Dec. 8, 2005

Reading is Elementary at Harlem Link Charter School

Bill Feerick never needed an excuse to bellow into his trombone or whack his tennis racket. Reading was another story. It wasn’t until Father William O’Malley’s English class at Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx that he began to love words. When the school required seniors to complete 70 hours of community service, Feerick channeled his new passion and tutored a first grader in the South Bronx on her letters. For the most part, she ran out of the classroom uninterested. But the experience made him realize his calling — teaching underprivileged children to learn how to read.

Far from the comforts of his Mount Kisco home and the enthusiastic teachers at his prep school, Feerick’s experience in the South Bronx exposed him to what he saw as the inequities of race and education.

“I came from a childhood where I felt success a lot,” Feerick said. “I wondered what her experiences at home were like. Did she have someone to read to her? There was no one jumping on the fact that this girl needed special attention.”

Feerick’s goal of making an impact on the education system led him to join Teach for America after he graduated from Georgetown University in 1997. The national program recruits approximately 2,000 men and women per class from elite colleges and assigns them to two-yearlong teaching assignments in low economic areas with the hope of drawing talent into the profession.

Feerick is one of 63 percent of Teach for America graduates who remained in the education field, either teaching or studying. He sought more experience by obtaining a master’s in education literacy with clinical focus from Bank Street College of Education in New York City. Today, he is a seven-year veteran and one of the original faculty members of the newly launched charter school Harlem Link in Upper Manhattan.

“One of my favorite things to do is to get all of my first graders reading and writing,” said Feerick. “Not just because they have to, but because they want to.”

Interested in shaping a curriculum, Feerick jumped at the opportunity to teach at Harlem Link, whose co-founders Steven Evangelista and Margaret Ryan also graduated from Bank Street. The school, one of approximately 3,000 charters in the nation, was created to offer students chosen through a lottery an alternative to public education. Tuition free, 75 to 80 percent of charter school budgets come from city funding and the rest from private donation. Harlem Link distinguishes itself from public schools by staying open for more hours per day and more days per year than district schools (200 days compared to 180) and having two full-time co-teachers per classroom.

As the only male teacher and as a white male in a school predominantly serving black and Latino children, Feerick grapples with unique and difficult challenges. He wonders if he is a good role model for the children.

“Race is the most salient issue for these kids,” Feerick said one afternoon from his classroom. Sitting in one of his student’s small chairs, his 5-foot, 11-inch frame seemed gargantuan next to the tiny snacks and bins of crayons. “A group came in to observe another school in the building and a first grader said, ‘What are all those white people doing in a black person’s school?’”

And as all teachers face, there are days when Feerick feels he loses control of the class or does not accomplish all of his goals.

“It’s a rocky slope. I really try to focus on what’s going on positively. Being a really good teacher is really hard. I still have so far to go.”

It seems hard to believe that Feerick feels overwhelmed during a session of reading hour one morning. As he sat with a student at the front of his classroom while co-teacher Mary Broydrick worked with the rest of the class, Feerick and the boy sounded out letters. Like a pied piper, student after student brought over their books, eager for Feerick to help them as well.

Naomi Taitz, who works with every class at Harlem Link in her role as science and social studies teacher, believes Feerick is hard on himself and values what he adds to the school.

“One parent in particular told me that she hoped her son would have a male teacher because he is lacking in positive male role models,” Taitz said.

“A lot of students never worked with a male and may not know how to interact with him, but seeing [Feerick] work, students get over this very fast,” said John Reddick, the dean of students at Harlem Link and the only African-American male on staff. “They need a person like [Feerick, Mr. E[vangelista] or myself because we follow rules.”

Feerick’s choice to teach has meant sacrificing a high earning potential and the usual societal stigma of being a male in what is perceived as a female role. “I do get, ‘So when are you going to go back to law school?’ from some people, but my family has been very supportive,” he said.

His dedication is clear, and for the parents, that is the most important issue. Tannila Abernathy, a 25-year-old Harlem resident and mother of one of Feerick’s students, wanted her son to attend Harlem Link because, among other reasons, she wanted a strong reading program.

“Some children can read words, but they don’t have any idea of what they are reading, they have no understanding,” she explained at Curriculum Night in September. Abernathy feels Harlem Link is a haven for her son. Feerick’s dedication and passion make it so.

Feerick sees his passion this way: “It’s a gift. You use it for positive ways to impact the world.”