GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

x

At Leon Goldstein High School of Sciences in Manhattan Beach, today’s professional development day is personal.

Perched on the water’s edge at the Kingsborough Community College campus, the school narrowly avoided serious flooding when Hurricane Sandy devastated the neighborhood last week.

When students returned on Monday, the school surveyed them about their families’ needs in the wake of the storm. Today, instead of hosting Election Day teacher training sessions, the school has been transformed into a disaster relief center, according to Kit Wainer, a teacher there.

“Teachers are making runs directly to the homes of students who filled out a questionnaire saying that they need food,” Wainer said.

In other parts of the city, parent associations are converting their usual Election Day bake sales into fundraisers for hurricane relief. And teachers are swapping planned professional development sessions for volunteer service.

(What’s happening today at your school? Let us know in the comments.) (more…)