Very few parents have any idea what their options are when it comes time to start planning for their child’s enrollment in school, which is why many look at school zoning when house hunting. A school like PS 321 in Park Slope, Brooklyn, can be a huge draw in a real estate ad, as the reputation and test scores of such a school act as a boon to the value of the home.
But in New York City, your zoned school is one of many public school options and, unlike in suburban communities, parents in the five boroughs can choose a public school in any borough for their child to attend — even if it’s not the one zoned for them.
So, you know your child, but do you know your options?
We, as parents, must make the time to explore all the public school options and deem which school will best fit our child’s personality and learning style, and then advocate on their behalf for application and acceptance.
I have been researching my options for a few years now and, as a result, my daughter attends first grade at Brooklyn School of Inquiry — the city’s newest “gifted and talented” school, which opened to kindergarten and first grade students in 2009.
I had originally wanted my daughter to go to the local Sigma program, but when her test scores came back too high, I learned that there were other options I hadn’t considered.
As a teacher for the Department of Education since 2001, I had no clue as to how the non-zoned public schools worked. I knew there was something more to public school options than just attending the one in my zone, but I knew no more than that. I worked down the block from the Mark Twain Middle School, another gifted and talented school in Brooklyn, but I never thought much about its admissions. Why should I? I wasn’t looking for my child. But as I began to instruct in private tutoring, I soon became aware of a gifted and talented exam for middle school, and then another one for specialized high schools. I know this may equate to a lot of testing and a lot of pressure for kids, but isn’t that just preparation for life?
Last year, I taught at a Charter School. When I told my friends and family, they all asked, “What is that?”
There are 54 Charter Schools in Brooklyn, and many more throughout the city. They are public, therefore, they are free, but they march to the beat of their own drum. Seventy five percent of their students are funded publicly and the rest through grants and donations. They are held to stricter standards, their test scores must be higher, and their calendar year is usually longer. Their programs may be different — no gym, but, perhaps, dance, Hebrew instead of Spanish classes, and other variables. Longer days, shorter summers, more rigorous curriculum — this is all typical of a charter school. How do you get in? Lottery, not tests.
My search for options continues as my son finishes up his last year of kindergarten at a three-year Montessori school. Unfortunately, most parents stay uninformed or are too busy to do the leg work that is required when it comes time to research and advocate on behalf of their children in such a scenario. It’s a good excuse, but not good enough. Because we parents don’t get any guide to city schools, and the city’s website doesn’t give much insight into our choices, it’s our obligation and privilege to be our child’s academic life coach and guidance counselor. It’s our job to ask and find out what lies beyond our borough’s zoned school, and that doesn’t mean using our cousin’s best friend’s address to get our child into the better neighborhood-zoned school.
Our public schools have to work for us. They can’t always be the scapegoat of our children’s short comings. Instead, our public schools need to be the reason why we didn’t need a private school, and a consequence of our children’s progress. Search your options. What Charter Schools are in your area? Is there an Eagle, Delta or Sigma program at any of your district schools? Consider signing your child up for the gifted and talented test (The deadline to apply is Nov. 17).
Resources:
nyccharterschools.org
http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/GiftedandTalented/ParentResources/default.htm
http://www.Insideschools.org
