New World School of the Arts

New World School of the Arts
Established	August 1987
Type	Public Magnet
Students	489
Grades	9–12
Location	Downtown, Miami, Florida, USA
District	Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Campus	Urban
Colors	Cyan, magenta and yellow
Mascot	Fightin' Pigeon
School hours	7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Average class size	19
Website	New World School of the Arts

New World School of the Arts (NWSA) is a public magnet high school and college in Downtown Miami, Florida with dual-enrollment programs in visual arts, dance, theatre, musical theatre, instrumental music, and vocal music. Both the college and the high school are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. New World is consistently in the top 100 best high schools as rated by US News & World Report. In 2009, NWSA was 82nd in this ranking.^[1]

Students are accepted into the high school program through auditions or art portfolio reviews. High School students are taught by teachers employed by the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) system for their basic core curriculum, as well as many of the same adjunct professors for their arts programs as in the conservatory program. Students graduate with a high school diploma, as well with 30 dual enrollment arts credits awarded from Miami Dade College. The governing bodies of the high school are MDCPS, MDC and UF.

The college awards an Associate of Arts degree from MDC, and Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Music degrees from the University of Florida (UF). UF and MDC are the governing bodies of the college.

The school's main building is located at 25 NE 2nd Street, Miami, and holds other classes on the Miami Dade College (MDC) Wolfson Campus.

History

The New World School of the Arts is the successor school to the north and south campuses of the Performing and Visual Arts Center (PAVAC). PAVAC pioneered the model in Miami Dade county of dual enrollment programs for talented high school students in the Visual and Performing Arts by combining an academic program at a Miami-Dade high school with art classes at either the north or south campuses of MDCC.^[2]

The PAVAC program was begun by Marcy Sarmiento around 1975 as a magnet program at Miami Northwestern High School. At that time, the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, then known as Dade Public Schools, pursued a strategy of creating specialized programs in predominately black schools in order to achieve racial balance through voluntary busing of non-black students.^[3]

Kendell Bently-Baker, inspired by the academic success of that program, and attempting to take greater advantage of the facilities and faculty of Miami Dade College (MDC), then known as Miami Dade Community College, proposed the creation of a dual-enrollment school of the arts: morning academics were to be at the student's home high school; in the afternoon students were to be bussed to one of the two MDCC campuses for classes in art or the performing arts.^[4] On high school graduation, the student received a diploma from the home high school and college credits for the art classes, awarded through MDC.

In the summer of 1982 county auditions were held for 10th through 12th graders, and in the fall of 1982 two dual enrollment PAVAC's opened, one at the North Campus of MDCC, "PAVAC North", headed by Kendell Bently-Baker, the other at the South Campus of MDCC (now called the Kendall Campus), "PAVAC South", headed by Richard Janaro and Margaret Pelton. Marcy Samiento continuing as DCPS coordinator.^[5]

Since the founding class admitted high school seniors, the first PAVAC dual-enrollment graduates were in 1983. The Miami Northwestern High School program continued as before the creation of PAVAC,^[6] and is currently among the PVA (Performing and Visual Arts) Magnet programs in the Miami-Dade County School system.

In 1984, Marcy Sarmiento, Kandell Bentley-Baker and Richard Janaro were asked to plan a successor school to PAVAC. They studied other arts schools in the country, visiting LaGuardia High School, Juilliard and the North Carolina School of the Arts.^[7] A bill creating the "South Florida School of the Arts" passed the Florida House of Representatives on May 30, 1984.^[8] Soon afterwards, the New World name was chosen as part of larger plans for urban and cultural development which included the eponymous New World Symphony Orchestra, and the avoid confusion with the Florida School of the Arts. The Florida Legislature enacted the "New World School of the Arts Act" in 1986.^[9]

The NWSA opened its doors in the fall of 1987. The continuing students at PAVAC's North and South transitioned into NWSA, as did many of PAVAC's faculty. NWSA issued its first high school diploma in 1988 to the former PAVAC students. NWSA enrolled its first freshman college students in 1988. In order to award a BFA, partnered with Florida International University (FIU). On January 12, 1994 University of Florida replaced FIU in this partnership. ^{[10] [11]} The first graduating class of the college was in 1992. ^[12]

Later the high school expanded to include 9th grade.

Administration

Current Administration
Provost:	Jeffrey Hodgson
Principal:	Lisa S. Noffo
Deans
Dance:	Daniel Lewis
Music:	Jim Gasior
Theater:	Patrice Bailey
Visual Arts:	Maggy Questa

The combined administration of the High School and College consists of a Provost, under which are four Deans and a Principal. The Principal oversees the High School and high school academics, and Deans oversee each of the four strands, Dance, Music, Theater and Visual arts for both the High School and the College. There is an Executive Board of Directors for the school, as well as a Foundation Board to direct the NWSA Foundation.

Provost

Richard A. Klein was hired away from being the principal of the LaGuardia High School to be the founding Provost of NWSA. In April 1994 the executive board reduced Richard Klein's contract to one year and began looking for a replacement.^[13] D. Hansen became interim provost for the 1995-96 school year, replaced by Bennett Lentczner who served until 1999. Several provosts have served since then. Since the 2009 school year Jeffrey Hodgson has been provost.

Principal

Alan Weiss was the founding Principal. Since then Principals have been: Mandy Offerle, 1989–1993; Ellery Brown, 1993 until retirement in 2007; Dr. Frederic Conde, 2007–2010; Lisa S. Noffo, 2010–present.

Dean of Dance

Daniel Lewis was the founding Dean of Dance of NWSA. Daniel Lewis retired for the 2011 school year. Susie Garcia was the best student graduated of dancer.

Dean of Music

John de Lancie was the director of Philadelphia's famed Curtis Institute of Music before becoming the founding Dean at New World. He submitted his resignation in December 1991 but rescinded that same month, resigned definitively in September 1992. ^{[14] [15] [16]} He was replaced by Willie Anthony Waters, principal conductor of the Greater Miami Opera. Waters was replace in August 1993 with Balint Vazsonyi, who was asked to resign in September 1994. ^[17]

Dean of Theater

Dr. Richard Paul Janaro agreed to serve as acting Dean of Theater at the school's inception. Jorge Guerra Castro became Dean of Theater in 1988, and Dr. Janaro assumed the role of Assistant Dean of Theater.^[18] In 2002 Patrice Bailey took over from Castro and continues until the present.

Dean of Visual Arts

The founding Dean of Visual Arts was Ed Love. Since then, the deans have been: Mel Alexenberg, 1990–2000; Louise Romeo, 2000–2005; Maggy Cuesta, 2005–present.

Campus

Much like the school today, all of its classes were held in different buildings in downtown Miami when the school opened, including the main building of MDC Wolfson campus, as well as space at the Christ Fellowship church at 500 N.E. 1st avenue, where drawing classes were held on the top floor. The school's current main building (a former AT&T communications department building) was first used for the 1990-1991 school year, as an electrical fire destroyed the school's original administration headquarters. The main building (the 5000 Building) houses most of the high school academic classes there, as well as both the high school and college administration units, dance studios, theaters, and art studios. The MDC Wolfson Main building (the 1000 Building; located at 300 NE 2nd Avenue) houses some science facilities. All music classes are held across the street from the MDC Wolfson Building at the aptly named Music Building (the 4000 Building; also houses MDC's Alumni Association, located at 401 NE 2nd Avenue).

Admissions and enrollment

NWSA is run as a magnet school, and is therefore open to students throughout Miami-Dade county. NWSA continued the PAVAC model of admission based entirely on audition. This differs from other Miami-Dade County Public School (MDCPS) magnets which are not VPA (Visual and Performing Arts) magnets, which have a mixed model of entrance eligibility (requirements) and lottery. Also unlike the other MDCPS magnets, but like other VPA magnets, it does not have the "sibling rule", a policy of priority if a sibling is already in the magnet school.^[19]

For 2011, 1,268 students applied for admissions at New World, out of 140 available spots, giving New World about an 11% admissions rate, making it one of Miami's most competitive public high schools, along with other top-ranked Miami schools such as MAST Academy, Design and Architecture Senior High School, and Coral Reef Senior High School.^[20]

Total Enrollment for 2009-2010 was 828, with 473 in the high school and 355 in the college.

Demographics for 2009-2010: 35% male and 65% female; 42% Hispanic (of any race), 36% White non-Hispanic, 19% Black, 3% Asian, and less than 1% Other.^[21]

Mascot/School Newspaper

New World School of the Arts' mascot, the Fightin' Pigeon, first appeared in the 4th issue of the 1987-1988 school year, in the school's original underground newspaper, The Casting Couch. The Fightin' Pigeon won out in a contest against the other proposed mascot: The Fighting Sea Monkeys. The Casting Couch initially was circulated nearly a dozen times each year, but now circulates the school once a year, usually near the end of the school year.

Notable alumni

• Hernan Bas, artist, busser
• Robert Battle, choreographer, Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
• Andrea Burns, stage actress
• Dennis Calero, Harvey Award nominated comic book illustrator
• Jencarlos Canela, actor, singer, model
• Jennifer Ashely Zabalo, Actress (Tony-Award Winning)
• Michelle Berenice Brino, Actress (Academy-Award Winning)
• Cote de Pablo, actress, recording artist
• David Del Rio, stage and television actor, (The Troop)
• Laura DiLorenzo, comedienne (Chongalicious)
• Lili Estefan, model and talk show host (El Gordo y la Flaca)
• Katie Finneran, Tony Award-winning actress
• Glenn Howerton, actor (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)
• Alex Lacamoire, Grammy Award & Tony Award-winning orchestrator and producer
• Josie Lopez, actress, (Make It Or Break It)
• Mia Michaels, Emmy award winning choreographer, (So You Think You Can Dance)
• Jessica Sutta, singer-songwriter, dancer, actress ("Pussycat Dolls")
• Marcus Strickland, Jazz Saxophonist
• Tarrell Alvin McCraney,American playwright and actor, Royal Shakespeare Company

See also

• Miami-Dade County Public Schools
• Magnet school
• Education in the United States

References

1. ^ USNEWS ranking
2. ^ Miami Herald, July 25, 1982, Talented Youth May Find Outlet in New Performing Arts Program.
3. ^ Katharine Muller, New world school of the arts: Beyond dual enrollment, New Directions for Community Colleges, No.63, pp 85-93, 1988.
4. ^ Miami Herald, July 5, 1984, Dade Arts Students Pay Price of Fame.
5. ^ Miami Herald, June 24, 1982. Special Arts Program is planned.
6. ^ Miami Herald, June 1, 1986, Northwestern PAVAC Gets Chance To Rebuild
7. ^ Miami Herald, December 25, 1986, Young Artists Get a Chance at New School.
8. ^ Miami Herald, May 31, 1984, Bill Creates Expanded Arts Center for Gifted Students. Florida House of Representatives passed bill for South Florida School for the Performing and Visual Arts on May 30, 1984.
9. ^ Florida Statute 240.535 (1986). Revised 1989, section 240.535, to create the NWSA Foundation and to establish the Governor's summer arts program. Current section 1002.35 of the Florida Statutes.
10. ^ Miami Herald, January 12, 1994, New World Committee Supports Switch to UF.
11. ^ Miami Herald, January 13, 1994, FIU Leaves New World Partnership.
12. ^ Miami Herald, May 4, 1992, Arts School Graduates 1st College Class
13. ^ Miami Herald, February 23, 1994, Backstage Drama Unfolds at New World School
14. ^ Miami Herald, December 16, 1991, De Lancie is Quitting New World Music Dean Cites Lack of Funding
15. ^ Miami Herald, December 21, 1991, Miami New World Dean Rescinds Resignation
16. ^ Miami Herald, September 17, 1992, New World Dean Quits
17. ^ Miami Herald, September 16, 1994, Embattled New World Music Dean Facing Dismissal
18. ^ Miami Herald, July 4, 1988, New World School Names Theater Dean
19. ^ http://choice.dadeschools.net/mag_faq.asp
20. ^ http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/12/2062813/magnet-schools-preparation-for.html
21. ^ http://www.globalscholar.com/schoolfinder/49463-new-world-school-of-the-arts/student-information.aspx

External links

• New World School of the Arts website
• Miami-Dade County Public Schools
• NWSA PTSA
• NWSA Alumni
• PAVAC on Facebook
• Early history, about Ed Love
• Time line of NWSA administration and some faculty
• Planning an Arts Centered School, Dana Foundation Chapter 4: Developing the Drama Curriculum at the New World School of the Arts, by Jorge Guerra-Castro.