The Shifting School Equation
There wasn’t room to discuss it yesterday, but we suspect the public/private school issue is on a number of people’s minds. Over the weekend, The Times ran an article about the number of people who bought their apartments in recent years with the assumption that they would send their kids to private school. Now that…
There wasn’t room to discuss it yesterday, but we suspect the public/private school issue is on a number of people’s minds. Over the weekend, The Times ran an article about the number of people who bought their apartments in recent years with the assumption that they would send their kids to private school. Now that the economic downturn has made that a more difficult proposition, they are left to confront the limitations of their own school district. In some cases, parents are even considering renting a cheap apartment within a good school district just to get access—after all, it would be cheaper than the $30,000+ tuition in Manhattan. (It’s more like $25,000 here in Brooklyn.) Question for the renters and those in the market to buy in Brooklyn: Has the school issue shifted your real estate plans since the downturn began?
The Sudden Charm of Public School [NY Times]
Photo by Steve and Sara
Sorry, two toilets – I mean North EAST corner of Westchester…
great input jinglemail. Well thought and certainly a valuable contribution to the discussion. (yes- I was being sarcastic).
Thanks Architerrorist!
It looks like the big winner from this discussion is donorschoose.org. Will be heading there right after this.
As many people here have commented, the schools that have improved and turned around in recent years are the schools that got new, involved, progressive-minded principals. Sure, we’d all like to civic-mindedly help all the schools in our zone, district, borough, city, and world, but we’re not likely to. School is a very local consideration, and if you’re pouring time and money into your own child’s school, you are not likely going to be doing the same for all the other schools around you. Just a fact. We’ve all only got so much time to go around. So yes, parents fight to improve their own child’s school and it’s survival of the pushiest/savviest/richest as it is in many things.
I am zoned for 20 but will be trying to have my child attend 11 next year. This is based on first hand observation from living in the neighborhood for 8 years and what I’ve heard of the experiences of others. Of course I’m going to choose a school with an open-minded, inclusive principal over one with a principal actively discouraging parental involvement. Not my kind of place. The question is if we can even get in to 11 by next year with all the success and popularity it is now enjoying.
my apologies, brooklyn chicken. I wasn’t sure what you meant- could be either way. That’s the difficulty with posts- hard to tell. That said, When I do have materials and such they schools can use I do donate. Don’t have much money and presently unemployed so I do what i can.
Col. Austin- I in no way want my taxes back- I think good schools are for everyone’s future. I was making a point that parents who think childless people should not give opinions on public schools (because supposedly we can never understand) are wrong. As a taxpayer and a New Yorker, I have a stake in this too.
if you rent and don’t earn much money, your tax dollar contribution to the the schools is minimal. in fact, if you made one comment on here today, you have had more than your fair share of input for the year. thanks, nice doing business with you, crotchfruits.
Putnum, whats your problem. I’d tell you to take that pole out of your ass, but it seems you might mistake that as another poke at gays.
I own a home very near to PS 20 and have watched with a keen interest the going ons at PS 20.
The white and mulutto comment was something that I actually heard come out the mouth of one of the parents as they were discussing whatever drama was going on at the time.
I appreciate your delicate initial response. I’m very familiar with the competing forces at play and totally understand your decision to leave.
I’m a firm believer that a good school is a huge positive when it comes to real estate values. I see Park Slope parents paying through the nose to live in cramped one bedroom apartments, sleeping on pull out futons, sacrificing the bedroom to their kids, just so they can send their kids to a good school.
If the only thing standing in the way of a potentially good school is one man, how can he be taken out of the equation.
But Legion, what if we’re hipster parents? We don’t all live in Williamsburg yanno.
lol
Legion – am VERY familiar with that area as I grew up in Northern Queens and in Port Washington.
Bayside,Little Neck and Douglaston lacks true diversity as you have little to no Black population there at all.
You have a lot of asian and maybe hispanic. So for me that’s not a truly diverse area. Cardozo HS in Bayside from what I remember is HORRIBLE so is Bayside High. Not sure about the middle/elem schools.
Douglaston & Little Neck have wealthy enclaves and nice houses but you can only get into the city via LIRR or maybe private buslines – there is no subway service out there. You cannot get to the 7 line in any of the nabes you mentioned.
I would take living in Park Slope anyday than living over there – just my opinon though. There are certainly pretty streets,but Northern Blvd is sooo blahs-ville and parts of Bell Blvd aren’t that great area in terms of the amenities you can get in Brooklyn. They do have some great Greek bakeries and cafes over there…