Markeshia Ricks Photo
Snip!
New laptops —and Ghandian reminders about changing the world —will greet New Haven Academy’s 265 students when they start their new school year in a bright new $44 million building Thursday morning.
State and city officials cut the ribbon Wednesday on the new 63,000-square-foot state-of-the art building that has been more than five years in the making at the corner of Orange and Bradley streets for a celebrated small high school geared toward churning out social-justice leaders.
“This is more than a dream come true, and we are incredibly happy to be here,” Greg Baldwin, New Haven Academy principal and co-founder, told the crowd of officials, faculty and students gathered to get a peek at the finished school Wednesday. The new building stands where the former home of St. Mary’s Catholic Girls’ High School once stood. The site also was home to Co-Op High for years.
Baldwin credited the fight for a new school building that was waged by New Haven Academy alumni who knew they would never get a chance to take a class in the building.
“They knew they would never come to this school, but they were so committed to this program — to our vision, to our success,” Baldwin said.
Meredith Gavrin, the school’s program director and co-founder, said New Haven Academy has come a long way since it was founded in 2003. That first year, the school opened in a small office space with 60 students and eight staff members. Over the 13 years that the school has existed, it has been in four different buildings.
“But our mission has always remained the same: to prepare all of our students to be successful in college and to become active citizens, people who think critically, who participate in their communities, who stand up and speak up,” she said. “One of the most exciting things about this building is that our mission lives on the walls.”
The school’s motto, “Think critically. Be responsible. Get involved,” greets students on every floor, Gavrin noted. The walls of the school’s entryway and the library are emblazoned with words of Mahatma Gandhi, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Margaret Mead, and Albert Einstein.
Starting Strong
A New Haven Academy student gets interviewed with Superintendent Harries.
New Haven Public School Superintendent Garth Harries said the district is striving to make sure that students start off the new school year strong, and with a new $44 million building, the students at New Haven Academy will have the opportunity to do just that. The school is equipped with technology throughout including one laptop for every student, two computer labs and state-of-the-art security. It also has a parent room.
“This facility is a great example of ways we can start strong, making sure that our students are equipped with the things they need to be prepared for the 21st, and dare I say, the 22nd century,” Harries said of the 41st completed school in New Haven’s construction program. “We have a parent room because we recognize that we don’t do this work alone. We do this work in partnership with our parents and the community.”
Student performance on standardized tests has been a source of tension between Harries and the school board. At Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting, Harries, Mayor Toni Harp and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy all touted the district’s efforts to improve results on the state standardized Smarter Balanced test, to increase graduation rates and college going, while reducing absenteeism.
“We have more work to do, but I am most proud of the ways that we are empowering our students to take control of their future in facilities like this and in classrooms all around the district,” Harries said.
Harp and Education Commissioner Dianna Wentzell.
Harp made a point to thank Malloy, who was on his third back-to-school stop of the morning, for his support of the city’s school construction program.
The state kicked in $33 million of the $44 million it took to build a new New Haven Academy.
“As the former mayor of Stamford, and now in his current office, the governor knows very well the importance of partnerships among Connecticut cities and state government when it comes to these large scale capital improvement projects,” said Harp, a former state senator and Appropriations Committee co-chair. “The partnership I mentioned is essential for local things to actually happen and to keep this city moving forward.”
Harp said the city was grateful for the state’s help and commitment to overhauling all of the district’s aging school buildings. Given that the city is 378 years old, it will continue to need that help, she said.
“We’d like to think that we’re keeping our part of the bargain by improving schools inside of these classrooms and building a better public education system,” she said. “We hope that this will encourage you, Governor, to continue investing in New Haven.”
“We have other ideas about capital improvement projects we think would help New Haven move forward and this entire portion of Connecticut because we believe it is in New Haven that we move south central Connecticut forward,” she added. “We look forward to our continuing collaboration with you and your administration, and the state going forward.”
To which Malloy replied, “Mayor, thank you for your kind words, and your warning.”
New Haven has more schools than any city or town in the state - it doesn't have more students. This is just the latest in gross spending and debt that is sucking the lifeblood out of the city. Not only did this city not need this school, it didn't need a new building either. Now local taxpayers are saddled with another $10 million in debt for 265 students and the state, already with chronic budget problems has another $33 million in debt - both with declining bond ratings and poor financial outlooks because of structural imbalances. Add a big dose of foolishness and hubris.
And what are the test scores for all these social justice students? Are they meeting the minimum state standards? If not why not and what has been changed to get a better outcome? A new school?