When Celeste Douglas-Wheeler arrived at M.S. 57, Ron Brown Academy in 2006, she faced the daunting task of turning around a failing school. The middle school at 125 Stuyvesant Ave., near Lafayette Avenue, was placed on state’s “Schools Under Registration Review” list for those identified as low-performing. “I was really a little nervous because at the time, the school had just a bad reputation and people just didn’t want to be here,” Douglas-Wheeler, 40, said. “Students, teachers, and parents didn’t really trust us.”
She looked to the arts as a way of engaging her students in learning. “There was this joy that was missing. I kept saying, ‘Why do black and brown children have to see school as a place that’s joyless?’” she said. Through a partnership with groups such as the Center for Arts Education and Carnegie Hall, the principal has succeeded in turning around the academy with countless school plays and performances, as well as art instruction to sixth through eighth graders three times a week.
While many schools are forced to cut their art programs, Douglas-Wheeler introduced a new focus in theater for students this year and will implement a specialization track in theater, visual and dance starting in April.
Monthly assessments help teachers keep their students on track, and an emphasis on social justice and a “restorative” approach to building relationships with kids fosters growth, she added.
Flash mobs are also a common sight at Ron Brown Academy, where the school dedicates days to impromptu performances in the hallways with students singing, acting and creating artwork.
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