Forum
« Driveway/Sidewalk repair/looking for Tony Delija or other recs House is too hot. »
October 27, 2008
Specialized high school test at Brooklyn Tech
I Don't know how many of you had to deal with this on Saturday or Sunday but what a chaotic mess. Thousands of kids and parents having NO IDEA where to go or what to do.
For those that may not know our kids in Brooklyn have to jump through all kinds of hoops to get into a decent public high school. There is an exam for "specialzed" public schools. Brooklyn Tech, Stuyvesant, etc.
In addition to that the kids have to select their first choice, second etc. Then hope they can get into a school that they like and might better fit their needs and wants. Let's face it isn't that one reason we pay taxes? So we may be better served? Or that is the way it is supposed to be at least.
Yesterday, we arrived for the test and it was mobbed. Traffic was snarled on Dekalb (funny enough no one was there to direct traffic). I guess writing more tickets and filling up the cash cow of the Traffic Dept. was more important yesterday. Brooklyn Tech is a big building with several entrances. Funny enough no one bothered to even post one single sign informing kids/parents where to go. There was one doorway mobbed with people and no one seemed to know what was going on there. Most didn't know where to go to take the afternoon test. (there had also been a morning test too)I asked a few people and they had no idea either. Was there any info on the web site to clearly spell out what to do when we go there? Nope. They do tell you to help the kids keep their stress low for the big test but I ask you how that is supposed to happen when you arrive at the "test center" and are greeted by an unorganized, chaotic mess. I even said out loud "I could organize this better than this" and one of the "personel" heard me. She said "who said that"? I said "I did." She said "You want to go around and do it?" I said "Yes. Who is in charge of this fiasco?" She said all people had top do was come around to the other side (as we had finally done) to enter. I told her there was absolutely no way for anyone to know that. Picture someone coming here for the first time. How are they supposed to know where to go or what to do? There is no information OF ANY KIND, ANYWHERE. She said she had been doing it for 30 years and that seemed to be good enough. SIGH.
Ok so if people are treated that way. As if they aren't important and their tax dollars "at work" appear to be carelessly spent is that acceptable? Is the city or the school system at all interested in marketing any kind of positive image at all for themselves? Based on yesterday they certainly aren't. Why should I care when they seem like they are doing me some kind of favor? What a joke. If yesterday were a business I would never shop there again and tell every I knew to stay away. Trouble is it is public school and it is the only game in town unless you want to pay a premium for private school.
How after 30 years (especially now with the huge growth in Brooklyn) do they carry on an event like this business as usual? If Amazon tried that they would be out of business. Instead they try very hard to get the customer what they want. They might even ask how the customers shopping experience was and then...get this. Actually implement something out of the information they receive! Wow! What a concept NYC public school system.
Please don't give me the excuse about budget cuts either. All it takes is some planning and forethought. Jeez. Learn from the previous years and improve it. Is that really so difficult? Talk about building a crummy image for yourself...well there it is right there.
Trying not to belabor the point too much (I guess I am though) but I was in a Whole Foods in California back in July and what a great experience. Very helpful staff, friendly, clean, extremely organized and when we couldn't find something it didn't feel like they were doing me a favor or something.
I guess government organizations don't have to run themselves like this because they are the only game in town. Too bad because the rest of the world is catching up with us and if the rest of government is organized this poorly we will eventually crumble like Rome, Britain, and other so called leaders of the world did.
Anyway, if anyone out there knows who is in charge of that mess yesterday please feel free to send it on to me.
Thanks,
Robert
Comments
They work for the government; city government at that. Not sure why you're so surprised that it was a cluster f^%k of incompetence. But I do feel for your stress at the level of incompetence.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 27, 2008 11:32 AM
I was there -- there were a lot of people to be sure, but it was pretty clear where the entrance to the exam was. When the kids were let out after the exam was over, they were directed to stand in front of their last initial, so that was orderly, and I have to say that the security people were helpful and answered any questions I had. I can imagine that if you arrived by car it would be very stressful. But, knowing that thousands of kids were going to be converging on the school the same time to take the test, we took public transportation. In short, not everybody had Robert's experience.
I agree, though, that our kids have to go through way to much agony to find a good high school.
Posted by: Back40 at October 27, 2008 12:05 PM
I live nearby and the neighborhood was a disaster of honking and bad driving for the hour or two before. I don't know who these people are who think they can all drive to Fort Greene, but they should have taken the subway. Obviously there isn't room for 1000 cars to all arrive at once, and there's nowhere for them to park when they get here (the nearby parking lots were mostly closed, as they usually are on weekends). Why didn't those people take the subway to get here?!
Posted by: zinka at October 27, 2008 12:15 PM
"Trying not to belabor the point too much (I guess I am though) but I was in a Whole Foods in California back in July and what a great experience. Very helpful staff, friendly, clean, extremely organized and when we couldn't find something it didn't feel like they were doing me a favor or something."
If you're paying Whole Foods prices for Brooklyn Tech you should get Whole Foods service. Like Dalton. But you're not. Driving was probably your biggest mistake; it set you up for aggravation, like it usually does.
Had the same hectic experiences registering my kid at 321 and 51, but that's how it is, hectic. But not incompetent. Another helpful thing you might try is to scope out the place ahead of time, and also get info from people who have been thru the process. Park Slope Parents board is such a place.
Another thing, a lot of parents, including us, figured their kid can make it to the test site by themselves, especially if they live in the same boro. I don't recall taking my kid to the test. Kids have a marvelous adaptability. An adult's chaos is a kid's experience.
Posted by: denton at October 27, 2008 12:40 PM
OP: Did no-one tell you that Phase One of the entrance exam is that you have to trust your kid to ride mass transit and navigate both test and school hallways on his own?
Posted by: vinca at October 27, 2008 12:42 PM
I didn't drive there and sorry to tell you but there was NO indication AT ALL of where the entrance to take the exam was. None at all. We walked there towards Flatbush and all that we could see was the entrance on Dekalb, (which was flooded by people) and by the way there is absolutely no reason anyone should even have to ask a security person for any kind of directions at all. The very fact that you would have to do that indicates poor organization. As I said I was one of MANY who were very confused by the whole thing. And yes thousands of kids were converging on one spot to take a test. Doesn't that say to the organizers that it requires a high level of planning to make it go smoothly? I expected a mob of kids but god forbid that we would all have clear instructions of what to do once we got there. That is a no brainer. If you settle for that kind of thing then you will continue to get the same. Again if it was a business it would be closed and bankrupt by now. Just because it is a government institution it makes it all ok to be incompetent?
Where was it clear where the entrance was for example? Just to be clear most people that I met had the same problem I did. Hmmmm.
Robert T
Posted by: transistor at October 27, 2008 12:47 PM
An adult's chaos is a kid's experience.
denton...that was classic.....and sooo true!!!
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 27, 2008 12:52 PM
>>
What kind of attitude is that to take? What are taxes for anyway? Any business I know worth its salt no matter how little they charge gives great service and do what they say. That is marketing 101.
>>
We walked
>>
You must have a lot of spare time. When instead clear instructions etc (with a little effort) could be posted to their web site for example. You want to make an even bigger production out of what should be a fairly easy process. And hectic is one thing. Incompetence is another entirely. Once again you miss the point. You are providing solutions to get around the problem when the problem itself is easily solvable. All it takes is looking at how a successful business works and adapt your model to it. I know successful business people who have done so many times.
>>>
Yeah you mean like my daughters friend who was crying after the test because she didn't feel she did well enough to get into the school she wanted? Guess they learn to adapt
to pressure early on. That is the NYC way!
Posted by: transistor at October 27, 2008 1:01 PM
Sounds like a bad day. We all want the best for our children and large bureaucracies can really bring out the worst in us. I hope your child did well, and that sharing your experience gave you some relief from your frustration.
Me, I've always thought Brooklyn Tech would make great condos.
Posted by: Putnamdenizen at October 27, 2008 1:13 PM
A friend of mine took her kid & they were early. Kids were shown a horror film while waiting. Not the most well-judged pre-test activity - just adding to stress, apprehension & anxiety.
Posted by: Arkady at October 27, 2008 1:32 PM
Can one get a true vibe of a person's attitude through three posts? If so, transistor doth protest too much, methinks.
Posted by: cmu at October 27, 2008 1:36 PM
My kid took the test. Wife dropped him off. She had very clear instructions. No problem. The pick-up would have been simple if not for all the parents not following the instructions and allowing the students to exit and stand by the letter of their last name. Robert clearly was one of them. Obnoxious sense of entitlement. OSE, it is the newest virus going around Brooklyn. No known cure...yet.
Posted by: pig three at October 27, 2008 9:00 PM
Brooklyn public schools have the highest % acceptance to Ivy schools in the country. Perhaps all the chaos you experienced was just part of the test. You know, a way to weed out the weak. Match that to your successful business model.
Posted by: pig three at October 27, 2008 9:24 PM
I guess the poster is new to neighborhood...this happens every year, we mark it on the calendar because if you try to drive that day you're screwed. I dion't know about the test, but they need a couple cops telling people they can't stop, and they never have any.
Posted by: jawbreaker at October 29, 2008 12:47 PM
If its any consolation, I've lived directly across the street from Brooklyn Tech for the past ten years and never witnessed the level of chaos and congestion that occurred on Saturday. It seemed clear from my perspective that the situation wasn't being handled well by the administration. It was really beyond the pale.
Posted by: fexleycb at October 30, 2008 1:25 PM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.