Empowerment School

An Empowerment School is a school using the Empowerment Support Organization of the New York City Department of Education (DOE). Eric Nadelstern is the Empowerment Schools CEO.

History

The program was founded in 2004 as a pilot program. Empowerment Schools were a class of schools which offered more autonomy in choosing a curriculum. Principals of Empowerment Schools had greater autonomy from the DOE in terms of management, instruction, and budget [ [http://schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/DOEOrganization/SSO/ESO/default.htm NYC DOE: Empowerment Support Organization, School Support Organizations, DOE Organization] ] , if they agree to meet performance goals. The intent was to transfer substantial management duties from the DOE to the schools, which allowed the schools to operate with less bureaucracy, which saved the DOE money. The DOE offered fewer centralized services, but passeed the savings onto the Empowerment Schools in form in an increased budget, much of which was discretionary. If the schools needed any of the discontinued services, they could purchase them "à la carte".

In April 2006, the DOE invited principals to turn their schools into Empowerment Schools. 332 principals opted into the program, including The Anderson School which is one of very few citywide K-5 schools.

Currently

In the spring of 2007, the DOE required each school to choose a school support organization, to take effect for the 2007-2008 school year; the empowerment school program became one of those school support organizations [ [http://schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/DOEOrganization/SSO/default.htm School Support Organizations at NYC DOE] ] .

As of the 2007-2008 school year, there are 22 Empowerment School Networks each serving 20-25 schools. In total, Empowerment Schools currently provides support to 500 schools, more than one-third of all public schools in New York City. [ [http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/Empowerment/Networks/default.htm Empowerment School Networks at NYC DOE] ] .

Empowerment Schools

Elementary schools

There are 185 elementary schools including:
*PS 321

K-8 schools

There are 39 K-8 schools including:
*The Anderson School

K-12 schools

There is 1 K-12 school:
*Michael J. Petrides High School

Junior high, intermediate, and middle schools

There are 72 junior high, intermediate, and middle schools including:
*New York City Lab School for Collaborative Studies

econdary schools

There are 42 secondary schools including:
*Baccalaureate School for Global Education

High schools

There are 146 high schools including:
*Pace University High School
*Brooklyn Technical High School

Collaborative, multi-graded and ungraded schools

There are 2 collaborative, multi-graded or ungraded schools:
*Benjamin Banneker Academy
*PS 185 John M.Langston

Academies and programs

There are 22 academies and programs including:
*Harry S. Truman High School

References

ee also

*Education in New York City
*Gifted education
*List of public elementary schools in New York City
*Specialized high schools in New York City

External links

* [http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/Empowerment/default.htm Empowerment Schools]