Essex Street Academy
“Facing History brings about positive change by empowering students to take action.”
– Janelle Pearson, teacher, Essex Street Academy
“I have been teaching for over eight years and have never come across the depth and variety of resources that Facing History offers.”
– Erin Carstensen, assistant principal, Essex Street Academy
Essex Street Academy is a small public high school in New York City that opened in September 2004. Principal and founder Alex Shub – who was involved with Facing History for years at his former school – recognized from the outset that Facing History would be an important partner for the school.
The mission of Essex Street Academy is to prepare all students for success in college by treating them as individuals with specific strengths and needs, and appealing to their intellectual curiosity. Small class sizes enable teachers to develop an individual relationship with each student and create a personalized approach to education. Essex Street Academy encourages students to become active, not passive, learners, and to graduate confident in their ability to tackle any problem they encounter. Advisory groups of 10-12 students, four social workers and a staff that prioritizes students above all else, the ESA staff is aware of what is going on in the lives of their students and provides the social support network they need to be happy and successful at school. ESA uses a skill based portfolio system for promotion, and students must complete challenging graduation requirements in every subject including panel presentations of original student work.
Since 2005, the school’s social studies and English teachers have made Facing History and Ourselves an integral part of the school’s humanities curriculum. All ninth and tenth grade students take a semester long Facing History and Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior course. Several English electives including “Survival: Black Boy and Night” and “The American Dream” have deeply integrated content from Facing History’s Race and Membership in American History: The Eugenics Movement resources. A history elective, “South Africa,” includes a three-week unit on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Currently, a semester-long course on the Civil Rights movement utilizes several Facing History resources, including Choices in Little Rock, which invites students to examine the choices made by civil rights activists while considering contemporary legacies.
The school has hosted Holocaust survivors to speak to the students in an effort to enhance understanding of the personal stories. Terrence Roberts of Little Rock Nine has also shared his story. Part of the school-wide effort to promote tolerance a positive perception of differences was the Anti-Homophobia day Facing History supported during the 2006-2007 school year. Essex Street Academy also uses Facing History resources in advisory and at town meetings (a weekly whole-school gathering) to help build an inclusive, civic-minded community.
School Demographics
Essex Street Academy’s 342 students are 56% Hispanic, 24% African American, 14% White, 5% Asian or Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander, 1% Native American or Native Alaskan.
Through the generosity of the Einhorn Family Charitable Trust, Facing History and Ourselves has developed a nationwide small school network. As part of this network, these schools share best practices, develop professional ties with their peers, and receive ongoing support from Facing History. Essex Street Academy is a founding member of this network. Essex Street Academy is also a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools, and their school partners include: Greenwich Village Youth Council, New York University, Baruch College and Brown Alumni Support a School Association.
For more information about Facing History and the Small School Network, please visit: www.facinghistory.org/smallschools
Video of Teacher Janelle P. Speaking at the 2007 New York Benefit Dinner
