DOE announces it will close six failing schools

Posted by Philissa at 7:43 AM

The ax has fallen for half a dozen of the 14-20 schools that will be closed at the end of this year. Yesterday the DOE announced that six schools — the Tito Puente Education Complex (or IS 117) in East Harlem; EBC/East New York High School for Public Safety and Law in Brooklyn; the Business School for Entrepreneurship (or IS 216) in the Bronx; PS 79 in the Bronx; PS 101 in East Harlem; and the Academy of Environmental Science High School in East Harlem — will either close or begin the process of phasing out after this school year.

Various news reports peg parents and kids as feeling sad but not surprised. All of the schools received D's or F's on their progress reports; many have had a revolving door of principals; and a few refused to let Insideschools visit. Kids at these schools do deserve better. But IS 216 was created to replace a failing middle school only five years ago. How can we be sure that the same problems won't claim IS 216's replacement five years from now?