In the Progress Report on schools published on November 5, a bilingual school, with 100 percent Latino enrollment and 76 percent of its students in English Language Learning (ELL) programs, was rated the best “in performance and progress of its students, and satisfaction of parents and teachers in New York City,” according to Maibe González-Fuentes, spokeswoman for the New York City Department of Education.

Manhattan Bridges High School, located at 525 West 50th Street, has an enrollment of 416 students, and its director, Mirza Sánchez-Medina, was praised for her “hard work and her vision in developing the school,” according to the first Progress Report.

The Report points out in particular the support the students get, the close relationship with their family members, the school's relations with the community and cultural institutions, and a team that launches new curriculum initiatives, among other points.

“Manhattan Bridges High School is an impressive example of how a bilingual program can work. The school has coached its teachers in very effective strategies to help the students in their transition from their native language to English,” stated Helaine Doran, assistant director of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE).

“We would like to see more money and more resources devoted to preparing teachers in the English Language Learning programs, as part of the Contract for Excellence [Districts will choose interventions to reflect the particular needs of each school], above all in schools with low academic performance where the students have historically been denied their basic right to an education,” added Doran.