I dropped by an end-of-year barbeque held for central office staff on the steps and lawn in front of North Avenue yesterday. A few noteworthy things I heard people talking about:

1) There may be students going to school alonside administrators in 2008-2009, if the plans to put a new alternative middle school inside the central office materialize. But eventually (i.e., after another round of downsizing next year), Dr. Alonso wants to move the administration out of North Avenue entirely. The New York City school system did this in 2002 as both a symbolic and cost-saving move, abandoning the old board of education building in Brooklyn in favor of a beautiful office space in the restored Tweed Courthouse in Manhattan.

2) Reginald Lewis High, the school that got all the media attention when its art teacher was assaulted on cell phone camera, is getting a new principal. The job opening was just posted on the system's Web site.