The school hearing at Murry Bergtraum High School in Downtown Manhattan was sparsely attended, leaving the 2,000-seat auditorium virtually empty. The proposal on the table called for a new school to open within the same building alongside the current one. The new school would collaborate with the National Parks Service to offer career training in carpentry, masonry, landscaping, and restoration, reported School-Stories reporter, Aisha Asif for Gotham Schools. At the same time, Murry Bergtraum would gradually phase out its student enrollment starting next school year, until it closes for good in 2018. Teachers complained that the federal rules under No Child Left Behind and Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s closure of nearly 150 schools during his tenure made their school a “dumping ground” for high-need students without adequate resources to help them.
Education Reporting in NYC
