Eleanor
Roosevelt, New East Side HS, Opens to Great Fanfare
by
Pola Rosen, Ed.D.
“The
future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their
dreams.” This quote by Eleanor Roosevelt permeated the ribbon-cutting
ceremony of the new high school named after the great first
lady.
Susan
Elliott, new principal of Eleanor Roosevelt High School, presided
with radiance at the inauguration of the school surrounded
by New York City’s major political and education leaders. This
day was the culmination of four years of arduous work by Eva
Moskowitz, Chair of the Education Committee, New York City
Council along with Chancellor Joel Klein, and Bill Goldstein
and Kathleen Grimm of the school construction authority. The
site previously was Sotheby’s Auction House. Moskowitz stated
smiling, “Thirty years ago, my parents attended a meeting about
this school. I was a student at PS 6 then. Today it’s a reality.
We have the potential to have a school like this in every borough.”
Chancellor
Klein emphasized, “Every Monday morning we should have a ribbon
cutting like this. This is the way to turn education around—one
school at a time.”
Congresswoman
Carolyn Maloney, co-chair with C. Virginia Fields for the high
school, talked about the great turnout for the first PTA conference
at the school: 179 parents met with teachers! “What’s unique
about this school is that it has no specialization. It’s providing
a rock bottom solid education.”
Gifford
Miller, Speaker of the City Council stated, “We, as politicians,
are merely amplifying the needs of parents for a school like
this. The City Council allocated $16 million for this project.
Any journey is a step at a time and this is a great journey.”
C.
Virginia Fields, Manhattan Borough President, commented about
the amazing parents who, through their commitment and dedication,
had shown the way.
State
Senator Liz Krueger discussed the opening of 23 new schools
this September, congratulating Chancellor Klein. She added, “Every
child entering high school should have an opportunity to enter
a school like this.”
It
seems that the dreams of the parents and students of Eleanor
Roosevelt High School are on the way to becoming a reality.#
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