Schools in Canarsie……on the road to destruction

Will Canarsie ever retain the strong educational system it once had? This has been a constant debate plaguing the minds of locals in the neighborhood. Is the only solution closing down Canarsie and South Shore High and replacing them with several smaller schools? South Shore High was listed on the City’s most dangerous schools list in 2006 and its graduation rate has fallen to 32.3%. The Department of Education has predicted that South Shore High School will close down by 2010. For several decades South Shore has been rapidly slipping away. Its graduation rate has declined and test scores have deteriorated. The school has created an environment in which some students claimed that they feel unsecure and parents are continually worried about their children’s safety. Its major problem lies with its inability to provide a strong educational background for its students. The Department of Education reported South Shore as one of the least popular high schools in demand. Although Canarsie High seem to be doing better than South Shore, it is far from picture perfect. It has also been said to be less sucessful than previous years and its principal was removed in June of 2007. The State Department of Education declared Canarsie High as a School Under Registration Review. The school came up with a plan to implement a new problem solving class so that students will be able to assess any problems they have. Was it too late? Some locals are angry with the Department of Education; they argue that Canarsie High has a lot of potential and can be fixed. In the meantime, the schools remain hanging and residents are confused.