Obama Visits Brooklyn to Praise Innovative High School

In Obama’s first visit to Brooklyn as president, he spoke at the unique and innovative Pathways in Technology Early College High School, also known as P-Tech. Obama famously mentioned the school in February in his State of the Union address.

“I wanted to come here ever since I talked about you in my State of the Union address this year, because what’s going on here at P-TECH is outstanding, and I decided to see it for myself,” Obama said Friday at the Crown Heights school.

After visiting a math class in the school the President spoke to the student body in the school’s auditorium, praising the way the school’s method of preparing its students for the world of high-tech jobs.

P-Tech opened in 2011, the first of what New York plans to be several six-year programs that combine a high school diploma with an associate degree. At the end of the six years students will get first chances at jobs at high-tech companies, including such superstar corporations as IBM.

New York led the way as the first school of its kind in the country, but soon Chicago will create a similar school, as well as a plan to open more throughout New York State.

Mayor Bloomberg spoke before Obama, saying that P-Tech opened on the site of a school that was closed down for its poor performance, Robeson High.

“P-TECH would not even exist here were it not for the strong reform policy that the Obama administration has supported, and that’s replacing failing schools with new ones,” the mayor said.