-
For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.
-Nelson Mandela
CSS completes launching of ambitious Liberal Arts and Science curriculum…
It is with much pride that I announce that this Fall semester, in only our second year of existence, we have successfully completed the design and implementation of what is arguably the most ambitious middle school curriculum of any public middle school in NYC. Through the intense efforts of CSS faculty, parents and graduate students and faculty of our Columbia University and Teachers College partners, we are now offering 16 different Enrichment Electives, 12 Fitness minicourses and 15 Creative Arts courses. Together with our accelerated 7 course Core Program of Science, Math, Social Studies, English, Spanish, Engineering, and Philosophy, CSS’s offerings constitutes what is, in all likelihood, the most ambitious and diverse curriculum of any public middle school in the city.
The CSS curriculum models a Liberal Arts and Science college curriculum – and emphasizes both a common core of courses that all students must experience, and an enrichment program with varied opportunities to explore in-depth a diversity of fields and subjects areas. At CSS-MSE the core program is different from that of virtually any school in NYC. ELA, Science, Math and Social Studies, for example, use textbooks that are not typically used in NYC public schools. CSS-MSE formed committees of Teachers College graduate students, who together with founding faculty and myself, researched the best practice recommendations from the relevant professional organizations, to adopt our middle school textbooks and curricular sequences.
As part of our commitment to forming students with a world outlook, all our middle schoolers are required to master the Spanish language through a 6 year Spanish sequence. In addition – as part of our commitment to critical thinking and the formation of a scientific mind, our students take 7 years of philosophy and 7 years of engineering. CSS is one of a handful of schools in the nation that require philosophy and engineering in the middle school.
CSS students can also enroll in science elective courses typically only offered at the high school or college level: CSS offers such as Genetics, Environmental Science, Marine Biology, Anthropology, Science Fiction Film, Architecture, Orienteering and Outdoor Survival, Chess, Emotional Intelligence, Advanced Math, and Astronomy.
Columbia students don’t just have enriched science, math and technology programs – CSS has also developed, under the leadership of Prof. Hill and I, a first class creative arts and humanities program. Our middle schoolers have a rich diversity of course opportunities, such as: Latin American History, Popular Music, Forensics, Journalism (in both Spanish and English versions), Slam Poetry, Digital Film-making, Digital Photography, Theatre, Multimedia Design, Screenwriting, and History of War...
Add to this Fall and Spring offerings, our unique June mini-semester study abroad and field expeditions program – with its six interdisciplinary course: a) Concept based course WATER and ENERGY, b) City themed course: Architecture in the City and Nature in the City; and the study abroad courses: Island Biodiversity to Puerto Rico and Land of Mountains and Sea to Chile, and you have a curriculum with a depth and breadth rarely found in any public school in the nation.
And just in case you were thinking our school only focuses on “the mind” and neglects “the body”, take a look at our FITNESS program. Under the leadership of our Assistant Principal, Prof. Andrew Stillman, this year’s fitness program has over a dozen offerings including circus performance, yoga, jogging, swimming, badminton, basketball, volleyball, ultimate Frisbee, and street hockey.
Our curriculum has received widespread recognition and we have hosted visitors (from as far away as Australia, Scotland, Canada, Dominica Republic, Puerto Rico and 6 different states!), who have come to learn from our innovative approach to middle school education. Over a dozen newspaper articles have highlighted our successes in our first exciting year of existence.
CSS is also rapidly becoming a place for research, curricular experimentation, and the training of new teachers. More than half a dozen on-going curricular development projects are taking place. A dozen graduate students have or are currently researching or interning in our school. More than 2 dozen graduate students have come to do teaching or administrative observations or shadowing experiences. Our partners, Teachers College and Columbia University, continue to provide us with a cuting edge research and intellectual capital.
Our faculty have been spreading the word about our unique curriculum: our Philosophy for Children curriculum developed by Dr. Paul Thomson, our Philosopher in Residence, has been published in two new books (see our upcoming article in our CSS News section). Prof. Meredith Hill and Dr. Thomson also presented the philosophy curriculum innovations at the International Philosophy for Children conference in London last year. Dr. Kuhn’s Philosophy for Inquiry and Argument skills program has been the subject of ample scholarly dissemination. I have also presented our innovative curriculum at the Board meeting of the Funds for Public Schools, at several Teachers College symposia, and at universities and foundations in Puerto Rico and NY.
This year we will be implementing three new June mini-semester courses: a) a Nature in the City course led by Professors Novak and Cota; b) a sustainability themed course around the concept of ENERGY led by Professors Jones and Figueroa; c) the Chile – mountain and the sea study abroad course led by Prof. Marin.
That we have been able to successfully develop and implement such a diverse, challenging and exciting curriculum, in such a short time, bodes well for our future, as we continue to work hard to “build CSS together” and to provide our students with an educational experience that transforms the way they see and interact with the world.
