FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JANUARY 26, 2017 • KIDS & EDUCATION • THE QUEENS COURIER 55 kids & education Townsend Harris to get a permanent principal soon BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI [email protected] @smont76 Change is coming to Townsend Harris High School. Aft er a student protest, parent, faculty and alumni outcry at a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meeting and a response from the borough president, the school community in Flushing has received an answer from the Department of Education (DOE) regarding interim acting principal Rosemarie Jahoda and the principal hiring process. Aft er a tense School Leadership Team (SLT) meeting on Jan. 19 at the school, PTA Co-President Susan Karlic informed parents at the monthly PTA meeting that the DOE’s C-30 process to hire a permanent principal would restart as of Feb. 1. “Th e C-30 process, which was under investigation prior, has now been closed,” Karlic said. “Now, that frees up our ability to be listed on the vacancy pool. Feb. 1 starts the new period for the vacancy and our name — our school — will now be listed, and we will be collecting principal applications.” Parents in attendance began to applaud and cheer. Th e news comes aft er weeks of reports of strained relations between Jahoda and the THHS community. Borough President Melinda Katz also chimed in on her Facebook page aft er hearing news of the C-30 restart. “Th e DOE has informed me that the C-30 process for hiring a permanent principal at Townsend Harris High School is being restarted,” Katz said. “I hope the community’s voice will be heard during this process, which is designed to incorporate public input into the process of hiring a principal. Th e DOE is draft ing a new job posting for the position and I will post it here as soon as it is available.” Members of the Townsend Harris Alumni Association (THAA) were also present at the PTA meeting and commented on the news. “Th is year in particular, the THAA has been very active in reporting what has been going on within the school to the alumni community at large,” said THAA board member Lara Traum. “And that has, in turn, connected a lot of this energy to press, to government, to petitions … All of these things keep the community engaged in the process.” Jahoda will continue to serve as interim acting principal and will remain in the pool of candidates. “We are re-posting the position, and will hire a Townsend Harris principal in accordance with the C-30 regulation,” a DOE spokesperson said. “We continue to listen to feedback from this school community.” Additionally, the school’s SLT will see a change in leadership as of next month. Aft er the group nominated the candidates and came to a consensus, PTA co-president Susan Karlic and student union president Alex Chen were chosen to replace Jahoda as co-chairs of the group. According to Jahoda, the change in SLT leadership was recommended by the DOE’s Division of Family and Community Engagement (FACE). Chen asked Jahoda why the change was suggested. “I think it’s just a matter of wanting to make sure that its clear that this is a committee and the principal doesn’t, you know, direct them,” Jahoda said. “I still would serve as a mandated member of the SLT and still be engaged in the process. But that was a recommendation.” Photo by Suzanne Monteverdi/QNS Interim acting principal Rosemarie Jahoda discussing the C-30 process at Thursday’s SLT meeting. More Queens teens are taking and passing college-level AP classes BY ANGELA MATUA [email protected] @AngelaMatua Queens high schools are leading the way in the number of students taking and passing Advanced Placement (AP) college level courses, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced in Astoria on Jan 18. The mayor announced this at the Young Women’s Leadership School on Jan. 17, where there were no AP classes during the previous school year but where four have recently been added. According to city numbers, Queens schools have seen a 7.2 percent increase in students take AP classes and a 10.1 percent increase in students passing these classes, the highest of any borough. De Blasio, along with Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña, also announced an initiative called AP for All, which aims to make at least fi ve AP classes available to 75 percent of New York City schools by 2018 and to all high school students by fall 2021. “We are shaking the foundation of this system by putting rigorous AP courses in every neighborhood in every borough,” De Blasio said. “By providing the coursework needed for college and careers for all New York City students, we are sending a message that we believe in them and support them on the path to success. Th e increases in participation and performance we see today – particularly among black and Hispanic students – show that we’re moving in the direction of equity and excellence, and I look forward to the work ahead.” During this school year, 63 high schools are off ering new AP courses through the initiative, including 31 that off ered no AP courses during the 2015- 16 school year. Th e program is also off ering 71 high schools pre-AP support to train teachers’ abilities to lead AP courses in future years. Black and Hispanic students had the most gains from additional AP classes – 14.1 percent more black students and 9.9 percent more Hispanic students took at least one AP exam in 2016 than in 2015. Th is year, 18.0 percent more black students and 10.8 percent more Hispanic students passed at least one AP exam in 2016 than in 2015. “I am focused on giving all our students the classroom instruction they need to graduate high school and succeed in college and careers,” Fariña said. “Today, we are celebrating Photo by Edwin J. Torres/ Mayoral Photography Offi ce. real progress on students’ access to rigorous AP courses and exams, but we know there’s more work to do. Th rough our AP for All initiative, we are ensuring access to AP courses and exams for every high school student across all fi ve boroughs, and giving our high schools the training and support they need to make this a reality.”
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