my sidewalk chalk blog.
By Joyce Szuflita
Read this great article from Chalkbeat that lays out the problem and presents what I feel is a realistic and pragmatic approach (in this moment) to screening students (or not) for middle school and high school. It is reporting on the Fordham Law School Feerick Center for Social Justice report.
By Joyce Szuflita
This is not a large sample and it is from a very narrow range of residents in northwest Brooklyn, but it is pretty consistent, so I thought that I would report on the buzz from where I sit.
In the effort to make some decisions about how to deal with school in the fall, these are the assumptions parents who talk to me are making. Conflicting assumptions are often held simultaneously, thus making any action impossible or wildly uninformed. They are all just feeling around in the dark. One thing to point out - I don’t know any more than you do, but I do have a calm head.
Assumptions:
Everyone who can, will move out of the City (forever, for 6 months, for 2 years).
This is the time to buy in the City.
Everyone will flee to private school for the smaller class sizes and student: teacher ratio (for 1 year, or forever).
Everyone will flee to public school because of the economy and the deficiencies of Zoom School.
Everyone is going to hire a tutor and home school.
First off, don’t assume. Take this one moment at a time. It is probably too early to tell what emerging plans will be put into place on the public or private side, what the economy will look like and how Covid will react.
Look at your family and your child and try not to make a fear based move (City or not, public or not).
Resiliency and flexibility (along with creativity and humor) will get us through this. There are likely to be some opportunities as things sift out, but they will likely be most available to people who remain patient and keep a cool head.
People who panic drown.
By Joyce Szuflita
There are many opportunities to go deep academically at high school in NYC.
By Joyce Szuflita
Who says you have to pick your career in high school?
The high school art audition programs get the reputation as being only for the singularly passionate or wildly talented. The idea that the “Fame” school (LaGuardia) is only about becoming a professional artist and dancing on cabs is overrated. When searching for high schools, many students disregard those programs immediately, because they don’t think of themselves as “those kids” or as talented enough. If you have no interest, then they are not for you. If you like doing whatever (performing or visual arts) and wouldn’t mind digging deeper, then you should investigate further.
By Joyce Szuflita
High Schools in NYC are either 500 kids or 4000. That is very odd.
While there are many good high schools that are tiny or giant, my optimal size is 1000-2000. That is 250 to 500 students in the graduating class; enough to have lots of sports, arts, electives and extra-curriculars but small enough that you have probably run into everyone in your class at least once. The academic and social biodiversity that this size promotes is healthy. You can find your people, but it won’t take you four years to do it.
By Joyce Szuflita
We have dates:
Register to take the SHSAT or audition for LaGuardia by
Oct. 21, 2020
Dates for the Boroughwide High School Fairs (positive thinking!) under “Virtual Tours and Attending Events”:
Oct. 3-4 and Oct. 17-18, 2020
Dates for the Specialized HS test- under “Take the SHSAT”
Locations to take the SHSAT- under “Take the SHSAT”
The deadline for high school application is Dec. 4 2020.
We have Admissions Guides!
The Regular HS Admissions Guide
The Specialized HS Admission Test Guide (practice tests)
Go to Inside Schools to think about your list and use their advanced filters.
Go to individual school websites to see if they have any virtual tourish information yet.
By Joyce Szuflita
Everyone wants to know. I don’t get enough reports to make any judgements. One problem is that individual teachers and individual students will have personal challenges that have a big impact. Which schools had the best plan and the best support for their staff is the question. Are there schools where there is a lucky cluster of teachers who have embraced this challenge or show a talent for drawing out and engaging their students remotely?
I would be happy to take your comments about your experiences. It is also wildly important that you send in reviews to www.insideschools.org about your in school in normal times as well as remote school experiences for next year’s parents who will be searching for K, 6th grade and 9th grade. I can’t tell you how important this is for your neighbors. Please, please do it now. If you are a student, try not to dig into personal grievances. Tell about the good and the bad. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Be fair but be specific.
Please, please share as much concrete information as possible.
If you feel that you can comment about your school below (you may do so anonymously):
how old is your child? and if it is a positive review (lets try and stay positive)- what is your school?
how often and how long is their interaction with their teacher each day?
if you are having a good experience, do you credit it to the talent of your particular teacher or has there been institutional/school backup?
is there any one particular thing that is most effective?
helping families search for Brooklyn preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, NYC high schools
