Are the Schools Really that Bad?

First there was the below mention of the schools in Inwood, then a story about students seeking out a more intellectually stimulating environment because "they were bored with the intellectual pace at Middle School 322 in Washington Heights."

THE SCHOOLS

Elementary schools include Public School 98 Shorac Kappock, on West 212th Street near 10th Avenue, for prekindergarten through Grade 4. It enrolls 618 students, 97 percent Hispanic. Last year, 45 percent of fourth-graders met state standards in English and 74 percent in math, versus 61 and 80 citywide.

Among area middle schools is Junior High School 52 Inwood, on Academy Street near Broadway, for Grades 5 through 8. Last year, 32 percent of eighth-graders met state standards in English and 45 percent in math, versus 43 and 60 citywide.

Many older students attend Gregorio Luperon High School for Science and Mathematics, on 165th Street at Amsterdam Avenue. Its student body is mostly Hispanic; it is geared toward recent arrivals in the United States. SAT averages last year were 326 in reading, 349 in math and 307 in writing, versus 438, 460, and 433 citywide.

This leaves me wondering whether the schools are really all that bad. Anyone care to weigh in?

Comments

[Harry Miller]

It might be a little dated at this point, but for a real eye opener on the outrageous class disparities that exist in public schools (even within NYC) read Jonathan Kozol's book "Savage Inequalities."

[lolitapop9]

That was quite an eye-opener for me as well - in fact, for me it read as the only sharp deterrent to living in the neighborhood. Which is all the more reason that I "adopted" Inwood and Washington Heights for the upcoming recruitment drive for the Community and Citywide Education Councils (CECs) election.

The CECs' election is in April and many of the city's school districts are grossly underrepresented, or not represented at all by the people who live in the schools' neighborhoods. Plus, there are a lot of unknown open slots. This is especially true for minority communities. My goal is to raise community interest to fill these vacant slots in Inwood and Washington Heights with good, smart committed parents or individuals. The deadline for candidate applications is March 14th, and it's a quick online application (15 minutes, tops). Volunteer efforts would be the week leading up to the application deadline from Monday, March 9th to Saturday, March 14th.

More election details are available at www.powertotheparents.org and hotline is 877.NYC.VOTE.