Teacher Review |
Rating:
Posted 2011-03-18
"Page 1.1/7 As you continue reading, I tried to explain these factors and things we can do to stop this oracle of educational failure and apartheid. a) The excessive infusion of politics and control by the mayor and his minions; b) Changing dynamics of the students' population c) Unrealistic expectations as reflected in the designed curriculums and performance rubrics d) Incompetent leadership within the school and the district superintendent's office e) Lack of parental engagement, ineffective use of observation as a form of evaluating performance over capacity building f) Excessive focus on teaching to pass the state test NTHS, however, continues to offer some of the most innovative vocational programs to our learners that proved very effective in highlighting essence and relationship of their core academic courses with real life situations. They brought in a new principal, vigorously supported by faculty members, students and parents. The superintendent's announcement, amidst the visceral and quantified positive changes, that NTHS could not rehabilitate itself."
Teacher Review |
Rating:
Posted 2011-01-20
"NTHS is an upstanding school. Big schools have the luxury of basketball, baseball, gyms, libraries. Well organized with secretarial staff including payroll, pupil accounting, Principal's & Assistant Principals, Record Keeping, Attendance&Programming, Senior's & security dept. & treasurer secretarial staff. We offer students opportunities daily w/afterschool programs, and weekend Regent's prep & SAT's. Because we are a big building we have dances and lots of student athletic opportunities; 1 student was endorsed by the Yankees. 73% of our kids are Hispanic making it difficult for them to find schools and possibly dropping out. Charter schools do not compare to the quality of a big building. In small schools 1 secretary has to do all of the segmented organized secretarial roles listed above. We need support from parents/students to show up to school for all the carte blanche programs we offer to facilitate higher scores, finals, regents and report cards. Merging schools in a big building is the most efficient way to run a school; we can have several schools in the same building and run with a proficient system."
Student Review |
Rating:
Posted 2010-12-08
"Norman Thomas High School is a good school offering many programs such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Future Business Leaders Of America, the best classroom with rugs for the double period virtual enterprise class.Every Academy has their own President,Vice President,and Secretary.The staff and teachers really care and love the students.I get phone calls and letters of my progress in school: wether its bad or good. The majors that are offer in this school are nice. Travel And Tourism,Accounting,Fashion Marketing,Entrepernuership,Media Technology.....The School is divided into 3 Academies.People from Outside might see the bad side but the school is good.Many students walk around with a 90n and above average and getting accepted to Berkely college,St. John's.....etc. NORMAN THOMAS SHOULD NOT CLOSE!"
Other Review |
Rating:
Posted 2010-12-08
"4 year graduation rate: 37.0% 9th-graders reading on level: 23.6% Tell me again why it shouldn't close?"
Other Review |
Rating:
Posted 2010-11-05
"it is an embarrassment that such a illustrious school not too long ago is allowed to be part of the NYC Mayoral and Electoral politics. While the teachers are attempting to continuously motivate students with plethora of difficulties, with a large number of special needs, the forces at helm in Tweed and the DoE have thrown all sort of tricks into the mix to prevent the school from achieving, such as budget cuts that prevents effective teaching. Meanwhile, small schools get everything done with a flicker of their fingers. So much history, from Central Commercial High School to Norman Thomas High School cannot be bought but earned through the annals of history. It is amazing that the school can achieve some much, of which the City has determined is not enough."