GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

Francis Lewis High School

The principal of the city’s second-largest high school is hoping a community-building event he is throwing tomorrow will set a trend for his colleagues across the city.

Francis Lewis High School Principal Musa Ali Shama has organized a “networking fair” for the Queens high school tomorrow that will convene education providers, city agencies, and private vendors to offer resources for families at the school. Shama recruited local elected officials, community organizations, and Queens’ brand-new branch of the Fairway supermarket to support the event.

One goal, Shama told me, is to provide resources for Francis Lewis families, who include immigrants from 60 countries, to help their children succeed in school. That goal fits perfectly into the city’s priorities: Chancellor Dennis Walcott has said that the city wants to see more parent engagement aimed at boosting academic performance.

“If I want my parents to be more engaged I have to build the tools,” Shama told me last month when he described early plans for the networking fair.

But a second goal, to establish Francis Lewis as a community hub for its section of Queens, is a bit more of a stretch for most high school principals to attain. (more…)