HISTORY
BUGS is the result of a five-year effort of a group of community members who joined together to create an additional, high-quality, public middle school option in District 15. The founding team was composed of local parents, educators and professionals who are independent of any Charter Management Organization and who bring a wealth of expertise in education, fiscal oversight and policy. Many members of the founding team went on to join the BUGS Board of Trustees. The school founding team was led by Co-Founder Miriam Nunberg, a former Special Education teacher and Federal Department of Education attorney who is a staunch advocate for students' rights, and Co-Founder Susan Tenner, an impassioned educator, and non-profit manager, who currently serves as the school's Executive Director.
BUGS is authorized by the New York State Board of Regents and is overseen by the New York State Education Department. BUGS was honored to be awarded a charter after a competitive and highly selective application process.
After a favorable review, BUGS received a successful charter renewal in 2018, and again in 2022-- the application of which can be found here. In 2023 the NYSED Board of Regents approved a lottery preference for Economically Disadvantaged and English Language Learning students, which resulted in charter document updates captured here in our current charter.
Mission
The mission of BUGS is to provide a hands-on, interdisciplinary education to young adolescents of all abilities and backgrounds, with a focus on real-world problem solving and the exploration of environmental, social, and economic sustainability. BUGS students will excel in the core academic subjects and become engaged community members who are critical thinkers prepared to achieve excellence in high school and beyond.
Vision
At BUGS, we believe that we have an obligation to educate our students for a sustainable, fairer, and greener future, where all living systems can thrive.
We believe that when educators:
Engage our students in rigorous instruction through sustainability education
Engage the whole child
Build relationships with our students and families
That academic excellence and improved test scores for our NYC middle schoolers will follow.
We have a vision for BUGS to be a leader in sustainability education, experts in middle years development, and at the forefront of the movements for diverse by design and community-based charter schools.
Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Vision Statement:
At BUGS, we actively strive to repair the detrimental effects of racism, discrimination and systems of oppression that affect our students, families, staff, community and larger society. We do this work personally and collectively.
We acknowledge that these systems exist, and we are each a part of them and are affected by them - consciously and unconsciously. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are important, interdependent components of everyday life and are critical to the successful pursuit of our school vision and mission.
BUGS C.A.R.E.S. About Sustainability
Community - We are inclusive, interdependent, respectful, compassionate and generous in serving others.
Awareness - We are present, open-minded, reflective and honest.
Reach - We stretch ourselves intellectually, emotionally and physically; approach mistakes as opportunities; and work diligently to reach excellence.
Exploration - We experience the adventure of learning through inquiry and ingenuity in real-world problem solving.
Student Voice - We express and act upon our ideas and share responsibility for our own learning and the betterment of our school and communities.
Sustainability - We recognize the impact of our actions on the planet, our community and ourselves, and we pursue viable long-term practices and big-picture thinking.
key design elements
These elements were key to the design of BUGS in its founding charter and continue to guide our approach.
Inquiry-Based Study of the Science of Sustainability BUGS will be a middle school focused on the science of sustainability, which incorporates the natural sciences, math, economics, history, social sciences, and the humanities to examine the intersection of human and ecological systems. This interdisciplinary field has the capacity to develop new knowledge and ways of thinking needed for students to become actively aware of the larger world, ask significant and relevant questions, wrestle with big ideas, deepen understanding of core subjects, and develop necessary 21st century skills.
Extended Time for Learning Longer blocks of class time, a longer school day and a longer school year will provide additional time to: maximize learning opportunities; implement innovative, cross-disciplinary approaches to curriculum, instruction, and assessment; and provide rigorous supports for ELL, special education, and struggling students.
A Positive and Inclusive School Climate BUGS will create a safe, welcoming, and respectful school climate that supports equity and access for all learners. Through its advisory program, school-wide discipline program, positive behavior supports, and research-based interventions, BUGS will foster a college-bound, career-ready student body that respects and values the diversity of others in their community and around the world.
A Professional Learning Community A learning-focused, collaborative culture will be based on trust, shared instructional leadership, and mutual accountability. Daily common planning time and on-going professional development will enhance teachers‘ collective focus on student learning.
Authentic Assessments and Individualization Instruction is driven by ongoing, authentic assessment and analysis of academic and behavioral data, which support students‘ individual needs and is facilitated by trained and supported teachers.
Use of Technology Computer-based instruction will allow for intensive, targeted remediation in basic skills, individualized learning and assessments, and the development of 21st century skills in visual, media and technological literacy.