About Us
About PS 347
PS 347 is a dual language school dedicated to bridging the Deaf and hearing communities in New York City. Our 3K through 8th grade students come from every borough in New York City. Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Children of Deaf Adults (CODAs) all attend PS 347 to perfect their ASL and be taught a rigorous curriculum. We offer the LEAST RESTRICTIVE environment for Deaf students in the New York City Department of Education.
Mission Statement
MISSION STATEMENT
The PS347 mission is to provide a bilingual education that values American Sign Language and Deaf culture and to help bridge the Deaf and hearing communities in New York City.
SCHOOL DESCRIPTION
P.S. 347, The American Sign Language & English Lower School, is a PreK-to-8 public school in NYC serving d/Deaf, hard-of-hearing (D/HOH), CODA (children of deaf adults), and hearing students. We are a non-zoned mainstream school centrally located in Manhattan. Our families come from all over NYC to be a part of this special place - a place where hearing differences are the norm, and everyone feels like they truly belong. We are on a quest to become the most inclusive school for the Deaf community, and strive to create a new generation of hearing allies and advocates.
We teach a rigorous, standards-aligned curriculum and offer the least restrictive environment for D/HOH in the New York City Department of Education (DOE). Our expectations are high and our class sizes are small. There are two teachers per room following an Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) model. We pride ourselves on differentiated learning strategies to develop students' academics through individualized and small group instruction.
Our staff, administration, and community are dedicated to and care deeply about our students. We are committed to inspiring and encouraging curiosity, empathy, and social awareness by developing higher-level thinking skills and exploring real-world issues. Our small school fosters independent thinking and good citizenship.
Admissions priority is given to deaf and hard-of-hearing children and those with deaf relatives. This includes siblings of D/HOH children (SODAs), children of deaf adults (CODAs), grandchildren of deaf adults (GODAs), as well as other family members. There is DOE bus service from all five boroughs.
History
All information is courtesy of the "47" Alumni Association. We appreciate their research into the history of our school.
In 1906, New York boasted of having three schools for the Deaf. All were residential and all required payment. However, a group of parents wanted their children to return home daily and these parents protested at City Hall, braving a storm. They pled with Mayor George Brinton McCelan to form a public day school for Deaf students. The Board of Education assigned two educators to study this concept, and then approved money for the renovation and repair of a warehouse at 225 East 23rd Street.
The 1865 warehouse was originally Peter Stuyvesant High School, and then became P.S. 40 before becoming P.S. 47 School for the Deaf in 1908. With 47 Deaf students, the building had such poor lighting and accommodations, but the school made do with what it had. Behind the school was a horse stable, and in between the buildings was a playground. Principal Carrie Wallace Kearns wrote to the Board of Education many times requesting a new building.
Finally in 1925, the horse stable on 24th Street was torn down to make way for a new school building. The students and staff moved to this new building, and in 1926, watched as the 1865 building was torn down and rebuilt. Upon completion, the students happily moved back to that side, with a hallway connecting both buildings.
On February 2, 2002, the school was renamed “47” The American Sign Language and English School. Three years later on February 1, 2005, New York City Department of Education Chancellor Joel Klein announced his decision to convert the lower and secondary programs into two schools, now called “47” The American Sign Language and English Lower School and “47” The American Sign Language and English Secondary School. The primary reasons for having two schools include better budget control and improved teaching methods.
Today, “47” The American Sign Language and English School is known for its dynamic dual language program taught by Master Teachers in the least restrictive environment for our students. We are led by Principal David Thacker Bowell and continue to grow as a community.
