West End Secondary School

This is a review of PS 191 MIDDLE SCHOOL. I have no experience with the Elementary school which I am sure is wonderful. My daughter is a bright, creative and well behaved 6th grader. She loves to learn and is an amazing budding artist. We enrolled her here because of their focus on the arts. I immediately had my daughter in the Arts after school which is the only redeeming quality of this school. The purpose of going here is to build her portfolio so she can apply to a specialized Arts High School. So, the after school and the arts program have been great... However the rest of the experience has been pretty awful. My daughter reports constant behavioral issues with most of the other students - generally disrespecting the teachers, slacking academically, and disrupting the class. Teachers are frustrated, arguing with and yelling at disrespectful kids in class. Nothing is done about disruptive kids, they just stay in class causing chaos. There is no homework. My daughter isn't learning much of anything. The academic standards are so low, that at this point, I just see the school as a total time waster for housing kids who are not even there to learn. It's quite sad. In my day, they would move these types of kids into a "special school' for disruptive kids. But now they just leave them where they are and lower academic standards for perfectly intelligent kids. I will be withdrawing my child as soon as I am able. The one redeeming quality of this school is Miss Hood, the arts teacher and the Arts after school program.

Heschel may be a great place for some, but it's not for all. They do not care for students with learning differences and have some tyrannical administrators. Not for everybody.

My child attended PS452 as a 5th grader this year. Coming from abroad and not speaking a word of English, he was warmly welcomed by the kids, staff, and teachers. He felt included from the first day, received amazing support from everyone throughout the year, started speaking English after one month only and was totally fluent by the end of the year. He made friends for life and loved going to this school. The PTA is excellent, the teachers are very engaged, the communication with the teachers and staff was always fluid, constructive and helpful. As everywhere, problems can happen, but they were always immediately addressed and transparently discussed with the parents. This school does a fantastic job proving that diversity is the way to go and gave us the best possible experience of the welcoming, open minded, diverse spirit of New York City.

The language immersion program at HudsonWay has been a game-changer for our daughter. Her fluency in English and the immersion language has surpassed our expectations, and we credit the school's immersive approach for fostering such rapid and natural language acquisition. What truly stands out is her ability to communicate effectively and the genuine joy she takes in embracing diverse linguistic and cultural experiences.The carefully crafted curriculum challenges her intellect and sparks a genuine passion for learning. It's heartening to witness her excitement about exploring new concepts and tackling challenges, indicating that the school values the joy of learning as much as we do.Beyond academics, the close-knit community at HudsonWay has played a crucial role in shaping our daughter's positive attitude toward school. The supportive relationships she has built with teachers and fellow students have created a nurturing environment that encourages her to be herself and express her ideas confidently.