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PS 123 taken off ‘watch list’

By Jennifer Warren

The Schools Under Regulation Review list, a yearly assessment based largely on the fourth-grade English language arts and math tests, no longer includes PS 111 at 337-15 13th St. in Long Island City or PS 123 at 145-01 119th Ave. in South Ozone Park, nor have any Queens schools joined this year's list.

PS 111 was placed on the “special watch” list in 1997 and PS 123 was added in 1998. There are still two Queens schools on the list, both in District 27: PS 43 at 160 Beach 29 Far Rockaway and PS JHS 198 at 365 Beach 56th St. in Arverne

“We're always happy to see a school come off the list,” said Steven Greenberg, president of School Board 27, which includes PS 123. “We have a new administration in place districtwide” led by Superintendent Matthew Bromme, who has been in office more than a year.

“This is an indication his plan is working,” said Greenberg, referring to PS 123's removal from the list.

Bromme and Angelo Gimondo, superintendent of District 30, which covers PS 111, both used essentially the same strategy to overhaul the existing literacy program and to recruit and actively train new teachers.

The new literacy program, called “Success for All” assembled students by reading level, not grade, and cleared 90-minute blocks of time for their supervised reading in both school districts.

“It is extremely structured,” said Gimondo of the program. “Teachers are constantly being trained and supervised by a program coordinator.”

He cautioned that unless such a rigorous approach is taken, reading scores will not improve. “This is not going to happen if every teacher is left to their own devices,” he said.

PS 111 also benefited from a change in administration. In 1997 the principal, Catherine Bala, resigned. While Gimondo described her as “caring and humanistic,” her resignation provided a window for Gimondo to replace her with Angela Mondo, a new principal.

It was also a convenient way to avoid firing Bala since the state requires all SURR schools to remove a failing school's current principal in order for the school to remain open.

“It was an opportunity to bring someone with a different vision,” Gimondo said.

School District 27 also saw new faces. Bromme was brought in as acting superintendent in September 1999 and officially appointed in April. Two months later, Michael Crawley was appointed principal of PS 123.

Bromme credited the improvements largely to partnerships between the school district and the United Federation of Teachers as well as between the district and parents.

“We did a tremendous teacher recruitment drive. We tried to get ourselves as many state-certified teachers as possible, teachers with a history in reading and dedicated services,” said Bromme, who noted that staff development was also a priority.

To achieve this a UFT teacher resource center was created. It is a place where teachers can find a master teacher waiting for them to provide instruction and counsel as well as teaching materials.

Although the two schools have made great strides, the state commissioner is careful to not lavish too much praise.

“They're not good schools yet,” said Tom Dunn, a spokesman for the state Education Commission. “But they're better. They've come a long way and it's due to a lot of work on the part of the faculty, the leadership and particularly by the students.”