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Feel free to email me at dcohen3@midwoodhs.nycdoe.org with blog comments.
 Last year I married my beautiful wife and became the step-dad to my incredibly gorgeous daughter. I have learned so much over the past 16 months. One thing that stands out is the concept of sharing, like when it comes to watching TV. (Actually, watching TV with my daughter is less about sharing and more about compliance…….., for me that is.) I have been exposed to a whole new world of Disney and Nickelodeon (and realized that DVR is truly the greatest modern day invention); I know things about Zac Efron and Demi Lovato that rivals the knowledge of their biggest fans. Today’s blog was inspired by watching an episode of Hannah Montana (of course I was watching with my daughter). There are so many things I love about the Hannah Montana show. Firstly, she and Lily remind me so much of Lucy and Ethel that it brings back some of my own childhood memories. Secondly, the show is so incredibly tasteful and appropriate that I even feel comfortable with my 8 year old daughter watching and learning life lessons. Finally, the show makes me laugh and a good laugh is well worth my time. So in this episode, Hannah is trying out for a role in a new Rob Reiner movie. It just so happens, one of her best friends, Oliver, is auditioning with his band to play at the school dance. When Hannah gets invited back to the next round of movie auditions Oliver finds out that his band was not selected for the dance. Acting like a good and supportive friend, Hannah/Miley tries to console Oliver, but his frustration wins out. Oliver tells Hannah/Miley that she always gets what she wants and being around her success is too difficult. He then tells her that he cannot be her friend anymore. This crushes Miley so much that she decides to purposefully act like an obnoxious diva during the call back for the movie. She figures that by failing to get the part, she will win back a great friend. Unfortunately, she still winds up getting the part. The good news is that Oliver finds out what she tried to do and realizes that Miley is truly a great and supportive friend. In the end, friendship, teamwork and big hearts win out!!! So, what you might be asking is “why would a high school principal write about this”. Well recently I was reading an article about the educational plan under President Obama and his Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. They are looking to develop a system that promotes less competition within the classroom and instead, fosters more team building and problem solving through strong group dynamics. It reminded me of some group dynamics exercises I have played over the years whereby aspects that benefit the group wind up benefiting the individual as well. It also reminded me of this episode of Hannah Montana whereby the happiness and success of the group was more important than the individual accomplishments. As the Principal and educational leader of Midwood High School, I think about both our current state as well as our long term potential. I am incredibly proud to say that I routinely see students working together to support each others’ learning. One of my favorite places to visit at Midwood is our library because it is ALWAYS packed with students working together and striving for success. I am seeing more and more teachers looking to support students by utilizing data to support group work and I often see guidance counselors seek out upperclassman to tutor underclassman 1-on-1. Even beyond the classroom, I am encouraged by the amount of support and assistance our students provide to each other. Just a few weeks ago one of our students saw something fall out of a girl’s pocket. She was not aware that she had dropped it. Well, it was a significant amount of money. He never hesitated to do the right thing and immediately got her attention and returned the money. These acts of kindness and support happen all of the time at Midwood. While there is a lot of evidence to support our togetherness at Midwood, as the Principal I cannot help but always look for ways to improve and evolve our processes. Regarding our long term potential, I believe Midwood is in a period of change. In a time when new criteria are being used to assess schools it has become essential to consider all aspects of a school when evaluating its status and successfulness. In a school of almost 4,000 students and over 200 faculty members, there are a number of areas that we can identify as needing increased support so as to foster greater success. Although we have an inherent culture whereby we look out for each other, I believe that we can do more to make this a widespread goal for all at the school. Rather than compete individually for grades, we need to learn how to compete collectively for success! This is one of the main reasons that I initiated the restructuring of the Collegiate program. (FYI – The Collegiate Restructuring Committee is developing a detailed plan which will be ready or release in the coming months. Look for more details in an upcoming blog.) Another support I want to formally bring back to Midwood is an expansive peer-tutoring program. We will be looking for students advanced in any subject to volunteer their time (and earn service credits) in a peer-tutoring lab which will be opened at the beginning of next school year. I envision a room where any student can come during a free period and work in small groups to support their learning in all subjects. If you feel you would like to be a peer-tutor next year please speak to your guidance counselor. Also, if you feel you have an idea as to how to take such a large school like Midwood and make it smaller in terms of students supporting each other and fostering success for all please email me at dcohen3@schools.nyc.gov. So, as my daughter turns on the TV and sits down for yet another episode of Hannah Montanna I wonder what other insights I may be exposed to tonight. Tune in to my next blog when I compare and contrast ICarly and Sonny With a Chance.
Posted by: David Cohen
Posted on: Sunday, April 19, 2009
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 Yesterday I had the great opportunity to sit in my office along with 3 other High School Principals and a former Superintendent to watch Mayor Michael Bloomberg's State of City Address. It was the first time I chose to watch such an event because I knew our Mayor's speech would mark a significant step in the great history of Midwood High School. I even set my VCR to capture this awesome occurence. So why so much fanfare and excitement for this year's speech? Was it because of the economic hardships that lie ahead, the fact that the speech was taking place in our backyard at Brooklyn College, the anticipation of solutions to the various issues that face our city? No, this immense excitement was more personal. So Marty Markowitz, our Borough President, stood at the podium and introduced our great Mayor. In a playful and eloquent manner that only Marty can deliver, we heard about the Mayor's involvement in track and field, choreography and student government. He then introduced OUR Mayor, the Mayor of Midwood High School, Ms. Tonie McKenzie. As Tonie so gracefully entered the stage and approached the podium, I was overcome with joy and warmth. Tonie proceeded to dazzle the audience with her poise, maturity, sincerity, and engaging smile. Yesterday, Tonie had the honor of introducing Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his State of the City Address and at the same time, she elegantly and so perfectly represented all that is Midwood High School, both past and present. Simply put, Tonie is an amazing young woman. Her ability to command and capture the hearts and minds of the city merely touches upon her great potential. It was one of my proudest moments as Principal of this great school. I was reminded of the 3,700 shining stars that we have at Midwood. Our school is filled with Tonie McKenzies, young adults that excel in so many vast and incredible ways. So while I wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate Tonie, I also wanted to acknowledge the entire Midwood High School community. We can all smile wide in knowing that yesterday Midwood was recognized and represented as one of the finest educational institutions in America.
Posted by: David Cohen
Posted on: Tuesday, January 20, 2009
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 Midwood High School is made up of 3 main programs: Collegiate, Medical Science and Humanities. The Collegiate program makes up about 50% of our student population as do the Medical Science and Humanities programs combined. Upon becoming Principal of Midwood, my attention was drawn to the differences between the 3 programs as well as the names. I easily realized that the Medical Science program had a focus on the medical sciences and mathematics and that the Humanities program had a focus on the humanities including social sciences, english language arts and foreign language. The next logical question for me was what is the focus of the Collegiate program? According to the Miriam-Webster Dictionary the word collegiate is defined as "designed for or characteristic of college students". Therefore I assume our Collegiate program has a focus on preparing students for college. No offense to anyone but I feel that preparing students for college is a given for ALL of our students in ALL of our programs. So I ask the question, what is the focus for the collegiate students and for the program in general? Unfortunately, I am not sure there really is a specific answer to this question. Now do not get me wrong, I know that the faculty and staff of Midwood are dedicated to providing an exceptional and quality education to ALL of our students. Our numbers suggest that the students in our Collegiate program perform better than their comparable peers in other NYC schools. However, I think that our Collegiate program needs specialization and focus. The students in the Medical Science and Humanities programs at Midwood benefit from the additional requirements and expectations that are clearly stated upon entry into the school. Some of the elective classes that the gifted students take are restricted to meet these requirements. I believe that students in our Collegiate program would benefit from a similar structure and therefore I have proposed the creation of strands or houses for the Collegiate program. Basically, we would develop 3-5 strands that Collegiate students would apply for when they enter Midwood. Each strand would have certain requirements and provide academic focus and direction in addition to standard high school curriculum. In addition to developing a new structure, I think we need to change the name of the program to something less generic. So, I am in the process of putting together a committee of faculty, administration, students and parents to discuss the reorganization of the Collegiate program to better meet the desires and needs of our students. If you think you would be interested in joining this committee please feel free to stop by my office to discuss the specifics. Please keep in mind that this committee will meet consistently throughout the year and will require a strong level of committment from its members in order to establish an effective and practical plan. Feel free to email me if you would like to ask questions or tell me your generic thoughts about this idea. Specific suggestions should be reserved to the committee meetings. DC
Posted by: David Cohen
Posted on: Friday, September 26, 2008
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 I am constantly asking myself the question, “What makes a school great?”, and it drives me as the Principal. One of my daily goals is to find ways to improve upon Midwood's success and make it an even better school. I believe there are so many factors that contribute to a school's success. Certainly, we can begin the conversation by talking about academic achievement and support for all students. When you look beyond this obvious indicator of success though, I think there is another essential characteristic that great schools share, a true sense of family. To say another way, most members of great schools share a true sense of ownership and togetherness. One of the things that first struck me upon my initial visit to Midwood a few years ago was the welcoming and happy feel around the building. I have visited schools where most of the students look angry or upset but at Midwood I noticed so many smiling faces. Over time I have had the great fortune to meet and speak with many former Midwood students and practically everyone openly expresses their love and passion for our school. They will often recall a "Sing" moment or a teacher or a sporting event and their faces light up. I get inspired by these conversations, inspired to ensure that Midwood continues to grow and is committed to greatness. With such a commitment though comes immense responsibility. As Principal, I am approached often by students, faculty and parents to discuss various aspects of Midwood that should be improved. Sometimes we try to improve these situations by throwing band-aids on them. Unless the students and the faculty are collectively on board with the improvement though, these band-aids rarely correct the issue. One of the things I have learned in life is that it is much easier to identify issues and problems than it is to develop and implement solutions. A former supervisor of mine once posted a message that read, “No prizes for predicting rain, only for building arks”.
Midwood High School is an incredible place, one of the elite schools in NYC and beyond. I truly believe though that we are capable of more; more success, more togetherness, more smiles, and more desire to make a difference. How can WE get there? Who wants to build an ark and encourage others to come on board?
To be continued. . . . . .
Posted by: David Cohen
Posted on: Wednesday, August 13, 2008
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 Summer school has been off to a fairly smooth start as we share space at Murrow HS. Thanks to the efforts of our colleagues at Murrow HS and John Dewey HS summer school is fully up and running. As my title suggests, summer school creates opportunity for students to accumulate credits and get themselves on track. Speaking of opportunity, I am happy to announce that the Mayor and the City Council finalized a budget that brought back funding to Midwood HS. With these funds we will be able to replace many of the teachers who are leaving Midwood this summer due to retirement, etc. In addition, these additional teachers will provide opportunity to reinstate a number of classes that we were initially forced to cut from student programs. This is all great news!!!!! And finally, construction of the annex is in its final stage and we are looking forward to moving in and getting set up. THe opening of the annex will present some new challenges and some need for patience as we get everything up and running but with this initial challenge comes great opportunity for everyone at Midwood HS. All students will benefit from the new facilities including the library as well as the science labs and classrooms. Rumors have suggested that the annex is only for the Medical Science program but these are merely rumors. The annex will service the ENTIRE school. Until my next post.............................
Posted by: David Cohen
Posted on: Monday, July 07, 2008
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 Welcome to the Principal's Blog at Midwood High School. I plan to use this section to provide information and insights pertaining to Midwood and share my thinking regarding various issues, concerns and events. Graduation was incredible, so much energy and excitement!!! The feedback has been great as most people feel that the outdoor facility worked well and that the ceremony was filled with warmth and happiness. I want to thank Ms. Fern Bren for coordinating and planning such a wonderful ceremony. I know she spent the morning very stressed over the potential for rain but forunately, it all turned out great!!! Congratulations again to the class of 2008. Good luck and always remember you have a home at Midwood!!! Mr. C
Posted by: David Cohen
Posted on: Friday, June 27, 2008
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