858 8th Ave

Unfortunately, this School does a very poor job of educating children with disabilities. NYC mandates that they accept a certain percentage of students with IEP's, so they do, but it's clear that anyone with more severe disabilities is not welcome. This is a top down problem, with an imperious principal who is not responsive to parents and does not answer emails and avoids meeting with them to discuss problems. The school has two arts programs they care about - music theatre and dance. The other two programs - vocal and drama, are where they shuffle kids who have more severe disabilities. While this is a clear IDEA violation, the school couches it as doing what is in the best interest of the child. It's clear that if there was a student in a wheelchair and unable to do traditional dance classes, for example, that they would not be accepted into the Music theatre program, even if they were a strong actor and singer - and even though as a public school, the IDEA requires them to make accommodations. They just fully ignore that law. In addition, many staff - especially those at Rosie's Theatre Kids - one of their partner organizations - are often unaware of any accommodations required by a child's IEP, and thus often fail to implement them.

We’ve had a wonderful experience at PS 111 in Hell’s Kitchen. The transition to the school was seamless when my daughter joined in 3rd grade after being accepted into the Gifted & Talented (G&T) program. After learning more about the school and the many opportunities it offers, we decided to move our son to PS 111 as well.The school provides several affordable and free after-school programs, which has been a huge benefit for our family. Through partnerships with organizations like YOSL, my children have had the opportunity to learn violin and cello. There are also creative partnerships with a local theater, giving students exposure to the arts.PS 111 also does a great job building community. Families are invited to events like movie nights and monthly “Family Fridays,” where we learn more about what students are working on in class. There are also many opportunities for parents to volunteer. The PTA is very active, and the principal clearly cares about the students and is always accessible. It’s truly a supportive and engaging school community.