First All-Boys Public School to Open in Newark

The first all-boys public school that couples social development skills with a strong academic curriculum is set to open this fall in Newark, officials announced during a community breakfast Thursday morning.

Eagle Academy for Young Men will open its doors to about 80 sixth graders in September and, with every passing year, will eventually expand to grade 12. The academy is a partnership between Newark Public Schools (NPS) and community- and faith-based groups like Metropolitan Baptist Church, which will provide one-on-one mentoring.

"We see so many young men engaged in negative behavior, walking around with their pants hanging off their behinds. That's not what this school is," said David Banks, president and chief executive officer of The Eagle Academy Foundation. "This school is where we teach them discipline and respect for the themselves and community. We instill that in them on a daily basis."

Eagle Academy, founded in 2004, currently has more than a thousand students across three sites in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.

The exact location of the new Newark school, part of a , has yet to be decided. Last month, state district Superintendent Cami Anderson announced the creation of gender-specific schools Eagle Academy Young Women's Leadership Academy, which will likely open for the 2013-14 school year.

Officials stressed to nearly 100 guests at Metropolitan Baptist Church Thursday that Eagle Academy should not be confused as a charter school. Rather, it's a traditional public school aimed at providing inner-city youth educational opportunities and positive role models in order to succeed.

Mentors from major corporations, including shipping giant UPS and News Corp., teach students life skills like financial literacy, health and wellness and economic empowerment.

"We're trying to change the trajectory some of them are on," said Myron Williams, UPS' senior vice president of U.S. operations and a mentor to Bronx Eagle Academy students.

Speaking to the audience Thursday, Crystal Bates said she was considering moving down south to give her 9-year-old son, Jamar, the education and guidance he needed as a classified special education student. But the creation of Eagle Academy has encouraged her to stay in Newark, she said.

"I want the school to hold me accountable as a parent to be performing properly to help my son learn," said Bates, touching upon a common theme Thursday that education is a collaborative effort among parents, teachers and community members.

Eagle Academy's application process is similar to that of NPS' magnet schools piloted this year, a centralized, one-time application that creates a matching process, said Anderson.

"There won't be an academic screen because we believe that all kids need to get in," said Anderson.

Proudly sporting his Eagle Academy uniform – a crisp navy suit, striped tie and polished shoes – Akil Hollington, a senior at the Bronx Eagle Academy, said attending the school afforded him opportunities he wouldn't have otherwise had. For six weeks last summer, he took two courses at Syracuse University, giving him a taste of "rigorous" college life, he said.

"That was by far the most interesting experience I've ever taken apart of," said Hollington, who will attend Howard University this fall. "It taught me a lot about myself, college and the world in general.

"I feel that this environment, this neighborhood and students who go to (Eagle Academy) are going to be impacted," he added about the new Newark school.