School Choice Tips for Parents

What are my school options as a parent in New York City?

The main choice is between public and private, but there are many different subsections of each of these options.

Private can be “standard” private or parochial schools. Parochial schools (a school that engages in religious education in addition to conventional education) can be cheaper than the typical private school. Also, there are scholarship options for both of these, so if you find a school that fits your child’s needs, apply for a scholarship.

For public schools, you have Department of Education (DOE) run schools (P.S., I.S., M.S, and H.S.) and you have charter schools. Charter schools are not run by the DOE, but are also tuition free. You can find a great map of all public schools here: http://schools.nyc.gov/FindASchool/AdvanceSearch.htm?level=All&actn=sear...

Charter schools pick their students through a lottery system so every child has an equal chance to get into the school; they cannot disciminate based on test scores or grades (whereas some selective DOE schools can). To see a list of charter schools in New York City, go to:

http://www.nycchartercenter.org/schools.asp

As I just mentioned, there are some selective public school options, with a handful of high school options. These high schools can select their students based on test scores. For more information on specialized high schools go to:

http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/1340CEF0-1E83-4421-98C3-15100FFB99A5...

What are my options if my school is failing? How do I go about receiving these options?

If your school is failing you will receive a letter that looks like this:

http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/2E1E5C90-88F0-4EC9-B1D9-7CFC3AB483A3...

If you get this letter, take action! Your child has the right to transfer to a non-failing school and has priority over other transfer students. It is definitely easier to get into schools that are in your neighborhood, but it is also possible to transfer out of your zone. For more information about how to apply for a transfer and how the transfer process works go to:

http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/ChangingSchools/NCLB/PSC/defaul....

How do you know if a school is the right fit?

 
DOE public schools have report cards that show how well the school is doing and where it needs improvement. You can check out these report cards at: http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/DOEData/AnnualSchoolReports/defaul...

You can also check out a school's quality review put out by the DOE here:

http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/SchoolReports/QualityReviews/defau...

Just keep in mind that even though these report cards and reviews are a helpful guide to finding a good academic school, it is still important to visit the school and see if it is a good fit for your child. Not  every good school will be right for your child. The best tip I can share with you as parents is to know your child, and go talk to the teachers, parents, and administrators at the school(s) you are considering. Make sure you can picture your child flourishing in that particular environment

Is there any age at whichh my child has the most options? At what pointshould I look into these options?

The transition from elementary to middle school is the most important transition time. Middle school is a very important time developmentally for your child and it is easy to get stuck in a failing middle schools (there are far more failing middle schools than elementary schools in New York City). So, start looking into your school options while your child is in elementary school.

Additionally, most charter schools hold lotteries for children going into kindergarten (for elementary school) or 5th grade (for middle school) only. This means you will need to apply by April 1 of the year your child is entering this grade.

Getting started on the right foot is important. If your child is about to start school, look into your options and visit the school before they start. Once your child has started at a school it is much harder to transfer out (and it is difficult emotionally on the child to transfer once the child has made friends and gotten used to the school).

There is also an important transition from middle school to high school during which you can consider more options. In 7th grade you should start looking into private or specialized options for your child. There is testing to get into specialized schools and there are additional preparations (such as applying to financial aid, filling out applications, and interviewing) that go into applying to private schools.

Are there any websites or people to talk to that can help me find the best school for my child?

Visit the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence for information on Charter Schools: http://www.nycchartercenter.org/

Visit the Department of Education for information information on Public Schools:

http://schools.nyc.gov

Go to GreatSchools.net for more information on each school including parent reviews:

http://www.greatschools.net