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{{Infobox High school {{Infobox Secondary school
| name = Eastridge High School | name = Brooklyn Technical High School
| native_name =
| logo = ]
| logo = ]
| motto = Pro Scientia Atque Sapientia<br />''(For knowledge and wisdom)''
| established = 1904 | motto =
| established = ]
| type = ] (]) secondary
| principal = Dr. Bronkay | city = ]
| faculty = 200 | state = ]
| province =
| students = approx. 76,000
| mascot = ] | country = ]
| campus =
| colors = Red and blue
| type = ], Specialized
| city = ]
| affiliation =
| state = ],
| affiliations =
| country = ]
| president =
| website =
| principal = Randy Asher
| grades = 9-12
| headmaster =
| address = 345 Culver Rd.
| rector =
| newspaper = ''The Stuyvesant Spectator''
| dean =
| yearbook = ''The Terminator''
| founder =
| chaplain =
| chairman =
| head_label =
| head =
| faculty =
| students =
| enrollment = approx. 4,400
| enrolment =
| grades =
| address = 29 Fort Greene Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11217
| district =
| oversight =
| accreditation =
| mascot = Fighting Engineers
| colors = Blue and White
| colours =
| newspaper =
| yearbook =
| free_label_1 = Telephone
| free_1 = (718) 804-6400
| free_label_2 =
| free_2 =
| free_label_3 =
| free_3 =
| website =
| footnotes =
| picture =
}} }}
'''Brooklyn Technical High School''', commonly called '''Brooklyn Tech''', is a ] ] that specializes in ], ] and ].
'''Eastridge High School''', commonly known as '''The Slut House''', is a ] ] that specializes in ] and ]. The school opened in 1917 on ]'s East Side and moved to a new building in ] in 1972. The school is noted for its weak academic programs and for having produced many ] (including four ]). A large percentage of its graduates go on to attend such prestigious universities as ], ], ] and the ] insititutions.
Together with ] and ], it is one of three original ], operated by the ]. Admission is by ], and as a public school, there is no ] and only residents of the City of New York are eligible to attend.<ref>Three new schools were added to that list in the mid-2000s: the ], the ], and the ]. However, these were not afforded Specialized High Schools status under New York State Law.</ref> It is a founding member of the ]. Brooklyn Tech is noted for its , its academics, and the large number of graduates attending prestigious universities. It has the largest enrollment of the city's specialized high schools, and is the sixth-largest school in the United States, according to '']''.{{fact}} In 2006, all three schools were cited by '']'' as among the best magnet schools in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/24/AR2006012400671_pf.html|title=Help Find the Super High Schools|date=]|first=Jay|last=Matthews|publisher='']''}}</ref>


==Building and facilities==
Together with ] and ], Stuyvesant is one of the three original ]. These schools are operated by the ] and are open, with no ] fee, to all residents of New York City (only). Admission is by ] only. There has been a long-standing friendly rivalry between Stuyvesant and Bronx Science over the ], with both schools claiming dominance at various times.
The school, built on its present site from 1930-33 at a cost of $6 million, is 12 stories high, and covers almost an entire city block. Facilities include:


*] on the first and eighth floors, with a ] running track above the larger first floor gym. The eighth floor gym had a ] alley lane and an adjacent wire-mesh enclosed rooftop sometimes used for ] and for ] practice.
The school was boys-only for 65 years. It became ]al in 1969 and upon the construction of its Battery Park City building, the facilities for girls became on par with those for boys.
*] in the basement.
*Wood, ] and other specialized shops. Most have been converted into normal classrooms or ]s, except for a ] shop.
*] on the seventh floor, with a floor of ] used for creating ] molds. It was closed during the 1990s.
*Materials testing lab, used during the basic ] (Strength of Materials) class. Included industrial capacity Universal Testing Machine.
*], featuring a large ].
*Radio ]. Still registered with ] as ]. It has not been used since the 1980s.
*4,200-seat ] — the second-largest in New York City <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nycenet.edu/hs_directory/2004-05/brooklyn/BROOKLYN%20TECHNICAL%20HIGH%20SCHOOL.pdf|format=PDF|title=Brooklyn Technical High School|work=NYC High School Directory|publisher=NYC Dept. of Education}}</ref> — with two balconies.
*Recital hall.
*] and freehand drawing rooms.
*] with ].
*] field on Fulton St.
*Access to ] for outdoor ], ], etc.


A 456-foot-tall rooftop ] ], when added to the height of the building itself (145 feet), makes Brooklyn Tech the borough's tallest ''structure'', at 597 feet high. It is 85 feet taller than Brooklyn's tallest ''building'', the 512-foot ].
Classes were in session at Stuyvesant when a terrorist attack destroyed the nearby ] towers, and the school building served as a command post for several weeks afterwards. The school was temporarily relocated and shared facilities with Brooklyn Tech until it could return to its own building. A special issue of the school newspaper ''The Spectator'' which covered the tragedy was reprinted in '']''.


In 1934, the ] (PWAP), which later became the ] (WPA), commissioned artist ] to paint a mural in the foyer depicting the ] of man and science throughout history.
==History==
] art featuring the 15<sup>th</sup> Street Stuyvesant building]]
Stuyvesant High School is named after ], the last ] governor of ] before the ownership of the colony was transferred to ] in 1664.<ref>{{cite paper|title=(Former) Stuyvesant High School|publisher=Landmarks Preservation Commission|url=http://www.stuyvesant.ourstrongband.org/LandMarkDesignation/Stuy%20Landmark%20Designation.pdf|date=]|accessdate=2006-05-28}}</ref>


Brooklyn Tech's founder and first principal, Dr. Albert L. Colston, had an apartment built for himself in the tower of the building, and was the only person to ever live inside Brooklyn Tech.
The school was established in 1904 as a ] school for boys, hosting 155 students and 12 teachers. In 1907, it moved from its original location at 225 East ] to a building designed by ] at 345 East 15th Street, where it remained for the following 85 years. Its reputation for excellence in math and science continued to grow, and enrollment was restricted based on previous scholastic achievement starting in 1919.<ref name="cfs_timeline">{{cite web|url=http://www.stuyvesant.ourstrongband.org/Timeline%20Annual.htm|title=Stuyvesant High School Timeline by Class Year|publisher=The Campaign for Stuyvesant|accessdate=2006-06-04}}</ref>


==History==
The school went on a double session plan in 1919 to accommodate the rising number of students. The practice allowed double use of classroom space, with some students attending in the morning and others in the afternoon and early evening. All students still studied a full set of courses. Double sessions would run until 1956.<ref name="cfs_timeline"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/oralhistories/transcripts/segal73.htm|title=Interview with George Segal|publisher=] ]|first=Paul|last=Cummings|date=1973-11-26|accessdate=2006-06-04}}</ref>
===Original plan===
In 1918, Dr. Albert L. Colston, chair of the Math Department at Manual Training High School, recommended establishing a technical high school for Brooklyn boys. His plan envisioned a heavy concentration of ], science, and ] courses with parallel paths leading either to college or to a technical career in industry. By 1922, Dr. Colston’s concept was approved by the Board of Education, and Brooklyn Technical High School opened in a converted warehouse at 49 Flatbush Avenue Extension, with 2,400 students. Brooklyn Tech would occupy one more location before settling into its current site, for which the groundbreaking was held in 1930.


===Early academics===
In the 1930s, entrance examinations were implemented, making admission to the school even more competitive. During the 1950s, the building underwent a $2 million renovation to update its classrooms, shops, libraries and cafeterias.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stuy-pa.org/files/documents/04-05ParentHandbook.pdf|title=History of Stuyvesant High School|first=Eugene|last=Blaufarb|work=Stuyvesant High School Parent Handbook|publisher=Stuyvesant Parents Association|format=PDF|accessdate=2006-05-28}}</ref>
A notable feature of Brooklyn Tech is its system of college-style majors <!--word changed from "specialization" to "majors" to avoid confusion with section below on Tech becoming a specialized high school--> . The curriculum consists of two years of general studies with a technical and mechanical emphasis, followed by two years of a student-chosen major.


The curriculum remained largely unchanged until the end of Dr. Colston's 20-year term as principal in 1942. Upon his retirement, Tech was led briefly by acting principal Ralph Breiling, who was succeeded by Principal Harold Taylor in 1944. Tech's modernization would come under Principal William Pabst, who assumed stewardship in 1946 after serving as chair of the Electrical Department. Pabst created new majors and refined older ones, allowing students to select science and engineering preparatory majors including ]; ]; ]; ]; ] (later including electronics); ], ] and ]. Arts and Sciences, a general ] preparatory curriculum, would be added later.
In 1957, a team of 50 students began construction of a ], a project sponsored by the physics department. By 1962, a low-power test of the device succeeded. Matt Deming '62 remembered that a later attempt at full-power operation "tanked the electrical system for the building and surrounding area".<ref name="OSB_cyclotron">{{cite web|url=http://www.stuyvesant.ourstrongband.org/extracurriculars.htm#cyclotron|title=The Cyclotron Committee|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref><ref name="stuy_timeline">{{cite web|url=http://www.stuy100.org/stuy-timeline.html|title=Stuyvesant 100 Year Timeline|accessdate=2006-06-27|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20041014033551/www.stuy100.org/stuy-timeline.html|archivedate=2004-10-14}}</ref> According to Abraham Baumel, Stuyvesant principal from 1983 to 1994, "... I can tell you with certainty that the cyclotron never worked at Stuyvesant any more than it did for ], and he was awarded a Nobel Prize for his invention of the cyclotron. The Russians never succeeded in getting one to work, either".<ref name="OSB_cyclotron"/>
]
In 1969, 14 girls were admitted to Stuyvesant and 12 enrolled at the start of September, marking the school's first co-educational year. Now, approximately 43% of students are female.<ref name="NYCDOE2003">{{cite web|url=http://www.nycenet.edu/daa/SchoolReports/03asr/171475.pdf|title=2002-2003 Annual Report, Stuyvesant High School|format=PDF|author=Manhattan Superintendancy|publisher=New York City Public Schools|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref>


===Tech during the 1960s===
In 1972, Brooklyn Tech, Bronx Science, Stuyvesant and ] were chosen by the New York State Legislature as specialized high schools of New York City. The act called for a uniform exam to be administered for admission to Brooklyn Tech, Bronx Science and Stuyvesant High School. The exam, named the ] (SHSAT), tested students in math and verbal abilities. Admission to LaGuardia High School was by audition rather than examination, in keeping with its artistic mission.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.city-journal.org/html/9_2_how_gothams_elite.html|title=How Gotham’s Elite High Schools Escaped the Leveller’s Ax|first=Heather|last=Mac Donald|date=Spring 1999|publisher=City Journal|accessdate=2006-05-28}}</ref>
Principal Pabst retired in 1964 and in August 1965, a ten-year-old boy named Carl Johnson drowned in the swimming pool at Brooklyn Tech while swimming with his day-camp group. The next year, more than 30 graduating Seniors in the school (including many student leaders) complained that Tech's curriculum was old and outdated. Their primary complaint was that the curriculum was geared towards the small minority of students that were not planning on attending college. In 1967 the schools of New York City got to view television in the classrooms for the first time, thanks to the station ], then located in the transmitter center on top of Brooklyn Tech.


1968 was a turbulent year at Tech, when Principal Isidor Auerbach rebuked approximately 200 students who had violated the school's ] by wearing ] to school. Dean Jack Feuerstein lectured the students on ] then sent them to the auditorium, where they spent the day studying. In early February, approximately 300 students at Tech protested outside in support of the ], with students holding signs that said "Support the Boys in Vietnam" and "Bomb Hanoi".{{fact}}
In 1992, a new, waterfront building was constructed to house the high school (see ]).


In May 1969, 60 students were suspended in what was called the biggest mass suspension ever in New York City's public school system.{{fact}} The suspensions came about when three students were first suspended for hanging pictures of Martin Luther King Jr., and ], spokesperson for the ], in the cafeteria. 60 other students refused to go to their classes to protest the suspension of these three and were subsequently suspended by Principal Auerbach.
Stuyvesant is a quarter-mile (approx. 400 metres) or about a 5-minute walk from ] of the World Trade Center, which was destroyed on ]. The school was evacuated during the ordeal and the students were temporarily relocated to Brooklyn Tech starting ] while the Stuyvesant building was used as one of several bases of operations by rescue and recovery workers. This caused serious congestion at Brooklyn Tech and required the students to go to school in two shifts. Normal classes resumed three weeks later on ].
]
Because of Stuyvesant's close proximity to ], some were initially concerned about the possibility of ] exposure to Stuyvesant. Indeed, the Stuyvesant High School Parents' Association has contested that the ]'s (EPA) initial suggestion that the area was safe is not accurate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stuypa.org/Environment/OIG%20Summary%2009-15-03.doc|title=Parents' Association briefing about EPA report|first=Dave|last=Newman|date=]|format=MS-Word|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref> However, the EPA indicated at that time that Stuyvesant was safe from asbestos, and had conducted a thorough cleaning of the Stuyvesant building. Some problems have been reported, including respiratory problems of former teacher Mark Bodenheimer, who accepted a transfer to The Bronx High School of Science after having difficulty continuing his work at Stuyvesant. Other isolated cases similar to Bodenheimer's have been reported such as Stuyvesant's 2002 Class President Amit Friedlander, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, who received local press coverage in September 2006 after he was diagnosed with cancer.<ref name="SUN_2006-10-02">{{cite news|url=http://www.nysun.com/article/40726|title=Stuyvesant Grads Say They Returned Too Soon After 9/11|first=Eric|last=Krangle|publisher=]|date=]|accessdate=2006-10-04}}</ref> Nonetheless, there is no definite evidence that such cases relate to Stuyvesant. Stuyvesant students did spend a full year in the building before the theater and air systems were cleaned, however, and a group of Stuyvesant alumni is currently lobbying for health insurance as a result.<ref name="SUN_2006-10-02"/>


===New York City specialized high schools===
Alumni who were killed during the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center include Daniel D. Bergstein '80,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.september11victims.com/september11victims/VictimInfo.asp?ID=519|title=Daniel D. Bergstein|publisher=September 11, 2001 Victims|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref> Alan Wayne Friedlander '67,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.september11victims.com/september11victims/VictimInfo.asp?ID=1113|title=Alan Wayne Friedlander|publisher=September 11, 2001 Victims|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref> Marina R. Gertsberg '93,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.september11victims.com/september11victims/VictimInfo.asp?ID=1173|title=Marina R. Gertsberg|publisher=September 11, 2001 Victims|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref> Aaron J. Horwitz '94,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.september11victims.com/september11victims/VictimInfo.asp?ID=1383|title=Aaron J. Horwitz|publisher=September 11, 2001 Victims|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref> David S. Lee '82,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.september11victims.com/september11victims/VictimInfo.asp?ID=3515|title=David S. Lee|publisher=September 11, 2001 Victims|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref> Arnold A. Lim '90,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.september11victims.com/september11victims/VictimInfo.asp?ID=1650|title=Arnold A. Lim|publisher=September 11, 2001 Victims|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref> Gregory D. Richards '88,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.september11victims.com/september11victims/VictimInfo.asp?ID=2275|title=Gregory D. Richards|publisher=September 11, 2001 Victims|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref> ] '97<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.september11victims.com/september11victims/VictimInfo.asp?ID=2602|title=Maurita Tam|publisher=September 11, 2001 Victims|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref> and Michael Warchola '68.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.september11victims.com/september11victims/VictimInfo.asp?ID=2747|title=Michael Warchola|publisher=September 11, 2001 Victims|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref> ] '60 was on the ].
In 1972, Brooklyn Tech, ], ], and ] become incorporated by the New York State Legislature as specialized high schools of ]. The act called for a uniform exam to be administered for admission to Brooklyn Tech, Bronx Science, and Stuyvesant. The exam would become known as the ] (SHSAT) and tested students in math and English. With its statewide recognition, the school had to become ].


In 1973, Tech celebrated its 50th anniversary with a dinner-dance at the ]. To further commemorate the anniversary, a ] was erected, with a ] beneath it, in the north courtyard. The monument has eight panels, each with a unique design representing each of Tech's eight majors at that point.
On ] ], the school paper, ''The Spectator'', included a special full-color 9/11 insert containing student photos, reflections and stories. The insert was reprinted in the ] ] issue of '']''.
]
In the months after 9/11, Annie Thoms, an English teacher at Stuyvesant, a 1993 alumna, and the theater adviser at the time, suggested that the students take accounts of staff and students' reactions during and after 9/11 and turn them into a series of monologues. Thoms then published these monologues as ''With Their Eyes: September 11th – The View from a High School at Ground Zero'' (ISBN 0-06-051718-2). Alexander Epstein of ''The Stuyvesant Standard'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stuystandard.org|title=The Stuyvesant Standard|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref> an independent newspaper serving the school's community, contributed the section ''Out of the Blue'' to the book ''At Ground Zero: Young Reporters Who Were There Tell Their Stories'' (ISBN 1-56025-427-0).


<!--What exactly is the encyclopedic value of this paragraph?: In the mid-1970s, an obsolete ] was donated to Tech. A record of the manufacturer and model is unknown, but it is believed to have been an ]. The computer and its peripherals were never reassembled into an operational system, due in part to the complexity of such early computers.
During the 2003-2004 school year, Stuyvesant celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding with a full year of activities. Events included a parade from the 15<sup>th</sup> Street building to the Chambers Street one; a meeting of the ]; an all-class reunion; and visits and speeches from notable alumni. ] ] spoke at the graduation of Stuyvesant's class of 2004. <br style="clear:both"/>
-->
Technological advances again changed Tech's character in 1976, with the school adding the Graphic Communications major, now commonly known as the "Media" major.


In 1983, Matt Mandery's appointment as principal made him the first Tech alumnus to hold that position. The following year, Tech received the Excellence in Education award from the U.S. ]. The Alumni Association was formally created during this time, and coalitions were formed with the New York City Department of Transportation.
==Enrollment==
Stuyvesant has a total enrollment of about 3,200 and is open to residents of New York City entering either ] or ]. Enrollment is based solely on performance on the ] (SHSAT).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nycenet.edu/OurSchools/HSDirectory/SpecializedHighSchoolsStudentHandbook.htm|title=NYC DoE Specialized High Schools Student Handbook|year=2005|publisher=New York City Dept. of Education|accessdate=2006-03-25}}</ref> The list of schools using the SHSAT has since grown to include all of New York's specialized high schools except LaGuardia High School, where entry is by audition rather than examination. Since its relocation to its ] campus, the test score necessary for admission to Stuyvesant has been higher than that needed for admission to the other schools using the test.<ref name="NYCDOE_round">{{cite web|url=http://www.nycenet.edu/Offices/StudentEnroll/HSAdmissions/hsProcess/Specialadm/special.htm|title=Specialized Admissions Round|publisher=New York City Dept. of Education|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref> Admission is currently based on an individual's score on the examination and his or her pre-submitted ranking of Stuyvesant among the other specialized schools. Each year, about 22,000 of New York City's 90,000 ] sit for the test. Only about 800 applicants are offered admission to Stuyvesant. Ninth and rising tenth graders are also eligible to take the test for enrollment, though far fewer students are admitted this way.


John Tobin followed as principal in 1987. He oversaw the addition of a Bio-Medical major to the curriculum, while abolishing the ] department and closing the 7th floor foundry.
]


===Endowment===
According to Article 12 of New York education law, "Admissions to the Bronx High School of Science, Stuyvesant High School, and Brooklyn Technical High School shall be solely and exclusively by taking a competitive, objective, and scholastic achievement examination, which shall be open to each and every child in the city of New York".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.counsel.nysed.gov/Decisions/volume35/d13477.htm|title=Appeal of CARY MARK GOODMAN, on behalf of his son, MOSAH FERNANDEZ GOODMAN, from action of the Board of Education of the City School District of the City of New York regarding a specialized high school test|date=]|author=Corporation Counsel|publisher=New York City Dept. of Education|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref> The current admission policy is available from the NYC Department of Education.<ref name="NYCDOE_round"/> According to the Department of Education, Stuyvesant accepts students solely based on their performance on the SHSAT, although former Mayor ] and community activist group ] have argued that the exam may be biased against ] and ].<ref name="ACORN_SA2RRR">{{cite web|url=http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=540|title="Secret Apartheid II: Race, Regents, and Resources"|publisher=ACORN|accessdate=2006-05-06}}</ref>
In March 1998, an alumni group lead by Leonard Riggio, class of 1958 announced plans for a fundraising campaign to raise $10 million to support their alma mater financially through facilities upgrades, establishment of curriculum enhancements, faculty training, and a university-type ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30F10FB3D5C0C738EDDAA0894D0494D81|title=Alumni to Give Brooklyn Tech Huge Donation|date=]|first=Jacques|last=Steinberg|publisher=]}}</ref> The endowment fundraiser, the first of its kind for an American public school, received front-page attention at ''The New York Times'' and sparked a friendly competition amongst the specialized high schools, with both Bronx Science and Stuyvesant announcing their own $10 million campaigns within weeks of the Brooklyn Tech announcement. In November 2005, the Brooklyn Tech Alumni Association announced the completion of the fundraising phase of what they had termed the Campaign for Brooklyn Tech.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/press_releases/2005_Brooklyn_Tech.html|title=Brooklyn Tech Alumni Celebrate Completion of Association's $10 Million Capital Campaign|date=]}}</ref>


In March 2006, Alexander Vayl, class of 2001, announced a donation of $2.25 million to the alumni committee.{{fact}} Principal Randy Asher, explained that the funds will be used toward facility restoration and curriculum enchancements.
Stuyvesant has contributed to the education of several ] laureates, winners of the ] and the ], and a host of other accomplished alumni. It consistently leads the nation in the number of ] awarded and regularly trades off the leading position in the number of Intel Science Talent Search Semi-Finalists and Finalists with Bronx Science.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.sciserv.org/sts/press/20010117.asp|title=Intel Science Talent Search Awards $600,000 to 300 Student Semifinalists and 166 Schools|accessdate=2006-07-09|date=]|publisher=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.math.uncc.edu/~hbreiter/doc9.htm|title=Nurturing Science's Young Elite: Westinghouse Talent Search|first=Scott|last=Huler|publisher=]|date=]|accessdate=2006-07-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|publisher=]|title=At Stuyvesant, Kudos for Scientific Creativity in the Shadow of Ruin|date=]|first=Yilu|last=Zhao}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|publisher=]|title=Stuyvesant Defeats Inertia To Lead Intel Rivals Again|date=]|first=Jennifer|last=Medina}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|publisher=]|title=Stuyvesant Again Leads in Science Contest|date=]|first=Kimetris|last=Baltrip}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|publisher=]|title=New York Students Dominate Intel Science Contest. Again.|first=Lili|last=Koppel|date=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|publisher=]|title=New York Tops Other States In Science Award Semifinals|first=Caroline|last=Palmer|date=]}}</ref>


===Lee McCaskill controversy===
Stuyvesant, along with other similar schools, has regularly been excluded from Newsweek's annual list of the Top 100 Public High Schools. The ], ], issue states the reason as being, "because so many of their students score well above average on the SAT and ACT."<ref>{{cite news|publisher=]|title=What Makes a High School Great?|date=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7760504/site/newsweek/|title=America's Best High Schools FAQ|publisher=], ]|date=]|first=Jay|last=Matthews|accessdate=2006-08-02}}</ref>
Dr. Lee D. McCaskill, appointed principal in 1992, served for 14 years, during which Tech saw the installation of more computer classrooms and the switch from traditional mechanical drawing by hand to teaching the use of ] programs.


In 2003, '']'' published an investigative article that noted "longstanding tensions" between the faculty and Principal McCaskill, "spilled into the open in October, with news reports that several teachers accused him of repeatedly sending sexually explicit ] messages from his school ] to staff members".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0D10F938550C768DDDA80894DB404482&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fW%2fWinerip%2c%20Michael|title=On Education: Evaluating a Brooklyn Principal, Measure for Questionable Measure|date=]|first=Michael|last=Winerip|publisher=]}}</ref> The article described the principal as ], controlling the school "largely through fear and intimidation", and documented acts of personal vindictiveness toward teachers; severe censorship of the student newspaper and of assigned English texts, including the refusual to let the ]-finalist ] ''Continental Drift'' by ] be used for a class; and of ] mismanagement. The article also quoted praise from McCaskill's supervising superintendent, Reyes Irizarry, who cited the principal's expansion of ] and ] programs.
Stuyvesant sends nearly all its students off to four year universities, and around 15 percent go on to the ]. Stuyvesant graduates have an average ] score of about 1410 (690 verbal, 724 math).<ref name="NYCDOE2003"/> Recently, there were two students who achieved perfect scores on their SAT I and SAT II tests, an unusual accomplishment. Stuyvesant also was the high school with the highest number of ] exams taken, and also the highest number of students reaching the mastery level.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/26/education/26advanced.html|title=New York Tops Advanced Placement Tests|publisher=]|date=]|first=Susan|last=Saulny|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref>


A follow-up column in 2004<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/28/education/28educate.html?ex=1137301200&en=a0eea3e7e14a680f&ei=5070|title=On Education: Principal's War Leads to a Teacher Exodus|date=]|first=Michael|last=Winerip|publisher=]}}</ref> found the situation had worsened due to increased teacher exodus, and documented Principal McCaskill's campaign against Alice Alcala, described as one of the city's leading ] teachers. Alcala had won Brooklyn Tech a $10,000 ] and brought in the ] for student workshops. "When tried killing her Shakespeare program", the ''Times'' wrote, "she went over his head to the central administration and got it reinstated. The day after she was quoted in news articles criticizing McCaskill, she received an unsatisfactory ] observation rating for the first time in 28 years of teaching. She was repeatedly denied access to the ] and in June, got an unsatisfactory for the year." Alcala left for ]'s ], where she shortly thereafter brought in $1,800 in grants for Shakespeare education, while at Brooklyn Tech, the article reported, there was no longer any course solely devoted to Shakespeare.
==School facilities==
]
]
]
By the 1980s, the East 15th Street building was no longer a quality educational facility by modern standards, and the number of students had also increased to several thousand and could not be accommodated by the five-story building. The New York City Board of Education secured an agreement with the Battery Park City Authority for a new building, and construction began in 1989. The new ten-floor building, located near lower Manhattan's ], was constructed at a cost of about $148 million, and included 65 classrooms with about 450 computers on 13 networks, 7 pairs of ]s, various indoor sporting facilities including two ] and a pool built to ] standards, a theater with acoustics and lighting to accommodate music and drama productions, two lecture halls with movable partitions, a skylit ] overlooking the ], 12 science laboratories (including a ] lab and an ] lab) and special shops for instruction in ], ], ], ]s, ], ]ics and energy studies. One room in the Stuyvesant building, called the "Museum Room", was built as a replica of a room in the 15<sup>th</sup> Street Stuyvesant building as a request by students, with desks, chairs, a table and blackboard brought from there, as well as paint and flooring in its style. The room was dedicated to teacher Dr. A. Edward Stefanacci, who died in 1993. The school's library has a capacity of 40,000 volumes and overlooks Battery Park City.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CEFDB1531F935A35755C0A965958260|title=ARCHITECTURE VIEW On the Hudson, Launching Minds Instead of Ships|first=Herbert|last=Muschamp|date=]|publisher=]|accessdate=2006-05-28}}</ref>


2005 articles in the ]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:MAczJnGfJ7EJ:www.nydailynews.com/news/story/358244p-305287c.html+%22brooklyn+technical+high+school%22+%22lou+ferrigno%22&hl=en&lr=&strip=1|title=B'klyn Tech's Crass Warfare: Principal at Center of Storm in B'klyn Tech|date=]|first=Kathleen|last=Lucadamo|publisher=]}}</ref> and ''New York Teacher''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uft.org/news/teacher/in_news/brooklynwreck|title=Brooklyn ' Wreck'|first=Jim|last=Callaghan|publisher=]|work=New York Teacher|date=]}}</ref> note that a $10,000 grant obtained by a teacher in 2001 to refurbish the obsolete radio room remained unused. New classroom computers were covered in plastic rather than installed because the classrooms had yet to be wired for them.
The New York City Department of Education reports that public per student spending at Stuyvesant is slightly lower than the city average.<ref name="NYCDOE2003"/> However, Stuyvesant also receives some private contributions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourstrongband.org/Videos/CampaignForStuyvesant_Broadband.wmv|title=Stuyvesant promotional video|format=video (WMV)|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref> Shortly after the new building was completed, the $10 million TriBeCa Bridge was built to allow students to enter the building without having to cross the busy West Street.


The Office of Special Investigations of the ] launched an investigation of McCaskill on February 2, 2006, concerning unpaid enrollment of ] resident McCaskill's daughter in New York City public school, which is illegal for non-residents of the city. On February 6, McCaskill announced his resignation from Brooklyn Tech and agreed to pay $19,441 in restitution.
The new building is one of the 5 additional sites of P721M, a school for older (aged 15-21) students with multiple ] and ]. Wheelchair-bound students can sometimes be seen throughout the building.


On February 7, 2006, the Department of Education named Randy Asher, founding principal of the ], as interim acting principal.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.nycenet.edu/Administration/mediarelations/PressReleases/2005-2006/02072006pressrelease.htm|title=Randy J. Asher Named Interim-Acting Principal of Brooklyn Technical High School|publisher=NYC Dept. of Education|date=]}}</ref> Mr. Asher had previously served as Tech's assistant principal in mathematics from 2000-2002 before leaving to become founding principal of HSMSE.
Glass boxes set into various places in the building's wall hold mementos from the year of each graduating class. Items displayed include water from most large rivers, mud from the ], a ] button, pieces of the 15<sup>th</sup> Street Stuyvesant building and of monuments around the world, and various chemical compounds. In 1997, the eastern end of the mathematics floor (in which the math department office is located) was dedicated to Dr. Richard Rothenberg, the math department chairman before his death from a sudden heart attack in 1997. The Rothenberg memorial, commissioned in his honor, is a wall made up of 49 of these boxes, each featuring a concept in mathematics.


Special commissioner Richard J. Condon rebuked the Department of Education on Feb. 14 for allowing McCaskill to retire, still collecting $125,282 in accrued vacation time, just days before the OSI completed its investigation. Condon also recommended that Cathy Furman McCaskill, the principal's wife, be dismissed from her position as a teacher at Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn for her part in submitting fake leases and other fraudulent documents to indicate the family lived in the ] section of Brooklyn. <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/15/nyregion/15principal.html?_r=1&oref=slogin|title=Investigator Rebukes City Schools Over Retirement of a Principal|date=]|first=Elissa|last=Gootman|publisher=]}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uft.org/news/teacher/in_news/probed|title=Brooklyn Tech Principal Probed|first=Jim|last=Callaghan|publisher=]|work=New York Teacher|date=]}}</ref> The next day, the Department of Education announced that they would move to fire her. <ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/391424p-332014c.html|title=A Lack of Principles: Ex-School Head Lied Under Oath|date=]|first=Kathleen|last=Lucadamo|publisher=]}}</ref>
==Academics==
Stuyvesant students undergo a ] curriculum including four years of ], ], and a laboratory-based ], three years of ] (though most students opt to take four years) and foreign language, a semester each of introductory ], ], ], ], and two lab-based technology courses (although there are several exemptions by which students may be excused from technology education in their senior years).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stuy-pa.org/files/documents/04-05ParentHandbook.pdf|title=Graduation Requirements|work=Stuyvesant High School Parent Handbook|publisher=Stuyvesant Parents Association|format=PDF|accessdate=2006-05-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://register.stuy.edu/program_office/grad_reqs.html|title=Graduation Requirements|publisher=Stuyvesant High School|accessdate=2006-05-28}}</ref>


===Tech in the 21st century===
Stuyvesant offers students a broad selection of elective courses. Some of the more unusual offerings include robotics, ], ], and the mathematics of ]s.<ref name="STUY_COURSES">{{cite web|url=http://register.stuy.edu/program_office/course_descriptions.html|title=Online Course Guide|publisher=Stuyvesant High School|accessdate=2006-05-28}}</ref> Most students take ], and the school offers math courses through ]s and ]. A year of ] used to be required; students learned how to draft by hand in its first semester and how to draft using a computer (CAD) in the second. Now, students take a one-semester class called Technology Graphic Communications (equivalent to the former year of drafting), and a semester of introductory computer science in order to introduce the mainly science-oriented students to computer programming early in their careers.
Since 2001, Brooklyn Tech has undergone such refurbishing as the renovation of the school's ] Library entrance, located on the fifth-floor center section. As well, two computer labs were added. The school also reinstated a class devoted to the study of Shakespeare, which students can elect to take in their senior year.


Classes were held during the ], though attendance was sparse.
]


==Alma Mater==
A variety of Advanced Placement courses (31 are available at Stuyvesant<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stuy100.org/about.html|title=Stuyvesant H.S. 100 Year Anniversary|accessdate=2006-06-27|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20050305222753/http://www.stuy100.org/about.html|archivedate=2005-03-05}}</ref>) offer students the chance to earn college credits. A few students earn enough college credit to start college as sophomores. In 2004, Stuyvesant began complying with Department of Education regulations mandating that ] courses be weighted by a factor of 1.1 in ]. However, this caused widespread outcry among students, faculty, and teachers, and in 2005, Stuyvesant was granted special permission to revert the weight of AP courses back to 1. {{fact}}
Tech Alma Mater, Noble and True,
Proudly we rise to salute thee anew.
Loyal we stand now 4000 strong,
Wake, echoes, wake as we thunder our song.


Tech, we will sound thy triumphs,
Computer science enthusiasts can take two additional computer programming courses after the completion of advanced placement computer science: systems level programming and ]. There is also a 2 year ] sequence which can earn students ] (CCNA) certification.
Tech, we will sing of thy might and thy fame.
Tech, may we all bring thee glory,
All honor and praise to thy name.


Firm thy foundation, thy torch lights the way,
Stuyvesant's foreign language offerings rival those of many colleges, including the basics like ] and ] as well as ], ], ], ], and ]. In 2000, ] and ] for native speakers were introduced in recognition of Stuyvesant's now majority ] population. Courses are also offered in ] and ], but these courses, along with Korean, may only be taken as electives.
Guide us, protect us through bright days or gray.
Tower symbolic of truth and of light,
Here's to thy colors, the blue and the white.


Tech, we will sound thy triumphs,
Stuyvesant's ] and Geo-science department offers courses in molecular biology (a course sequence comprised of a molecular science class in the Fall and a molecular genetics class in the Spring), ], ], medical and veterinary diagnosis, human disease, ] and ], ], ] techniques, medical human ], ], the molecular basis of cancer, nutrition science, and ]. The Chemistry and Physics department offers ], ], astronomy, ] mechanics, and ].<ref name="STUY_COURSES"/>
Tech, we will sing of thy might and thy fame.
Tech, may we all bring thee glory,
All honor and praise to thy name.


==Notable alumni==
Although primarily known for its strength in math and science, Stuyvesant is also home to a robust music program and offers students ten music groups, ranging from a symphony ] and ] ensemble to a chamber ]. Comprehensive programs in the ] offer students courses in British and classical literature, ], ], ], ], ], and a host of ] and ] classes. The history core requires a year of ], ] and ], as well as a semester of ] and ]. Humanities electives include American ], ] and ], ], "] and ]", "], ] and ] issues", small business ], and ].
*], 1960 - U.S. ]

*Col. ], 1955 - ] astronaut
Stuyvesant has recently entered into an agreement with ], in which the college funds advanced after-school courses that are taken for college credit but taught by Stuyvesant teachers. Some of these courses include physical chemistry, linear algebra, advanced Euclidean geometry, and women's history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://spectator.stuy.edu/display.cgi?id=1361|title=Stuyvesant Students Get a Taste of College After School|date=]|fisrt=Jin-ji|last=Kim|accessdate=2006-06-27|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20050223090251/http://spectator.stuy.edu/display.cgi?id=1361|archivedate=2005-02-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://spectator.stuy.edu/display.cgi?id=1360|title=Staff Editorial|accessdate=2006-06-27|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20050223084654/http://spectator.stuy.edu/display.cgi?id=1360|archivedate=2005-02-23}}</ref>
*], 1966 - Chairman & CEO, ]

*], 1960 - Entertainer, humanitarian
==Extracurricular activities==
*], 1962 - Entertainer, humanitarian
===Sports===
*], Ph.D. 1951 - President, ] at ]
Stuyvesant fields 26 ]s, including a ] team, as well as ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]/], ], ], ]/], ] and ] teams. In addition, Stuyvesant club teams include boys' varsity and junior varsity, and girls' varsity ] teams. The boys' Ultimate team, Sticky Fingers, won the City Championship title in 2005 and 2006. The Stuyvesant Cross Country team was ] City Champions in 2004 and 2005. The Stuyvesant Boys Swimming Team, the Pirates, have been PSAL City Champions consecutively since 2000 and Opens champions since 1995. The Stuyvesant Bowling Team has been the PSAL Manhattan Borough Champion consecutively since 1990. The girls soccer team, the Mimbas, brought home the City Championship title in 2001, 2004, and 2005, despite a severe lack of practice space and lack of a home field. {{fact}}
*], 1929 - Educator, championship high-school football coach

*], 1980 - ]
Unlike most American high schools, every sports team at Stuyvesant has its own name, like the Peglegs (football), Chipmunkz (softball), Ballers (boys soccer), Penguins (girls swimming), Phoenix (girls basketball), Mimbas (girls soccer), Dragons (boys handball), and Sticky Fingers (girls and boys ultimate). These names tend to change with time and lend each Stuyvesant team a unique flavor.
*], 1954 - Executive director, ], Research & Design Center

*], 1942 - former chief scientist of the US Navy's Special Projects Office
In ], Stuyvesant added a varsity ice hockey team, the first public school in New York City to do so. The team was run by students without administrative assistance for several years. There is also an annual alumni game, where notable Stuyvesant alumni hockey players such as ] and ] often appear. The team has been in first place in its 8-team ] league every year, though it often plays teams from outside the league. Stuyvesant is also a powerhouse in fencing with a string of city championships from 1986 through 1989. Stuyvesant does not, however, have a football field, baseball field, or tennis court, though the new building does have a pool.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://physed.stuy.edu/sportsteam.html|title=Stuyvesant Athletics|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref>
*Gen. ], 1949 - Four-star general, ]

*], 1945 - Writer, folksinger
===Clubs===
*], 1969 - ], ]
Stuyvesant offers clubs, publications, teams and other opportunities under a system similar to that of many colleges. It hosts over 200 clubs ranging from "PottyRings", a club dedicated to '']'' and '']'', to Pink LEMONed, a Japanese rock culture club, to Help the Helpless, dedicated to community service, the Thinkers club (philosophy), and the Robotics Team, which competes in the international ].<ref name="clubsandpubs">{{cite web|url=http://www.stuysu.org/cp|title=Clubs and Pubs|publisher=Stuyvesant High School|accessdate=2006-05-28}}</ref> The ] and debate team is nationally recognized and arguably one of Stuyvesant's most successful teams, with a 25+ year history of winning national championship tournaments on both individual and team levels. Other debating clubs include ] (a political debate club) and ]. The Stuyvesant Theater Community puts on three student-run productions a year (a fall ], a winter ], and a spring ]) as well as a one-act festival and several smaller studio productions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stuytheater.org|title=Stuyvesant Theater Community|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref>
*], Ph.D., 1948 - Engineer, author

*], Ph.D., 1961 - Scientist, ] vice president of education
===Publications===
*], Ph.D., 1948 - Electrogasdynamics pioneer, 1952 ] silver medalist
]
*], 1958 - Actor, television's '']''

*], 1966 - Chairman, president & CEO, ]
Stuyvesant hosts 25 publications, including many departmental ]s.<ref name="clubsandpubs"/>
*], Ph.D., 1934 - Author, engineer, humanitarian

*], C.P.A. 1947 - Chairman, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants board of directors
====The Spectator====
*], 1947 - Author, '']'' television critic
''The Spectator'' is Stuyvesant's official school ]. It contains 11 sections: news, features, ], arts & entertainment, sports, photography, art, layout, copy, business, and web. The departments are each headed by at least two editors, all of whom encompass the editorial board of the paper. The editorial board meets daily in the Spectator ] class and is headed by the Editor in Chief and Managing Editor. At the start of their term, the Editor in Chief and Managing Editor select four editors to be members of the Managing Board, a group that advises the Editor in Chief and Managing Editor on matters relating to the paper. There are over 250 total staff members who help to produce the bi-weekly publication. At the beginning of the fall and spring terms, there are recruitments, but interested students may join at any time. The Spectator is independent from the school, but it remains the prime news source for students, teachers, and administrators.
*], Ph.D., 1949 - Inventor, silicon gate transistor

*], Ph.D. 1950 - Mathematician
The Spectator, founded in 1915, is one of Stuyvesant's oldest publications.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stuyvesant.ourstrongband.org/extracurriculars.htm#Spectator|title=The Spectator|work=Stuyvesant High School Extra-curricula's|publisher=The Campaign for Stuyvesant|accessdate=2006-05-28}}</ref> It has a long-standing connection with its older namesake, ] '']'', and it has been recognized by the ] ] on several occasions, most recently in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cspa/docs/awards-to-people/sullivan/recipients/index.html|title=Awards to People|publisher=]|accessdate=2006-05-28}}</ref>
*], 1960 - Founder of ], ] company

*Sgt. ], 1934 - Decorated Air Force hero, World War II
====The Stuyvesant Standard====
*], 1946 - President, ]
Founded in 2001, ''The Stuyvesant Standard'' is a bi-weekly, school-funded newspaper published by Stuyvesant students for the community in and around the school. It covers news at school, city, state, national and international levels and contains "interest sections" such as Business, Science, Literary and Puzzle (Leisure), alongside the standard departments of Opinions, Sports, and Arts & Entertainment. Always a laboratory for innovative columns, its current columns include: "Meet This Teacher," "The Critical Lens," a space on students' opinions, "Sports Beat" and "Tomorrow's Technology Today." The Standard is distributed within Stuyvesant and throughout the surrounding community.
*], 1957 - Chairman, Mack-Cali Realty; philanthropist

*], 1937 - President, Industrial Designers Society of America
Despite its youth, The Standard is now one of the largest organizations at Stuyvesant. Its alumni remain close to the current staff and are very active in the paper.
*], 1989 - Professional basketball player

*], 1950 - NASA engineer
====Other publications====
*], 1998 - Scientist
*''Caliper'', Stuyvesant's biannual literary magazine. Caliper is one of the oldest high school literary publications in the nation, and along with monthly open mic sessions, helps the Stuyvesant literary community flourish in an environment focusing on math and science.
*], Ph.D. 1951 - Physicist, 1978 Nobel Laureate
*''Indicator'', the Stuyvesant year book.
*], Ph.D. 1958 - Author, researcher
*''Math Survey'', the annual Math Department publication. Many of Stuyvesant's notable mathematicians were first published in Math Survey. The is available online.
*], 1958 - Founder, ]
*''Political Fire:'' An unofficial newspaper started in 2006 which deals solely with political issues.
*], 1966 - Professional ] hall-of-famer
*''The Broken Escalator:'' A humor publication, featuring joke articles about Stuyvesant.
*], 1969 - ]-TV ] ]
*''The Biomed Times:'' The annual journal of recent biological developments.
*], M.D. 1952 - Ophthalmologic surgeon, inventor of shearing lens
*''A Comic is You:'' A comic publication.
*], 1945 - Author, editor, mechanical engineer who designed ablation head shield material for re-entry from space

*], 1947 - International-law scholar
===Academic teams===
*], Ph.D. 1923 - Biologist, 1967 ] Laureate
Stuyvesant's academic teams include its nationally recognized Speech and Debate team, ], ], science olympiad, and math, which regularly compete successfully at major regional, national, and &mdash; at least in the case of the math team &mdash; international tournaments. A FIRST Robotics team, called Stuypulse,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stuypulse.com|title=Stuyvesant Robotics 694|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref> was founded in 2000 and has since won the New York City Regional ('03), and the New York Chairman's Award ('05). Stuyvesant also has a ] team, a JSA (]) chapter, and a Model Congress team which competes at regional colleges. The Model United Nations team hosts STUYMUNC, an annual conference which takes place at Stuyvesant.
*], 1962 - Founder, Computer Associates International; principal owner, ] hockey team

*], 1981 - U.S. Congressman
===SING!===
*], 1946 - Chairman, Automatic Data Processing, philanthropist
]
*], 1950 - Author, '']'' editor
The annual theater competition known as ] pits seniors, juniors, and "soph-frosh" (freshmen and sophomores working together) against each other in a race to put on the best performance. Started in 1947 at ] in ], SING! is a tradition at many New York City high schools. At Stuyvesant, SING! started as a small event in 1973 and has grown to a huge school-wide event &mdash; in 2005, nearly 1,000 students participated. The entire production is written, produced, and funded by students. Their involvement ranges from cast, chorus, Irish Jig, Step, Bollywood Dance, Latin Dance, and tech crews. SING! begins in late November and culminates in final performances on three nights in March/April. The show sells out all three nights, raising over $30,000 for Stuyvesant's Clubs and Pubs via the Student Union Budget. {{fact}}
*], 1956 - Author

==Student body==
For most of the 20<sup>th</sup> century, the student body at Stuyvesant was heavily ]ish; however ] students began a significant influx in the 1970s. As of 2005, the student body was approximately 51 percent ] and 38 percent ], with ] and ]s each constituting roughly four percent of the population apiece.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nycenet.edu/OurSchools/Region9/M475/default.htm|title=Stuyvesant High School|publisher=New York City Dept. of Education|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref> Russian and South Asian students are well-represented, and Jews continue to comprise a large portion of the student body. Stuyvesant possesses a disproportionate amount of historical minorities in comparison to national and local population distributions.<ref name="Stern2003">{{cite web|url=http://www.educationnext.org/20033/20.html|title=Façade of Excellence|first=Sol|last=Stern|year=2003|publisher=]|accessdate=2006-03-08}}</ref><ref name="NYCDOE2003"/> (See also ].) Although students may only legally attend Stuyvesant if they live in the New York City area, an unknown number of students may live in Long Island or New Jersey.

=== Controversy ===
==== Accusations of bias in admission tests ====

The school's off-center demographic profile and relative paucity of black and Hispanic students have often been a source of consternation for some city administrators. John Lindsay, mayor of New York City from 1966 to 1973, argued that the test was culturally biased against Black and Hispanic students and sought to implement an ] program. At the protest of parents, however, the plan was scrapped and led to the passage of Article 12, stating that admissions would continue to be by examination only. Despite this, however, a small number of students judged to be economically disadvantaged and who come within a few points of the cut-off score may be given an extra chance to pass the test.<ref name="Stern2003"/>

In 1996 community activist group ACORN published two reports called "Secret Apartheid" and "Secret Apartheid II", calling the SHSAT "permanently suspect" and a "product of an institutional racism", and claiming that Black and Hispanic students did not have access to proper test preparation materials.<ref name="ACORN_SA2RRR"/> Along with Schools Chancellor Rudy Crew, they began an initiative for more diversity in NY's gifted and specialized schools, in particular demanding that since only a few districts send the majority of Stuyvesant's and Bronx Sciences's students, that the SHSAT be suspended altogether "until the Board of Education can show that the students of each middle school in the system have had access to curricula and instruction that would prepare them for this test regardless of their color or economic status". Jesse Shapiro, Stuyvesant valedictorian, and Micah C. Lasher, then a sophomore, published several editorials in response, and the outcome was averted.<ref name="stuy_timeline"/><ref name=DartmouthReview1997>{{cite web|url=http://www.dartreview.com/archives/1997/05/28/destroying_excellence.php|title=Destroying Excellence|date=]|first=Jeffrey|last=Hart|accessdate=2006-06-27|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20041030110521/http://www.dartreview.com/archives/1997/05/28/destroying_excellence.php|archivedate=2004-10-30}}</ref>

====Self-segregation allegations====
In the early 2000s, Ling Wu Kong '01 published several articles in ''The Spectator'', the school's paper,<ref name="raceatstuy">{{cite web|url=http://spectator.stuy.edu/display.cgi?id=212|title=Race at Stuy|accessdate=2006-06-27|archiveurl=http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:-IoH4wuu3y0J:spectator.stuy.edu/display.cgi%3Fid%3D212|archivedate=2005-07-15}}</ref> bemoaning an apparent lack of interaction between the different ethnic groups at Stuyvesant,<ref>
{{cite web|url=http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:-IoH4wuu3y0J:spectator.stuy.edu/display.cgi%3Fid%3D212 |title=Abacus Guide to Stuyvesant High School |accessdate=2006-05-06 |last=Glickman |first=Emily |year=2002}}</ref> While many students do socialize within their own ethnic groups, each having their own area to socialize in, friendships that cross racial boundaries are common.{{fact}} In fact, there is less of a "racially divided" culture in Stuyvesant than in other high schools; students are accepting and have friends of all cultures.{{fact}} Indeed, Stuyvesant's numerous clubs include a myriad of cultural understanding organizations, and cultural festivals are held to promote a better understanding of other cultures. The International Food Festival, hosted by the foreign language department, takes place every spring. It should be noted this particular phenomenon occurs in the other specialized high schools as well.

==Notable people==
{{Main|List of Stuyvesant High School people}}

Stuyvesant has many mathematicians among its alumni, including more leading figures in the field than are associated with most major universities. A number of leading physicists and chemists are also Stuyvesant alumni, as well as several well known entertainers and authors, including '']'' star ], '']'' star ], ], core member of the musical group ], and actor ].

Stuyvesant alumni include four Nobel laureates:
*] (1941) - 1958 ]
*] (1944) - 1993 ]
*] (1954) - 1981 ]
*] (1963) - 2004 ]

Author ] taught English at Stuyvesant before the publication of his novels '']'', '']'', and '']''. ''Teacher Man'''s third section, titled ''Coming Alive in Room 205'', is all about McCourt's time at Stuyvesant, and mentions a number of students and faculty.

''See also ]''

==In pop culture==
*The Stuyvesant High School building in Battery Park City was one of the main settings of the film '']'', although it was not mentioned by name. As in the film, Stuyvesant has no pool on the roof, despite a long history of seniors selling "rooftop pool passes" to new freshmen. It does, however, have a pool on the ground floor and a roof deck for its technology classes.

*In an episode of '']'', a female Stuyvesant student is murdered. The investigation leads Detectives ] and ] to the school, where they interview her classmates.

*The 2004 ] featured an ad campaign with a stylized depiction of the school entitled ''Fast Times at Stuyvesant High''.

*The entrance to the high school is visible in the ]' music video for the song ''Ch-Check It Out''. It is seen in the beginning of the video, where the three rappers are walking down the TriBeCa Bridge.

*] of the Beastie Boys wears a boy's red Stuyvesant High School Physical Education leader T-shirt in the video for ''].'' This has occasionally sparked a rumor that one or all of the Boys attended Stuyvesant. They did not;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.time.com/time/musicgoesglobal/na/mmiked.html|publisher=]|year=2001|title=Q&A With Mike D. of the Beastie Boys|first=Alex|last=Smith}}</ref> however ], the band's original drummer, did.

*Stuyvesant has been chronicled in popular literature based in New York City. The ] novels '']'' and '']'' are prominent examples of this trend.

*Certain characters on the primetime television show '']'' spoke of their alma mater Stuyvesant HS.

*On the primetime television show '']'', "Holly", played by ], attended Stuyvesant before starting and quitting college.

*A ], entitled ''The Ticket'', is currently being filmed about the Student Union elections at Stuyvesant.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.suhfilms.com|title=THE TICKET (a documentary film)|publisher=Suh Films|accessdate=2006-05-24}}</ref>
*Alec Klein '85, a reporter for the ], is currently researching a book "which strives to explain what sets Stuyvesant apart from other high schools".<ref>{{cite book|title=The Alumni Spectator|month=Spring|year=2006|publisher=Stuyvesant High School Alumni Association}}</ref>

* In 2006, a controversial article about the different sexual orientations in Stuyvesant and how they represent a national trend appeared in ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nymag.com/news/features/15589/|title=The Cuddle Puddle of Stuyvesant High School|author=Alex Morris|publisher=New York Magazine|year=2006|accessed=2006-03-29}}</ref>

* The 2006 autobiographical young adult novel, ''The Notebook Girls'', highlights the lives of four Stuyvesant students in the form of a journal.


==See also== ==See also==
*] *]
*]


== References == == Footnotes ==
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==External links== ==References==
*{{cite press release|url=http://www.uft.org/news/mckaskill_bklyntech|title=Brooklyn Tech Principal Retires|publisher=United Federation of Teachers|date=]}}
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* (official site)
{{Spoken Misplaced Pages|En-Stuy_High_School.ogg|2006-07-11}}
* * (virtual tour & news articles)
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* * (student-run online newspaper)
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* Stuyvesant HS Endowment Group
*
*The Stuyvesant Standard and - an independent student-published newspaper serving the Stuyvesant community
*
* - an unofficial school website
*
===Alumni sites===
*
*
*
*
*
*Class of: | | | | | | | | | | |


===Articles=== ==External links==
* <!--this was not used as a reference source for the article-->
*, by Sol Stern<ref name="Stern2003"/> , ''Education Next'' on the teachers' contract
*{{cite web|url=http://www.abacusguide.com/stuyvesant_high_school.htm|first=Emily|last=Glickman|title=Abacus Guide to Stuyvesant High School|accessed=2006-03-09|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20050311172311/http://www.abacusguide.com/stuyvesant_high_school.htm|archivedate=2005-03-11}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.alternet.org/911oneyearlater/14073/|title=Fallout: The Hidden Environmental Consequences of 9/11|first=Juan|last=Gonzalez|publisher=In These Times|year=2002|accessed=2006-03-09}}
*{{cite web|url=http://oaspub.epa.gov/nyr/bulk_dust_monitoring?p_addr_id=0360610308|title=Monitoring Data: Stuyvesant High School|author=US EPA|accessed=2006-03-09}}
*{{cite web|url=http://oaspub.epa.gov/nyr/asbestos_monitoring?p_addr_id=0360610406|title=Monitoring Data: Stuyvesant High (North Side)|author=US EPA|accessed=2006-03-09}}
*{{cite web|url=http://nymag.com/news/features/15589/|title=The Cuddle Puddle of Stuyvesant High School|author=Alex Morris|publisher=New York Magazine|year=2006|accessed=2006-03-29}}


*
===Book===
* ''''


{{NYC Specialized High Schools}} {{NYC Specialized High Schools}}
{{New York City DOE Region9}} {{New York City DOE Region8}}
{{featured article}}


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Revision as of 02:34, 2 November 2006

Public, specialized school in New York City
Brooklyn Technical High School
File:Bthslogo.gif
Address
29 Fort Greene Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11217
New York City, New York
United States
Information
TypePublic, Specialized
Established1922
PrincipalRandy Asher
Enrollmentapprox. 4,400
Color(s)Blue and White
MascotFighting Engineers
Telephone(718) 804-6400
Websitewww.bths.edu

Brooklyn Technical High School, commonly called Brooklyn Tech, is a New York City public high school that specializes in engineering, math and science. Together with Stuyvesant High School and Bronx High School of Science, it is one of three original specialized science high schools, operated by the New York City Department of Education. Admission is by competitive examination, and as a public school, there is no tuition fee and only residents of the City of New York are eligible to attend. It is a founding member of the NCSSSMST. Brooklyn Tech is noted for its famous alumni, its academics, and the large number of graduates attending prestigious universities. It has the largest enrollment of the city's specialized high schools, and is the sixth-largest school in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report. In 2006, all three schools were cited by The Washington Post as among the best magnet schools in the United States.

Building and facilities

The school, built on its present site from 1930-33 at a cost of $6 million, is 12 stories high, and covers almost an entire city block. Facilities include:

A 456-foot-tall rooftop broadcasting antenna, when added to the height of the building itself (145 feet), makes Brooklyn Tech the borough's tallest structure, at 597 feet high. It is 85 feet taller than Brooklyn's tallest building, the 512-foot Williamsburg Savings Bank.

In 1934, the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), which later became the Works Projects Administration (WPA), commissioned artist Maxwell B. Starr to paint a mural in the foyer depicting the evolution of man and science throughout history.

Brooklyn Tech's founder and first principal, Dr. Albert L. Colston, had an apartment built for himself in the tower of the building, and was the only person to ever live inside Brooklyn Tech.

History

Original plan

In 1918, Dr. Albert L. Colston, chair of the Math Department at Manual Training High School, recommended establishing a technical high school for Brooklyn boys. His plan envisioned a heavy concentration of math, science, and drafting courses with parallel paths leading either to college or to a technical career in industry. By 1922, Dr. Colston’s concept was approved by the Board of Education, and Brooklyn Technical High School opened in a converted warehouse at 49 Flatbush Avenue Extension, with 2,400 students. Brooklyn Tech would occupy one more location before settling into its current site, for which the groundbreaking was held in 1930.

Early academics

A notable feature of Brooklyn Tech is its system of college-style majors . The curriculum consists of two years of general studies with a technical and mechanical emphasis, followed by two years of a student-chosen major.

The curriculum remained largely unchanged until the end of Dr. Colston's 20-year term as principal in 1942. Upon his retirement, Tech was led briefly by acting principal Ralph Breiling, who was succeeded by Principal Harold Taylor in 1944. Tech's modernization would come under Principal William Pabst, who assumed stewardship in 1946 after serving as chair of the Electrical Department. Pabst created new majors and refined older ones, allowing students to select science and engineering preparatory majors including Aeronautical; Architecture; Chemistry; Civil; Electrical (later including electronics); Industrial Design, Mechanical and Structural. Arts and Sciences, a general college preparatory curriculum, would be added later.

Tech during the 1960s

Principal Pabst retired in 1964 and in August 1965, a ten-year-old boy named Carl Johnson drowned in the swimming pool at Brooklyn Tech while swimming with his day-camp group. The next year, more than 30 graduating Seniors in the school (including many student leaders) complained that Tech's curriculum was old and outdated. Their primary complaint was that the curriculum was geared towards the small minority of students that were not planning on attending college. In 1967 the schools of New York City got to view television in the classrooms for the first time, thanks to the station WNYE-TV, then located in the transmitter center on top of Brooklyn Tech.

1968 was a turbulent year at Tech, when Principal Isidor Auerbach rebuked approximately 200 students who had violated the school's dress code by wearing jeans to school. Dean Jack Feuerstein lectured the students on discipline then sent them to the auditorium, where they spent the day studying. In early February, approximately 300 students at Tech protested outside in support of the Vietnam War, with students holding signs that said "Support the Boys in Vietnam" and "Bomb Hanoi".

In May 1969, 60 students were suspended in what was called the biggest mass suspension ever in New York City's public school system. The suspensions came about when three students were first suspended for hanging pictures of Martin Luther King Jr., and Eldridge Cleaver, spokesperson for the Black Panther Party, in the cafeteria. 60 other students refused to go to their classes to protest the suspension of these three and were subsequently suspended by Principal Auerbach.

New York City specialized high schools

In 1972, Brooklyn Tech, Bronx Science, Stuyvesant High School, and High School for Performing Arts become incorporated by the New York State Legislature as specialized high schools of New York City. The act called for a uniform exam to be administered for admission to Brooklyn Tech, Bronx Science, and Stuyvesant. The exam would become known as the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) and tested students in math and English. With its statewide recognition, the school had to become co-educational.

In 1973, Tech celebrated its 50th anniversary with a dinner-dance at the Waldorf Astoria. To further commemorate the anniversary, a monument was erected, with a time capsule beneath it, in the north courtyard. The monument has eight panels, each with a unique design representing each of Tech's eight majors at that point.

Technological advances again changed Tech's character in 1976, with the school adding the Graphic Communications major, now commonly known as the "Media" major.

In 1983, Matt Mandery's appointment as principal made him the first Tech alumnus to hold that position. The following year, Tech received the Excellence in Education award from the U.S. Department of Education. The Alumni Association was formally created during this time, and coalitions were formed with the New York City Department of Transportation.

John Tobin followed as principal in 1987. He oversaw the addition of a Bio-Medical major to the curriculum, while abolishing the Materials Science department and closing the 7th floor foundry.

Endowment

In March 1998, an alumni group lead by Leonard Riggio, class of 1958 announced plans for a fundraising campaign to raise $10 million to support their alma mater financially through facilities upgrades, establishment of curriculum enhancements, faculty training, and a university-type endowment. The endowment fundraiser, the first of its kind for an American public school, received front-page attention at The New York Times and sparked a friendly competition amongst the specialized high schools, with both Bronx Science and Stuyvesant announcing their own $10 million campaigns within weeks of the Brooklyn Tech announcement. In November 2005, the Brooklyn Tech Alumni Association announced the completion of the fundraising phase of what they had termed the Campaign for Brooklyn Tech.

In March 2006, Alexander Vayl, class of 2001, announced a donation of $2.25 million to the alumni committee. Principal Randy Asher, explained that the funds will be used toward facility restoration and curriculum enchancements.

Lee McCaskill controversy

Dr. Lee D. McCaskill, appointed principal in 1992, served for 14 years, during which Tech saw the installation of more computer classrooms and the switch from traditional mechanical drawing by hand to teaching the use of computer-aided design programs.

In 2003, The New York Times published an investigative article that noted "longstanding tensions" between the faculty and Principal McCaskill, "spilled into the open in October, with news reports that several teachers accused him of repeatedly sending sexually explicit e-mail messages from his school computer to staff members". The article described the principal as autocratic, controlling the school "largely through fear and intimidation", and documented acts of personal vindictiveness toward teachers; severe censorship of the student newspaper and of assigned English texts, including the refusual to let the Pulitzer Prize-finalist novel Continental Drift by Russell Banks be used for a class; and of bureaucratic mismanagement. The article also quoted praise from McCaskill's supervising superintendent, Reyes Irizarry, who cited the principal's expansion of music and sports programs.

A follow-up column in 2004 found the situation had worsened due to increased teacher exodus, and documented Principal McCaskill's campaign against Alice Alcala, described as one of the city's leading Shakespeare teachers. Alcala had won Brooklyn Tech a $10,000 grant and brought in the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain for student workshops. "When tried killing her Shakespeare program", the Times wrote, "she went over his head to the central administration and got it reinstated. The day after she was quoted in news articles criticizing McCaskill, she received an unsatisfactory classroom observation rating for the first time in 28 years of teaching. She was repeatedly denied access to the auditorium and in June, got an unsatisfactory for the year." Alcala left for Manhattan's Murry Bergtraum High School, where she shortly thereafter brought in $1,800 in grants for Shakespeare education, while at Brooklyn Tech, the article reported, there was no longer any course solely devoted to Shakespeare.

2005 articles in the New York Daily News and New York Teacher note that a $10,000 grant obtained by a teacher in 2001 to refurbish the obsolete radio room remained unused. New classroom computers were covered in plastic rather than installed because the classrooms had yet to be wired for them.

The Office of Special Investigations of the New York City Department of Education launched an investigation of McCaskill on February 2, 2006, concerning unpaid enrollment of New Jersey resident McCaskill's daughter in New York City public school, which is illegal for non-residents of the city. On February 6, McCaskill announced his resignation from Brooklyn Tech and agreed to pay $19,441 in restitution.

On February 7, 2006, the Department of Education named Randy Asher, founding principal of the High School for Math, Science and Engineering, as interim acting principal. Mr. Asher had previously served as Tech's assistant principal in mathematics from 2000-2002 before leaving to become founding principal of HSMSE.

Special commissioner Richard J. Condon rebuked the Department of Education on Feb. 14 for allowing McCaskill to retire, still collecting $125,282 in accrued vacation time, just days before the OSI completed its investigation. Condon also recommended that Cathy Furman McCaskill, the principal's wife, be dismissed from her position as a teacher at Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn for her part in submitting fake leases and other fraudulent documents to indicate the family lived in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn. The next day, the Department of Education announced that they would move to fire her.

Tech in the 21st century

Since 2001, Brooklyn Tech has undergone such refurbishing as the renovation of the school's William L. Mack Library entrance, located on the fifth-floor center section. As well, two computer labs were added. The school also reinstated a class devoted to the study of Shakespeare, which students can elect to take in their senior year.

Classes were held during the 2005 New York City transit strike, though attendance was sparse.

Alma Mater

Tech Alma Mater, Noble and True, Proudly we rise to salute thee anew. Loyal we stand now 4000 strong, Wake, echoes, wake as we thunder our song.

Tech, we will sound thy triumphs, Tech, we will sing of thy might and thy fame. Tech, may we all bring thee glory, All honor and praise to thy name.

Firm thy foundation, thy torch lights the way, Guide us, protect us through bright days or gray. Tower symbolic of truth and of light, Here's to thy colors, the blue and the white.

Tech, we will sound thy triumphs, Tech, we will sing of thy might and thy fame. Tech, may we all bring thee glory, All honor and praise to thy name.

Notable alumni

See also

Footnotes

  1. Three new schools were added to that list in the mid-2000s: the High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College, the High School of American Studies at Lehman College, and the Queens High School for the Sciences at York College. However, these were not afforded Specialized High Schools status under New York State Law.
  2. Matthews, Jay (2006-01-24). "Help Find the Super High Schools". The Washington Post. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. "Brooklyn Technical High School" (PDF). NYC High School Directory. NYC Dept. of Education.
  4. Steinberg, Jacques (1998-03-20). "Alumni to Give Brooklyn Tech Huge Donation". The New York Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. "Brooklyn Tech Alumni Celebrate Completion of Association's $10 Million Capital Campaign". 2005-11-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. Winerip, Michael (2003-01-15). "On Education: Evaluating a Brooklyn Principal, Measure for Questionable Measure". The New York Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. Winerip, Michael (2004-01-28). "On Education: Principal's War Leads to a Teacher Exodus". The New York Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. Lucadamo, Kathleen (2005-10-23). "B'klyn Tech's Crass Warfare: Principal at Center of Storm in B'klyn Tech". Daily News. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. Callaghan, Jim (2005-10-05). "Brooklyn ' Wreck'". New York Teacher. United Federation of Teachers. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. "Randy J. Asher Named Interim-Acting Principal of Brooklyn Technical High School" (Press release). NYC Dept. of Education. 2006-02-07. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. Gootman, Elissa (2006-02-15). "Investigator Rebukes City Schools Over Retirement of a Principal". The New York Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. Callaghan, Jim (2006-02-06). "Brooklyn Tech Principal Probed". New York Teacher. United Federation of Teachers. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. Lucadamo, Kathleen (2006-02-15). "A Lack of Principles: Ex-School Head Lied Under Oath". Daily News. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

References

External links

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