The Department of Education announced today that the new 2012-2013 Elementary School Directory is now available online here. The Directory includes information about the kindergarten application process and a list of elementary school choices by district.

The kindergarten application period is open from January 9, 2012 through March 2, 2012 . All students entering kindergarten in September 2012 must submit an application

The directory shows each school’s admissions policy and also indicates which schools have special programs (programs for English Language Learners, Magnet programs, and Gifted & Talented programs). You can use this guide to help you figure out where you would like to submit a kindergarten application.

Kindergarten Application Process
You can submit applications through Friday March 2, 2012. Which one to apply to? First, ask other parents in your neighborhood about your district schools and then call those schools to get on a tour or schedule a time to visit. You can find school contact information in the Elementary School Directory.

Make sure you bring the required documents when you go to apply. Required documents are listed on the kindergarten admissions flyer.

How to Apply
During the kindergarten application period (January 9 – March 2, 2012), visit your zoned school and any other school(s) of interest for which you are eligible to fill out an application.

Bring your child’s birth certificate or passport, and two documents which provide proof of residence. You can find a list of acceptable documents for proof of residence on the kindergarten admissions flyer.

Visit the Calendar and Events page to see important dates and deadlines in the kindergarten admissions process.
Questions?
For more information about kindergarten admissions and eligibility, please visit our website or call (718) 935-2009.

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Let’s just say that investigating and applying for schools in NYC is like crossing a raging river. (I’m trying to be optimistic here). Don’t despair! There are bridges for you so you can get to the other side of the process without losing your mind.  Insideschools.org is throwing you a rope and hosting a free event for parents about kindergarten and elementary school admissions.

Join Clara Hemphill, the staff of Insideschools, and other experts with answers to your questions about:

• what to look for in an elementary school
• how and when to register
• gifted and talented programs
• special education
• English as a second language
• charter schools

This event is co-sponsored by The New York City Council.  Invited guest: City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn.

Details: Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m
Theresa Lang Community & Student Center
55 W. 13th St. (between 5th & 6th Aves), 2nd floor
Admission is free but you must RSVP, email centernyc@newschool.edu.

Insideschools.org is a project of the Center for New York City Affairs at The New School.  This event is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the David L. Klein, Jr. Foundation and The New York Community Trust.

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Sharpen your pencils, get out your walking shoes and get ready for the kindergarten application season! It’s not fun, but by the end of it, hopefully you will be happy with where your child ends up.  Here’s the scoop!

The kindergarten application period is open from January 9, 2012 through March 2, 2012. Visit the Kindergarten Admissions page for more information.  Visit the Calendar and Events page to see important dates and deadlines in the kindergarten admissions process. If you are looking for admission info for Pre-K- go here.

Kindergarten Admissions for September 2012
The kindergarten admissions process is school based, but there is a standard timeline for all schools and there are citywide guidelines for eligibility and admissions priorities. Families must submit an application for kindergarten admission, even if they are applying to their zoned school.

How to Apply
During the kindergarten application period (January 9 – March 2, 2012), visit your zoned school and any other school(s) of interest for which you are eligible to fill out an application.  Bring your child’s birth certificate or passport, and two documents which provide proof of residence. You can find a list of acceptable documents for proof of residence on our Registration Information page.

How to Find Your Zoned School
You can use the School Search tool to find your zoned school. Click here for instructions. If you have further questions, call 311.

Admissions Priorities
Zoned schools will give priority to students who live in that zone, as they have in the past. Schools will make assignments according to the following priorities, listed from highest to lowest:

1. Zoned students with a sibling who will be in grades K-5 at the school in 2012-2013;
2. All other zoned students;
3. Students residing in the school’s district but outside the school’s zone, with a sibling who will be in grades K-5 at the school in 2012-2013;
4. Students residing outside of the school’s district with a sibling who will be in grades K-5 at the school in 2012-2013;
5. All other students residing in the school’s district but outside the school’s zone;
6. All other students.

More Information
For more information about kindergarten admissions, please call (718) 935-2009 or email ES_Enrollment@schools.nyc.gov.

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Joyce Szuflita, of NYC School Help is our School Expert and always has the scoop on what’s going on with schools. Joyce sent me an email early this morning with the just-announced deadlines from the DOE.  She also breaks any school news on her blog here so make sure you check it out and sign up for her newsletter that gives you the full scoop!

From Joyce:

Round 1 Public Prekindergarten deadlines are now up on the DOE’s website.

March 5, 2012 the application period begins. That means that the directories will be available online and at your local school (if they have a prek class). You can begin the registration process online.

April 6, 2012 is the deadline to submit the application. I recommend that you do it online; it is harder to make a mistake and you get confirmation by email.

Week of June 11, 2012. Offer letters sent to families. This is a week later than in previous years. Most of the families who will be notified have siblings in the school or are zoned families whose schools have 3 or 4 prek classes.

June 12 – June 22, 2012. Pre-registration at schools. You need to do this in person and if you are offered a seat and you don’t register at this time you lose the seat.

You might notice that there is no mention of the second round here. That is because they don’t want to confuse the matter, but if you are the parent of a first or only children it is most likely that you will get a seat in the second round that happens in the LATE summer. Assume that you will hear about that placement in late August. But you are saying, “What do I do about my private preschool deposit?!” That, and the fact that you are not in any way guaranteed a public prek seat and you will be notified so late is the heartache of this process.

I recommend that you download the second round directory now, before they take it off the website, so that you can look at the previous year’s numbers when the time comes.

For information on this process and the public kindergarten registration process (which is different and much easier) come to my Intro to Public School: Prek and Kindergarten talks.
For tickets: Mon. Jan. 9 at Madison Rose in Boerum Hill at 7pm
Tues. Jan. 10 at Hootenanny Art House in the South Slope at 7pm

You can apply to up to 12 schools on your application. You should be touring the schools when they get back from the holidays. Check the school’s website, call the office or Parent Coordinator to find out when their tours are (usually one day a month at around 9am). The seats are limited and placement is made by Central DOE, not the schools! (lobbying does NOT help so don’t waste your time). Placement is made by lottery, but it has priorities; first siblings are placed, then in-zone families, then out of zone/within the district, then out of district within the borough.

Joyce Szuflita

*****
Joyce Szuflita, NYC School Help, is a 28 year Brooklyn resident and the mom of teenage twins who has spent years interviewing educators, touring schools, combing the internet and being generally obsessed with all aspects of public and private schooling in Brooklyn and NYC. She consults privately with families who want to navigate the school search. She can be seen in the NY Times, Time Out NY Kids, NY Family – Brooklyn, achildgrowsinbrooklyn.com and nycprivateschoolsblog.com

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On Wednesday night the Panel for Education Policy voted almost unanimously to co-locate the Brooklyn Success Academy Credit Patrick Conti

Last night, a 13 member panel that oversees education policy, voted “yes” to co-locating the Brooklyn Success Academy in a building that already houses 3 existing public schools in District 15. The site of the co-location, located at 284 Baltic Street (at Court Street), currently houses the Brooklyn School for Global Studies, School for International Studies and P.S. 368 for special ed children. Success Academy is run by Eva S. Moskowitz, the former city councilwoman.

The NY Times was there and reported that, “The teachers’ union brought opponents by the busload, and they flocked to the microphone to offer their views during the meeting, at Newtown High School in Corona, Queens.  Jeff Tripp, a math and special education teacher at International Studies, disputed the department’s analysis, saying the building’s gym was so overused that high school students had a hard time meeting graduation requirements in physical education. Lunch in its sole cafeteria starts at 10:30 a.m., he said.”

According to Patch, the 13 member panel of appointees briefly discussed the issue, before voting almost unanimously in favor of co-locating the new Brooklyn Success Academy. Even so, a vast majority of those who turned out on Wednesday mounted raucous resistance against anyone who championed on behalf of charter schools, systematically shouting down proponents of alternative education whenever possible.

Patch quotes: “You are committing education genocide,” blasted one angry attendee. “Keep these charter schools out of my neighborhood,” added another as Herrera tried speaking over their heckling.

The result: The Brooklyn Success Academy start accepting students for its class of fall 2012. Success Academy Charter School would admit students for Kindergarten through 4th grade.

One father that Patch interviewed at the end of the meeting said, “It’s just a sad moment for the New York City Public School system,” said Ernie Ramirez of Bedford Stuyvesant. “Especially sad for the children,” he added.

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Joyce Szuflita, of NYC School Help is our School Expert and always has the scoop on what’s going on with schools. Joyce sent me a massive list of updates on schools, timelines and deadlines! She also breaks any school news on her blog here so make sure you check it out.

From Joyce:

Elementary School

First: Subscribe to the DOE’s alerts
Check: The DOE calendar is here.

For Kindergarten, you apply to individual programs. You have to go to each school that you are interested in to apply. Bring your photo id, your proofs of address and child’s birth certificate between Jan. 9 and March 2. This is NOT a first come, first served process. I think that the registration secretaries are usually in during the morning. Be warned: if you try to apply to a highly sought after school that has a zoned wait-list or only has room for in-zone children, you might be laughed out the door.
This is NOT a centralized application, where you need to rank your choices. Prek is a DIFFERENT PROCESS from K! You can apply to many schools if you want. When you are notified that you have been offered a seat, you can chose to register or not. If you are registered at a school and subsequently notified that you have a seat at a school that you like better – you get to choose which one you want to opt for. You can’t be registered at more than one school at a time. If this is all confusing to you or you want to find out about all your choices, you can always come to one of my talks or hire me.

Intro to Public School: Prek and Kindergarten Talk
This talk is for families who didn’t grow up here, or just feel like they didn’t because they don’t understand what the heck is going on with prek and k options.
Wed. Dec. 14 7-8:30pm at Kumon Prospect Heights.
Thurs. Dec. 15 7-8:30pm at Hootenanny Art House in the South Slope.
Monday Jan. 9 7-8:30pm at Madison Rose in Carroll Gardens.
Tues. Jan. 10 7-8:30pm at Hootenanny Art House in the South Slope.
RSVP for all talks here.

Middle School

Check: MS Calendar
Look over: MS Directories

12/16 Deadline to return MS Choice Application
1/21-2/12 Mark Twain MS Talent Testing
Jan-Feb Student interviews and testing at selected Middle Schools
May 2012 Decision letters distributed to families
June 2012 Appeal decision letters distributed to families

High School

I would sign up for the DOE’s email alerts to keep posted on the calendar.
In 2012 all public high school students will be notified of their placements on the same day in February!

High School Choice Rant

Forgive me for too many CAPS ahead of time.
I have been hearing a lot about the “second round” this year, like you get another shot at the choice you want late in the spring. GUYS! the DOE doesn’t work that way!! The “supplemental round” is for students who have NOT RECEIVED ANY CHOICE in the main round. Your placement in the main round is where your child will attend for freshman year, no ifs ands or buts. The students in the supplemental round get to choose from the schools that have seats still available.
But “ah ha!”, you say, “what about the Specialized HS kids who get to choose between a two schools?! Aren’t the schools that they don’t take from the main round left over in the supplemental round?” NO!!! everyone (who has placed a seriously good number of good fit schools) is placed in the main round and all the schools get “over offers” -many more students than they can hold. The DOE has historical data from years of experience how many kids are going to take their Specialized HS seats (or private school, etc.) and how many are taking their 1-12 list seats. If a few more kids choose the Specialized HS, the classes are a little fuller there, but all the seats at the highly sought after, selective schools are still full, full, full. The essentials this year are NO DIFFERENT than previous years (with the exception that they are letting everyone know their placement at the same time). The DOE always ran the WHOLE algorithm before the Specialized round placements where announced. They have always known in early Feb. where EVERYONE is placed. They just didn’t release the info, because they did that New School Fair, and students had the option to add a new program to their list before they got their results. The problem was that the conspiracy theories abounded AND it pushed the supplemental and appeals process way too late in the year. This is a process that handles upwards of 90,000 kids a year. They will not entertain picking and choosing in a second round and if you are banking on getting no choice so that you can pick off Beacon or another favorite in a “second round” you are taking a bad gamble with your child’s future.

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Photo by McBrooklyn

Last night, a heavily-attended hearing about co-locating the proposed Success Academy Charter School in a building that already houses 3 existing public schools in District 15, showed that emotions run (understandably) high when it comes to schools.

Patch reported that, “Many times the crowd, holding signs that read “Co-Locations: Seperate and Unequal” or “Charters = Privatization and Inequity,” would erupt with collective booing and hissing, or applause, depending on which side of the debate a speaker was on. The crowd was loud and at times, forceful in their opinions. One man, who said he was a teacher, shouted profanities, and was escorted out by police.”

The site of the proposed co-location, located at 284 Baltic Street (at Court Street), currently houses the Brooklyn School for Global Studies, School for International Studies and P.S. 368 for special ed children. Success Academy Charter School would admit students for Kindergarten through 4th grade. According to McBrooklyn, “DOE says there is almost enough room to fit grades K-4 in the facility (this will bring the complex to 108 percent capacity). Grades 5 – 8 will have to be located somewhere else.”

Some parents, officials, teachers and currently enrolled students from the 3 schools are concerned about already existing crowded facilities. They feel that sharing the one gym, library and cafeteria with Success Academy would take away from the already enrolled students. McBrooklyn pointed out that parents were concerned, “that DOE consistently underestimates the amount of space existing schools actually need.”

The side that supports the move of Success Academy wants more school choice and sees this as a better option to their currently available ones.

Last night the 5 hour hearing in the auditorium at 284 Baltic drew parents, teachers, education representatives and students. DOE and SUNY officials attended. According to the Brooklyn Eagle, “While hundreds of parents and officials were firmly and vocally against the co-location of Success Academy at the site, roughly a half-dozen supporters held a press conference before the hearing.”

We’ve seen this clash played out at P.S. 9, P.S. 20 and ? (fill the blank in)….. Both schools ended up with charter schools co-locating within their facilities.P.S. 9 ended up with a charter school and PS 20 got an unzoned public co-locating with them.

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Post tags: 284 Baltic Ave, Brooklyn School for Global Studies, co-locating public school, district 15 charter school, district 15 schools, International Studies, locating charter school, PS 368, school at 284 Baltic Ave, success academy charter school

SchoolBook is a site that was founded by and run by The New York Times and WNYC. Image @NY Times for Schoolbook

On Thursday, December 8, SchoolBook, a collaboration between The New York Times and WNYC, will present a live Town Hall event on school choice. WNYC’s Brian Lehrer will host a panel discussion featuring NYC Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott. The event will focus on how to navigate the public school system and make the best choices for middle and high school students.

These are the topics they intend to cover:
Is school choice improving the education for most students? Has the increased competition prompted the regular neighborhood schools to change for the better? Or are they struggling to meet the needs of the most difficult students left behind in the rush of reforms? These issues and more will be explored with NYC Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott.

Details:
Memorial Hall at Pratt Institute
200 Willoughby Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11205
Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
6:00 to 8:00 PM
Please note that this is a ticketed, free event. To attend you must register here.

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We know that using technology in the classroom helps teachers and students be more resourceful and stay current in today’s environment. The problem is that most schools don’t have the access to the technology they need. Intel AppUp℠ center is trying to change that with its Wired to Learn contest. Intel is donating a $25,000 tech package to a school that garners the most online votes. And, if you aren’t the big kahuna winner? They are also giving away a $10,000 tech package to the second place school and a $5,000 award to the third place school as well as a raffled netbook giveaway weekly for those who register and vote.

I was amazed to see that the current winning school has just 700 votes. That means your entry has a excellent chance at winning! Just think: there are 602 students at PS 11 in Clinton Hill and if every one of the families voted and asked their friends to vote- that school would win! So, don’t hesitate to enter. Plus, as others who have entered their schools have said- it’s super easy to submit an application. Submit 500 words or less to explain why your school needs the tech package. The contest is open to both public and private K-12 schools.

What the winning school receives:
A $25,000 technology package, featuring industry-leading technology from Intel, exciting learning and teaching apps, and more.

Guidelines:
Submit soon, because all the votes have to be in by December 4th. Before you enter, download the Intel AppUp center to register. Then start writing your story about a school that deserves a tech package.

How to Enter:

• Go to the Contest Page.

• Before you enter, download the Intel AppUp center.

• Get specific. In 500 words or less explain why your school needs the tech package. What unique needs does the school have?

• Extra credit: take a picture or video of the school. No one under 18 in the photo, please.
• Ask everyone to vote! Share the site with your friends. They have all the social media buttons on your school vote page, so they make it super easy.

The schools in the running for most votes! Go schools go!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I was paid to write about the program but all editorial is mine.

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A student examines us close up at Kinderhaus

Joyce Szuflita,  is our School Expert, and always has the scoop on what’s going on with schools.

Joyce Szuflita, of NYC School Help is our School Expert and always has the scoop on what’s going on with schools. Joyce sent me a massive list of updates on schools, timelines and deadlines! She also breaks any school news on her blog here so make sure you check it out.

From Joyce:

Private School News

KinderHaus is planning on offering a Kindergarten program based on NYS DOE learning standards starting Sept. 2012 for children ages 5-6 years old. Bilingual English & German
If you are interested in signing up for this program, notify them by 11/20/11. Contact KinderHaus at brooklynkinderhaus@gmail.com

World Class Learning Academy in the East Village. Starting Nov. 1 they are launching a 2yr program. For information on all of this: Sarah Bottoms s.bottoms@wclschools.org 212-600-2019

Claremont Prep Renamed Leman Manhattan Preparatory School with an interesting new international focus.

Freebrook Academy a new K-12 Independent School coming to Bed-Stuy in fall of 2011.

Elementary Tours

It is still early for many schools. Monitor the schools’ websites and call the parent coordinators later this month to see if tours are scheduled, but they don’t really begin in earnest until closer to the end of the year and into Jan/Feb and March.

District 13:

• PS 9 Once a month on Friday at 9 AM. Dates are 11/18, 12/16, 1/20, 2/10, 3/16, 4/20 Gifted and Talented TBA. To Sign up: email Parent Coordinator, Charmaine Derrell-Jacob at cderrell@schools.nyc.gov
• PS 11 Fri. 12/2 @ 9am
• PS 46 Dual Language Spanish Program Open House, 11/16 9am, more Dec. through Feb. TBA   100 Clermont Ave.
• PS 133 Friday 12/16 @ 9am. no need to RSVP but if you want info call Mr. Dickerson 347-563-5321

District 14:

• PS 34 Wed @ 9:15 AM. Dates are 12/7, 1/4, 2/1, 3/7, 4/4, 5/2. Parent Coordinator: Eileen Cavaliere PC phone: (347) 563-5350, 131 Norman Ave.
• PS 84 Tour: Thurs 11/10 @ 9am, 250 Berry St.
• PS 110 Tours on the first Mon. of every month

District 15:

• PS 10 1 tour per month October-May (May has 2 dates); all are on Friday starting promptly at 9 a.m. Tours run approximately 1.5 hours. Sign up @ PS 10′s website For more information: Madeline Seide, Parent Coordinator, (718) 965-1190, ext 2132 or mseide@ps10.org
• PS 29 will conduct a one-day only Open House for all prospective parents on Friday, January 20, 2012 at 9:00 AM. Parent Coordinator, Emily Freund, at ps29pc@gmail.com School phone. 718-330-9277
• PS 32 contact Erica Steinberg, Assistant Principal at 718-330-9295. She will have a staff member contact you to schedule an individual tour of our school.
• P.S. 107 Tues. 1/10, Tues. 2/7, Tues. 2/28 @ 9am
• P.S. 146 (The Brooklyn New School) Open House, 12/15 @ 9 am, 1/10 @ 9 am, 2/14 @ 9 am, 3/7 @ 6pm
• PS 154 monthly, call (718 768 0057 x2) or email Parent Coordinator Diana Plunkett for the next available date Diana Plunkett dplunkett@schools.nyc.gov
• PS 261  Wed, 1/4 9am, Wed, 1/4 6pm. No need to register. Reserved Tours will begin in mid-January 2012. Please check back then for more information.
• PS 295 Open house 1/10, 2/7, @ 9am
• P.S 321 Open house 
 Thurs, 1/12
, Tues, 2/7 @ 9am
• P.S 372 (The Children’s School) Open House Tues, 2/8, Tues 3/1 from 6 – 8 pm

Middle School

MS Calendar
Middle School Fair information

• 12/16 Deadline to return MS Choice Application
• 1/21-2/12 Mark Twain MS Talent Testing
• Jan-Feb Student interviews and testing at selected Middle Schools
• May 2012 Decision letters distributed to families
• June 2012 Appeal decision letters distributed to families
• MS Directories (you can get them at the fairs, from your school or online here)

New Middle Schools

BUGS Brooklyn Urban Garden School is a new charter middle school that has just been approved and will be housed in District 15. The school has been developed by a number of talented local parent/educators with a progressive, inquiry based, exploratory, science focused model. It has not been decided yet whether it will be opened in 2012 or 2013. A Charter middle school is a “school based application school”. You don’t rank it on your district application. Charter schools give priority to siblings and to families who live within the district where the charter school is housed (in this case D15) but in the first few years of any school it is not uncommon for them to take students from a much wider locale. There is no down side to registering for an interesting charter no matter where it is located. They will undoubtedly be doing info sessions this season as soon as the dust settles (they just got word that the school was approved). I would get on their mailing list if I were you.

International School of Brooklyn is opening an Independent Middle School in Sept. 2012 with an IB curriculum and bilingual Spanish/English and French/English program as well as an English program with an emphasis on language learning. info session begin in Nov.
They are trying to gather information from potential applicants. Help them out by filling in this survey.

High School

I would sign up for the DOE’s email alerts to keep posted on the calendar.

2011-2012 High School Dates

Dec. 2 High School applications due to counselors
In 2012 all public high school students will be notified of their placements on the same day in February!

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