616 E 9th St #2W
Manhattan, NY 10009

I have two kids at East Side, one is white, the other, Latinx. Both my kids love, love, love the school, its culture of zero tolerance for bullying and the teachers' dedication. It's obvious that teachers at this school love their job and are strict about academics and empathetic towards their students. My children feel safe and happy at this school every day. I see that there are two reviewers on this platform who complain about the school's "woke" politics and how it supposedly "makes children feel dirty and horrible for simply being born white". Obviously, these reviews are false and they don't belong to the East Side School's community because they don't reflect the reality at E.S. Everything the school does for the students and their families is to promote reflection and dialogue about key issues in our society (institutionalized racism is only one of those topics and the one that made the headlines because many white people are used to not being questioned for their actions). I am white and I never felt discriminated against for being asked to reflect about the privilege my skin color automatically gives me. If you're white and you feel threatened when asked to think about the innate privilege your skin color gives you, you're part of the problem, not the solution and the reason why we need more schools like E.S. My children are growing into mature, well-educated intellectuals who are aware of the world they live in and are ready to thrive in it and fight for their beliefs.

The Children’s Workshop School PS 361 (cwsnyc.org) is a great example of why small public community schools deserve recognition. In 2025, with two classes per grade from 3K through 5th, it offers an intimate environment where children are truly known. My first grader practically skips to school and still stops to hug former teachers. Even as a sometimes quieter kid, they feel deeply at ease, and it’s wonderful to hear how confidently they join class discussions.Much of this comfort comes from the school’s thoughtful approach to transitioning children into the community. Each age group—3K, Pre-K, and K—is introduced to school spaces and staff at a developmentally appropriate pace. Classroom commitments, where students agree on how to treat one another, genuinely shape daily life. Every Friday the whole school gathers for Community Meeting, where families are welcome and kids eagerly await the Kind Act awards.In Pre-K, families play a central role. Each one chooses a day to share something meaningful—heritage, traditions, hobbies—and the weekly updates are a highlight. The kids also love the homemade treats that often appear, from onigiri to taralli to hamantaschen.By Kindergarten and 1st grade, new rituals appear, like the tiny tooth-box necklace the Principal gives each child who loses a tooth. My own kid spent many “choice time” moments making drawings for the Principal.Academically, the school is grounded in the science of reading, giving children a strong foundation so reading clicks in Kindergarten. The Bridges math curriculum is playful and game-based, helping fluency grow naturally. Students also enjoy movement, music, drumming, yoga, dance, theatre trips, a hydroponics lab, community-garden workshops, computer classes, and multi-night trips for 4th and 5th graders. Affordable after-school clubs add even more. Their 2024 book In Their Own Voices offers deeper insight.Social Studies is especially distinctive. First graders study NYC waterways and visit them firsthand. Joining trips to the Little Red Lighthouse and the High Bridge amazed me as much as the kids.The building has history, natural light, a great playground, a peaceful multicultural library, a block room for long-term projects, and even school turtles in the hydroponics lab.A strong PTA anchors community-building events, and DOE surveys show high satisfaction among families and teachers. It truly is a gem of a school.

I have been teaching at Tompkins Square Middle School (TSMS) since 2010, and my three children all attended this school from 2016-2021. In fact, many of my colleagues have enrolled their own children at TSMS. When school staff members want their own children to attend their school, it speaks volumes about the community and rigor.As a parent, I developed a newfound appreciation for my colleagues’ dedication to both their students and their content area. When my children needed extra help, it was available during lunch, advisory, and after school. Teachers have high expectations for classwork, tests, and homework, but they are also reasonable when it comes to due dates and generous with opportunities to retake quizzes and or make up assignments. My children’s teachers were truly focused on helping students to build foundational skills and master content, even as they covered ambitious curricula. When I had concerns, teachers were available to talk and demonstrated a deep understanding of my children’s learning styles and social-emotional well-being. My children say that their TSMS teachers, guidance counselor, and administrators knew them well and cared about them. As middle schoolers, my children were very engaged in their TSMS classes. They especially loved their Math and Science classes and still talk about the innovative projects (building a classroom planetarium!), Science Fair, museum field trips, fieldwork in Tompkins Square Park, and BioBus visits. In their Humanities classes, they read voraciously and became very proficient at different types of academic writing. The rich arts program at TSMS was another huge draw for my children; all students take classes in Music, Theatre, Visual Art, and Dance. When one of my daughters wanted to apply to the performing arts high schools, her art teacher guided her through the process and helped her create a strong visual art portfolio. Every quarter, TSMS invites families to a “Community Celebration” which showcases the creative work taking place at school. In 8th grade, my children received a lot of attention and support with the high school process from their guidance counselor, advisor, and 8th grade ELA teachers. They prepared for the SHSAT in a free afterschool prep class, and we attended the helpful family workshops that the guidance counselor hosted. After graduating from TSMS, they were definitely ready for the rigorous NYC high schools they attended.