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PS 84 (Williamsburg) is going through a lot of the same problems outlined in the short article about PS 11.

What was written about PS 11 mirrors the recent history at PS 84 (Williamsburg). "Unfortunately, the group never found a way to work effectively with the principal, and there was friction between the activist parents and the administration from the start. The principal seemed to resent the parents' involvement and balked at their suggestions for improvement, the parents said. The situation only began to improve, parents say, when that principal retired last summer and was replaced by a new principal who welcomed their involvement."

PS 84 (Wililamsburg) now has a new principal - at least an Interim Acting principal - and it remains to be seen whether she has the leadership skills to be an effective principal. She talks some good game about welcoming parent involvement, but we haven't seen any real action from her yet, and she may not be able to resolve some of the schools very serious problems.

PS 84 (Wililamsburg) faces the same racial and economic divide in it's parenting base as PS 11, but I see those problems related to differences being resolved fairly quickly once the administration steps up to the plate.

The larger issue for PS 84 (Williamsburg) is that a lot of the people who work in the school do not want to take on the responsibilities that come along with parents wanting to improve the school and making new demands on the school. Staff members and teachers have been outright rude and hostile to parents, I suppose in the hopes that we'll either shut up or leave. In their minds, the school was good enough. These staff members and teachers resent the idea that the school needs improvement and any mention of it brings up enormous tension.

A lot of us parents are feeling that our hard work is doing nothing but creating greater resentment and putting our children at risk with teachers who clearly resent a particular parent base.
We are feeling isolated and fed up with empty promises from the district and absolutely we have no reason to feel welcome at the school.

Each year vibrant, active, and participatory parents leave the school after either Pre-K or K and this year promises to be no different.

Many of us believe in public education and in working on our neighborhood schools, but we are receiving the message from our neighborhood school that we are not welcome.

My district (14) has other schools where this is a huge problem. For example almost everyone I know is zoned for PS 17 and no one goes there. The principal made it very clear that he does not want active parents at the school who are interested in school improvement.

It would be great if you listed links for some kind of toolkit for how to improve neighborhood schools that do not want to be improved.

I am writing in response to a post submitted on Nov 7 by Newyorkmama.

I helped organized the evening with the principal that took place at the school this past Tuesday.

Just under sixty people attended the event, including District 3 Superintendent Dr. Roser Salavert and Councilwoman Gale Brewer. I salute Robin Sundick, her staff, Parent Coordinator, two AP's, and the parents whose children attend the school. Every one of the people I encountered during the planning of the event was receptive, encouraging and helpful.

The school is full of parents who not only work full-time, but who also live a distance a way and have more than one child. Thus, some folks helped a little, some a lot, some not at all. The success of the evening was due to the sum total of everyone's efforts, whether those efforts reflected an encouraging phone conversation or word in the school hallway, handing out fliers, editing materials, or volunteering that night.

I have visited public schools for the last two years, trying to find the right one for my daughter, just like everyone with a school age child. My understanding from principals and parents alike is that the success of any school rests on the combined exertions of both the administration and families. I imagine that even in the best of circumstances, the alliance between a principal and his or her parent body must be a sensitive one to navigate.

After all, as parents, we are concerned with our children: our focus is specific and direct. I know that when I encounter a problem in the care of my child, I want to fix it immediately. Principals are concerned with the same agenda, but must accomplish their work while working with unions, procedures and laws.

While this relationship is tricky, it also bears positive outcomes. Conflict and confrontation, when combined with a similar purpose can create effective, creative solutions. Passivity breeds stagnation.

I don't know what will happen at P.S. 84 on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. If the evening's turn-out - by prospective parents, current parents and the school's adminsitration - is any indication, there is every reason to hope that positive change for the children and community are just around the corner.

Tuffy,

I agree with you 100% on everything. Let me clear one thing I am not saying that there is anything wrong with PS84, I also believe that the principle has done a remarkable job in her tenture there. However PS84 is not a fit for MY child at this point in time for the following reasons:

I am still in school myself and will graduate only at the end of next year so I do not have the capacity to particpate actively enough to be able to contribute in the manner that will help create the changes needed in the school.

My son, whom I believe is very smart (as all parents believe of their children) has a mild speech delay and from the ratio of children to teacher that I observed, will be at risk (maybe not but I dont care to find out).

I see the school making strides in the future but only if there is sufficient parent interaction. Call me selfish but I need my son to be in a school that meets HIS needs first and foremost.

Newyorkmama, I have gotten to know many of the district 3 schools, some better than others. Here are some of my observations from my visits. They are my response to the concerns you posed in your most recent e-mail.

1) During one of my recent visits to the 84, I bumped into the Speech Therapist, a young woman who helps children like your son. She said that she works individually with a child in a "pull-out" environment.

2) I think that many of the schools in district 3 will have the support your son needs, including P.S. 75 whose wonderful principal, Bob O'Brien works with 100 parent volunteers and a fine teaching staff to be sure that all of the needs of his students are met. His school is an inclusion model where gifted, special needs, and general ed populations learn side-by-side. You might also check out P.S. 165, another inclusion model school with hard-working principal Linda Chen and her new A.P. Victor Villegas, making progress every day with the help of an active parent volunteer base.

3) The same success of 166, 163, 87, 9, Anderson, etc., etc rests on the combined efforts of principal, staff, and parents, as anyone I've spoken to at these schools have said.

4) I also think it would be wrong to assume that EVERY parent can contribute in the same way, if at all. Furthermore, I would be surprised if that is the way parents from any of the aforementioned think. One of the great things about contributing to public schools, through volunteering in any capacity is that everyone benefits.

I wish you good luck in finding the right place for your son. I know it is out there!

Tuffy,

Thank you so much for your helpful information. It is much appreciated as this entire process of finding a school has had me feeling like a rat in a maze!

I have a tour of PS 75 scheduled and it is one of the schools that I am hoping to get my son into. I guess you are completely correct about the volunteering part. I do fully intend to be active in my son's school where ever that may be and once again I thank you for this very helpful information.

To be honest, I had an easier time getting into graduate school than finding an elemenraty school for my son )

Newyorkmama,
Thank you for your correspondemce. I look forward to hearing about your reaction to P.S. 75. Meanwhile, I will keep this forum updated about the progress at 84.