There are 17 schools that the Department of Education has listed as under-performing, and more are expected to be added to the list Tuesday.
Presently, there are four schools on the list in Manhattan. There are also five in the Bronx, six in Brooklyn and two in Queens.
Two are set to close this summer, while the 15 others are expected to be slowly phased out. The plan is to reopen all of them as smaller schools.
Deputy School's Chancellor Marc Sternberg released a statement saying, "We expect success. After a rigorous review of academic performance, we're proposing to phase out a select number of low-performing schools."
Officials looked at standardized test scores, graduation rates and other factors in coming up with the list, which includes large and well-known schools such as Sheepshead Bay High School, Choir Academy of Harlem and Lehman High School.
Many are now coming to the defense of these schools. City Councilman James Vacca says Lehman just had a series of changes implemented by the Department of Education last year, including a new principal, and he feels they have barely been given the chance to improve.
The United Federation of Teachers points the finger at Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
"He absolutely has himself to blame for the failure of these schools," union president Michael Mulgrew said. "When he retooled the Department of Education of New York City so that it would no longer supply support for schools and only hold them accountable, this was his design."
FULL LIST OF CLOSING SCHOOLS
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