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QUEENS WEEKLY, DEC. 30, 2018
School safety a big topic in Queens
Far Rock native hopes to bring charter school to neighborhood; local college earns high praise
ASTORIA TIMES ■ BAYSIDE TIMES
FLUSHING TIMES ■ FOREST HILLS LEDGER
FRESH MEADOWS TIMES
JACKSON HEIGHTS TIMES ■ JAMAICA TIMES
LAURELTON TIMES ■ LITTLE NECK LEDGER
QUEENS VILLAGE TIMES ■ RIDGEWOOD LEDGER
WHITESTONE TIMES
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BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
As 2018 comes to an
end, there were a number
of school openings and
closings in Queens, as
well as elected officials
advocating for changes in
the education sector.
Here are the top three
education stories that
made the headlines this
year:
Queens College named
among best colleges
At the forefront for
best of 2018 in Education,
Queens College was
named one of the nation’s
best colleges by the U.S.
News and World Report’s
2019 Best Colleges edition.
Queens College – located
at 65-30 Kissena Blvd
in Flushing – ranked 14th
out of the 47 schools on a
list that featured several
City University of New
York institutions.
The 81-year-old public
college has more than 100
majors and career-building
programs in the arts,
humanities, education,
mathematics, natural sciences
and social sciences,
according to U.S. News.
Queens College provides
affordable tuition
rates, more than 100 clubs
and inexpensive day care
services for students with
children and a weekend
college.
In 2017, approximately
400 Queens College students
were eligible for
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s
Excelsior Scholarship,
which provides free public
college tuition for instate
students whose families
earn below $100,000.
In 2014, the school
was also featured in the
Washington Monthly, a
bimonthly nonprofit magazine,
which ranked it
second out of 386 schools
for its “Best-Bang-For-
The-Buck college after
analyzing 1,540 universities.
Queens College has
also been featured in
U.S. News & World Report’s
lists for Best Value
Schools, Best Undergraduate
Teaching program,
Best Colleges for Veterans,
and best Regional
Universities North.
Far Rockaway native
plans to open
charter school in 2019
As schools in Far Rockaway
were set to close
their doors, one local
resident was determined
to open a charter high
school in fall 2019.
Regina Glover had announced
her plans for
Legacy Academy on New
Year’s Eve with the hopes
of revitalizing urban education
in the Far Rockaway
area with a comprehensive
program.
Grover’s Legacy Academy
will include classes
in geometry, U.S. history,
physics, and English to
prepare students for careers
in carpentry, lobbying,
mechanical engineering
and investigative
journalism.
“Education is so much
more than math and reading,”
Johnson said. “Local
issues, culture, artistic
expression, and experiences
are elements that
must be incorporated into
student’s academic plan.”
Bayside elected officials
propose locking
school doors
After the devastating
Parkland, Fla. shooting
that claimed the lives of 17
students at Stoneman Douglas
High School in February,
two Bayside elected
officials were proposing
locking school doors.
City Councilman Paul
Vallone (D-Bayside) and
State Assemblyman Edward
Braunstein (D-Bayside)
said the city Department
of Education policy
keeping front doors unlocked
is a safety issue.
The lawmakers had
said the DOE’s open door
policy allows an individual
to enter the building
before a determination
can be made if they represent
a danger or not.
Braunstein said granting
public school principals
the authority to
confirm whether or not
an individual represents
a threat before allowing
them into the school could
prevent a dangerous incident
from taking place.
Vallone had cited an incident
where a suspicious
man had entered PS 184 in
Whitestone multiple times
and was escorted by security,
calling it “Exhibit A”
for why the DOE should
rethink its policy.
Vallone said the request
is just the first step
in a series of changes that
must be made.
“This must remain a top
priority from here on out as
we lead the charge for safety
in our schools,” said Vallone.
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by e-mail
at cmohamed@cnglocal.
com or by phone at (718)
260–4526.
Regina Glover-Johnson is creating her own charter school in her hometown of Far Rockaway.
Twitter
Queens College was named one of the top public
schools throughout the United States.
Courtesy of Queens College
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