School's Out in Williamsburg
Williamsburg and Greenpoint may be filling up with affluent families lured by the recent condo boom, but the well-heeled new residents are hardly beating a path to local schools. According to an article in this week’s Crain’s (sub. req’d), enrollment is plummeting in the neighborhoods’ public schools–it’s down 12 percent in elementary schools over the…
Williamsburg and Greenpoint may be filling up with affluent families lured by the recent condo boom, but the well-heeled new residents are hardly beating a path to local schools. According to an article in this week’s Crain’s (sub. req’d), enrollment is plummeting in the neighborhoods’ public schools–it’s down 12 percent in elementary schools over the past two years, with middle schools operating at 56 percent capacity, on average. The classrooms are emptying as older residents priced out of the neighborhoods are forced to leave and newer residents put off by what they consider to be conservative education practices decide to send their kids to schools farther afield. The trend is exposing chinks in the armor of the Bloomberg administration’s rezoning of northern Brooklyn, which was supposed to create a community where rich and poor (and their offspring) rubbed shoulders. On top of that, it could spell trouble ahead for developers who are marketing Williamsburg and Greenpoint buildings to young professionals with families. And developers are keenly aware of the areas’ lack of pull on the education front. “We have thought about it,” said Ron Moelis, a principal with L&M Equities, which is developing Schaefer Landing. “I don’t have an answer for you. There’s talk of a charter school, a new magnet school or maybe even a new private school. It would be great if that occurs.”
Photo by specmotors.
About PS 17 –
In 2002 the school was awarded a coveted grant from the Robin Hood Foundation, an organization that builds state-of-the-art libraries in selected New York City public schools. The result: on the school’s first floor there is a fabulous library, designed with drop-bulb hanging lamps, funky chairs, and colorful carpets, not to mention 7,000 books, new computers, and a selection of magazines.
Students receive instruction in music, art, social studies, science, and computers. In addition, PS 17 has a “Chess in the Schools” program, which teaches math and logic skills through the game of chess. However, the school lacks a gymnasium. The school does have a huge schoolyard and, weather permitting, students can play outside for recess.
It sure is, 3:18. Everyone knows poor people don’t have jobs. I mean your nanny is working for you out of the goodness of her heart, right?
maybe you shouldn’t have had kids then, 3:18.
you sound too busy to give them or anyone else the attention they deserve.
your self-inflicted busy schedule is not an excuse for not giving back to the community.
you sound a little nutso.
I’d love to help with the whole “parents improving school drive” but since right now my local schools are crap and I may likely have to opt for private school – I am too busy working 12hr days saving all the $ I can for the $20,000 a year tuition.
P.S. Sorry for being such a “taker” , maybe in my next life I can come back as a non-working single parent on SSI who is too busy watching TV to be a “taker” (and of course also too busy to prepare one of my many children with even the most basic skills necessary to function in a school environment) – God can you believe those new rich condo owners, they “take” so much that despite having full time jobs they actually have time to teach their kids stuff like reading and counting and patience – it is sickening how selfish some people are!
One would think!
think that PS 17 will get there. but, many of the new buildings zoned for 17 aren’t yet completed (or started), and it is true that many of the current children living in the condo buildings are not kindergarten age yet. in our complex, there are tons of kids, but the oldest is 2 1/2. think it will happen over the next couple of years.
The schools will get there because the gentrification of the burg will continue and continue. 10,000 new units are coming on just the waterfront alone. most of the property on roebling from 7th to the park and Union is going condo. Tons of new apartments around McCarren too.
also, there is a 50 MILLION dollar re-do of the McCarren pool coming next year + with the renovation of the water front state park about to happen and the new parks that the developers are going to put in on the waterfront – families will continue to come.
many families do not want to leave the city and the burg will offer them close, affordable, new spaces. it’s an obvious slam dunk.
Its great to know that there are people out there that have the time and have made this their full time job fighting this noble cause. They make it better for the rest of us who spend much of our life working at jobs, trying to make ends meet.
1:42, I applaud your intentions! I agree with what 11:46 said. Start now and by the time you have gotten to the school of your choice, it will be that much better. Don’t be shy. Call the school(s) you have in mind and let them know you are interested and willing to help. They could hook you up with the PTA and guide you to other avenues where help is needed and input is valued. They will be glad for the help! Whereas it used to seem that fundraising was the main issue at most schools, I’ve learned five years after putting my own kids in a public school that politics has lot to do with gaining valuable attention for your school. As my oldest approaches middle school age, I can’t say our elementary school is yet at its peak potential, but it is amazing, and I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. All the work that myself and an incredible posse of dedicated parents have done over the years have surely changed our school for the better. Our children receive not only diversity but the three r’s big time (re:1:33), and then some. People who choose to leave the neighborhood are within their rights to do so and do not deserve criticsm for their decisions. But those who stay are also doing so out of intelligent thought and love for their children (not for any social experimentation). We do work harder for these local schools and probably fight more for them, so it isn’t all that relaxing alot of the time, but change has come and more will be on the way. We all do what feels best for our personal situations, no? Good luck!
The building that is currently PS 34 was originally a Civil War hospital, which is why, in some cases, the children and teachers have to walk thru one class to get to another. They have made it work by building bookcases to mask the traffic and teaching everyone to be respectful of others when passing thru. Not a bad thing to learn in the city.
Despite this, their test scores are very high. Hats off to the teachers and admin for making it all work. Other schools with box rooms don’t fare nearly as well.