South Brooklyn Community High School

I could not think of a better place for my kid than PS 32. There is so much individualized attention provided that I truly feel like we're in a private school without paying tuition! The teachers are phenomenal. My kid is in a Kindergarten class this year (NOT G&T), and I'm consistently blown away by how the teachers get him excited for reading & writing (he and his classmates are far ahead of others in "more desirable" neighborhood schools; he is fluently reading chapter books) and math. I wish I learned math the way he is learning it at 32 (on a recent snow day zoom, he created a two-step formula to make the number 9....). He loves dance, music, art, gardening, science, gym and library that he gets as part of his school day and has connected with all of these specialty teachers. He Kindergarten is also learning chess. I truly can't say enough wonderful things about this school.

The Brooklyn New School has a beautiful mission and vision, but it executes both very poorly. There is no specific curriculum, framework or theory for the educational approach and lesson plans. Phrases like "play based education" are used to describe a hodgepodge of activities that are not assessed/ evaluated. You are simply told that the students do just as well as kids from other schools once they get to Middle School. This is, of course, true for families with resources. The school leadership is completely closed off to feedback and responds sarcastically to questions and comments, if at all. Most families invest in tutors and additional educational programming to offset the lack of effectiveness of the teaching. As a new parent, you are excited about the package presented during orientation, but that excitement quickly dissipates once you realize that your child is learning a narrow history of U.S. indigenous people and West Africans' experiences (Africa is a continent!), does not have basic writing skills and reading stamina, and they are so overwhelmed by endless math strategies that they are disinterested in mastering basic mathematical concepts. Parents are not aware of curricular content except for the June Share at the end of the year, which is a colorful and vivid celebration of the children's work that masks the poor execution of the teaching very well. The best thing I can say is that my child doesn't hate school, but in terms of preparation for middle school, high school, and college, be ready to do a lot of supplemental lessons at home, write through tears, assign pertinent texts (more than the usual amount of reading for pleasure at home), instruct on essay writing, and teach history and science. While my child may frequently report enjoying the school day, the work of education has to be put in at home. I also have an issue with the bullying that goes unchecked at this school. You will experience teachers who are exasperated at the level of behavioral issues and administrators whose only solution is to wait out a bully and/or a bullying parent to graduate/ leave the school. Many parents, while they purport to be about social justice and diversity, would likewise benefit from lessons in kindness and collegiality. The adult community is exclusive and competitive. At the end of the day, a major shift is needed in this school, both in terms of the approaches to teaching effectively and working towards equity and inclusion.

We love our experience at ISB so far for both our children. Great teachers, friends and a welcoming space. The kids really enjoy going to school and we love that for them.