The Post today notes the retirement of an outstanding New York City principal, Frank Mickens:
When Frank Mickens took over back in 1984, Boys and Girls HS in Bedford-Stuyvesant was one of the most violent, worst-performing schools in New York City.
Maybe even the country.
But the new principal turned Boys and Girls around with a combination of strict discipline, intolerance for lazy teachers and sheer force of will.
The school is now safe and — academically — one of the best of the city’s oft-troubled “zoned” high schools.
Mickens’ methods were unorthodox, but effective.
As the editorial notes, however, Mickens succeeded heroically despite the public school system, not because of it. His isn’t a success story so much as a tragic reminder of just how bad the rest of the system is.
Mickens was a maverick, but we can’t have a system where everyone bends the rules. What we need are less rules: from central and, far more importantly, from the union.
I’ll agree. You’d probably never hear them on evil corporate radio. At least I never have up my way.
When I was at BGHS(85-89),I was in class 9S08 and my homeroom teacher was Ms. Stein. Mr Mickens tought me the value of being a student. I wasnt a bad child, but he and my teachers made me a more responsible person. Ive been in the military for 17 yrs and most of the credit goes to Mr. Mickens!!!!