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Anyone else with a 99 feel cheated that dc didn't ge into citiwide this year?
45 replies [ Reply | Watch | Options ]I think you need to let it go. we only applied for one citywide and didn't get it. we knew that it was not a guarantee, with only 50 spots and 900 qualifying applicants. cannot imagine being pissed about it. disappointed, yes. pissed, no. would like doe to expand good district programs though, or get rid of ctywides altogether.
[ Reply | Options ]Bx: How would getting rid of the citywides be an appropriate response to the fact that there is more demand than supply? That's not what we usually do in this country when a resource is in short supply. Instead, we bring our energies to the table to increase supply. What would make sense is if every family among the qualifiers worked together to pressure the DOE to open enough accelerated classrooms in the Anderson/Nest/TAG/HCES style to include every child who tests in. The one good thing about the numbers this year is that they FINALLY make it clear how many kids qualify who don't get seats throughout NYC. Anderson always had 400 applicants for 50 seats. That's not new. Thank god they're citywide or those of us in outer boroughs would be out of luck.
[ Reply | Options ]Bx ctd: Those of us in outer boroughs would be sunk without citywides. When there are accelerated programs in every area then you can talk about eliminating citywide schools. Even then, I would argue that the extraordinary benefit of mixing children from all five boroughs should be available for those who want it. My 10 years with kids in these schools has connected them to all sorts of people from all sorts of neighborhoods. That's what we live in NYC for, after all!!
[ Reply | Options ]most of us don't care if our kids are educated with kids from all the boroughs in elementary. in fact, most people recognize the benefits of having a local community at the school. certainly there are benefits to acceleration and not needing to commute or bus kids all over...which, btw, is very expensive and not worth the hassle.
[ Reply | Options ]Why don't you care if your kids are educated with kids from all the boroughs in elementary? Isn't NYC your community with all the races, economic strata, languages, and the rest of it?
[ Reply | Options ]this is so silly, as not to warrant a response, but here you go. all of these communities have plenty of diversity. people could have a highly diverse community just by attending local schools. district G&Ts should be built up to accomodate gifted kids in all areas. I see no reason to bus them around the city, just so they have the opportunity to attend elementary with someone from staten island. who cares, really? if I wanted staten island, I would have moved there. same for burbs. why not just bus kids to chappaqua while we are at it, and vice versa. for elementary, it is better to stay local, and less expensive.
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I think that there is nothing special about citywides other than the fact that they are accelerated and go beyond 5th grade. I think that programs should be created in districts that do the same thing. no need for people from different boroughs to travel to manhattan for a spot. I think keeping it local allows for a better sense of community and quality of life. I could do without having kids from all over in the class. I just want accelerated curriculum and a place until at least 8th grade. otherwise, the citywide aspect makes no sense. so while I believe there should be more programs with benefits of citywides as they currently are configured, I do not believe the schools need to be citywide. district wide is fine by me.
[ Reply | Options ]Bx: Well, this is what makes for a diverse community. I do want my kids in class with people from all over, just as we are friends with people from all over, play music with people from all over, play sports with people from all over, attend cultural events with them, etc. But I completely respect your right to choose not to move outside of your community for any of these things including education. Choices are the key. Yes, families should advocate for local accelerated and K-8 options if that's what they want.
[ Reply | Options ]Bx: What we wanted was to send our children to accelerated schools and we were fortunate enough to get our wish - albeit in another borough. Our jobs are also in that borough! We all commute together - more family time, not a hassle at all!
[ Reply | Options ]Would you argue that the city should close down the Met and distribute art among the boroughs? That Broadway should be dismantled in favor of local theaters? This is just silliness. We live in a city where many desirable resources are concentrated in particular geographical areas. Want local acceleration? Then advocate for it just as you would any other local resource! Anderson/Nest/TAG exist because parents advocated for them - parents from all five boroughs. One of my kid's closest friends at Hunter High lives on Staten Island. Others in Victorian Flatbush. Several in Harlem. Many in Forest Hills. Same was true at Anderson. We are all happy about that. You don't want it? Don't choose it! Work at starting something local just as parents did in order to get these programs going.
[ Reply | Options ]think it is unecessary and over rated for elemnentary school. perfectly fine for HS. I would not want the city to create more citywides, and would advocate against doing it. it is a waste of resources. if everyone stayed local, they would attend very diverse schools. moving young dcs all over the city increases pollution, congestion and is expensive. do not see that the resources being put into this are warranted. smart kids can go to top programs in their nabes.
[ Reply | Options ]Bx: My neighborhood is not diverse. If my children attended our local school they would have been in class with only UMC white children. Not desirable, in my opinion. But acceleration was the point and we were happy to commute together (no increase in expense or environmental damage). I'm all for parents demanding local acceleration. My post was in response to someone saying above that NYC should "get rid of ctywides (sic) altogether". Keep your kids local, work to develop the kind of local school you want. DOE didn't wake up one day and start Anderson! Parents got it done. Parents who wanted that for their kids. So I fully support you working to get what you want. I only balk at the notion that we should be denied what we want for our kids because you don't want it for yours.
[ Reply | Options ]Bx ctd: I only balk at the notion that we should be denied what we want for our kids because you don't want it for yours. For goodness sake, just don't choose it!
[ Reply | Options ]Keeping children in their own neighborhoods is patently unfair to those children whose neighborhoods do not contain many other school-loving kids. Look at the distribution map for this year's test scores. The kids in far flung neighborhoods should be commanded to remain in an area where there is no appropriate peer group for them? This really does begin to sound a bit racist. Stick to your own neighborhood? Really??
[ Reply | Options ]Keep waiting for your kids lives to start after elementary. The all white kids in my white nabe at their very desirable white school take one big trip a year to the Met or Carnegie Hall. My kids, in mixed classes with black, hispanic, east asian, and other kids who are equally enthusiastic about school go on regular weekly curriculum-enriching trips to these and the opera, museo del barrio, AMNH, City Hall, and on and on. On weekends we enjoy cultural events and friendships in all parts Manhattan as well. We live across a bridge but that's not keeping us in our homogeneous neighborhood!
[ Reply | Options ]Racist and hateful. Go ahead a try to "get rid of ctywides (sic) altogether". That's a much more sensible thing to do than start your own local effort. Just plain meanspirited. I've had kids at citywides for 9 years. Don't pretend to know things you don't. I wouldn't have sent them anywhere else. We live where we can afford to live. That won't keep us out of the heart of the city. You can stick to your neighborhood!! I'm finished! This is what's a waste of time and energy. Oy.
[ Reply | Options ]well, that is one experience. my dc will attend a district G&T that takes 15-20 trips every year with other kids in district, many of whom are of other ethnicities. they all live close by, and we will enjoy the community and nabe together. the school will pool its resources, and build the program further. we will visit other nabes when we are so inclined, and all is good. btw, dfs with kids at the G&T we will be attending in the fall have told me that they have visited all the places you mention. not sure you even know what the district programs are like. at any rate, they should be further developed, and should go to 8th grade. no need for more citywides.
[ Reply | Options ]I speak of my own neighborhood, not yours, and I speak from very intimate knowledge of our local reality. Sounds like you have a local choice you're happy with. I'm happy with my citywide choice. My choice costs you nothing. Why would you seek do deny me access to it? That's just mean.
[ Reply | Options ]look, I am not out to get you. I was simply saying I see no reason for more citywides. I honestly believe that all districts need excellent programs for everyone, and believe the efforts should be put there for this age group. I am neither racist nor mean spirited. I was simply offering my opinion on a debated topic. please relax!
[ Reply | Options ]As I said, look back up at the top of this thread. My response was to a suggesteion that "ctywides (sic)" should be eliminated altogether. I'm all for local options. That will never cover all the demand. There remains a need to citywide even once there are local accelerated K-8. It's frustrating to read posts saying I should 'stick to my own neighborhood' - that I'm costing the DOE anything different than any other family in the city. This is where I can afford to live. That doesn't mean we can't use the resources in wealthier neighborhoods if we make the effort.
[ Reply | Options ]I live in the Bronx. You figure it out. What I said was that we have no local access to acceleration and that traveling to get is was well worth it to our family. One of the many benefits is increased racial and economic diversity. I said that we like having friends from all over, of all races, who speak different languages, practice different religions, are more and less affluent than we. But most important of all, all of the families who strive in this manner share a common value of excellent education sufficient to motivate the trip. All the kids LOVE SCHOOL. That's the most important thing that they share.
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