When High School Changes a Kid

Lenore Skenazy
Wed, 24 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0800
Opinion

"Social Mobility in Early Modern Europe," the history teacher wrote on her whiteboard. "Who can define social mobility?"

"The ability of groups or individuals to move up or down in a culture," one student offered.

"Right — but don't read from your notes," said the teacher, Ms. Reburiano. "Now, what are some examples of this bubbling up in, say, Renaissance Venice?"
Updated: Thu Dec 25, 2025

"Social Mobility in Early Modern Europe," the history teacher wrote on her whiteboard. "Who can define social mobility?"

"The ability of groups or individuals to move up or down in a culture," one student offered.

"Right — but don't read from your notes," said the teacher, Ms. Reburiano. "Now, what are some examples of this bubbling up in, say, Renaissance Venice?"

"The merchant class!" one student said.

"Capitalism!" said another.

"And in Henry the Eighth's England?" Ms. Reburiano asked.

"Land ownership!"

"And in Hinduism, you can be reincarnated as a different caste," another student added.

"Um, yes," the teacher said, pausing. "But what needs to happen in that case?"

"You need to pass away," a student whispered.

And that is precisely what is different about today — and about the high school I was visiting, the Vertex Partnership Academies in the Bronx.

This public charter school, where kids graduate with an International Baccalaureate, opened four years ago. It is the brainchild of author and education innovator Ian Rowe. "Social mobility is why we built this school," Rowe took this opportunity to tell the class. "As you learn this history, it's also your reality."

The reality I saw on my visit last week was uplifting, because the students were getting so many different opportunities — and expectations. The latter included: uniforms. "Where's your tie?" Rowe asked a student he saw in the hall. He buttoned down the collar of another. Also: no phones in school. Also: Memorize and take to heart four cardinal virtues, including, "I lead my life with self-discipline because I am responsible for my learning and behavior."

As for opportunities? The students read classics, starting with the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. They also get intense math (at least it looked intense to me — I couldn't solve for x) and even philosophy. The class we popped into was studying Kant.

Then, juniors and seniors who choose a career pathway get to pick a concentration: biomedical engineering, computer science or early childhood. The early childhood students spend six weeks their junior year observing in a Montessori classroom. Senior year? They student-teach. They graduate with the ability to go straight into a real-world job in education.

Kpodo, a sophomore, told me about his summer internship in neuroscience. "They showed us how they test drugs on a rat's brain. Most people would be disgusted. I was exhilarated!" The lab was at Columbia University, a place he was already familiar with because his mom works there.

As a security guard.

Other students told me about their school field trip to the Supreme Court.

The kids here are, for the most part, minorities. They hail from 100 different schools in the city and get in by lottery, not on the basis of scores or a report card.

"The 10th grade me and the eighth grade me are like two different people," said sophomore Biarlis. "Back in eighth grade I wasn't really bad, but I used to talk back." When she got to Vertex, "There were so many rules I didn't agree with!"

But gradually, "I realized the rules benefit me."

The school isn't all rules and homework. There's art, games at lunch, and a student production. Last year it was "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which involved some special effects that did not go as planned. "We tried to do a smoke machine, but it was too much smoke," recalled Kpodo. "Wayyyyy too much."

Everyone had to be evacuated — even the girl in an inflatable costume. "There were fire trucks, alarms, the whole thing," Rowe recalled, shaking his head with a smile. "But then we came back in and finished the production."

Obstacles overcome. A show that went on. Kids graduating with job prospects, European history and Kant under their belt (and tie).

Sounds like social mobility to me.