Editor’s note: To read profiles of all 2015-2016 Blackboard Awards honorees, click HERE!
Academy for Careers in Television and Film
Principal: Edgar Rodriguez
9-12
1-50 51st Avenue, Long Island City, Queens
Award: Outstanding School
Describe your school’s core educational philosophy.
The Academy for Careers in Television and Film (TvF) is an unscreened Career and Technical Education high school serving students in grades 9-12. Our program design rests on the belief that intensive career preparation and rigorous academic studies can complement and support each other. Through customized academic programs and personalized instruction, students at TvF acquire the prerequisite skills and knowledge to successfully transition into competitive four-year colleges. Simultaneously, our hands-on, work-based learning video production curriculum and industry internships allow students to develop the technical skills and work ethic necessary to pursue successful careers in production and other industries.
Tell us about a few of the school’s achievements or distinguishing programs.
Our unique academic and career prep programs, along with a robust set of internal systems, leading instructional practices, and organizational decision-making has resulted in great accomplishments. Since graduating our first cohort in 2012, TvF has maintained a graduation rate of 96 percent or higher and an attendance rate of 93 percent or higher. Similar to previous years, in the 2014-15 school year 98 percent of ninth graders and 95 percent of tenth graders earned enough credits to be on track for high school graduation, 55 percent of students graduated college-ready, and 72 percent of graduates enrolled in a college or other postsecondary program within six months of graduation. These results are some of our school’s greatest achievements.
What’s new?
We will be awarding two new scholarships (in addition to a longstanding scholarship from our industry partner, New York Production Alliance) to some of this year’s graduates: One from Local 52 (the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) and one in memoriam of a New York City prop master.
What do you love about your school?
I love what the school has become since we opened our doors a little over seven years ago; TvF is a place of dedication and intentional purpose that is readily visible across all classes in every grade, teachers working together within their many teams, and students bringing their production projects into reality with the same passion, whether it’s an independent piece or a class assignment or whether they are the director or any other member of the crew. I feel extremely privileged to be principal and to have the opportunity to work with such an amazing team of educators and collectively create a space and experiences for our students, which will have a significant impact on their lives moving forward.
