24 • February 3, 2022 - February 9, 2022
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
Education Banks shows pride in his alma mater By STEPHON JOHNSON Amsterdam News Staff
(Stephon Johnson photo)
look at things through a former student’s lens as well when reminded of a rule “Nothing feels small. This that hasn’t changed. is a big school,” said New Banks visited multiple York City Schools Chancellor classrooms, checked out David Banks last Thursday. the school auditorium, hit He was responding to a the gym (“I don’t know if question about the tendenyou say, but I got a couple of cy for people to visit their shots,” said Banks). elementary, middle or high “I remember a few times schools and remember them we tried to sneak on the elto be bigger than they are. evator, they were like ‘You (Photos courtesy of the New York City Banks took a trip down can’t be on the elevator,’” Department of Education) memory lane last week when said Banks while laughing. he visited his alma mater Hill“You got it. We’re not going crest High School in Jamaica on the elevator. We’ll take Hills, Queens. Even though the stairs.” it’s been decades for Banks, Someone then handed the feeling of being back filled Banks a copy of the 1980 him with nostalgia. yearbook. Banks immedi“For me because it feels and ately opened it to a page looks almost exactly the same that showed a pic of his high way. But I mean…it was a good school self. To him, that’s place to be. And the spirit of what this trip was all about. it…and I’m pretty good. I have “It just feels like coming a pretty good sense and I was home. It really does,” said a principal for 11 years.” ture doesn’t just happen. Culture the minute you step inside a school. Banks. “I don’t know what I was Banks said that the school’s cur- is something that you have to work “Whenever I walk into a building, I thinking it would feel like, but I rent condition of clean hallways, out. Over the years, I would always walk into the building as a princi- think I anticipated that it’d feel difclasses fully attended, and school check on how things were at Hill- pal,” said Banks, who also taught for ferent. Just because I’m different. bulletins addressing the hot button crest, even though I had not visited.” a decade. “I wear my principal’s hat I’m 60 years old now. But it’s almost issues of the day is a result of the Praising current Hillcrest Principal and I see little things that principals like taking me back in time.” precedent set by its principal. Scott Milczewski, Banks said that see. And this is a well-run place.” “It shaped how I move and how I “It’s culture. And it doesn’t—cul- you can tell how well a place is run Banks did take time, however, to see myself in the world,” Banks said.
