Public Prep

Lower East Side Middle

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”
– William Butler Yeats

Our School Model

  • Girls Prep Middle School is a tuition-free, all girls, public school. We opened in the fall of 2009 with 5th grade and are growing to serve students in 5th through 8th grade.
  • Our middle school curriculum prepares students for competitive college preparatory high schools and college. Girls Prep graduates will have strong critical thinking, reading, writing and math skills, proficiency in a foreign language and a visual art, and meet all of the requisite state standards.
  • In addition to academic excellence, Girls Prep Middle School will graduate students who are active citizens and healthy, balanced young women. Our students attend music, art, physical education and yoga and embody our school values of service and community.
  • We know that great teachers are the cornerstone of an excellent education. We filled our school with innovative and dedicated leaders and provide them with the support and training they need to succeed. Aspiring leaders grow with the school and often have the option to become curriculum specialists, academic deans, and school principals.
  • The Fellows Program continues in Middle School and is among the most unique elements of our school model. A two year commitment, the Fellows Program combines full-time mentored teaching with a subsidized master's degree. At the middle school level, Girls Prep Fellows are paired with a Lead Teacher for ELA or Math instruction and provide academic support to students, and teach co-curriculars for the duration of the school year. The teacher/fellow partnerships allow constant modeling and mentoring for new teachers to gain experience in classroom instruction and management. At the end of two years, Fellows can be hired as Lead Teachers.