tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541468051247516447.post2325822019263811069..comments2024-02-19T05:18:27.849-05:00Comments on <center>the Q at Parkside</center>: The Q's Schools Tool: Intro: Spools and Spools of SchoolsClarkson FlatBedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463744536115119388noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541468051247516447.post-1186480533038054402013-02-08T12:52:01.869-05:002013-02-08T12:52:01.869-05:00Right on, WAGPOPS. There are charter schools, and ...Right on, WAGPOPS. There are charter schools, and then there are just carpetbaggers. These COW guys seems like real crumbs. It's a shame that our own Lefferts Gardens Charter, a real parent-led community school, gets tarred with the charter brush.The Snobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08651104992931398542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541468051247516447.post-54632752942745566992013-02-08T12:34:08.630-05:002013-02-08T12:34:08.630-05:00Thought you might be interested in learning more a...Thought you might be interested in learning more about why WAGPOPS!<br /><br />WAGPOPS! is far more than a few disgruntled people, but represents hundreds of parents and community members district wide along will all of our elected representatives, including our City Council Members, NYState Senators and Assembly, our US Congresswoman, our CEC14 and our Community Board.<br /><br />Here are some background articles. If you have more questions, feel free to contact us through our Facebook page. <br /><br />facebook.com/WilliamsburgGreenpointParents<br /><br />http://thewgnews.com/2012/09/the-demise-of-public-education-mr-mrs-moskowitz-push-more-charters-on-williamburg/<br /><br />http://www.villagevoice.com/2013-01-30/news/Eva-Moskowitz-Bloomberg-Charter-Schools/<br /><br />WAGPOPS! launched a lawsuit against the SUNY charter school authorizers here:<br /><br />http://www.scribd.com/doc/122236115/WAGPOPS-lawsuit-against-SUN<br />WAGPOPShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10001525067117097253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541468051247516447.post-75963832612230149772013-01-24T17:04:23.869-05:002013-01-24T17:04:23.869-05:00My son is in kindergarten at PS 770 and I have bee...My son is in kindergarten at PS 770 and I have been thrilled with the creative, interdisciplinary work he is doing there and with the supportive and nurturing environment that my son's teacher team has created in his classroom. I think that anyone interested in a progressive education, who lives in District 17, is cheating themselves if they don't at least take a look.<br />Our family is white and kind of broke, but with good (decent) educations and solidly middle-class values. Our son attended the Lefferts Gardens Montessori School on Rodgers Avenue, which I loved for it's true racial, cultural, and socio-economic diversity. I really feel that Shimon is attempting to create a very similar inclusive feeling at his school, and I know of at least 10 children from Montessori who are currently attending 770.<br />The school is only 3 years old. I believe that in it's first year it drew mostly children from right in the neighborhood. In it's second and third years, as word of the great things happening there has spread, people from awider area have embraced the school. As far as population goes, I think it is still evolving.<br />It is far, but the school bus stops on the corner right outside of my home, is icompletely reliable, even, as Carmen mentioned, during this strike, and my son steps off of the bus every day with a smile on his face and an endless stream of songs and new concepts to share with me. He is happy. I am happy. I have every intention of sending my younger son there for preschool in the fall.<br />People shouldn't get hung up on demographics and stats. Just go. Feel the energy and the engagement of the kids. See what you think. The New American Academy is still very new. It is already a very good school. If people embrace it, it has the potential to be an incredible plac that is held up as a model to educators and schools everywhere. I feel privilaged to be a part of it at this early phase. (And to not have to deal with the K app process ever again! Yay!)<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541468051247516447.post-58100063188329679942013-01-24T10:21:38.445-05:002013-01-24T10:21:38.445-05:00People always assume when white families reject a ...People always assume when white families reject a local public school in Brooklyn it's because of race. That's a knee jerk reaction that doesn't show much willingness to understand what's really going on and honestly it shows why the school in question and its families don't care that other families feel unwelcome. The truth is some schools (including PS 92) have school leaders who say outright they don't want any new ideas or parent participation. The principal being open to parent participation and leadership in a school is a specific thing many parents look for in a school, even when they ARE considering an all white top scoring school. We're looking at private schools and the schools that seem not so great at inviting parent participation do not interest us. We'd love to be at a diverse, local school. We'd love for for our locally zoned school, PS 92 to have the kind of school leadership and parent involvement and PTA we seek. But at present it doesn't. The new charter schools by nature of what they are, schools formed by the community in partnership with the school leaders, offer more of what people of all races want now. The other difference between PS 92 and schools that interest us more is the approach to teaching and discipline. PS 92 is more traditional ed. We do not want that. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541468051247516447.post-89374062273883777222013-01-23T13:19:08.069-05:002013-01-23T13:19:08.069-05:00I agree with your point about the social contract....I agree with your point about the social contract. This district deserves a successful, well-regarded public school with an active and varied group of parents willing to commit time and $$ to it. Color of the participants is not important.The Snobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08651104992931398542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541468051247516447.post-73412089333947650362013-01-22T14:13:14.408-05:002013-01-22T14:13:14.408-05:00Q, loved all you said. I actually really loved vis...Q, loved all you said. I actually really loved visiting all the schools as well when my daughter was approaching Kindergarten. Joyce Szuflita also fell in love with the process, and then made a career out of it, so who knows...blogger? school reviewer in your near future?<br /><br />Tonight at 6:30pm Play Kids (676 Flatbush Ave)will be hosting the founders from The Odyssey Initiative/Compass Charter School. They'll explaining their project, take your questions, concerns, etc. All are welcome to attend. {For the record, Play Kids has no affiliation with Compass Charter School. We are purely giving them a space open to the public.}<br /><br />Another coincidence, I've also spent MANY hours driving down the roads in Iowa listening to Head East/Flat as a Pancake. shelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01682013199861335782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541468051247516447.post-24602639772006240732013-01-22T13:21:49.715-05:002013-01-22T13:21:49.715-05:00Kimi: I'm so grateful for you honest response....Kimi: I'm so grateful for you honest response. I think you nailed the fear many of us had right on the head.<br /><br />The question I keep coming back to is this: isn't part of the social contract in this City and society to bring something to the conversation, not just take? If we believe we have something to offer a school in terms of diversity, shouldn't that be at least some small of our thinking?<br /><br />I'm sure there would be those who'd argue the perception of mono-culture at 375, 249 or 92. The only common element is probably brown skin. But yeah, Jackie Robinson is pretty much all poor - though decidedly not all "ghetto" (sorry, that's the term that's pretty universally used around here by kids even). That would be the kind of stereotype that would not hold up to scrutiny. <br /><br />And yet if the school leader isn't smart and strong, and most importantly inviting of change, it's hard to just force your way into an ill fit. What schools that have been successful in integration have in common is a principal who believes it's a goal that benefits all, and can sell the concept to all cultures. PS9, PS11, even going all the way back to ALL of the Park Slope schools have experienced these transformations. The danger, of course, it that they become homogenous in the other direction.<br /><br />Thanks again Kimi. I really appreciate your thoughtful perspective. Being the "one" never feels good. Unless you're the "one" truly popular kid! (Right Bob Marvin?)<br /><br />Clarkson FlatBedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13463744536115119388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541468051247516447.post-26447769334203795592013-01-22T13:06:27.030-05:002013-01-22T13:06:27.030-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Kimi Wearthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17213039609669029436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541468051247516447.post-41537687321331755932013-01-21T09:34:40.883-05:002013-01-21T09:34:40.883-05:00PS: The online application for the 2013-2014 schoo...PS: The online application for the 2013-2014 school year is available here:<br /><br />http://thenewamericanacademy.org/p-s-770-online-application/MadMommaCarmennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1541468051247516447.post-5499665598386747282013-01-21T09:32:12.622-05:002013-01-21T09:32:12.622-05:00So glad that you enjoyed your visit to New America...So glad that you enjoyed your visit to New American! Myself and other parents in the area are quite pleased with it. My daughter is thoroughly enjoying her school experience and that's whats most important. Admittedly, the distance was a concern for me as well, but the bus is incredibly reliable (even during the strike!) and as you found out, the walk there isn't that bad either. There are big things happening at New American, one being the addition of a second location based on the same model (a charter school a few blocks away from the PS770 building)MadMommaCarmennoreply@blogger.com