We have a new principal in Cougar Country! Ms. Melanie Katz is the new Interim Principal of Franklin D. Roosevelt High School.  Ms. Katz has been working for the New York City Department of Education for about fifteen years. She has worked as a Math teacher, programmer, and assistant principal. She was interested in working for the DOE, because she was already a proud parent of the public school system!  As a parent of two daughters, Principal Katz served on both the Parent Teacher Association and the School Leadership Team.  Her daughters graduated from large public schools, and she strongly believes that parent involvement is a key factor in every student’s success.   She is truly committed to making our school system a place where every student can succeed.

Principal Katz believes that we have built something amazing here at FDR.  She feels we have an incredible staff and student body, a beautiful campus, and a welcoming feeling inside the building. She plans to address the few problems we have here at FDR, most importantly, the graduation rate.  While FDR has made great strides over the last few years, she believes we can achieve a higher graduation rate by infusing more technology and utilizing student data collected through exams and classwork.  In addition, we need to celebrate the great things we do every day at FDR and build toward our goals together as a family and team.   Ms. Katz knows that with hard work and dedication, FDR can continue to grow into one of the better schools in Brooklyn.

Principal Katz also plans to address the lack of air conditioning in our classrooms.  September and June are the problematic months here at FDR.  The heat in the classrooms made the first couple of weeks miserable, for not only the student body, but the FDR staff as well.  In addition, June is Regents prep and exam time.  We all know it is very hard to focus on the exams when you are sweating to death.  Principal Katz has to first make sure we have sufficient power and electricity to install the cooling systems we need.  She is also looking into the possibility of utilizing our recently installed rooftop solar panels. Although it is expensive, she wants to ensure that we have a comfortable learning environment.  While it is impossible to guarantee air conditioning, due to all the factors that must be addressed, FDR has a principal who is advocating for us and trying to solve the problem.

Since we have switched to a single session, Principal Katz has studied the entrance patterns that exist at our school.   She plans to possibly open another entrance to shorten the 1^st period lines. Her goal is to create a much smoother student entry in the morning. The reason behind the switch to a single session was due to needed Professional Development time for teachers.   Principal Katz believes the time now allotted for teachers to work collaboratively will lead to greater student achievement.

Principal Katz looks forward to all of FDR’s events and celebrations!  She wants her staff to continue building relationships with their students and parents. Lastly, she would like to thank all of the students for being amazing and making her feel welcome during her transition to FDR. She wants all of us to be proud that we are a part of the Cougar Family!