Renewal school shows early improvement

One of Mayor Bill de Blasio's renewal schools is off to a successful new start, according to students and their parents.
The School of Diplomacy, which is part of the Richard R. Green Campus, is one of three schools in the mayor's renewal program, a $150 million investment in schools that suffer from low performance.
"Yes, they are behind in math," says Principal Sean Licata. "Yes, they are behind in ELA. But we want to make sure we can support them with issues they are bringing from home and the community."
Licata says that the priorities have been to renovate the dilapidated school while working to improve attendance, student proficiencies, college preparedness and family engagement.
"We are raising the bar," says eighth-grade teacher Nicole Cameron. "We are just really trying to engrain in them that they are going to be successful -- and we are preparing them for college."
One more major improvement slated for the school is an in-house mental health clinic that is expected to open within several weeks.