To the Editor,
The recent article about Icahn Charter School 7 presents a narrow perspective on the challenges the school faced leading up to the last day of school on June 30.
As an eight-year veteran of Icahn 7, I can attest to the commitment the network has made to our teachers and students. They have never hesitated to provide us with the support and resources we have needed to drive academic excellence.
The last day of school produced confusion, and to their credit the administration has promised to conduct a review of their practices to ensure this does not happen in the future. With that said, the truth is that the changes they made were necessary.
Icahn 7 is a wonderful school, whose student outcomes dramatically outpace those of traditional schools. But student performance had been slipping, and painful personnel decisions had to be made. There is nothing more important than the education of our students, period.
Icahn Charter Schools’ track record speaks for itself – the schools have won the most prestigious national awards the government bestows. I’m proud to work alongside some of the best educators in New York City.
Change must be communicated effectively. But when educators cannot reach the standards that they are hired to uphold, I firmly believe that change is necessary. At the end of the day, this must be about what is best for our students.
Nicole Duhaney-Alcock,
Staff developer at Icahn Charter School 7
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