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“I’ve never seen teachers work so hard to turn our school around,” she said. “We were doing a fantastic job and even got a letter last October from the State Education Department encouraging us ‘to keep up the good work.’”

Unfortunately, despite the team spirit Mendez had forged and despite meeting nine out of 10 state performance benchmarks, PS 92 was one of 14 schools that the city Department of Education announced in December was being targeted for closure. The city’s Panel for Educational Policy voted 7 to 6 to close the school at its Feb. 28 meeting. It will close in June.

“We felt shellshocked and blindsided,” special education teacher Paige Glantz said. “Diane had us all pulling together and we were feeling encouraged.”

When PS 92 was put in the city’s School Renewal Program in 2015, the staff was initially reluctant to commit to the nonmandated extended learning time that is part of the program until Mendez held a meeting where she urged everyone to give it their all. Over 95 percent signed on and stuck by that commitment over the past three years, as they saw the extra effort and resources result in slow but steady improvement.

After the December announcement, Mendez moved into high gear: 400 phone calls to parents and community leaders; posters, T-shirts, bracelets and fliers; letters from students to the mayor and the chancellor; and a visit to the school at Mendez’s invitation from City Councilman Rafael Salamanca (though she was excluded from the meeting by the superintendent).

Following a well-attended PEP hearing at the school on Feb. 7, Mendez packed three buses provided by the UFT with staff, alumni, parents, students and community leaders for the trip to Manhattan on Feb. 28 for the final PEP vote.

“I honestly have not slept in weeks working with parents to see what else can be done to save 92,” she declared.

On March 6, she was still fighting, leading a large protest by parents at the school.

“Diane has done more than anyone I can think of in rallying everybody,” Glantz said.

Mendez remains undefeated. “In the long run, we did and will continue to do all we can to keep this school open,” she said.