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06.21.08, 19:59 PM NY Schools
32 replies
Ugh. District 6 sucks. Even G&Ts suck. Only one decent gen ed/ [ Reply | Watch | Flag ]
NY Schools 06.21.08, 07:59 PM Flag
 

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Is that Harlem? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.21.08, 08:02 PM Flag
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Washington Heights mostly [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.21.08, 08:11 PM Flag
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Most of Harlem is D3, thank goodness. At least the southern portion, about 123 and below.(from a Harlemite) [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 06:35 AM Flag
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No, most of Harlem is D5/D6 - I've lived here a long time. Only the area around CU East of Morningside park is D3 - lucky you live in that area [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 06:50 AM Flag
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123rd and below, as far east as 5th avenue. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 06:52 AM Flag
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D5 sucks much much worse than D6. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.21.08, 08:11 PM Flag
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yes,, but you get a lot of space for way less money. I am sure you realized that when you signed on the dotted line. can't have it all you know? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.21.08, 08:14 PM Flag
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Huh? more space? what space? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.21.08, 08:23 PM Flag
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an apt. in WH is so much cheaper per sq foot than one on uws for eg. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.21.08, 08:34 PM Flag
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PS 153 has a good district G&T program. Unfortunately, it's the only good G&T program up here. We're in D6. Which school is your dc going to? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 03:40 AM Flag
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don't complain. you're the dumb ass that lives there. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 05:32 AM Flag
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np: you know sometimes life is not so black and white. we bought our apt in Dist 5- Harlem 12 years ago, one of two areas we could afford, the other being Washington Heights. Although it has gone up in price, it has not gone up enough for us to be able to sell and get a school in a good zone. Decided later in life to have a child. We have lots of roots in our community and it would not be so easy to go somewhere new. Our dc has lots of friends here. Lucky, we got a decent placement out of zone, but I don't expect my neighbors to have to move just to get a school or to have made the decision not to live here. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 05:48 AM Flag
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or: well, you either move or do something about the schools. there are schools in brooklyn that moms of toddlers started working on to improve in time for their kids to go. complaining is useless. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 06:22 AM Flag
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Yeah, you can congratulate yourself on the back. When your school is outright hostile to parents, you will see. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 06:28 AM Flag
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Per an earlier poster, 187 ranked 38th for NYS and 10th for Manhattan. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 05:35 AM Flag
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I am zoned for 187, and I think it's overrated. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 06:40 AM Flag
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Yup. There were some good schools of choice but they have mostly gone downhill, or gotten overcrowded. We were living mortgage-free in a big beautiful apartment in D6, paying nothing but our maintenance. But like another poster said, we realized you can't have it all and there is a reason that D6 is cheap. We had to suck it up, sell the apartment, and move to an apartment in lower Harlem--relatively cheap rent, but still way more expensive than our maintenance was. Moved to a very good zone (180), backed up with a deposit at a very good Catholic (Ascension), did the lotteries for the truly excellent schools (MSC, 87, 199), got lucky. In D6 you're choosing a lower cost of living in exchange for crappy schools, so you have to pick a priority. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 06:41 AM Flag
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The reality is that most of us don't "choose" to live up here, but it's all we can afford to have the space we need and still live in the city. I also don't think it's so black & white. There are some good charter schools (Amistad, Muscota, to a lesser extent Wash Height Academy) and the G&T at PS 153 has amazing potential. Of the zoned schools, PS 187 appears to be the only decent one around. It is certainly true that you need to think very carefully re: schools up here. That said, it's not as dire as people claim. We're very happy here and plan to stay. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 06:45 AM Flag
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Muscota? Didn't it fail last year and hasn't there been big teacher/administration fallout? The biggest problem with both Amistad and Muscota is that they are squeezed tight into an already overcrowded building with other programs too. No specialty rooms, etc. Hard to compare them with schools in other districts that have their own art room, music room, science lab, gym, computer room, auditorium, playground. Some with gardens, dance studios, etc. too. And more specialized full-time teachers for those extras. Seems like in Inwood/WH you can choose a big school with lots of facilities but an iffy program, or a good program squeezed into a few rooms. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 07:19 AM Flag
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Overcrowding is a HUGE problem here, and that is certainly true for Amistad & Muscota. Muscota has a new principal, and anyway I personally don't put too much stock in those report cards. I am not claiming that these schools are on par with the best that D2 and D3 have to offer. But they are good options for people up here who are zoned for a bad school. This District really does need more funding, more space & more schools, but I doubt any of that is going to happen soon. Unless you can afford private, we're stuck making do with what we have. And by dint of parents' efforts, what we have is not all that bad. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 07:24 AM Flag
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^^^ BTW, PS 153 offers much of what you just described: 3 f/t music teachers (and 3 dedicated music rooms), 2 art studios and 2 f/t art teachers, a dance studio & f/t dance teacher and a f/t drama teacher with her own room, 2 science labs and 2 computer labs. Do you live up here or are you the one who moved to Morningside Heights? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 07:27 AM Flag
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Still live up here but have 2 years to think about it. Concerned. Not in 153 zone. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 07:30 AM Flag
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Adding...thinking about moving to Queens. Couldn't afford Morningside Heights I don't think. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 07:32 AM Flag
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PS 153 has a G&T program that they and the DOE are trying to cultivate. It is an excellent program with good teachers and an ambitious principal. Which zone are you in? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 07:32 AM Flag
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PS98. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 07:36 AM Flag
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You're way up in Inwood then? That school has a G&T program also, although I don't think it is as good as PS 153. So really Amistad & Muscota are the best alternatives to your zoned school, although Wa. Heights Academy is moving up there in 2010. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 07:39 AM Flag
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Heard good things about WHA, but isn't it hard to get in? Don't like Muscota (too unstructured) or Amistad (don't want dual language). Afraid to stay here and take the chance on WHA or gifted. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 08:02 AM Flag
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I hear you. I don't know how hard WHA is to get into, but I think Muscota and Amistad are better than WHA anyway. Good luck with whatever you end up doing. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 08:17 AM Flag
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Was considering Muscota for 2009, what happened to the principal? Thought she was the driving force of the school, when did this happen? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 08:12 AM Flag
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She left suddenly this spring. It's a good thing, in my opinion. Although she was the driving force, she had been there too long and was very flaky. Huge turn off to us, and one of the reasons we didn't consider Muscota. [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 08:14 AM Flag
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There are three good gen eds and I know several people happy with the G&T [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 06:41 AM Flag
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Three good gen eds? Which three? Good as compared to what? [ Reply | More
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General Topics 06.22.08, 06:43 AM Flag
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