WNYC's Educating on the Edge

Series produced by WNYC

Series image

A series of reports from a high school in Brooklyn where educators and counselors work with students at risk of dropping out. We hear directly from students, teachers and others on the front line of dropout prevention.

WNYC's education reporters are teaming up with the Radio Rookies to explore the drop-out crisis, from inside one high school. And it is a crisis in pockets of New York City despite rising graduation rates overall. At West Brooklyn Community High School, anywhere between 45 percent and 65 percent of eligible students earn a diploma. We will bring the voices of the real experts: the West Brooklyn students, educators and counselors who every day are defining what it means to make up for lost time, and what it takes to stay on track to graduation.

The series is part of American Graduate, a public media initiative supported by the Corporation of Public Broadcasting.


10 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Caption: Radio Rookie Edward Munoz, Credit: Emily Kwong
Fresh grass. Freedom. Success. That was the sensation Edward Munoz experienced every time he walked onto a soccer field. But in school, he felt lik...

Bought by New Hampshire Public Radio


  • Added: Sep 25, 2014
  • Length: 07:35
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Radio Rookie Cece Rodriguez visiting the Marine Corps Recruiting Station, Credit: Andrew Mambo
Cece Rodriguez may be tiny at 5 ’4”, 100 lbs, but she’s physically strong. Despite her family’s concerns, she dreams of testing her toughness by en...

Bought by New Hampshire Public Radio


  • Added: Sep 25, 2014
  • Length: 06:23
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Radio Rookie Jairo Gomez, Credit: Emily Kwong
Jairo Gomez never thought he was poor, even though he was one of seven kids and his family lived in a one-bedroom apartment. The cramped quarters m...

Bought by WABE and MPR News Stations


  • Added: Sep 25, 2014
  • Length: 07:43
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: Marvin Ramos and daughter Hailey
There is less research on adolescent fathers than on mothers — much less — and most of it focuses on the impact to the child if a dad is not in hi...

Bought by WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass. and PRX Remix


  • Added: Jul 23, 2014
  • Length: 10:28
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: Danielle Motindabeka in the WNYC studio
When Radio Rookie Danielle Motindabeka came to the United States at age 13, she didn’t speak English. By the time she was in high school, Danielle ...

Bought by PRX Remix


  • Added: Jul 23, 2014
  • Length: 07:15
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Paula Dinh, a student at West Brooklyn Community High School, Credit: Jennifer Hsu/WNYC
It was a battle to the end for high school senior Paula Dinh. After years of skipping class and other bad habits, followed by a big push to change ...

Bought by WABE


  • Added: Jul 22, 2014
  • Length: 07:30
  • Purchases: 1
Piece image
For high school senior Paula Dinh, the path to graduation has been a long one, with times when she questioned her ability — and desire — to finish ...

Bought by WNIJ


  • Added: May 14, 2014
  • Length: 07:30
  • Purchases: 1
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To enroll at West Brooklyn Community High School, students must buy in to a certain level of support and counseling. In exchange, the school promis...

  • Added: Jan 06, 2014
  • Length: 04:48
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Educators at one Brooklyn high school focus on getting their at-risk students across the threshold of the building. Sounds simple, right? Think again.

Bought by WAMC Northeast Public Radio, WABE, and WNIJ


  • Added: Jan 02, 2014
  • Length: 07:08
  • Purchases: 3
Caption: English teacher Erin Bauer helping students prepare for an upcoming state test, Credit: Beth Fertig/WNYC
A high school for students who have dropped out or fallen behind finds that many of their kids are struggling with harder diploma requirements set ...

Bought by WAMC Northeast Public Radio


  • Added: Feb 21, 2014
  • Length: 04:58
  • Purchases: 1