Teaneck High School in northern New Jersey looks exactly like the nickname locals have given it-”a castle on the hill.” A Tudor-style building it calls to mind a medieval fortress, the school is nestled in a cozy middle-class neighborhood just a 15-minute drive from New York City. With approximately 1,350 students, the school combines America’s rich diversity with academic advantages normally reserved for the elite private schools of Manhattan: The library is equipped with wireless laptop carts that can be rolled into classrooms to service every student. Free SAT preparation is offered, and video-on-demand allows teachers immediate access to digital media.
About 28 different languages are spoken in the halls of this school, where Black, White, Latino and Asian students from all walks of life mingle easily in the cafeteria. On warm days they gather on the front lawn or the concrete steps of the school’s stadium. The African-American students, who make up 54 percent of the student body, can claim as many advantages as any other group: Some are the children of cardiologists, college professors,lawyers and corporate executives. One might think that the national education gap between Black and White students does not apply in this largely middle-class setting. Not so,- says the school’s principal, Angela R. Davis, who is African-American.
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