To Close a School - A Decision Rooted in Data, but Colored by Nuance
On a recent December morning, a trio of education higher-ups arrived unannounced in the principal’s office at Public School 90 in the Bronx. The school would be gradually shut down, they told the principal, Patricia West. Incredulous, Ms. West, who has been at P.S. 90’s helm for six years, asked them to repeat themselves.
“I knew we had to improve, but I was shocked,” she said. “It’s like being told you are arrested and you go to jail. ...
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My father served on the school board in the district I attended. One of the hardest decisions he ever had to make in that capacity was whether or not to close a primary school in the village next to ours and consolidate with the school in our village. Of course the decision wasn't his alone, but when it happened he was blamed, and I by proxy. Threats from locals nearly lead to my removal from the school for safety reasons. The passion surrounding that school closing is surely today as well, but I'm not seeing it in the reporting.