Eleanor Roosevelt, New East Side HS, Opens to Great Fanfare
by Pola Rosen, Ed.D.

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” This quote by Eleanor Roosevelt permeated the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new high school named after the great first lady.

Susan Elliott, new principal of Eleanor Roosevelt High School, presided with radiance at the inauguration of the school surrounded by New York City’s major political and education leaders. This day was the culmination of four years of arduous work by Eva Moskowitz, Chair of the Education Committee, New York City Council along with Chancellor Joel Klein, and Bill Goldstein and Kathleen Grimm of the school construction authority. The site previously was Sotheby’s Auction House. Moskowitz stated smiling, “Thirty years ago, my parents attended a meeting about this school. I was a student at PS 6 then. Today it’s a reality. We have the potential to have a school like this in every borough.”

Chancellor Klein emphasized, “Every Monday morning we should have a ribbon cutting like this. This is the way to turn education around—one school at a time.”

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, co-chair with C. Virginia Fields for the high school, talked about the great turnout for the first PTA conference at the school: 179 parents met with teachers! “What’s unique about this school is that it has no specialization. It’s providing a rock bottom solid education.”

Gifford Miller, Speaker of the City Council stated, “We, as politicians, are merely amplifying the needs of parents for a school like this. The City Council allocated $16 million for this project. Any journey is a step at a time and this is a great journey.”

C. Virginia Fields, Manhattan Borough President, commented about the amazing parents who, through their commitment and dedication, had shown the way.

State Senator Liz Krueger discussed the opening of 23 new schools this September, congratulating Chancellor Klein. She added, “Every child entering high school should have an opportunity to enter a school like this.”

It seems that the dreams of the parents and students of Eleanor Roosevelt High School are on the way to becoming a reality.#

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