The Bronx Charter Schools for Better Learning

MISSION

 The Bronx Charter Schools for Better Learning provide their students with a solid foundation for academic success, through achievement that exceeds citywide averages and meets or exceeds New York State Standards and national norms in all curriculum areas tested, especially in mathematics and language arts.

 Our teaching constantly adjusts to the needs of our students, leading to independence, autonomy, responsibility, and a sustained love of learning, all of which contribute directly to high academic achievement.

 HISTORY

 The first Bronx Charter School for Better Learning (BBL 1) was founded in 2003 by experienced teachers and school administrators, each of whom had worked in schools serving low-income communities. Several of its founders gave up managerial positions and returned to the classroom to achieve a long-held goal: to demonstrate the value of an educational approach, known as the Subordination of Teaching to Learning, which can dramatically improve the school experience of any child, regardless of socio- economic background.

Almost all of our students are Hispanic or African-American, many from families that have recently immigrated from the Caribbean and Africa. More than 80 percent of our students are from low-income families. Now, after its approved replication six years ago, BBL 1 and BBL 2 together currently serve over 1,000 students in Pre-K through 5th Grade.

At the Bronx Charter Schools for Better Learning, we strive to create an atmosphere where each child's innate ability to learn is nurtured, protected and directed toward mastering all traditional subjects. Our pedagogy, called the Subordination of Teaching to Learning, was developed by Dr. Caleb Gattegno (1911-1988). Dr. Gattegno's precise techniques and materials enable students to master new skills with minimal interference from the teacher.