Sheepshead Bay High School, our High School, is going to close at the end of the year.
The DOE is citing graduation rates for special education and low-income students. More than likely the DOE is going to replace Sheepshead with smaller and/or charter schools.
3 other Brooklyn schools are going to close as well:
- FDR High School at 5800 20th Avenue
- John Dewey High School at 50 Avenue X
- Grady High School at 25 Brighton Fourth Road
My guess is the schools aren’t going anywhere, just a few name changes, otherwise where are all those wonderful, law abiding and wonderful students going to go ? Certainly not back on their buses to the hood
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I went to Sheepshead Bay HS and the place is and always was an utter shithole. There were fights at least once a week in the caf back in the day. I heard from current students that there’s a fight at least 3 times a week in the halls or caf now.
Good Riddance.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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I went to SBHS 1966-1970 and graduated with good grades. SBHS was considered one of the top high schools in Brooklyn back then. We were unified, had fun, had friends – “cliques” – groups that always hung out together playing racquet ball at Bedford Park, and/or just hanging out at each other’s homes. No one was afraid of anyone or walking down the halls, or going to the bathroom alone, and the atmosphere was dedicated to learning, forming friendships, and peppered with strong direction toward successful futures for everyone. Kids cared about the school, their future, and each other. It was just before I graduated (like in my Senior year – which continued to escalate well after I graduated, obviously) that things began to change there. Fights became common; “rumbles” became common; full-time police presence became common, fear in and and around the school became common. It was NOT the “shithole” you talk about – not when I attended. It was a fun must-be home away from home. So many of us have fond memories of our yesteryears at SBHS. This is sad news if true and the reasons that have led up to this are even sadder. Those of you of my “generation” know exactly what I am talking about. It genuinely saddens me that what used to be one of the best schools and neighborhoods in Brooklyn are now considered one of the worst.
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I don’t understand the reasons behind the Dept of Ed closing Sheepshead. They earned a B on last year’s Progress Report and a C this year. We’ve always been told a school gets closed after 2 C’s.
Then again, since when does the Dept of Ed make sense.
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[...] haven’t been able to confirm it, but GerritsenBeach.net is reporting that Sheepshead Bay High School, John Dewey High School, William E. Grady High School, [...]
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I go to sheepshead bay and in truth the school really isn’t that bad. The teachers mean well and there’s plenty of students who actually want to learn and graduate. Its not fair to the students there that try to learn. I’m a senior and im graduating this year so although it doesn’t affect me, this is still the school i went to i dnt want it closed. What are they gonna do? Just keep closing schools? What happens when all the schools are closed, I wanna know what there gonna do then. The problem is, is that there taking all the bad kids from other schools and putting them in the same schools that these kids have a problem with. Its like a chain reaction. I’ve been hearing this rumor since my junior year, and i really think the DOE or whoever needs to consider this before they close it, if they close it at all.
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Do you ever read something called a “newspaper”? When they ‘close’ a school, they dump a ton of money into it and ‘reopen’ it, usually having several smaller schools in the building. They don’t, as you seem to think, ‘just keep closing schools’. They will give the smaller schools catchy names like The Malcolm X School of the Study for Humanity and Law, so it will make the ignorant think it’s a cool place to go. Then they get to pay 5 principals in one building instead of 1. Of course the administration grows exponentially because each principal needs a secretarial staff and assistant principals, counselors, etc. They also don’t ‘take bad kids from other schools and send them there.’ Kids used to have to deal with the school they were zoned for, but of course the bad neighborhoods with bad parents who don’t care had bad schools. Instead of working to make their schools better, (that would have meant ‘work’ and ‘involvement’), they instead claimed their schools were bad because they lived in a bad neighborhood, or because they were poor, or minority. They complained that there were no good teachers at their school, but good teachers don’t want to get out of work and find that their car has no tires on it. Or be threatened with a whoopin’ if they fail a kid who does no work. They don’t want to work in those schools. So they made it so kids could just go school to school and wreck those schools too. So now they all stink. But at least at Sheepshead they keep their clothes on and their hands to themselves, unlike Madison, where alot of the kids are smart and want to learn, but the teachers are degenerates.
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last time i checked Sheepshead Bay is a desirable neighborhood.
if NYC could get their schools fixed it would be wonderful
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This person obviously went to public school…all the city has done is destroy what few good public schools were left. I can’t see any reasonable person wanting to start a family here. There’s no where left to send kids who want to learn and come from middle class families. Who cares what they close.
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Google “Race to the Top”. This is an Obama Program!
They are calling it “a Program” This is something totally new other than the school closings!
However, They have already decided the fate of the 57 other schools on this list. You can see them on the DOE Website.
It is a sad day for educators!
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I don’t get it! Is it the teachers that are no good or the students? But yo keep busing all the kids in from all over! And mush all bad together and then wonder why its all bad! Humm some one has to teach these kids! To bad it don’t start at HOME!
Hot debate. What do you think?
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let me guess, you’re a graduate of Sheepshead and majored in English
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Glad to see this school close. The neighborhood will be better off for sure. Let the misfits and truants stay where they belong.
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where do they belong? across the street? sheepshead is a zoned school…kids are not bused in….any bad element there is coming from the surrounding neighborhood.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Ha Ha yeah, let them stay in GB..lmao
Hot debate. What do you think?
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mh, how do I put this politely, WRONG !!!!! Sheepshead maybe a zoned school for some who are within walking distance which does incluse GB however if you were conscious at all and ever been in the area of the school at dismissal there are city buses lined up to take the learning future and visitors back out of the area to where they actually live, which is down the other end of Nostrand Ave say Crown Heights, East New York, Bed Sty Going back a few years I drove a bus and would take overtime to drive the Sheepshead Bay school buses (which the MTA called extras on the B44) and the first stop wasn’t until past the junction at Farraguat Rd and the last was all the way to Flushing Ave My point, down be fooled or dumb to believe that it is or ever was a neighborhood or community school
Have you ever seen buses lined up anywhere near Madison, no, I guess that would be more of a community school but GB isn’t within there zone which is a very small and limited area
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i agree with him on it,..trust and believe this school is filled with idiots there so many nice people that live around they’ll much happy knowing it not getting crowed with a bunch of idiots around 3:00 pm or at 8:00 am
trust and believe this school is filled animls that are in human bodies.i HATE THEM!
I have been in that school since 2008
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I really pray that God takes your tainted heart and make it new because you seem to have so much discontent towards this community… Instead of encouraging change and progression your the American who complains and slander what he doesn’t really know …smh
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Wow, get out the violins…a lot of these kids are criminals, who would target you or your family in a second. Let them stay where they live. Some of them I’m sure have sad stories behind them, but if it was you or your kid being robbed, assaulted or god knows what else, I doubt you’d care very much.
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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That comment was uncalled for… I am someone who lived in Sheepshead Bay projects for 20 years and while in Sheepshead, I was president of the school,on the softball team, council for unity, band, social studies honor socitey,United by faith….believe me , my list can go on and on. And last but not least, I maintained being on Honor Role…. So I really feel you need reconsider the words spoken from your mouth. Igronace is a horrible thing to pass to someone, that’s why there are the problems that are present in the world of today. God Bless you and you’res….
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May you have any chance attended Cunnningham?
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‘Lock em up in the projects’? That was the most ignorant thing I’ve seen in the comments so far, including the student who posted above who used highly improper English. I’ve never attended SBHS nor have I lived in the projects, but I do live extremely close and I do know people who attend SBHS. For you to stereotype and assume that shows me that either society has taken a major step backwards or you are a presumptuous idiot (I’m betting on the latter). If they all belong back in the projects, where do you belong?
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Good point to whoever “L” is. However that was off the topic to say what you said about the student leaving a comment about their improper english. Stick to the topic. You are forgetting what the purpose was for commenting on this website. Your no better then anyone who try to slander someone else.Do not condem but help.. that is the true purpose of this website .. to inform and to help.
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I went to SBHS and lived in the Projects! Both were great growing up.
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O.M.G. Sheepshead bay h.s. closing….it’s the end of an era, I don’t know how bad the projects are (moved away years ago) but i remember walking through them at night and not being afraid, can’t say i would do that today though….
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how come every afternoon their are city busses in front of sheepshead ! because when the students come out to go home on the nostrand ave bus they create all kinds of problems for the store owners and the passengers that are on the nostrand ave bus so if they want to take the bus you must as a student use the one that comes to the school the police will not let them on the nostrand ave bus. o and by the way sheepshead bay high school is an open enrolment school as long as their is room any one can go their. maybe the families in the neighborhood will send their children to sheepshead or another near by school.
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To Imani person, something you should know encouraging the change and progression will get this community NO WHERE!.Its been like this since Ive been 2008 maybe even longer.
I complain and slander about what i know,and what i don’t know is why people still want this retardation filled crap of a school open.
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I was the 2nd class into John Dewey HS, and it would certainly upset me to see the school closed at year-end. Especially since there is a school reunion in june.
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I graduated from dewey as well. Sad that it’s closing.
is Dewey a good school i made it in the computer science program. not sure if im going though
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i dont know why ya hav problemss with sh. i am a graduated and have a hi pay job
Hot debate. What do you think?
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that’s why your spelling is so great!
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bet there not gonna close, theyve been saying this schools been closing as well as grady for a couple years. theres nutin wrong with the school the teachers are actualy great and help you there and there are many students who graduated and are graduating with high grades, the kids who dont go are the reasons there looking to close being the lack of attendence
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yipeeeeeee it is closing down yipeeeeeeee
Hot debate. What do you think?
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If everyone from Gerritsen beach kept their kids in the public school system, instead of running off and putting them in Catholic school just to keep them sheltered from the element then Sheepshead Bay High School would HAVE only the area children. Meanwhile all these parents complain about the high cost of the tuition, well should of kept your kids in public school…… And by the way I know for a fact Sheepshead Bay always gets a bad reputation and has actually made much improvements in the last couple of years.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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I agree with you about people not sending their kids to the area public schools. And I’ll say this for Sheepshead, the fields that they renovated look great and as a matter of fact, the whole campus always looks nice and clean. I only know from driving by, but I really thought it was improving.
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Theres more problems at Madison and Midwod, you just dont hear about it everything is hushed up (except for the scandal with the teachers which is another story), Sheepshead Bay H.S. is just another example of the DOE’s failure, its not the schools fault . Hey why dont they close all the public schools that are doing bad. That would probably be almost every school in the city….
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what are some problems going on in midwood and madison, would be nice to kno
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Read a newspaper. teachers banging students, teachers on teachers in classrooms, perv principals. I wish I went there. If those schools were movies they would be rated NC17. There should be shady men outside handing out flyers: “come on in and catch the action”
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I know we didn’t choose to live in a community with all private homes to provide better for our families to send our children into the fires of a housing project. But then again just think if people didn’t send their kids to the project high school what foreigners would be walking our Avenue and Courts late at night in hoodys, where would our boys learn how to wear their jeans below their ass or that baseball cap over the ears.
And yes the fields at Sheepshead look great, a lot of money was sure spent there, has anyone tried to use those facilities
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I wish the veiled racism here would be more direct – for the sake of a real dialogue. I worked for the Housing Authority for 30 years, and “projects: do have good kids as well.
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It will be sad to see this school closed. I was from the graduating class of 68 and along with the excellent faculty we had , we also had some of the brightest students who were heavily involved in all activities and for the most part we had no open fighting in the halls or cafeteria. Sad that alot of schools have become battle grounds and that racism is alive and rampant anymore. Seems we slide backwards instead of going forward. Just recently saw some pictures of SBHS and was dissapointed to see the gates and the metal detectors. So glad I grew up there in the 60′s and not now. We have the same problems in alot of schools in the Michigan area and unfortunately alot of the problems stem from home and the fact that most parents no longer take an active role in their childrens upbringing. Hope it can be saved. If it were 40 some years ago, our students would be in the forefront trying to change the outcome. Good luck…
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Agree it is sad to see it close. I also graduated from their so many years ago. It was a good school. The problem today is no RESPECT! for teachers, or school property.
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wasn’t there segregation in the 60′s?
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Ahhh the good ole days the 60s when the gym teachers and deans did all the ass kicking in the school to keep everything in a straight line
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I think they shouldn’t close the school down. I’m a freshmen in that school and it’s lik there a fight once a month not three times a week. If a student chooses not to learn, you can put them in the smartest school and they don’t have to learn. If a student chooses to learn, put them in the dumbest school and they will learn. So don’t close the school and replace it because it’s a waste of money and the students who live around the school will attend the new school.
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It saddens me to learn that one of my favorite childhood memories is being closed, and for reasons that I as an alumni of SHBH my memory of my school days always brings joy to my heart. I graduated in 1965 and believe me I have seen many changes in the world and I always feel blessed that I went to school when life was a little easier, but then again when your 14-17 years old you shouldn’t have the worries that the teenagers in our society today have and experienced …When I attended SHBH aside from our academic worries we worried about Sing, Boosters, boys worried about girls and girls worried about boys and teachers were eager to teach and kids were eager to learn, not all of us but most. Of course our lives weren’t always easy it hit us all very hard at the news of the assassination of JFK.
Martins was our hang out where we had lime rickeys and unfortunately I can’t remember the other favorites that we had, we hung out at each others homes or apartments and we had good clean fun. How sad to see it end but it doesn’t simply end with the closing of SHBH it ends with the world’s troubles and it’s corrupt politians, it ends with having to fight because of your race, it ends with terrorists attacks, it ends with war, our youth of today are growing up too fast it saddens me. SHBH will always be part of me and I wish for everyone who have gradutated after 1965 that it holds for them the same memories….G-d Bless….
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That’s what happens when you bus kids in, good schools go bad. Kids can’t respect something such as a school that doesn’t belong to them, it’s not in their neighborhood so why should they care.
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I graduated from SBHS in 1985,and I was one of “those students” who were bussed in from a different neighborhood. We were not always welcomed in the neighborhood by the residents but those of us who stayed strived to do our best and make the school our home. That being said, it will be sad if this school closes. I am sure there are many public educational institutions that have the occasional fights, but should that subject them to closing? Or are “they” using the the fights to cover up the fact that children are not being taught? Restoring order and discipline are very easy things to do, improving test scores of minorities and children with special neds is another. Small schools in the same building may not achieve this as those children will also be bussed in to the school.
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This is so sad …
I went to Sheepshead Bay HS from 2003-2007 and I always loved it. Yeah kids will be kids but Training starts at home. Everyone say “Sheepshead Bay has a lot of fights” well the school does not encourage this type of behavior. The majority of the teachers worked very hard with the students inside and outside of the school. I felt loved when I went to Sheepshead. Sheepshead Bay has a very large variety of programs and activites, that many other hs dont. This encourage the students to be the best, it is a diverse atmoshpere in which everyone could grow in. I kid you not, my heart dropped and nearly broke when I heard this and if there is anything I can do to help make it a better place I will. I am a history secondary education major, and my dream was to come back to the place where I first bloomed and make that happen for many students to come…
There will never be another school like Sheepshead bay…This is a major mistake.
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Very well stated. You sound like those I taught and loved at SBHS from 1977 – 2003.
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Your insane if you actually like this its filled worthless trash bitches.
they dont deserve a good school like sheepshead they deserve to be in a dirty school building with crappy teachers and even worse food.
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I went to this school for 2 years and i swear is was terrible This stupid school has the most unreasonable spoiled bitches you could come cross in life,I hate this school and I’m so glad is closing down.I don’t know if it’s the worst school in Brooklyn but i know its terrible..5 million thumbs down for the worst school i ever been to.
There are teachers in that school that don’t know how to teach or even speak English,I had English teacher there and she has a strong Russian accent and shes a teacher.how stupid!
And threatening them about calling there parents or suspending only makes these bitches worse.I say they need to take bigger steps to fix these spoiled brats because they think its okay to do what the fuck.If someone is sleeping in class they just let them!
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I attended this school from 9-12 grade (’71-’74). It was a good school. There were kids bused in from other neighborhoods. I went on to college and grad school. I was a cheerleader and the school colors were orange and white (not blue and orange). We never had a prom and there were fights back then but I believe that happened at all schools. I live in California and have raised 3 sons who didn’t get into fights in public high schools because of a no tolerance rule. However, the schools in California are much smaller than those in Brooklyn. I drove by the school last September (2009) and it brought back many memories. Athough most of my friends from James J. Reynolds JHS 43 went to Lincoln HS on Ocean Pkwy, a few of us had to go to Sheepshead Bay because we lived on the other side of Ocean Avenue. I went to PS 209 for elementary school. Kids really need to understand that they need to get an education in order to be successful in life. At least a high school degree. I have always thought that the education that I received as a youngster was much better than those of my children in public school. What a shame! Where are all these students supposed to go? More will drop out with the school closure and more will end up on welfare. Shameful
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..oops…I meant on the other side of Coney Island Avenue…where PS 209 was.
Mrs. Seiden! 6th Grade
Mrs. Anita Greenberg….uggh! she was mean and I even remember her first name.
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All i can say wow.thank the mayor for destroying the city.When i worked and went to the school it was a awsome place to learn and made lots of friends.The problem with ny schools is when you bus kids in from school to school after they get intruble this is what brings problems
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So many people that left comments on this website need to examine the way they think and question whether or not they have a healthy way of thinking. Someone stated that they should send “the worthless bitches to worst schools with crappier teachers and crappy lunch food”. If you treat someone like animals, they will respond like animals. It is clear that there is a problem that is present, however no one is stating a solution on how to solve it. Peope are just bashing everything and everyone at Sheepshead Bay left and right. A school is a school. Sheepshead Bay just does the right thing and report their incidents, a lot other schools does not. It does not mean that the same issues occur. Another thing, These students need stablity and need not to be moved around … show them the right way. I bet all of those people who are leaving negative and nasty remarks are the same people who contribute nothing to the school. This situation revealed so much negativity and people’s true emotions…. sad …
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if you haven’t noticed they don’t get treated like animals at sheepshead yet they still act stupid like animals..jumping not listening teachers, the list goes on and on…there animals and they don’t even show respect to me as a community and most teachers.Nobody in that neighborhood even likes it be crowed each morning and afternoon of these animals that disrupt the community,and the buses.
They shoudl go to places where there are black people in teh neighborhood that are liek them so it wont matter.not around peacful people.
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When I made that comment about “If you treat people like animals, they will respond as if they are animals”, it was in reference to what someone had stated in an earlier post. They said “Leave the animals in the jungle”. That comment was directed towards that statement.
Now to say that “they should go places where black people are like them” show that there is still a deep root of racism in many people’s hearts, not just directed towards you, but also many other people who have written on this post. Or maybe your just igronant to what is really going on.
How can one determine if whether the “students” show respect towards the teachers and their community, unless you are present on a daily basics and have done field work surrounding your theory. I have you know that I was born and raised in that community, and there are so many wonderful things that are involved in that area that the people put forth.
I am not here to attack anyone on about their opinions, despite that there has been numerous attacks towards me,it is okay, I have tough skin. What we must focus on is the situation at hand. Some people are in strong belief that Sheepshead Bay no longer has anything to offer; but I beg to differ. Sheepshead Bay Hs has one of the most diverse student populations in Brooklyn New York. They also offer a variety of programs that many Hs or magnet schools does not. From law to drama, culture to sports, Sheesphead has it and more.
Many people seem to attack the students, teachers and so on however, what about attacking the problem at the source. Could anyone remember the NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT that was created to”help” students by pushing them forward? It hurt more then help, and now schools such as Sheepshead Bay has a large mass of those students. This is not the student fault as well, just like the teachers, the students deal with what they are given. We need to question our government, we need to question those who create the rules and how they allowed this injustice to go on for so long.
I can bet my bottom dollar that the majority of those who are bashing this high school are doing nothing about this. So therefore, I believe your opinions are invaild.Change starts with you, change how you think and view others. No one deserves a second class education, or to be looked down upon.
YOU CAN THANK SHEEPSHEAD BAY HS FOR PRODUCING STUDENT’S SUCH AS MYSELF THAT ARE DETERMINED, SUCCESSFUL AND AN UPCOMING LEADER…
THANK SHEESPHEAD BAY PROJECTS ,WHERE I WAS BORN AND RAISED AS WELL.
SINCERELY,
IMANI PERSON
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Alright first off “No child left behind program” was offered by the Department of education not the school , and i know because i received one from new york Department of education,and later on received one from sheepshead saying sheepshead bay is not edible for this program proving they don’t really care who gets left behind.
Sheepshead Bay is not a jungle because its better then some schools in new york ,they should be put into a school that’s a jungle.
Im not racist i said black because there the only ones that behave like this in the school since its filled with them mostly and probably 5-10 % other races.
Its not like they accept anybody that comes there that’s new or out of there circle they always have there own little groups of there own race and friends there never open to any new friends or not welcoming to any other student out of there circle of friends. if you haven’t noticed.
Your teh one who’s ignorant if you support there animal like behavior.
what i say and state is determined on what i see when i was going to that school i haven’t just wrote whatever just to bash everybody that goes there,and i was present on daily bases when i was going to that school from 2007-2009.
Okay the schools offers allot but doesn’t mean teh students deserve that school.
Your saying its not there fault yes it is,there the reason why this school has such a bad reputation and why its looked down upon by most people.its there behavior that ruined teh reputation.
and why would NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND hurt anybody it sure didn’t hurt me.The people that bash the schools cant do anything about it because its not there school.They have voices to express how tehy feel about this school.
Question teh government for what its not there fault there so called retarded animals fight and fail so many classes, the people that created rules aren’t to questioned but to be followed and respected.
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Like I stated before we must stay on the issue, it is obvious that your personal emotions are taking over you. There is a problem to think that just because something did not affect you , doesnt mean it hasn’t affected anyone else. Stop calling these people aniamls. I never stated that I agreed to the negative behavior that goes on at this school, and your statics for the precentage of blacks are way off as well. If you have any other issues with me you can reach me at my personal e-mail, i.person@yahoo.com. This site should not be used to “air out dirty laundry” or atleast what you believe could be dirty laundry.You missed so many points that I was trying to hit on. Have a nice night , and I am looking forward from hearing from you. Maybe together we can change what need to be corrected.
Thank You.
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how could something like no child left behind affect anybody in a bad way is what you fail to answer.And i never said just cause it didn’t affect doesn’t mean it wont affect anybody else.If these people weren’t you act like animals i wouldn’t call them animals.There parents aren’t teaching their children to behave and thats why they come out all retarded stupid like animals.Its off because i don’t sit there and count all blacks and then count the rest of the other races i just gave a estimated/guess of how many blacks go there.I know there’s a HUGE amount.
well you made it seem like government are the ones to blame, which so stupid
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This message is to Imani Person. I am very impressed with your passion for your school and so glad to hear that you are going into the education field. I taught at Sheepshead for two years (in fact I believe you were in one of my classes) and although there were certainly problems, I was always encouraged by the amazing students I encountered there. I was saddened when I heard SBHS was closing and I don’t think the DOE has the right idea closing all large high schools, since there are so many benefits to large schools. Good luck in your future endeavors and thank you for sharing your ideas, without reservation, about this important issue.
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Yes Ms. Carey , I remember you. I will never forget you. You are also one who has inspired me to be all that I can be because you cared. Thank you for supporting me..
Imani Person
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Thank you Imani; that means a great deal to me. Please feel free to contact me at bcarey@schools.nyc.gov. I would be happy to help in any way I can.
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I have been teaching at this school for nearly two decades. Newsflash — the school has changed, but not necessarily for the worse. When I first came to SB, there were more kids outside of the building during the school day than there were inside of the building. There were more fights, both inside and outside of the building. The dean’s office would spend HOURS dealing with fights that were brought back into the school from across the street & up on Nostrand Avenue, and rarely got a lunch break because they were too busy processing over 100 kids that were picked up each day by the truancy cops. PO Medina was in the building more than he was in the patrol car, and, if memory serves me correct – we had to call the riot police in to get a fight in the lobby under control. Lest we forget the artful graffiti artists from 52 Park and The End who made the neighborhood and school so much more colorful. Yes, all of you took full advantage of the free education for which we provided, and should only be described as fine and upstanding pillars of the community. Oh, how I long for those days of yore.
Here’s a reality check, people: When you put 2,500 kids in a building, you are bound to have some problems. When many of your students don’t speak English as their first language, it is not unrealistic that they would have trouble passing regent exams and graduating in 4 years. When you have students that come to HS at the age of 17 because they are too old for JHS and have very low reading and math scores – yup, you guessed it – there is a pretty good chance they aren’t going to ace the English and Algebra regents. No one seems to be complaining about the primary and junior high schools that they are coming from. Really — why is no one outraged that there is a 16 year old sitting in a 7th grade classroom who reads at a 2nd grade level?
So, for all of you who insist on judging the book by it’s cover, here’s a little look inside:
In the last 10 years we have produced not one, but TWO undefeated City Championship football teams; the Indoor and Outdoor National Champions in Track and Field, a Moot Court/Mock Trail team that consistently places in the top of competition, a nursing program in which students are certified and employable when they graduate, graduates who have earned full scholarships to some of the most prestigious colleges, including Harvard University (good for you, Steven), a student who placed in the top ten in the NATION for the Intel Science Research Competition (that’s Westinghouse for you old folks) and each year our graduating class earns hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarship and award money. Our kids raise 5,000 – 10,000 dollars each October for breast cancer research, and raised $1,800 for the American Red Cross & Doctors Without Borders after the earthquake in Haiti in 5 days. Our student government are members of the Brooklyn Student Council and adopted an Army platoon stationed in Afghanistan. We have kids who give up a week in the summer so they can learn to produce a high quality yearbook — you know, that thing everyone keeps calling the school looking for because they lost it? Pretty impressive for kids, most of which come from modest means. All of these are things that NEVER happened in this school 15 years ago. Oh, and by the way, many of out teachers are former students — if it was that bad, why in God’s name would they come back?
Go ahead, Imani — keep telling everyone how proud you are that you are a Sheepshead graduate!
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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whats your name? maybe i know you..
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“I WAS”………. thanks for the years you devoted to an uphill battle. Know that there are more than one person on this planet that were inspired and encouraged by you to push forward into a better future because you were in their lives, and thats a wonderful legacy. Times and people change. Unfortunately, SBHS
is suffering through an era of negative change, on many levels, but it does not negate the fact that the staff poured their heart and soul into giving kids a running start in life. Walk away with your head up, and a heart full of memories that make you smile. The negatives come with the territory in an imperfect world. God bless you.
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i used to go to this school until i had to move and it sucks that its closing down..the teachers and staff used to help the students alot. Most of the teachers was always willing to help coperate witjh u in order to pass. There was a couple of fights but there are fights in every school what school doesnt have fights.Half the schools in brooklyn are gang invested, i dont understand why this school? Why any other school? instead of closing it make it better, theyd ont understand how doing this effects many people. I was upset knowing i had to leave this school to another. Hope things change.
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I will never know whether going to Sheepshead changed me for the better or for the worse. All I know is I came here from another country with minimal knowledge of the culture or the English language. To add to that I was thrown into this school by default because there was no space left in other so called “good” high schools. I like to believe it helped me way more than I thought. The college program I am now gives tons of incentives(books stipend,tuition,priority in choosing classes, partial aid in housing and tuition, personal guidance counselor etc.) to minority students from poorly performing high schools. Though these students would have to had showed a decent high school GPA in the 85-90 range, this is not hard at all in Sheepshead, it just lies on motivation on part of the students. I strive to complete my B.S in Computer Science and have confidence of a successful future, and this is so because I know the environment of Sheepshead Bay during 2004-2008 made me strong,humble and aware of how to approach the worst kinds of people.
I really hope it doesn’t close, and it can be fixed. I was really hoping to come back one day and see it improved.
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Isn’t it nice that the college program that you are in provides you with incentives i.e books, a stipend, tuition, priority choosing classes, partial aid in housing, and a personnal guidence counselor. And your only in this country a couple of years? Wow! My family has been here for 150 years, has had and lost members in every war that has been fought and my kids get NOTHING. My husband and I work 7 days a week trying to put our kids through college. All we get is 250.00 per year for each thru TAP, and that is being reduced to 175.00 (thanks Obama!) What a crock of shit! I at least hope that you are grateful to the taxpayers who are footing the bill for you. And when you apply that job with your computer science degree you will naturally get priority over my white children just because they are white.
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they should close down shellbank…that place was a hole!!!
i was in the “good class”, i had to share my math text book in class, had to sit on the windowsills or those cubby things on the side of the room bc we never had enough chairs or desks ( i was tall), there were the MOST disgusting things in the ladies room i wont even mention and there were fights regularly, lets not discuss bugs and rodents…and id say the majority of teachers there were awefull!!!
i did have the pleasure of going top catholic high school and could say the tuition was worth every penny my parents pinched to send me…teachers cared, no fights, clean bathroom, no roaches, i had books for every class, and a very clean cafeteria…than you mom and dad for not sending me to public high school after the horrible experience at public junior high
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shell bank is probably a terrible school but i think sheepshead bay is worse.
i couldn’t care less if they keep it open or close i hate that school from the bottom of my heart.And i just wish this school would gets act together its so rotten and disgusting
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I used to work there on a work study program in 1995-96
they had metal detectors back then already-probably one of the first schools in Brooklyn to have it installed.
but what will be done with the kids from the projects around there?
where would they go?
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The students that live in the projects don’t even go to sheeps head ive only seen a few students comming out of the projects and going into sheepshead most teeangers that live in projects don’t even go to sheepshead they can always go to a different near by high school.
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I found this article while doing research for paper on the advantages and disadvantages of closing schools that repeatedly fail to meet educational standards.
In reading the comments, I find it disturbing how many people cannot voice an intelligent opinion backed up by facts, or even write a simply paragraph that inundated with misspellings and grammatical errors.
Is this what our educational systems is coming to?
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You should really proofread your own writing before commenting on that of others. Or perhaps it was sarcasm? In that case, congratulations on a job well done.
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i am studied at sheepshead.. this is a school make me feel so unsafe!!!~ fighting almost everyday in caf..if to shut down this school, where will the students and teachers go? i think it won’t help in anything. shut down one school.. then the student go in to other school.. it will make the school grade getting lower too… are the DOE closing down that school too? i think they have to find the root and see where’s the problem is.. if not shuting down school won’t solve any problem!
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I guess you didn’t study hard enough or pay attention, unless of course you were taking English as a third language courses
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No child left behind is a slogan for Bush and republicans to get rid of the middle class. The idea sounds good on paper but if money doesn’t come with the words it means nothing.
These people want poor and rich, nothing in between. They try to destroy unions, individual thinking and if you disagree you are not patriotic. Stop squabbling with each other and use your political clout to get what you want and need for your kids.
VOTE in every election.
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The liberals in this state and city have hurt more NYC Unions then any Republican possibly could, so please do not throw that on the Republicans.
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So, I guess you won’t be jumping on the charter school steam roller anytime soon.
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As a SBHS Alumn I is totally disgraced by the closing of MY school.
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Well, I Graduated from Sheepshead (CLASS OF ’09), and let me tell you something, those teachers BUST THEIR ASSES TO MAKE SURE WE GRADUATE ON TIME. You know how in some schools teachers pass you just to pass you ; well NO , Not in sheepshead. We earned our grades. And it was really had for me to get back on task , being that i was one of the students who fell off , started cutting class, and the whole 9 yards. I was even told that the class of ’09 raised Sheepshead graduation rate ; But anyways, they always said “The teacher has their diploma and eduacation, they dont care about you, only their money”, i dont think theyre teachers like that in Sheepshead. Each teacher treats each student like their own. Even if they gotta stay on top of you to make sure you do your work they WILL!.. & Alot of people dont like Mr/Ms.Carter (I KNO I DONT), But she has made a BIG Change in Sheepshead, Along side Mr. Orgi!.
I Honestly think by closing Sheepshead Bay High School Is REDICULOUS!.. & A WASTE OF F***ING TIME! =)..
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As a member of the so-called Founding class of 1961, all of this comes as a shock to me. At play here undoubtedly is the mass migration of whites out of the area to be replaced by minorities. This is not an issue of race but of class and poverty. In 1961 there were two, three, at any rate less than six minority students, all African-American. (In those days “Latino” hadn’t been invented yet, except for the notorious “Umbrella Man” terrorizing downtown Brooklyn where SBHSers were ill-advised to go at any rate). But the SBHSer of that day is the middle-class American of today, with probably more students “abroad” than remain in Brooklyn. With the high-speed sea change precipitated by the outrush of the middle class naturally the cultural level descended.
If there is any one institution to blame here it is undoubtedly the proximity of the housing projects. Housing projects are now widely seen as a failed strategy. Housing projects themselves need the support of a middle-class environment. But when they dominate the immediate area of the school, it is just the bad sauce.
In any case it is sad for the good students must be intimidated by thugs who ought by now be humbled by the presence in the Whitehouse of a man of distinction ( and I know SBHSers of all races put him there).
As much as I hate to support the DOE I have to say that their strategy is rational if not actually hopeful. Smaller schools should be more manageable. In the age of Obama maybe the common students will be able to right-size their underground oppressors. That is to say, big stupid nitwits. I am 99% sure that bad as it has gotten life is not as hopeless in Sheepshad Bay as it is in a real Hood.
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Reading other comments, reminds me about busing, a phenomenon not yet affecting SBHS in its founding years. To be bused in as an underclass is not an easy role to play. Maybe small schools with such names as Malcolm X, etc. can be a genuine leg up for these students. The task of education should be to do its best even with the worst cases but not at the expense of the majority. First priority is to secure the school and the community from hooliganism.
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I was in the first graduating class from SBHS and returned to teach for several yearsin the 60′s. This makes me very sad. SBHS was a wonderful educational institution with a caring staff and great kids. What happened?
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i went to sheepshead bay h.s. way back when it first opened……graduated 64…….the school sucked, the teachers sucked, the schedules sucked…..went on to columbia…….memories of sheepshead bay high school…..none, it really really sucked………i’m glad their closing it…..
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I agree this school is terrible the teachers rarely care weather teh student pays attention or learns or even studies..and they allow to much freedom to the students.The classes are super boring and the feild trips rarely ever happen and then no fun activies or no fun parties to make the school actually fun…and i lost my interest after going the very first day..it started off boring and ended off as a nightmare that i wouldnt wanna live over again ever..
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I think the school should not be closed but they should cut the acceptance rate and doing so will help the school regain it reputation. I understand the reason why they accept a lot of people but some of them(i mean the students) are not really to learn, they comes to school just to have fun and do stupids stuff.And these are some of the reasons why the school is losing it repuataion and its sad to hear that they may closed the school in near future.
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