Brooklyn Prospect Charter School

Teaching & Classroom

New York

August 17, 2016

What I Can’t Teach Without: Kelly Vaughan, middle school science

We're asking teachers what materials and ideas help them serve their students best.

sorting the students

New York

June 10, 2016

A diverse Brooklyn charter school has a new mission: to make sure its toughest classwork is done by a diverse group, too

Brooklyn Prospect is part of a growing national movement aimed at creating a new paradigm: racially and socio-economically integrated charter schools.

Politics & Policy

New York

July 1, 2014

NYC charter schools join national coalition aimed at de-segregating sector

Charter schools are seeking to change the narrative that they’re part of the problem when it comes to segregation in public schools. Two New York City charter…

a middle path?

New York

March 24, 2014

In charter school tension, a pathway to long-sought facilities funding

The State Senate's far-reaching charter school proposals would turn giving the schools access to state facilities funding — in the past has been an ambitious ask for the charter sector — into a compromise position for legislators.

New York

January 14, 2014

How sticky notes help my students read novels independently

In a First Person piece, teacher Ariel Sacks shares a strategy she uses to help her diverse group of students read and understand whole novels on their own — an unusual goal for a middle school class.

New York

November 2, 2012

Some charter schools in private space restarted classes today

Students and teachers arrived at Brooklyn Prospect Charter School in Windsor Terrace early this morning for their first day back since Hurricane Sandy. Not all city schools lost a full week of classes because of Hurricane Sandy. Because of storm damage to hundreds of city school buildings, students who attend school in one of the Department of Education's buildings were told to stay home this week and not return until Monday at the earliest. But in privately owned buildings, some charter schools were up and running today with regularly scheduled classes, tutoring, and college prep courses. At Brooklyn Prospect Charter School in Windsor Terrace, which was relatively unscathed by Hurricane Sandy, school resumed Friday and settled back into an almost regular schedule. Classes started later than normal and teachers planned to assign students classwork related to the ongoing crisis that hundreds of thousands of residents are dealing with in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. But Executive Director Daniel Rubenstein said he wanted to open the school as soon as possible to restore a sense of normalcy. "After a time of trauma, what students need is to get back to routines," Rubenstein said. Many students at the District 15 school live in Red Hook, the riverfront neighborhood where some residents are still without electricity and some residents are still bailing water out of their basements. But Rubenstein said none of his students or their families experienced severe upheaval.

New York

February 3, 2012

Students lead the news cycle at Brooklyn Prospect's Career Day

Brooklyn Prospect students listen to sports writer John Walters talk about his career path and professional life. When Brooklyn Prospect Charter School students next sit down to work on their school newspaper, they shouldn't have any trouble coming up with stories to cover. As one of more than 20 speakers at Brooklyn Prospect's Career Day, I spent the morning talking with eighth-graders about what it's like to work as a journalist. Newly armed with knowledge about the distinctions among news, features, and opinion writing, the students broke into small groups to brainstorm article ideas about their school. One big piece of news, the students said, is that Brooklyn Prospect has hired a principal for its high school, which will open in September. A feature story might take an in-depth look at how the school has changed now that it is located inside Bishop Ford High School after leaving the Sunset Park High School building. And opinion columns could make the case for or against the required uniform, a green or white polo shirt with black or khaki pants. The students pointed to one story that could easily be tackled in any of the categories: a new "no hugging" rule.

New York

June 10, 2011

A charter school finds itself stuck between two controversies

Council member Steve Levin and State Assembly Member Joan Millman rally with staff, parents and children outside two closing day care centers. (Update: A spokesperson for the city Administration for Children Services tells GothamSchools that Strong Place and Bethel Day Care Centers will continue operating until Friday, June 17, in order to give parents more time to find alternative care options.) A charter school with an uncertain future has found private space for the next school year, hoping to appease the neighborhood opposition where it's currently co-located. But in the process, it collided with another citywide controversy: the mayor's decision to close day care centers. Brooklyn Prospect Charter School has co-located at Sunset Park High School since it opened two years ago, but that community wants them out. So last week, the school signed a one-year lease this week to move into 238 Hoyt Street in Boerum Hill. A permanent, privately-funded facility scheduled to open in 2012 is being built down the road. The challenge is that the previous tenants at the rental building were two popular day care centers that have been neighborhood institutions for over 30 years. Bethel Day Care and Strong Place Day Care are two of eight programs ending as a result of Mayor Bloomberg's budget cuts. Today, Bethel and Strong Place were among five centers to close their doors for good. Parents, employees and young children from the centers joined Council Member Steve Levin outside of the building to protest the cuts. "We're here to stand up against what the city has done. Stand up against what the Brooklyn Prospect Charter School has done," said Levin, who was joined by State Assembly Member Joan Millman and about 30 others. "These programs, we have fought for year after year, so that your children have a safe place to stay." The centers would have closed regardless, but Levin partially blamed Brooklyn Prospect's pursuit of the $750,000 lease for the inability to restore funding. "It's tough enough to get funding restored for the daycare centers, but when you have a charter school come in and sign a lease, it makes it all the more difficult," he said. The lease includes a termination clause that would allow the centers to stay if they could afford the rent. That looked increasingly unlikely, however, with Bloomberg holding firm to his budget cuts.

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