The New York Times Students in the Bronx Prep cafeteria as the principal, Marina Bernard Damiba, told them a popular teacher, Jes s Concepci n, had quit.
Life goes on.
This is business. Mostly they asked questions. Seven months into Bronx Preparatory Charter School's first year, its most popular teacher has quit abruptly, sending staff members scrambling to cover his myriad responsibilities and leaving students saddened and confused. The teacher, Jes s Concepci n, conducted the nascent orchestra and was the school's utility player, serving as an informal dean of students, supervising breakfast and lunch, teaching classes when others were ill and setting the school's disciplinary tone. His tough-love blend of hugs, humor and high expectations endeared him to the school's students, many of whom saw him as a father figure.