Jackson Heights Life

Check out Forte Prep Academy Charter school at http://www.forteprep.org/. It is the newest in the area.

Brilliant idea!

A STEM School for Girls would not only empower girls to succeed in Math, Technology and Science, but lead them on the pathway to pursuing sought-after careers in engineering, technology and science where they are under-represented.
I am very keen to put in the work to make a school like this in our community, happen.
Please message me and we can get this much needed project off the ground. I will support any efforts to bring the local community together with a vision for high quality education.

Having an impact on a child's life by offering opportunities to succeed in life rests on all of us.
It takes a village, so please think about joining me. Message me if interested.







I know not all public schools are run like this. I know a lot of successful public schools where administrators really care for their students and encourage them in every way. But, we still have ELA and Math scores that only just make the grade. We can do better!

I want to know if anyone in JH is interested in forming a group to discuss the idea of starting a charter school. Either located in JH or surrounding areas (District 30 or 24). My dream is to start a STEM charter school for girls but I am open to all ideas to get our neighborhood kids into better high schools and onto great colleges.

Thoughts? Complaints? Want to form a group and get coffee so we can discuss?

I'll stand up and say that I have two kids who have received an excellent education at P.S. 69.  It's a big, busy school, and it's not for everyone.  But they do an excellent job on behalf of their wide and diverse student body.  They are extremely resourceful in attracting grants and special programs, and offer cultural and arts programming that is unparalleled anywhere in the area as far as I have been able to tell.  They are large enough to be able to tailor classrooms to different students' paces of learning. And 7-8 years ago, when the city was beginning its tumultuous transition to a new curriculum, the school had the foresight to get out ahead of the changes, and the teachers were much better prepared to implement them than at most schools across the city.

I also know a lot of parents who were quite pleased with P.S. 222, especially its bilingual education program.

In most cases, the kids and parents I know who opted instead to attend the various charter schools in the district were also happy with their choices.

There are always cases where a school or a teacher doesn't come through for a student, but at the elementary school level, I haven't heard of this happening systematically in our area.  I'd be interested in hearing if others have a different view.

Bottom line -- every kid is unique, and a charter school may well be the right choice of a particular child.  I like the idea of a STEM school for girls, and am sure there would be a lot of interest in it.  But we are fortunate that some of our zoned schools in Jackson Heights are excellent, and there is no reason to assume that sending your child to one of them is any kind of compromise.

There is a young woman in Elmhurst who is trying to open a charter school. Pricilla Walton. CB4 approved it. Here is an article from April.
https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20170412/elmhurst/elm-community-charter-school-district-24-proposal

I'm a public school supporter, but there is only one charter in D24, which has 55,000 overcrowded schools, wth 143 annexed three times. I've met Pricilla, and if you're interested, she would love your support.

Personally, I don't support them, but I know the exasperation of advocating for a kid in public school.