School Advice Needed
We were just notified by email that our two kids were offered spots in the Gifted & Talented program at P.S. 9 (The Sarah Anderson School for Music and Art) on the Upper West Side. I obtained some information from insideschools.org and colleagues who live in the Upper West Side and it seems to be…
We were just notified by email that our two kids were offered spots in the Gifted & Talented program at P.S. 9 (The Sarah Anderson School for Music and Art) on the Upper West Side.
I obtained some information from insideschools.org and colleagues who live in the Upper West Side and it seems to be very popular school. I like the fact that it’s an music/arts school too.
The issues/questions, however, are:
– We live in Brooklyn Heights, so it would be a logistical nightmare to get them to and from school, short of moving to the Upper West Side.
– The kids are currently well-settled at PS8. They love it there and we think the principal and teachers are wonderful. We are very happy with the school.
– Why are there spots available at this time? I assume our kids must have been wait-listed and spots came up as families chose other schools and/or moved out of the neighbourhood.
I know there are many parents on this blog who have a lot of experience with the public school system and can offer very solid advice. Is anyone familiar with The Sarah Anderson School? Can you offer suggestions for other questions to ask the people there to assist in our decision?
Any insight is greatly appreciated.
Jaguar, you are the only one who appears to have found this discussion ridiculous. Virtually everyone has provided constructive and thoughtful feedback. I have no beef with you and you’re entitled to your opinion. However, your entire second post is premised on the fact you think I’m rich. You don’t really believe that every parent in Brooklyn Heights with kids in PS8 is rich, do you? If so, you’re very wrong. PS8 is unquestionably diverse, with a mix of kids from different backgrounds (ethnic, religious, financial, etc.). If I told you I was poor, would you think differently of the thread now?
Regardless, you’re right about a couple of things: my kids are geniuses and they are in a very good neighborhood school. 🙂
In any event, if you have kids, I sincerely wish you the best for them. Despite our exchange, I get the impression you are/would be a very caring parent.
Biff if you don’t understand why this whole thread is ridiculous, then I don’t see how I can help you. Most people would be extremely grateful to have the options you apparently have for your children. Too bad it causes you so much anxiety.
Jaguar, why would you begrudge parents, no matter what their financial position, for wanting to provide the best education possible for their children? I don’t understand why you’re so bitter. I’m talking about the best school for my kids (and we’re talking public schools; I can only imagine your reaction if we were comparing Packard to St. Ann’s). I’m not asking for advice on which luxury car to buy or how to find a 30,000sf summer home in Montauk.
bkny, I wonder if we know each other! I have a feeling we very well might. We’re pretty certain we’re sticking with PS8. We do love it and, if nothing else, the G&T test scores have at least given us some comfort/hope that the kids have potential to get into a decent middle school when the time comes (crossing fingers they can keep scoring well).
No, Jaguars do not eat their own vomit, but they do need to vomit when they read about rich people having to make such difficult decisions as whether to send their genius children to the very good neighborhood school they are zoned for because, well, they are rich and live in a very good neighborhood, or whether to send them to the genius school on the upper west side. Life is just so fucking hard for rich people.
Biff – i know i am totally late on this but MY KIDS go to PS8 and we love the school! it’s a great community. we did not have our kids take the G&T test because we didn’t think those schools had any advantage over 8 and did not want to even have to make the decision if they did well. i would not leave the school to be in a gen ed school with one gifted class. doesn’t make sense. the kids from 8 go on to great middle schools. i am biased but stay put.
please let us know what you decided.
Biff, first, congratulations to your kids. I don’t think there is a “wrong” answer here, as they are likely to be successes wherever they go.
I really think you need clarity from DOE as to what this letter means. The other posters are right that it doesn’t make sense that the offer would be for a Manhattan District 3 G&T; the only thing that makes sense is that it would be for the Citywide G&T at Anderson, which is one of the four Citywide G&T programs.
Did you list NEST, which is on the LES and much closer, on your forms, and Brooklyn School of Inquiry? I’d be surprised that seats opened up at Anderson, which is usually the most over-subscribed Citywide, before they opened up at NEST.
I wouldn’t presume to suggest what you should do for your family. My son is two now, and the only thing that *might* get me to move back to Manhattan is if he got into a Manhattan Citywide G&T (though in my case, my wife actually prefers Manhattan, so she’d be all for it).
One final question: If I’m right that your kids qualified for the Citywide program, they should also be eligible for your local District’s G&T program. I don’t know the relative merits of these various programs, but it’s another factor to consider. Good luck.
P.S. Are jaguars among the animals that eat their own vomit? At the moment, I’m thinking yes.
VBA, Biff 🙂 Well done.
But no, seriously, grats! Getting in is a coup, although surely, if they got in now, they can also place into a good school for middle, so if it’s easier to leave them where they are….
Not directly related to the question, but smart choice Brooklyn Chicken. If anyone is considering a G&T placement at PS38 over gen ed at PS 261 or PS 29 DON’T GO!!!
A former roommate/friend of mine worked at PS38 for 2 years and her experience was awful from the principal (who is currently under investigation for bullying her teachers, which based on my friend’s experience, she did on a regular basis) to the parents who couldn’t understand why it was important to send their kids to school more than a few days a month, to the students who had no interest in learning and there was no formal discipline policy so if they were fighting nothing really happened. And yes, she had elementary students fighting in her class on a regular basis and received no support from the administration. Until there is a new administration there that makes some major changes, don’t send your kids there.
Everyone I know who’s kids go to PS29 or PS 261 are very happy.
just my 2 cents…
Yes, you’re right. I meant TAG, not Lower Lab.
As a Brooklyn Heights parent, I think NEST and BIS (brooklyn school of inquiry) are the only G&Ts I’d be interested in.
(tybur6, I knew a family who rented a studio apartment so their kids could go to PS6 on the UES)