455 W 24th St
New York, NY 10011

We had a great experience up until our child’s last year. I don’t know if Covid was part of being the culprit but I wish we transferred. Ideally graduating was the ultimate milestone and an amazing accomplishment despite the teachers and school administration. Please get all of the learning resources your child needs to excel for middle school. Because of the lack of support and betrayal of this school our child fell short grade wise because of anxiety and depression and health issues. Teachers and school administration took sides and gossiped and treated our child like if they all were back in school. Bullying is a huge issue and isn’t spoken about. We didn’t know our child was getting bullied from grades first, second, fourth, and of course fifth. The only child suspended for bullying after years of bullying was due to disrespect toward a teacher. This child was allowed back. There are no consequences for any bad actions. The school feels the guidance counselor and no recess for a day or gym is punishment. So the actions are constantly repeated. So last year bullying was rewarded by transferring some of them into the gifted and talented classes since there was only one large general class. If your child is shy or sweet maybe send them to another school by fifth grade. The general class was segregated by color and skill. If this is considered a general class than all of the children should be taught the same way. I didn’t understand why they chose to make just one general class for fifth grade without notifying parents when all of the years prior and before Covid classes were small and had a helper. So please make sure to be on top of your child’s grades before the marking period because the teachers won’t reach out unless your child is liked by them or their favorite. I pray they changed and learned from previous mistakes. This last year compared to all of the years since kindergarten was pure smelly trash! They say they were preparing the children for middle school but being emotional detached and choosing sides or ignoring issues, having favorites, lack of challenging work isn’t preparation. The N word was used a lot and ignored. I believe since the ones that said it were good students teachers swept it under the rug. A child’s hair was ripped out by the roots and the student who did it went on to physically try to hurt another student twice. She was allowed to graduate with them. Protect your child by any means. Be active in PTA and the school.

My son graduated from James Baldwin last year after attending in 11th and 12th grade. It was a warm, welcoming environment with a strong support system, caring staff and an eclectic mix of students. My son was able to regain his self esteem, build relationships with teachers and staff, as well as take on leadership roles. He was exposed to a wide range of writing classes that enabled him to improve in this area dramatically. The school put together a lovely personalized graduation ceremony for the class, demonstrating the bonds formed between staff and students. Advisory or "Crew" was an essential part of the environment as were internships, college credit classes at Baruch and other neighboring colleges. Parent involvement was encouraged and supported by the school community, but it is high school!