Village School (Great Neck, New York)
| Great Neck Village School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| , | |
| Information | |
| Type | Alternative high school |
| Established | 1970 |
| Director | Stephen Goldberg |
| Website | www.greatneck.k12.ny.us/GNPS/VS/index.html |
Great Neck Village School or simply "Village School" is a high school, comprising grades 9 through 12. It is located in Great Neck as part of the Great Neck School District. A wide variety of students attend the Village School. All have at least average ability, some have exceptional learning abilities and artistic talents, while others have special educational needs. Students who may have felt lost and isolated in a large school often thrive in the smaller and more personalized setting of the Village School.[1]
The school describes itself as a "college preparatory public high school dedicated to encouraging academic success through a non-traditional, innovative curriculum".[2]
Founder Arnie Langberg has been called "one of the most important pioneers in the field of public alternative education."[3]
The Village School, established in 1970, is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful alternative high schools. The School enjoys a national reputation and has been positively evaluated by the Center for the Study of Educational Alternatives at Hofstra University. As a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools, the Village School and its staff work closely with other member schools and with the education faculty of Brown University.[4]
The Village School does not employ a traditional grading system; rather, it uses an individualized contract system in which students earn credits as they meet curriculum goals they have established with their teachers. Authentic, performance, and portfolio assessments of these student/teacher goals have long been a hallmark of a Village School transcript. Approximately 90 percent of Village School graduates are accepted at either four-year or two-year colleges. Approximately 50 students are enrolled in the Village School each academic year.[4] In the 1970's students obtained credit for such activities as hitchhiking across North Africa, in the 1980's student work included designing software for a computer company, and being a sports magazine intern.[5]
The Village School offers focused studies in the traditional academic areas: English, social studies, science, math, foreign language, art, and music. Some students elect to take additional courses at off-campus institutions, such as local colleges, the Great Neck Adult Program, or at one of Great Neck’s two traditional high schools. Students often explore special areas of interest through guided independent study and the School’s internship program.[4]
Demographics
The student body in the school year of 2004-2005 consists of:[6]
- 2.2% African American
- 10.9% Asian American/Pacific Islander
- 80.4% Caucasian
- 6.5% Hispanic American
Information
- Address: 614 Middle Neck Road Great Neck, New York, 11023
- Magnet school: No
- Alternative school: Yes
- Coeducational: Yes
- School district: Great Neck Union Free School District
Notable alumni
- Nikki Blonsky, actress who will star as Tracy Turnblad in the 2007 film version of Hairspray
- Ilan Hall, chef and restaurateur, winner of season two of Bravo TV's Top Chef competition
- Jesse Friedman, who with his father Arnold was the subject of the child-molestation case documented in Capturing the Friedmans.[7]
References
- ^ [1] Village School, accessed May 16, 2007
- ^ [2] Great Neck Village School official Web site, accessed April 28, 2007
- ^ [3] The quote is from Jerry Mintz, founder of the Alternative Education Resource Organization, in an interview Mintz conducted with Langberg, "Radio Interview With Arnie Langberg on the Night of the Littleton Tragedy" appearing in The Education Revolution Magazine, Summer 1999, accessed March 1, 2007
- ^ a b c [4] Great Neck Public Schools Web site, PDF document titled "Great Neck Public Schools: The Village School", accessed April 28, 2007
- ^ "Alternative Schools Adapt," by Fannie Weinstein. The New York Times, June 8, 1986, section A page 14.
- ^ School Comprehensive Information Report (PDF); URL accessed June 1, 2006.
- ^ "An Uphill Fight to Shed a Lifelong Label," by Corey Kilgannon. The New York Times, September 10, 2006, section 14LI, page 1.