2022-23 School Performance Dashboard, Mark Twain I.S. 239
As a “gifted and talented” school, Mark Twain accepts applicants from all over the city.
racist segregation
Interview with Willie Mae Goodman, excerpt
Willie Mae Goodman decided to send her daughter Marguerite to the Willowbrook State School when Marguerite was four years old.
Women of the Young Lords Party, excerpt
As Denise Oliver describes in this video, women involved in the civil rights movement faced sexism within their organizations, even when those organizations said they were committed to liberation and freedom.
Judy Heumann Oral History
Judith (Judy) Heumann was one of tens of thousands of children who contracted polio during outbreaks in the late 1940s and early 1950s and became physically disabled.
The Man Who Could Fly: The Bob Beamon Story, excerpt
Mr. Louis Schuker, the principal at Jamaica High, had a long talk with me and Coach Ellis.
New York Hotline: Special Ed #304, excerpt 1
Among New York City students with disability labels today, most are in the category of “learning disability.
Puerto Ricans (Spoken Version)
Puerto Ricans became citizens of the United States in 1917, as part of the US’s claiming control of the island.
The Disability Independence Day March
After Camp Jened closed in 1977, many former campers stayed connected to one another.
Focus on Learning, excerpt
Please note: This is work in progress. Please keep that in mind as you read.
Willie Mae Goodman and Marguerite Goodman
Mrs. Willie Mae Goodman heard many people speak of her daughter’s death.
Parents Protest for School Transportation
In early 1979, the Board of Education decided to change the rules for private bus operators in a way that would have lowered wages for many drivers.
Statement by Martin H. Gerry, Director, Office for Civil Rights, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, excerpts
In 1977, the New York City Board of Education was the focus of the “largest civil rights investigation of a public educational institution ever undertaken.
Mom is Worthy Opponent for State
Marguerite Goodman lived at the Gouverneur Hospital in lower Manhattan.
Clark Hits Integration Plan at Mark Twain JHS
When Judge Jack Weinstein initially issued a court order to integrate District 21 schools, he proposed a wide-reaching plan that called for the Board of Education, District 21’s school board, and private real estate developers and housing officials to integrate the district’s neighborhoods and schools.
“Hart v. Community School Board 21, excerpt 2”
Judge Jack Weinstein ruled Mark Twain unconstitutionally segregated in 1974.
Hart v. Community School Board 21, excerpt 1
Jeffrey Hart was a student at Mark Twain Junior High School in Brooklyn.
Mark Twain on The 51st State, excerpt 4
The all-white board of Community School District 21 in Brooklyn approved a proposal to desegregate Mark Twain Junior High School by making it a school for “gifted and talented” students - or, in the language of the day, students in “special progress” or “rapid advancement” classes.
Mark Twain on the 51st State, excerpt 3
What do schools try to teach their students?
Mark Twain on the 51st State, excerpt 2
In this segment of a 1974 news program, journalist Richard Kotuk introduces Mark Twain Junior High School.
Mark Twain on The 51st State, excerpt 1
In this video excerpt, reporter Richard Kotuk attempts to explain how what he calls “central Coney Island” has become predominantly “poor, Puerto Rican, and black.