Dr Susan S McKinney Secondary School of the Arts

The curriculum is by no means "dumbed down" for the students. The teachers that work at this school are some of the hardest working professionals out there. They put in extra time with my nephew. The administration is extremely difficult to deal with from a parent/family standpoint as well as what one can see from an employee standpoint. The principal speaks to people of what she may consider less importance in a degrading matter. As someone mentioned in prior posts, the administration may portray that they have the best intentions of the students at all costs however all they care about is how things look, adorning the walls with "pretty" things misconstruing the true matters at hand. Many of the students here feel that they have to "be bad" to fit in. My nephew was bullied on a daily basis but he is a quiet child so he tried not to complain much. This school is not conducive to an active learning environment. For anything beneficial to ever change at this school administration needs to change, there needs to be more parental involvement, and the high school and junior high school need to be separated.

As a former teacher at this school , I must agree with the recent statements. If your child is sent to McKinney, please, please get a transfer the same day! Run don't walk! I've seen many potential scholars not flourish due to the politics of the principal, assistant principal and union. Teachers never stay at this school longer than 3 years and others would rather retire than work for the principal. She is arrogant and a crook. Academics and values are not of importance, just test scores. The school and area are unsafe and the adminstration tries to run the school with a iron fist.
—Submitted by a teacher

i use to attend this school as a child. i must say this is one of the worse decisions my parents have ever made for me. the students are extremely bad and the teachers have a lack of decipline alike. there's very little taught because the students dont care to learn. there is a lot of gang activity and is a very unsafe unfun enironment for your children to learn in. It is situated between two projects. This school should have been shut down a long time and still needs to be shut down today.

This is one of the worse school in Brooklyn. The Principal and Asst. Principal don't work well with the parents or students. They shouldn't have JHS students with HS students.
—Submitted by a parent

i am a freshman this school is okay
—Submitted by a student

I have been dealing with this school for well over 10 years. As a parent to the 1st graduating HS class '2004' I have nothing but praise and respect for the principal,teachers, and staff! They really give 110%!
—Submitted by MS.C.J, a parent

Academics are valued; but bright students often feel they need to 'dumb down' to avoid conflicts such as teasing or fighting with students who don't value or emphasize academics...Good music and art programs available and also high school is integrated with good music and art programs that continue from middle school level...Parents could be more involved. Principal and authority figures are sometimes burnt out and resort to policies 'off the cuff' without have previously established polices to parents or students
—Submitted by a parent

While the school has good intentions and teachers that do care, it's hard to get around the fact that if your child is a top performer, he/she may want to 'dumb down' to avoid being the target of ridicule or even a target for senseless fighting. If your child is performing below standards, and needs an academic environment that addresses improvement, it can be found here, but for students that perform at the top of the pack,this school can be a sobering experience. Disciplinary policies are often formed 'off the cuff' as the occasion calls for it, instead of being an understood, printed, circulated standard that all are expected to maintain. That's only because many unexpected and disruptive events happen because of many of the students lack of drive or ambition. Bottom line: there are worse schools in brooklyn, but there are certainly better. Start your JHS selection process early!!
—Submitted by karen arnold, a parent