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Legacy students sat on the panel to present anecdotal and data-driven reasons why Legacy should remain open

By the time Wednesday’s closure hearing began, students at Manhattan’s Legacy School for Integrated Studies had already said everything they could to support their school. For weeks, they had been making a case for their school, on the Today Show and WPIX, NY1 and YouTube and Facebook and Twitter.

And yet, revved up from a multi-school rally in Union Square, they said it all again.

In the school’s packed cafeteria, students said once again that their new principal, Joan Mosely, and the many new teachers hadn’t had time to turn the school around. Last year’s poor academic performance, they said, reflected stricter standards and higher expectations. They even made a formal presentation about the school’s performance and demographics.

Their arguments were seconded by teachers, parents and representatives of several elected officials, including City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, both candidates for mayor.

But Marc Sternberg, a Department of Education deputy chancellor, said the city did not want to wait for improvement that might never arrive.

“The question ultimately is, how patient can we be?” Sternberg said. “Our inclination is to act on behalf of our future students quickly.”

Students and teachers said the closure proposal had in some ways dampened the mood at the school. But they pointed to a silver lining: that the sustained protest against the city’s plan had given them purpose, public speaking skills, and an esprit de corps. (more…)