A Community Appeal to “Occupy the High”

A Community Appeal from Bernard Gassaway, principal of Boys and Girls High School, and Stan Kinard, director of the CARE Center

Dear Community Members:

This is an appeal to the community at large to support Boys and Girls High School, affectionately known as the “Pride and Joy of Bedford Stuyvesant.”

It is no secret that we face many challenges in educating our students and the recent failing Report Card grade is indicative of a challenge that we must both address and overcome. Our school’s vision states that children achieve success and embrace learning when they feel safe and are supported by competent and caring adults.

We are launching “Occupy the High,” an initiative to recruit and train 100 competent and caring members of this community to come in and tutor our students, supporting them in passing their Regents Exams in January and June of 2012.

If this campaign is successful, it will assist in upgrading the school status and improve its graduation rate. Boys and Girls High School is a community school and Principal Gassaway recognizes the strategic role that the community must play to successfully turn around this important institution.

"Our students are required to take high stakes examinations after being in high school for one year. Because so many of them come to high school with limited proficiency, they require remediation from day one," said Principal Gassaway. "Qualified tutors fill a void in more ways than one: They offer alternative teaching methods as well as serve as role models and potential mentors."

The staff and students of Boys and Girls High School have also worked hard to prove our commitment to this community. 

We recently hosted Thanksgiving Dinner serving over 500 senior citizens in our cafeteria. That same weekend, Kangaroo Basketball Classic brought together over 1,000 members of this community in support our scholar athletes.

All athletes are required to do community service, and Principal Gassaway recently announced that Boys and Girls H.S. students would render at least 25,000 hours of community service this year.

While we are far from a failing school, we do recognize that there is still tremendous work required to turn this institution around. There is no institution more important to this community than Boys and Girls H.S. and there is no greater resource than you the residents.

This is a critical and transitional moment in the history of Boys & Girls High School, and your support is of the upmost importance.

We are looking for tutors with expertise in the areas of Math, Science, and History. We look forward to hearing from you and to returning our school to its great legacy of scholarship and community service.

“Occupy the High” is an initiative of the CARE Center, a network of community partnerships providing support services to the students and families of Boys and Girls High School.

"It is not enough to sit on the sideline and criticize schools for failing children," said Gassaway. "It is time for folks, who have something to offer, to step to the plate and help. Our children need the village to play its inherent role."

If you are interested in joining “Occupy the High” please contact Stanley Kinard at 718-467-1700 ext 1230 or Kizzie Brown-Duah via email at Kbrown@restorationplaza.org.

There will be a recruitment meeting for tutors on Wednesday, December 7, at 6:00pm, and Saturday, December 10, at 10:00am, at Boys and Girls High School, located at 1700 Fulton Street.