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- Maggie Siena, the future principal of the Peck Slip School, has been giving tours of the classroom space at Tweed Courthouse, where the school will open next fall to prospective parents and community members.
BY ALINE REYNOLDS | An insider’s tour of the classroom space in the Tweed Courthouse last week led to a few Downtown education activists believing the city Department of Education can do more with less.
The neo-classical, four-story landmark, formerly the New York County Courthouse and now serving as the D.O.E. headquarters, is largely crammed with administrative cubicles. Though three of its floors are dedicated to offices, space is so scarce that D.O.E. officials have resorted to conducting interviews of principals in stairwells, according to sources. Yet down a few sets of cast-iron stairs is a grand basement comprised of charming French doors, elegant marble floors and eight sprawling chambers. Six of the rooms have been configured as classrooms for public school students since the founding of City Hall Academy in 2003.
Last week, P.S. 150 Principal Maggie Siena, the future principal of the Peck Slip School, gave a small group of neighborhood residents a tour of the classrooms, currently occupied by Innovate Manhattan Charter School. Next school year, Peck Slip will inhabit the incubator space. As the co-founder of City Hall Academy, Siena helped design the classrooms, whose walls are lined with inspirational quotes that relate to different academic subjects.
“How bright, I love it!” exclaimed Paul Hovitz, chairperson of Community Board 1’s Youth and Education Committee, as he stepped into one of the large classrooms fitted with sleek chairs, bookshelves and student lockers.
“It’s beautiful. This is twice the size of the rooms at P.S. 234,” said P.S. 234 parent and Community Education Council District Two Member Demetri Ganiaris.
Next, the group was led into the government-themed room, whose linoleum flooring is meant to mimic a courtroom setting, according to Siena.
“It sparks the imagination of the truth,” commented Hovitz.
Hovitz and others from the group also mused about further maximizing the square footage. “This could be two [separate] rooms,” said Hovitz. “I could see a stand-alone pre-k school in any one of these.”
Siena replied that, while temporary partitions are a possibility, the D.O.E. is limited by city landmark regulations in how it can divide the space.
“You could have two classes in a room,” said Siena, “but it would be very noisy.”
Asked about the ground floor’s seventh room, where NYC Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott holds conferences, Siena said the D.O.E. had no plans to make the space available for students.
“The shortage of space upstairs is staggering. It’s very hard to have a private conference up there,” said Siena.
Last month, Siena hosted the same tour for two groups of prospective Peck Slip School families, which purportedly reassured them of the space. Siena said she is looking forward to taking the helm at the new elementary school – particularly at the Tweed site, which she is all too familiar with.
“It’s exciting to think about starting from scratch with just one grade,” said Siena.
One challenge, Siena noted, will be integrating the city’s Common Core standards in the Peck Slip School’s kindergarten curriculum while maintaining a play-based learning environment.
Peck Slip kindergarteners, Siena added, will have plenty of opportunities to be physically active. Apart from City Hall Park just outside Tweed’s Centre Street entrance, students will have ample space for physical activity in the large, corner classrooms.
The D.O.E. is currently searching for funding for ancillary teachers that could guide the students through activities such as dance and puppetry. But first, the D.O.E. must find teachers for the elementary school’s core staff.
“The highest priority is finding the most qualified people to work with the kids,” said Siena.
Asked about where the D.O.E. is in the hiring process, Siena said, “At this point, it’s too early in the game.”
The Peck Slip school, which has received 35 kindergarten applications during pre-registration thus far, is on track to fill all of its 50 available slots for next year, according to Siena.
