About ESA

At Essex Street Academy we prepare all of our students for success in college by treating them as individuals with specific strengths and needs, and appealing to their intellectual curiosity. We offer courses that challenge students to develop their own ideas and push them to learn by doing: designing and conducting experiments, developing a historical thesis, analyzing works of literature through a critical lens and developing mathematical solutions and proofs to problems. Small class sizes at ESA make a personalized approach to education possible, enabling teachers to develop an individual relationship with each student. At Essex Street Academy, our students are active, not passive, learners, and will graduate from our school confident in their ability to tackle any problem they encounter.

• College Bound Curriculum: We expect all of our students to apply to and go to college. 

  • Teachers design their own curriculum to prepare students for rigorous, performance-based graduation requirements. ESA is a member of the New York Performance Standards Consortium, and has a waiver from the Regents exams (except ELA) based on demonstration of excellence in this area.

  • Students must complete challenging graduation requirements in every subject, including panel presentations of original work.

  • Courses are designed around Essential Questions that emphasize skills and allow opportunities for authentic assessment of students’ abilities.

• Art electives including Music, Theater and Studio Art.

• College Bound Program: We expect all of our students to apply to and go to college. 

  • Individualized and family college counseling for ALL students.

  • SAT course taught in the school.

  • Overnight college trips.

  • Day trips to local colleges and universities.

  • Visits from college admissions officers.

  • Financial aid counseling.

  • Acceptances to the most competitive colleges and universities in the country.

• Opportunities for students to take college courses during the school year, and participate in summer programs at NYU, Parsons, Syracuse University, BMCC, and Baruch College.

• Additional support for students and families through:

  • 1:10 Adult to Student Ratio

  • Small Class Sizes (average 22 students)

  • Advisory System (average 13 Students)

  • A full-time social worker and 5 social work interns

• Morning Tutoring and After School Program 

  • Tutoring provided by teachers in every subject area, five days a week.

  • PSAL teams include: Basketball, Volleyball, Baseball, Tennis, Handball, Softball, Wrestling, and Badminton.

  • School Extracurriculars include: Mentoring Program, Global Kids Youth Leadership Program, Step Team, Yoga, Yearbook, Mock Trial, Community Service, Theatere, Town Meeting Squad, Running Club, Video Game Club, LGBTQ Group, Girls Group, Health Group, Cheerleading, Feminist Club, Young Voices/Big Sound, and Student Government.

• Partnerships with New York University, Outward Bound, Facing History and Ourselves, and Greenwich Village Youth Council enhance the curriculum and expand support capacity. 

• Family atmosphere in which each student is cared for as an individual.

Wallace Simpson, Principal                                                                                                 Nick Tapino, Assistant Principal 

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