By:Chris Munzing
For the 75 students who attend, however, there is no place they'd rather learn. The Eisman School, above Quiznos on East Park Avenue, was founded in 1972 as a component of Long Beach REACH. REACH is a community organization designed to provide assistance to families and individuals having trouble with substance abuse.
"The program was started as a place for kids who weren't successful in the traditional educational setting, but wanted to pursue their education," said Dr. Joseph Smith, executive director of REACH and program director of the Eisman School from 1979 to 1982.
The school itself is small, with half a dozen classrooms, a darkroom, a computer lab and a few offices. The walls are lined with pictures of every student to receive a diploma from the school since its founding. Classes run in fall, spring and summer semesters. Classes are small, never exceeding 15 students, and the school has a waiting list as large as its student body. "We could open the doors right now and double the enrollment," Smith said.
In August the school will celebrate its 30th graduating class. A reunion is planned for early September for all of the school's alumni.
The Eisman School's success can be directly linked to its willingness to be different. The hallway has an easygoing feel, and there is a sense of familiarity among students and teachers. Current Program Director Johanna Mathieson-Ellmer said that the naturally adversarial roles of student and teacher are downplayed so that the learning process has one less obstacle to overcome.
"It's a first-name basis here for students and teachers," Mathieson-Ellmer said. "The relationship here is a partnership, and both sides have something to bring to the table."
"The kids know they have to step up to the plate here," Smith said. "But they also know the reward is tremendous. Kids can achieve if given the opportunity, and they can learn if given the opportunity."
Learning, though done a little differently here, still follows the guidelines of the state of New York. All students are required to pass the same tests and achieve the same scores that students at public and private high schools statewide have to. "We're not big on tests, and we're not big on grades," Smith said. "But our kids still pass the state exams."
Wes Andrews, 20, who will be part of the 30th graduating class in August, believes that the Eisman School is superior to traditional schools. "This is better because it's easier to learn here," he said. "And the subjects are the same no matter where you go."
Andrews added that in the Eisman School, students don't experience a lot of the negatives of high school. "You don't get rumors or people talking about each other," he said. "This is the least negative place around. It's more fun and relaxed." Andrews isn't the first in his family to attend the school. His father, aunts and uncles all attended, and his grandmother, Susan Andrews, was one of the school's founders.
A majority of the instructors are certified teachers, while others are retired professionals and graduate students. Mathieson-Ellmer came here with the intent of staying for three months of hands-on experience before taking over the world. "And here I am, 21 years later," she laughed.
There is an emphasis at the school on the visual and creative arts, with a number of classes devoted to art, photography and video production. Mathieson-Ellmer said that by emphasizing the arts, the school allows the students an outlet they might have had trouble finding elsewhere.
In 1994 the school achieved independent-institution status, removing it from the auspices of the Long Beach Public Schools. Up until then, students had to live within the Long Beach district, and received diplomas from Long Beach High School. Ten years ago, however, the doors of the school were opened to anyone in the county, and the Eisman School began issuing its own diplomas.
Funding for the school comes largely from the Nassau County Youth Board, as well as from REACH and private donations. Funding is always a concern, Smith said, though he added that it's the struggle that makes the school the close-knit community it is.
The relationships among students and teachers extend beyond the normal math problems and computer classes. Mathieson-Ellmer said it is not uncommon for teacher to talk with student about non-school-related issues outside the classroom. Students often instigate these conversations.
Mathieson-Ellmer said that when students come to teachers with personal problems, it lets the teachers know they're doing their job. "There is just such a level of trust here, where the kids will come to you for advice or with their problems," she Ellmer said. "You're just not going to find another place like it."
