PS 158 has a relaxed and cheerful tone. Principal Darryl Alhadeff spends lots of time in the classrooms and seems to know most of the children by name. She strives to give teachers as much support as they need in order to do their jobs. "I believe you nurture teachers the way you nurture children," she says. Teachers have "common preps," regularly scheduled periods during the day in which they may plan lessons together and ask one another for advice. "Darryl makes a point of making families know they're welcome," said one mother. The principal is "very personable, very approachable," said another mother.

The administration is rude not just to parents but to the children. I observed one of the assistant principals berating a class lined up to enter the school about expected behavior (for picture... read more

I agree with many of the comments: the teachers are great and hard-working, but the principal is incredibly nasty. She creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, affecting the parents, the... read more

The education is excellent because the teachers are excellent (and because most parents support their children's learning ; many engage tutors) but it does seem significant that in the DOE... read more