Brooklyn Principal Remembered for Transforming High School

Legendary former principal Frank Mickens died in his sleep yesterday. The 63-year-old Mickens was famous for turning around Bed-Stuy's Boys and Girls High School, described in the News as "a national symbol of an oversized, out-of-control inner-city high school" when Mickens began his twenty year reign in 1984. Mickens was often controversial for policies like instituting school uniforms and issuing long suspensions. A Brooklyn blog calls him "a no-nonsense disciplinarian..he patrolled the halls with a walkie talkie, often with a bullhorn." NY1 talks to a former student who said, "I honestly haven't met anyone who can hold a candle to him...4,000 students in there, and he knew each and every one of us." A Facebook memorial group already has over 250 members and includes the comment from his granddaughter: "If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, I would walk right up to heaven and bring (you) back." Memorial services will be held for Mickens next Friday and Saturday in Bed-Stuy.

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By Billy Parker in News on July 11, 2009 2:30 PM

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fivefootmohawk

I worked for a company that proctored practice SAT tests here in the city. Boys and Girls high school was by far THE WORST school at which I proctored. Half of the kids came 30 minutes to a hour late. When they did show up they were out of control. It was like they were TRYING to perpetuate negative stereotypes.

The worst part was that unlike La Guardia High School and Brooklyn tech, these kids were enrolled in this program FREE sponsored by the school. So not only were they getting 6 weeks worth of expensive SAT preparation for free paid for by myself and the rest of us tax paying new yorkers, they weren't even using it to benefit themselves.

Even the "smart kids" who were recommended to the program talked the entire time and never took it seriously.

I give kudos to any student of the Boys & Girls school who got out alive and actually made something of themselves. If this is what the school is like in it's heyday then I don't even want to know what it was like prior to 1984.