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President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) in Brooklyn on Friday, months after he praised the school in his State of the Union address.
“Now at schools like P-TECH in Brooklyn, a collaboration between New York public schools and City University of New York and IBM, students will graduate with a high school diploma and an associate’s degree in computers or engineering,” Obama said in February.
P-TECH, which opened in Crown Heights in 2011, offers a six-year program that integrates college courses and equips students with skills for entry-level jobs.
“We’ve started a national trend with our 9-14 schools, and it all started with P-TECH. Our schools and teachers throughout the city do exceptional work in preparing students today for college and careers tomorrow,” said Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott in a statement on Monday.
“I am excited to have President Obama visit this outstanding school and see the innovation, dedicated teaching, and quality learning that goes on across the New York City school system,” he said.
The school draws students from all five boroughs but gives priority to those who live in Brooklyn. There is no admissions test and students do not go through academic screening before entering.
“Over the last decade we have transformed the landscape of public education in New York City by creating hundreds of top-quality schools that offer innovative new ways to prepare students for college and careers,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “We’re honored that President Obama has hailed P-TECH as a national model, and I look forward to joining him when he visits P-TECH on Friday.”
