John Dewey High School is a public school in Gravesend, Brooklyn, New York City. It was founded and based on the educational principles of John Dewey. The school, under the supervision of the New York City Department of Education, was named a New American High School in 2000. The school opened on September 8, 1969, with 1,130 freshmen and sophomores. It grew in the next two academic years to include juniors and seniors. There currently are over 3,200 students. It counts among its alumni producer and director Larry Charles, filmmaker Spike Lee, Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies, radio personality David Brody, photographer Gregory Crewdson, WWE wrestler Jayson Paul (aka JTG), scientist Robert Sapolsky, astrologer-journalist Eric Francis, news correspondent Ray Suarez, and film actress Michelle Ye. John Dewey High School was also the first "educational-option" school in New York City, in which applicants are admitted through academic groups based on their citywide test scores: high, middle, and low-achieving. Dewey selects students from each of the three groups. Other schools in the city, such as Edward R. Murrow High School, Murry Bergtraum High School and Norman Thomas High School have since opened, following Dewey's "ed-op" system of admissions. Academics Each academic year is currently split into four cycles. In order to graduate, students must pass a certain number of classes in each department. For example, each student must take 16 cycles of English: 8 literature classes, 4 writing classes, 2 communication classes, and 2 electives. For Social Studies, each student must take 16 cycles of classes. Students need 8 global history courses, 4 American history, 2 economic classes, and 2 government classes. Mathematics requires 12 cycles, and each student must complete Math A. The Science Department requires students to take 12 cycles of classes. The foreign language options are Spanish and Chinese. When a student chooses a preferred language, the course must be taken for either for 4 or 12 cycles. Art and music are important in the Dewey curriculum, a student can take photography, music, or film classes. Each student must take 2 cycles of each. As in all high school in New York City, Dewey offers health education and physical education. Each student must take 14 cycles of physical education and 2 cycles of health, totaling 16 cycles. There are also many electives and extra curricular activities, such as dance, business education, technology, home economics, and health careers and occupations.