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AN ARCHITECT AND FORMER EDUCATOR’S PERSPECTIVE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL DESIGN by By: Mark McCarthy AIA, LEED AP, Design Director at CSArch
In memory of Christine Schlendorf, AIA. My former partner, friend, and a dedicated champion of school design for all.
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n the late 1980s after studying Fine Arts at SUNY New Paltz, I had enough education credits for a temporary license to teach in the New York City public school system. At the time, the city was dealing with a drug epidemic, heightened crime rate, and an increasing challenge to find qualified teachers. Days after agreeing to substitute teach at a middle school in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, I accepted a full-time position as a science and homeroom teacher. Despite having not taken a science course for years, I was happy to be part of the core faculty and a homeroom teacher responsible for my students beyond the curriculum requirements. I wanted to be challenged and was ready to make a difference in the young lives of those most impacted by an education system in flux. Although my world was almost entirely within the four walls of my classroom, I do not remember being particularly interested in the physical spaces of the building. Located on the ground floor near the back entry, my classroom had a large window with a metal grill covering for safety. The cabinets were old and filled with outdated materials I rarely used. My students sat in rows of desks, and I was happy if they settled down long enough for me to start the lesson. With no formal education degree or experience teaching in a classroom setting, I was underprepared and overwhelmed. I receive little guidance or
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Former IS 320, now Jackie Robinson Elementary School, in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Mark’s classroom was just to the right.
lesson plans; rather, I was told that it was enough to work on reading comprehension to prepare students for state testing in the spring. It was the hardest job I have ever had and at three o’clock I was spent. Despite those challenges, the community, faculty, and students welcomed and supported me, and the day I left triggered more real emotions than I have ever felt in any other time in my professional career. I saw many teachers who were truly gifted, which helped me realize that this was not the right career path for me. After two years of teaching, I moved on to pursue a master’s in archi-
