Fred Murphy, the Jaime Escalante of NYC

A really nice email from the Jaime Escalante of NYC, Fred Murphy, AP European History teacher at Harlem's Frederick Douglass Academy, one of the REACH schools:

Whitney,
 
Let me first thank you again on behalf of myself, my colleagues in the REACH program, and most importantly our students for the assistance, professionalism and vision that you and your associates provide for AP programs throughout the city. As the SAT continues to be diminished because of the burgeoning test preparation industry, AP courses are gaining even greater significance for the college bound student. I can speak from personal experience that the contacts that I have made in the program, and the support that has been given to me has been invaluable.
 
I would like to state as well that my students scored 23/23 (three or better passing grades) for the AP Euro exam of 2009. Our average of 100% is far above the national average of 67%. We in AP Euro also have a three year arc (2007 - 2009) of 94% passing. Gregg Fleisher has also informed me that the 2009 scores were #1 in New York State for the African-American and Latino cohort. The dynamic of visibility, support, and the buzz that REACH has created is a game-changer in urban education.
 
On an ancillary note, I have been employed by HITN, a Spanish Language television station (a "Latino PBS", if you will) since August of 2008 to help create a television series, targeting Latino high school students, to help them navigate the college admissions process. The series, "College Admissions 411" is presently being shown in half-hour segments on HITN television, and the episodes (http://www.hitn.tv/CA411/) are linked to the HITN website. The series is in Spanish, but there are plans in the future to create an English language version.
 
REACH is featured prominently in the segment on AP, as are our students at FDA!
 
Though we have nearly 25 half-hour episodes already produced, and we are six segments down, (already broadcast this fall and linked on line), HITN lacks the proper resources to advertise the series. We have to rely on e-mail blasts and viral buzz to get the word out.
 
We at HITN would be greatly appreciative if you could forward the link to the website (http://www.hitn.tv/CA411/) (where the episodes are archived) to anyone that is concerned about Hispanic acceptance rates in two and four year colleges, and education in general. 

 

CA411 is produced by the Brooklyn-based, non-profit HITN-TV in association with HACU, the Hispanic

 
Any help in getting the word out in for series would be fantastic!
 
Thank you again for your interest in educating the young people of NYC.
 
Fred A. Murphy
The Fredrick Douglass Academy