Blue School

Last updated
Blue School
Address
Blue School
  • 241 Water Street (Water St Campus)
  • 156 William Street (William St Campus)

,
United States
Information
Type Independent, Progressive, Coeducational
Established2006
GradespK–8
Enrollmentapprox. 300
CampusUrban
Color(s)Blue
Website www.blueschool.org

Blue School was a progressive independent school located in New York City's Lower Manhattan.

Contents

The school offered early-childhood classes for children as young as two years old, as well as kindergarten and elementary school classes that extend through sixth grade as of the 2015–16 school year. Middle school classes began in the 2015–16 school year and continued through eighth grade since 2017. Blue School shut down at the conclusion of the 2022–2023 school year. [1]

Educational approach

Blue School developed an education model which combines elements of other approaches and unique elements of its own. It offers a "dynamically balanced education for seriously curious young people" age 2 through grade 8.

The school's advisory board included Lawrence Cohen, Ph.D., Sir Ken Robinson, Ph.D., and Dan Siegel, M.D.

Dr. Larry Cohen described it as "more about creativity than control". [2]

History

Blue School was first established as an informal parent-run playgroup by the founders of the Blue Man Group and their wives when their children approached pre-school age. [3]

In September 2007, the playgroup opened as "Blue Man Creativity Center". [4] In September 2018, over 300 students were enrolled in pre-primary, primary, and middle school programs for children ages 2 through 8th grade. [5] [6]

Facilities

The parent-run playgroup was initially located in a building housing Blue Man Group. As the playgroup grew into a formal education program, the school relocated to accommodate increasing numbers of faculty, staff, and students. In September 2008 the school opened a new space on Avenue B, and in September 2010 it relocated to a building on Astor Place previously owned by Cooper Union. In November 2010, Blue School announced that it was acquiring a permanent home and would relocate there in September 2011. [7]

The school's building at 241 Water Street, one block south of the Brooklyn Bridge and one block north of the Schermerhorn Row Block, was originally built in 1799 by Peter Schermerhorn to house a ships chandlery business. [8] The building was rebuilt and significantly enlarged in 1991 by James Polshek and Richard Olcott, [8] and served as the headquarters of the Seamen's Church Institute of New York and New Jersey until the Institute relocated to Newark in 2010. [9] The building's renovation included design services by David Rockwell of Rockwell Group, a member of the school's advisory board and designer of the nearby Imagination Playground. [10]

In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused extensive damage to the Seaport area, flooding the first floor of school with four to five feet of water and forcing it to close for a week while repairs were made and electrical power was restored. [11]

In March 2014, Blue School announced that it had secured the adjacent building at 233 Water Street to provide expansion space as it adds a middle school program. The new building was renovated with classrooms, science and arts spaces, and a rooftop garden and play space, and opened for the 2015–16 school year. [12]

In December 2016, Blue School acquired additional space nearby at 156 William Street, which opened in September 2018. It would later shut down after the school suffered from significant financial losses.

In media

The association with the Blue Man Group has brought the school some national media attention, including stories in Time , [13] on NBC's Today Show [14] and National Public Radio. [15] Local stories appeared in The Villager [16] and the New York Post. [17]

The school attracted some controversy after a front-page article about the school in The New York Times called attention to the school's tuition rates. Although the school's tuition is "right in the middle" of what other private schools in New York City charge, some readers outside of the city were shocked by the cost. [18]

Blue School's media visibility has also made it a target for attacks by conservative educators, who are critical of its focus on creativity and the elements it takes from the Reggio Emilia approach to education. [19] A June 2012 article in The New York Post criticized the school's approach and reported that parents removed their children from the school, claiming that the children weren't learning how to read. [20]

In April 2012, The New York Times published a feature on how Blue School integrates scientific research about child development in the classroom, writing that "the school has become a kind of national laboratory for integrating cognitive neuroscience and cutting-edge educational theory into curriculum, professional development and school design." [21] Blue School was also featured on a March 18, 2012 episode of CNN's The Next List. [22]

In March 2014, New York magazine published school vaccination rates that reflected incomplete reporting for the 2012–13 school year due to damage of student medical records in the flooding from Hurricane Sandy. [23]

In 2022, Blue School employees voted to unionize but were met with anti-union tactics by school leadership, who failed to recognize the legal union. [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battery Park City</span> Neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City

Battery Park City is a mainly residential 92-acre (37 ha) planned community and neighborhood on the west side of the southern tip of the island of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by the Hudson River on the west, the Hudson River shoreline on the north and south, and the West Side Highway on the east. The neighborhood is named for the Battery, formerly known as Battery Park, located directly to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Island City</span> Neighborhood of Queens in New York City

Long Island City (LIC) is a neighborhood within the New York City borough of Queens. It is bordered by Astoria to the north; the East River to the west; Sunnyside to the east; and Newtown Creek, which separates Queens from Greenpoint, Brooklyn, to the south. Its name refers to its location on the western tip of Long Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SoHo, Manhattan</span> Neighborhood in New York City

SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and has also been known for its variety of shops ranging from trendy upscale boutiques to national and international chain store locations. The area's history is an archetypal example of inner-city regeneration and gentrification, encompassing socioeconomic, cultural, political, and architectural developments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inwood, Manhattan</span> Neighborhood in New York City

Inwood is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, at the northern tip of Manhattan Island, in the U.S. state of New York. It is bounded by the Hudson River to the west, Spuyten Duyvil Creek and Marble Hill to the north, the Harlem River to the east, and Washington Heights to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chelsea, Manhattan</span> Neighborhood in New York City

Chelsea is a neighborhood on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The area's boundaries are roughly 14th Street to the south, the Hudson River and West Street to the west, and Sixth Avenue to the east, with its northern boundary variously described as near the upper 20s or 34th Street, the next major crosstown street to the north. To the northwest of Chelsea is the neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen, as well as Hudson Yards; to the northeast are the Garment District and the remainder of Midtown South; to the east are NoMad and the Flatiron District; to the southwest is the Meatpacking District; and to the south and southeast are the West Village and the remainder of Greenwich Village. Chelsea was named for an estate in the area, which in turn was named for the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper East Side</span> Neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City

The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, bounded approximately by 96th Street to the north, the East River to the east, 59th Street to the south, and Central Park and Fifth Avenue to the west. The area incorporates several smaller neighborhoods, including Lenox Hill, Carnegie Hill, and Yorkville. Once known as the Silk Stocking District, it has long been the most affluent neighborhood in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower East Side</span> Neighborhood in New York City

The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Historically, it was understood to encompass a much larger area, from Broadway to the East River and from East 14th Street to Fulton and Franklin Streets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Street Seaport</span> United States historic place

The South Street Seaport is a historic area in the New York City borough of Manhattan, centered where Fulton Street meets the East River, within the Financial District of Lower Manhattan. The Seaport is a designated historic district. It is part of Manhattan Community Board 1 in Lower Manhattan, and is next to the East River to the southeast and the Two Bridges neighborhood to the northeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Harlem</span> Neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City

East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem, Finnish Harlem or El Barrio, is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City, north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, Fifth Avenue to the west, and the East and Harlem Rivers to the east and north. Despite its name, it is generally not considered to be a part of Harlem proper, but it is one of the neighborhoods included in Greater Harlem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Park Slope</span> Neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City

Park Slope is a neighborhood in western Brooklyn, New York City, within the area once known as South Brooklyn. Park Slope is roughly bounded by Prospect Park and Prospect Park West to the east, Fourth Avenue to the west, Flatbush Avenue to the north, and Prospect Expressway to the south. Generally, the neighborhood is divided into three sections from north to south: North Slope, Center Slope, and South Slope. The neighborhood takes its name from its location on the western slope of neighboring Prospect Park. Fifth Avenue and Seventh Avenue are its primary commercial streets, while its east–west side streets are lined with brownstones and apartment buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kips Bay, Manhattan</span> Neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City

Kips Bay, or Kip's Bay, is a neighborhood on the east side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by 34th Street to the north, the East River to the east, 23rd Street to the south, and Third Avenue to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn</span> Neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City

Manhattan Beach is a residential neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the south and east, by Sheepshead Bay on the north, and Brighton Beach to the west. Traditionally known as an Italian and Ashkenazi Jewish neighborhood, it is also home to a sizable community of Sephardi Jews and a large Russian Jewish immigrant presence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Brooklyn</span> Central business district in New York City

Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City, and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is known for its office and residential buildings, such as the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower and the MetroTech Center office complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gramercy Park</span> Neighborhood and park in New York City

Gramercy Park is the name of both a small, fenced-in private park, and the surrounding neighborhood, in Manhattan in New York City.

Chris Wink is an American theater performer and director. He is one of the founding members of the Blue Man Group, as well as co-founder of Blue School. He has won numerous awards as a writer and performer, including a Grammy nomination, and is a frequent guest speaker on the topic of creativity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York City Department of Education</span> New York City government agency

The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) is the department of the government of New York City that manages the city's public school system. The City School District of the City of New York is the largest school system in the United States, with over 1.1 million students taught in more than 1,800 separate schools. The department covers all five boroughs of New York City, and has an annual budget of around $38 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamilton Heights, Manhattan</span> Neighborhood in New York City

Hamilton Heights is a neighborhood in the northern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is the northernmost part of the West Harlem area, along with Manhattanville and Morningside Heights to its south, and it contains the sub-neighborhood and historic district of Sugar Hill. Washington Heights lies to Hamilton Heights' north, and to its east is Central Harlem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julie Menin</span> American lawyer and businesswoman

Julie Menin is a member of the New York City Council from District 5. Before she was elected to this position, she served as an American attorney, civil servant, non-profit executive, professor and small business owner. In January 2019, she was appointed Director of the Census for NYC and Executive Assistant Corporation Counsel for Strategic Advocacy. Previously, she had worked as the Commissioner of the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment and Commissioner of New York City's Department of Consumer Affairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High School of Graphic Communication Arts</span> Public school in New York City

The High School of Graphic Communication Arts (H.S.G.C.A.) is a vocational high school located in the Hell's Kitchen section of Manhattan in New York City. Founded in 1925 as the New York School of Printing, the school is divided into five academies that offer basic instruction in several fields including printing, photography, journalism, visual arts, and law enforcement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyma Zarghami</span> American television executive

Cyma Zarghami is an Iranian-born American film studio and former cable television executive who served as the president of Nickelodeon and Viacom Media Networks' Kids & Family Group from 2006 to 2018. She is the founder and CEO of MiMo Studios.

References

  1. "New Page — Blue School - Independent Private School in Manhattan | Joyful Exploration And Innovative Learning". Blue School - Independent Private School in Manhattan. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
  2. James Croft, "Variations on a Blue School", May 2, 2008, accessed November 8, 2010.
  3. Larry Dobrow, "The ABCs of F-U-N" Archived December 19, 2010, at the Wayback Machine , American Way Magazine, November 1, 2009, accessed November 4, 2010.
  4. Adam Green, "Cool for School", The New Yorker , September 24, 2007, accessed November 4, 2010.
  5. Spivack, Caroline. "The Blue School Doubles Capacity With New Building Expansion", Patch , September 14, 2018. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  6. Edelson, Zachary. "At Rockwell Group’s New Blue School, “the Space Is Almost the Third Teacher", Metropolis , September 25, 2018. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  7. Miriam Kreinin Souccar, "A home for Blue School", Crain's New York Business , November 07, 2010, accessed November 8, 2010.
  8. 1 2 "CB Richard Ellis Named Exclusive Agent For Historic Office Building At 241 Water Street In Manhattan", NY Inc, October 20, 2010, accessed November 8, 2010.
  9. Miriam Kreinin Souccar, "Seamen’s Institute to Sell Its Building and Leave Manhattan", The New York Times, October 5, 2010, accessed November 8, 2010.
  10. Robin Pogrebin, "Rockwell Group to Design Blue School Interiors", The New York Times, March 18, 2011, accessed August 3, 2011.
  11. Marc Siegel, "A healthy response to Superstorm Sandy", USA Today, November 9, 2012, accessed October 1, 2014.
  12. "Blue School Announces Expansion to Middle School, Deepens Commitment to Downtown NYC", PRWeb, March 27, 2014 , accessed October 15, 2014 .
  13. Belinda Luscombe, "At the Blue Man Group's School, Kids Rule", Time , November 23, 2008, accessed November 4, 2010.
  14. Tiki Barber, , NBC Today Show, January 23, 2009, accessed November 4, 2010.
  15. Margot Adler, "Blue Man Group Creates High-Tech NYC Preschool", All Things Considered, January 1, 2009, accessed November 4, 2010.
  16. Melissa Korn, "Making a splash, Blue Man Group goes to school" Archived 2011-05-17 at the Wayback Machine , The Villager, August 29, 2007, accessed November 8, 2010.
  17. Yoav Gonen, "Blue Man School - Kids Learn 'Creative Mischief' for 27G", New York Post, November 14, 2008, cached image Archived July 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine , accessed November 4, 2010.
  18. Jenny Anderson, "Inventive New Private School Hits Old Hurdles", The New York Times, March 31, 2010, accessed November 4, 2010.
  19. Ashley Thorne, "Blue Blastoff" Archived 2011-01-02 at the Wayback Machine , National Association of Scholars, November 10, 2009, accessed November 4, 2010.
  20. Palmeri, Tara. A blue man ‘dupe’: Parent panic at 32G ‘progressive’ school. New York Post. 13 June 2012.
  21. "Making Education Brain Science", The New York Times , April 15, 2012.
  22. "Coming up on 'The Next List': Blue School" Archived 2012-03-21 at the Wayback Machine , CNN "What's Next", March 14, 2012, accessed March 19, 2012.
  23. Clint Rainey, "Immune to Logic: Some New York City Private Schools Have Dismal Vaccination Rates", New York , March 30, 2010, accessed October 1, 2014.
  24. "Teachers and Staff Strike At NYC Blue Man Group-Founded School". New York City Central Labor Council. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2023.

40°42′28″N74°00′09″W / 40.70791°N 74.002567°W / 40.70791; -74.002567