The Gem of Schools in Manhattan: A Parent Testimony

By: Christian Guerrero
October 22, 2014

Category: best | education | excellent | gem | inwood | manhattan | middle

Excerpt from the charter renewal hearing on September 30, 2014

My name is Bryan Davis and my son Austin attended Inwood Academy for Leadership for the past 4 years.

For five years I served as the Vice President of Community Education Council District 6 (CEC6).  I can say that during my time on the CEC I saw the need the district had for a great middle school to serve the needs of our English language learners (ELL) and high needs students. In fact, if I remember correctly the council voted unanimously in favor of the school (Inwood Academy).

When I voted for the school I had no idea that my son would end up attending the school.  After a search of schools we determined Inwood Academy was the best fit for our son. We are very pleased with the education Austin received. We are confident it was the excellent teachers and staff who prepared him. He is now a freshman at High School for Math Science and Engineering (one of the nine specialized high schools in New York City).

We are especially pleased with the quality of the special education services he received. The school always went above and beyond to ensure the Individualized Education Plan was being met and that we were satisfied with the services he received.

In addition, we were pleased with the quality of the art and music programs the school offered. Our son’s love for art blossomed during his years at Inwood Academy. He also received an offer from La Guardia High School for art. We credit that to the great art teachers he had.

We believe the vertically and horizontally aligned curriculum, the dedication and excellence of the teaching staff, the strong parent support, and the schools passionate and dedicated leadership, are the reasons why our son received a great education during his four years at Inwood Academy.

I can tell you from my many years serving on the CEC6 and observing the quality of the district’s schools, Inwood Academy is the best middle school in the district, and is the GEM of schools in Manhattan.  No other school in the district does a better job of taking kids from all different levels and moving them so that they are prepared for high school and eventually college.  I strongly recommend that the Department of Education renew the schools charter and work with the school to ensure it has the space it needs to serve the students of district 6.

Bryan G. Davis, Parent

Executive Director

Parents Making a Difference

bryan@pmadnyc.org

www.pmadnyc.org

Translate »