Franklin K. Lane High School

Infobox Secondary school
name = Franklin K. Lane High School
logo =
city = Brooklyn
state = New York
country = USA
colors =
district = New York City Department of Education
mascot =
grades = 9-12
established = 1930s
type = Public high school
enrollment = 3536
motto =
principal = Evan Ahern
yearbook =
newspaper =
website = http://schools.nyc.gov/OurSchools/Region5/K420/default.htm/
address = 999 Jamaica Avenue
campus = urban

Franklin K. Lane High School (FKLHS) is a Public high school in New York City, United States. The school is administered by the New York City Department of Education as H.S. 420.

Location

The campus is located in Brooklyn near the top of a fairly steep hill at the corner of Dexter Court and Jamaica Avenue. The school is named for Franklin K. Lane, United States Secretary of the Interior during the administration of President Woodrow Wilson.Fact|date=June 2007

The county line separating Kings (Brooklyn) and Queens counties divides the school in half, running along Eldert Lane from Atlantic Avenue, through the school and the cemetery behind it.

Information

The high school is named for the Canadian-American politician, Franklin K. Lane. He served as Secretary of the Interior (1913-1920) during the administration of President Woodrow Wilson. One of the accomplishments of his tenure include the formation of the National Park Service.Fact|date=June 2007

At the time Franklin K. Lane High School was built, it was one of the largest high school buildings in the world. Each of the four floors is one-quarter mile; walking four times around one floor equals one mile.

The school building was a project of the WPA during the Roosevelt Administration.

The boys' large gymnasium is named for 1938 alumnus William "Red" Holzman. The library is named for Sam Levenson, another alumnus, Class of 1930.

During the 1970s, Franklin K. Lane High School fell on hard times. In 1974 Judge John Dooling of the Federal Court's Southern District of New York ruled that education at the school was inferior and ruled that the school was to be redistricted and redesigned. The "new" Franklin K. Lane opened in September 1976 with a 50% white, 50% minority population. The school, under the leadership of a new principal, Kenneth J. Tewel, thrived and became known as "the miracle on Jamaica Avenue". In 1978, Franklin K. Lane High School was one of ten schools across the nation cited by the United States Congress in the Safe School Study. The school was included in many case studies produced by the United States Government as well as private foundations, for its turnaround and for its safety in the midst of urban decline and deterioration.

Five students from Franklin K. Lane were killed in a fire at the Haunted Castle at Six Flags Great Adventure on May 11, 1984. They were:
*José Carrión Jr., 17 years old
*Christopher Harrison, 18 years old
*Eric Rodriguez, 18 years old
*Lenny Ruiz, 17 years old
*Samuel Valentín Jr., 17 years old

For a number of years the school thrived. In the 1970s and 1980s numerous programs were available to assist and enhance students' academic performance: College Bound Program, Career Development Program (CDP), Co-Op Program, Study to Employment Program, (STEP), and Toward Upward Mobility Program (TUM). During the 1990s, the school's magnet Law Studies Program attracted some of the brightest students in New York City, many of whom went on to attend prestigious universities, such as Columbia, Cornell, NYU, and Syracuse. Lane's Honors Program alumni also fared well.

Demographics

Notable Alumni

*Thomas J. Churchill - Filmaker/Producer/Director
*John Gotti - Mafia Boss (Dropped out at age 16)
*José Greco - Dancer/choreographer
*William "Red" Holzman - NBA Basketball Player and Coach. [Berkow, Ira. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04E7DB1031F936A25752C1A96E958260 "Red Holzman, Hall of Fame Coach, Dies at 78"] , "The New York Times", November 15, 1998. Accessed September 15, 2008.]
*Earle Hyman - Actor
*Anne Jackson - Actress
*Alfred Kazin - Writer
*Sam Levenson - Writer/television host/journalist
*Frank Reina - The Capris doo-wop group
* Dan Schneider - poet and critic
*Adrienne Sealy - Writer
*Peter Senerchia - Professional Wrestler known as TAZZ
*Franklin Thomas - former President and CEO of the Ford Foundation
*DiDi Roper - Spinderella of the group Salt & Pepa

References

ources

* [http://www.insideschools.org/fs/school_profile.php?id=1065 www.insideschools.org]

External links

* [http://schools.nyc.gov/OurSchools/Region5/K420/default.htm NYC Dept. of Education page on Franklin K. Lane]
* [http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/repcrd2004/schools/331900011420.shtml/ School Report Card for 2003-2004, New York State Education Department]
* [http://www.nycboe.net/daa/SchoolReports/06asr/319420.PDF/ New York City Public Schools 2005-2006 Report Supplement]
* [http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/ny/1963 School Information from Great Schools]
* [http://www.ratemyteachers.com/schools/new_york/brooklyn/franklin_k._lane_high_school School Staff ratings]
* [http://maps.google.com/?t=h&ie=UTF8&ll=40.692805,-73.868909&spn=0.004987,0.009978&om=1 Google Maps Hybrid Image]