Type Public school Principal Allen Barge Enrollment 4,000+ Phone +1 718-258-9283 Founded 1974 | Established 1974 Grades 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th Website www.ermurrowhs.org Color Green and white Number of students 4,000 | |
Address 1600 Avenue L, Brooklyn, NY 11230, USA District New York City Public Schools Similar James Madison High Sch, Midwood High School, New Utrecht High Sch, John Dewey High Sch, Franklin D Roosevelt High Sch Profiles | ||
Edward R. Murrow High School, is located in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, New York City, New York and is part of the New York City Department of Education. The school is known for its theater program. Its success in the arts was recognized by Mel Brooks, who granted the school to be the first ever to gain rights to the musical The Producers in spring 2008. It is a school of the arts where students are either music, dance, communication arts, theater, or art majors. The school was created under the supervision and leadership of Saul Bruckner, who was also the first principal of the school.
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Murrow H.S. opened in 1974 with Saul Bruckner as principal. The school was named for the pioneering television newsman Edward R. Murrow. Murrow H.S. was founded according to the pedagogical theories of John Dewey and the learning and teaching methods of John Dewey High School. Bruckner retired in 2004 and died on May 1, 2010, in Brooklyn, New York. Anthony Lodico became Murrow's second principal. In March 2012, Lodico announced his resignation from Murrow in order to accept the High School Superintendent position. On April 2, 2012, Allen Barge assumed the role of principal of the school.
Academics
Murrow's academic year is divided into two semesters. Students receive new class schedules and teachers at the end of January. The daily schedule shifts depending on the day of the week, with class lengths varying from 45 minutes to an hour, and each class meets only four times a week. Rather than having a lunch period or study halls, Murrow students have free periods called "OPTA's" (Optional Time Activities), used for studying, eating, or relaxing.
Murrow has a number of unique features including:
Edward R. Murrow High School is also known for its outstanding theater program. Their success in the arts was recognized by Mel Brooks, who granted the school to be the first ever to gain rights to the smash hit musical "The Producers" in Spring 2008.
The Edward R. Murrow chess team has won seven national championships, fifteen state titles and sixteen city championships. The Edward R. Murrow HS chess team's success has been chronicled in "THE KINGS OF NEW YORK: A Year Among the Geeks, Oddballs, and Geniuses Who Make Up America's Top High School Chess Team", by sportswriter Michael Weinreb. "The Kings of New York" follows the 2005 championship-winning season of the Murrow Team. It was reviewed in the March 4, 2007 NY Times Book Review. The team was personally congratulated by President Bush in the Oval Office on December 15, 2004. A movie, based on "The Kings of New York" will begin production sometime in 2014.
Student demographics
There are 4,000+ students in the school as of the 2015-2016 school year. The ethnic breakdown of the school is 28% White (non-Hispanic), 23% Black or African American, 26% Asian, 21% Hispanic or Latino and 0.2% Native American. The student/teacher ratio is 30/1. The Department of Education has released the annual Progress Reports for all high schools and Murrow.