School safety a big topic in Queens
Far Rock native hopes to bring charter school to neighborhood; local college earns high praise
Regina Glover-Johnson is creating her own charter school in her hometown of Far Rockaway. Twitter
Queens College was named one of the top public schools throughout
the United States. Courtesy of Queens College
Two Queens lawmakers are asking the DOE to reconsider a policy
that prohibits staff from locking front doors of schools.
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
As 2018 comes to an end,
there were a number of school
openings and closings in
Queens, as well as elected officials
advocating for changes in
the education sector. Here are
the top three education stories
that made the headlines this
year:
Queens College named
among best colleges by U.S.
News and World Report’s
2019 Best Colleges edition
At the forefront for best of
2018 in Education, Queens College
was named one of the nation’s
best colleges by the U.S.
News and World Report’s 2019
Best Colleges edition.
Queens College – located at
65-30 Kissena Blvd in Flushing
– ranked 14th out of the 47
schools on a list that featured
several City University of New
York institutions.
The 81-year-old public college
has more than 100 majors
and career-building programs
in the arts, humanities, education,
mathematics, natural
sciences and social sciences,
according to U.S. News.
Queens College provides
affordable tuition rates, more
than 100 clubs and inexpensive
day care services for students
with children and a weekend
college.
In 2017, approximately 400
Queens College students were
eligible for Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s
Excelsior Scholarship,
which provides free public
college tuition for in-state students
whose families earn below
$100,000.
In 2014, the school was also
featured in the Washington
Monthly, a bimonthly nonprofit
magazine, which ranked it
second out of 386 schools for
its “Best-Bang-For-The-Buck
college after analyzing 1,540
universities.
Queens College has also
been featured in U.S. News &
World Report’s lists for Best
Value Schools, Best Undergraduate
Teaching program,
Best Colleges for Veterans,
and best Regional Universities
North.
Far Rockaway native plans
to open charter school
in 2019
As schools in Far Rockaway
were set to close their
doors, one local resident was
determined to open a charter
high school in fall 2019.
Regina Glover had announced
her plans for Legacy
Academy on New Year’s Eve
with the hopes of revitalizing
urban education in the Far
Rockaway area with a comprehensive
program.
Grover’s Legacy Academy
will include classes in geometry,
U.S. history, physics,
and English to prepare students
for careers in carpentry,
lobbying, mechanical engineering
and investigative
journalism.
“Education is so much
more than math and reading,”
Johnson said. “Local issues,
culture, artistic expression,
and experiences are elements
that must be incorporated into
student’s academic plan.”
Bayside elected officials
propose locking
school doors
After the devastating
Parkland, Fla. shooting that
claimed the lives of 17 students
at Stoneman Douglas High
School in February, two Bayside
elected officials were proposing
locking school doors.
City Councilman Paul Val-
lone (D-Bayside) and State
Assemblyman Edward Braunstein
(D-Bayside) said the
city Department of Education
policy keeping front doors unlocked
is a safety issue.
The lawmakers had said
the DOE’s open door policy allows
an individual to enter the
building before a determination
can be made if they represent
a danger or not.
Braunstein said granting
public school principals the
authority to confirm whether
or not an individual represents
a threat before allowing
them into the school could
prevent a dangerous incident
from taking place.
Vallone had cited an incident
where a suspicious man
had entered PS 184 in Whitestone
multiple times and was
escorted by security, calling
it “Exhibit A” for why the DOE
should rethink its policy.
Vallone said the request is
just the first step in a series of
changes that must be made.
“This must remain a top
priority from here on out as
we lead the charge for safety
in our schools,” said Vallone.
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by e-mail at cmohamed@
cnglocal.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4526.
TIMESLEDGER,16 DEC. 28-JAN. 3, 2019 TIMESLEDGER.COM
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