Petition for 'Effective Leadership' at LaGuardia High School Nets 7K Signatures

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — For decades, the Upper West Side's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts has been a place where the city's most talented teens could hone their artistic crafts. But in the past few years, the school's administration changed the school's application process to prioritize academics over the arts, according to a petition that has garnered more than 7,000 signatures.

The petition calls for "effective leadership" at the school, and drags the school's newest principal, Dr. Lisa Mars. Mars took the position in 2013. According to data from the 2013-2014 school year, talent only counts for 14 percent of the school's admissions decisions, whereas academics count for 40 percent, the petition states.

"We demand that the Department of Education return the admission criteria to those consistent with the law and the original mission of the school," reads the petition.

The petition accuses the school of violating the Hecht-Calandra Act of 1971, which gives specialized schools greater power over their criteria for acceptance. For years the act allowed LaGuardia to prioritize prospective student's performance in auditions over their grades from middle school. At one point, the audition was so important it counted for up to 70 percent in admissions, a former school staffer told DNAinfo.

But the Department of Eduction told DNAinfo that the school's current admissions policies do not violate and laws or regulations. After all, the same act that allowed the school to prioritize talent should allow the school to reverse that decision if it chooses to do so. And that's what LaGuardia has chosen, said former staffers, and it's causing the school to lose its artistic identity.

"It's just not the same,” the ex-staffer told DNAinfo. “The passion doesn’t seem to be there. It’s watered down. I don’t know if a lot of these kids really want to be in the arts. They’re kind of like, ‘I got in and it’s prestigious.’ But they're not the kids who want to do this as their future.’”

Many former LaGuardia teachers and students commented on the Change.org petition with similar sentiments.

Here's what they had to say:

"As an alumni (2013), I was fortunate to have our previous principal, Kim Bruno, who instilled the love of the arts as LaGuardia High School was meant to be. To be informed that a new principal has took control of such a prestigious arts institution and has demoted the arts with a 14% interest in the talent of the students is a disgrace to the curriculum that is focused on the arts AND academics is absurd. I have been notified by recent graduates of LaGuardia that Dr. Mars is unfit to be the principal," commented Antonio Almeda-Lopez.

"Laguardia is THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND ART AND PERFORMING ARTS . I taught calculus at La Guardia and it was a fabulous experience . My students were in all studios and was racially , ethnically and sexually diverse. Each was talented and passionate about the arts. Don't lose this," said former teacher Joan Budish.

[Photo: Beyond My Ken / Wikimedia commons]