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Bronx Middle School Out PACEs the Rest

By HEATHER HADDON

When the PACE Academy began 22 years ago, many District 10 elementary schools balked at the idea of sending their most talented kids to East 179th Street in Crotona. Today, the middle school's population has grown five times over and expanded from one wing in MS 118 to the entire third floor.

"Honestly, we're quite good at what we do," said Allan Kurtz, the academy's director and one of its original founders. "We take superb teachers and pair them with superb students. It's no secret formula."

The school has done wonders with developing students who go on to some of the best city high schools and national colleges. Currently home to 365 students in grades six through eight -- many of whom come from the Norwood area -- the school offers a disciplined academic program in a supportive environment.

"We work them [the students] as hard as we can," said Kurtz, a Bronx native. "But there is always someone here for them to talk to."

  While the school does achieve impressive results, it starts by selecting some of the brightest local kids. Applicants must achieve a high Level 3, or 4, on their fourth grade state exams. PACE also looks for positive teacher recommendations, good behavior and attendance, and solid academic performance. A short application must be filled out by April.

Kurtz encourages interested parents to call and set up a visit to the school, preferably with their child. "I'm always happy to show them around," he said.

PACE welcomes its new students eagerly, beginning with a Saturday open house in late April. "It's a frightening thing for an 11-year-old to get to middle school," Kurtz said. "The orientation is so they don't have to worry about getting lost."

Teachers do everything they can to prevent their students from getting lost in the shuffle -- a challenge with classroom sizes averaging around 30. Students generally sit in clusters, and grades are grouped into teams. The students' own behavioral aptitude also keeps things orderly, according to Kurtz.

Parents appreciate the disciplined environment. "My whole big thing is safety -- and the safety at PACE is great," said Sharon Ramphir, a Norwood parent (and PS 280's parent coordinator), who sends her 10-year-old to PACE. "I don't have to worry about her." 

PACE parents also don't worry about the daunting high school application process. A full-time staff person meets with each child individually when they are looking at schools, and many PACE students receive scholarships to private high schools. 

"It's a very important part of what we do," Kurtz said. "Our counselor knows more about high school than almost anyone in the city."

PACE offers other special programs. Their chess team is nationally ranked, and a photo of team members with Hillary and Bill Clinton hangs in Kurtz' office. Seventh graders attend an environmental awareness program in Massachusetts, where they learn about subjects like wilderness skills and organic gardening.

But traditional academics are at the heart of the school. Even the computer class is focused on developing transferable skills, not computer programmers. While kids are usually quite comfortable with on-line games, "we train them to use computers for schoolwork," said Sharoly Gonzalez, the school's fulltime technology teacher. Lessons range from the simple (double spacing) to more complex research assignments. "They really know it [word processing] by the time they get to high school," she said.

PACE's teachers have no shortage of job options (one graduated from Harvard, another from Columbia), but come to the school because they want to. "I love the kids," said Gonzalez, a Bedford Park resident. "I really believe in the program."

"History is my passion, and I love sharing that passion," said Kurtz, who left teaching for administration this year. "All teachers here feel that way."

Students seem to notice that dedication in their teachers. "The teachers are great here," said Deborah Colon, 12. "They are better than the ones in elementary school."

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