Two New York City Public Schools in the Same Building. One Failing. One Succeeding. What’s the difference?

On 114th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues in the northern section of Manhattan, you would find a New York City Public School in the famed brownstone neighborhood of Harlem.

It’s called the Wadleigh Secondary School.

In the same building, two floors above, you will find the Success Academy Harlem West; also a public school, charter, but public.

And it’s a beautiful building with it’s Gothic inspired frame on top.

My guest is a math teacher at that charter school.

Nicholas Simmons, welcome.

“This past year at the city public school downstairs, grades six through eight, zero percent of the students met state standards in Math or English. In Harlem West, your school 96% were proficient in math. 75% in Reading and Writing…”