year, and most teachers were not rehired. Fourteen teachers will keep their jobs, while 20 who applied will not. Another 20 teachers did not apply.
“Boys and Girls High School is undergoing a true renewal," said Michael Wiltshire, who was appointed the school's principal by the Department of Education in October. "I’m proud of the progress we’ve made so far, and the staff we’ll have this fall will be the right team to best support students. There is such tremendous potential in the hallways, in our families, and in the community — and I’m committed to continued growth and real results.”
Teachers who were not rehired at the two schools would remain on the city's payroll as they look for other permanent positions in the school system, education officials said.
Fariña stressed the collaborative nature of the rehiring process, a component of the Renewal program which is meant to revitalize 94 struggling schools over three years through efforts like a longer school day and increased support services.
Conceived by Fariña and Mayor Bill de Blasio, the Renewal program is more nurturing in tone than Mayor Michael Bloomberg's approach which favored closing persistently low-performing schools. Critics have questioned whether de Blasio's plan would be tough enough to put the schools on a different trajectory.
