SEPTEMBER 2009 UPDATE:   Harlem Link moved to PS 185-208 in September, 2009 and consolidated its two sites. It now includes kindergarten through 5th grade.

JANUARY 2009 UPDATE: The school now has two locations. The "upper school," which includes grades 2-4, is at the 134 West 122 Street and the "lower school," which includes kindergarten and 1st grade, is at 425 West 130 Street.

MARCH 2006 REVIEW: Harlem Link Charter was founded by husband-wife team, Margaret Ryan and Steven Evangelista, who both started their teaching careers in the New York City public schools as members of Teach for America, a respected not-for-profit that recruits top college graduates to teach in low-income schools. The school opened in September 2005 after Ryan and Evangelista completed a year-long fellowship with Building Excellent Schools, an organization dedicated to training founders of new urban charter schools. Housed in a well-maintained public school building situated on a quiet street in West Harlem, the school shares its facilities with Future Leaders Institute (another charter school) and PS 242, the Gwendolyn Brown Computer School. Ryan and Evangelista serve as the Harlem Link's co-directorsfor instruction and operations respectively.

Harlem Link falls squarely in the progressive camp of schools. Much of the day is dedicated to "center time" or the workshop approach to instruction, which has students rotating through various activities in small groups. Small group work is especially important for the school, because students arrive with "a huge range" of skills, according to Ryan. "Some students were unable to count to 10 at the beginning, some in kindergarten could read at a 1st grade level, and some 1st graders didn't have full letter identification," she said. Sometimes groups are arranged according to ability and other times according to activity.

Each class is assigned two full-time teachers, and the faculty pays a home visit to every child. Their students work at tables and easels in classrooms that feature rugs, couches, and low, well-stocked book shelves. In one 1st grade class we observed, some students worked independently on laptop computers, while others painted or completed a math exercise. Elsewhere in the room, each of the class's two teachers led a separate group of students in reading as a parent volunteer worked one-on-one with a child.

With only a kindergarten and 1st grade in its inaugural year, the school is in charge of a very young population. Hyperactivity and meltdowns are common, which makes transitions difficult. On our visit, we saw that walking the students back to their classrooms after the regular Friday morning assembly was an exercise in endurance. Some children were crying and sucking their thumbs, while others refused to follow their class, requiring teachers to pause several times to keep their students in line. To improve student behavior, the school has opted for positive reinforcement techniques, rather than adoption of a stringent code of conduct based on demerits. "Our kids come from all different backgrounds, and in some homes hitting and yelling is done," said Ryan. "Punitive measures clash with our philosophy. Behavior evolves as socialization skills evolve." Teachers handle disruptive conduct with time- outs and stern lectures, while good behavior is praised. A teacher in one class peppered her lesson with comments such as, "good job, I love the way you are sitting." When she acknowledged a student whose hand was raised, she also said: "Thank you very much for being quiet and waiting for your turn. I appreciate it." The school employs a part-time social worker to help students struggling with social and emotional problems.

Partnerships with the Children's Arts Council, an organization affiliated with the Museum of Modern Art, and Pelham Bay Park enable the school to provide art instruction and regular field trips.

The school runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., which is a slightly longer day than the typical public school day. The school's initial charter (authorization by New York State to operate a school) is for a kindergarten through 4th grade program, but the administration is hoping to expand through the 8th grade.

Admissions: A lottery is held in April. Priority is given to residents of District 3. Students applying for kindergarten must turn five years old by December 1 of their entrance year. Parents may contact the school to request an application or download one from the school's Web site. (Laura Zingmond, March 2006)

This school recently received an F grade on the most recent school progress report. This was the first year that their students took the state tests and the children did not do well. I also take issue with what I observe as the staff's inability to control unruly children. My advice to anyone looking to place their child here is to do your research. I intend on having my child transferred from Harlemlink.