P.S. 75 Emily Dickinson

PS 75 is an idealistic and community-minded school. It brings together families from across the Upper West Side and beyond and reflects the diversity of the neighborhood and the city. It serves more English learners and students with disabilities than the citywide average. The school has long offered a Spanish-English dual language program, in which students learn reading, writing, and other subjects in both languages, with the goal of becoming bilingual and biliterate.

The tone is warm and welcoming. The school has a large group of committed, enthusiastic parents who organize activities like family movie night, a Halloween party, and dances. Parents help fund arts programs, field trips, classroom resources, and enrichment activities. 

“We have an incredible library, specials for every grade on every day, two science teachers, wonderful partnerships with arts organizations, etc.," a parent shared in our comments.

Sophisticated children's artwork covers the corridor walls, part of a collaboration with the nonprofit Studio in a School to give every child weekly art lessons. On our visit, we saw a nice range of children's writing including non-fiction essays posted on topics like squids and sharks, recognizably written by children, by hand (not AI) as well as fiction with original dialogue. 

In classes, teachers circulate the room, crouching down to assist students. They also make sure children have plenty of time to move, understanding that no one likes to sit still all day. To encourage discussions, children sit in small groups. 

Academic help for students includes ACE, a test preparation program, and extra support for students learning English. A “What I need” period is set aside for any student needing extra help in reading and math.

Attendance is a big focus. Staff promote attendance through monthly awards, breakfast with school leaders, stickers, and other recognition for showing up every day. For students struggling with attendance, the school reaches out to their families to ask what would help get the children to school.

Children have physical education twice a week in a large gym, and regular recess. Every 5th-grader studies ballroom dancing, and children enjoy frequent field trips. Students from various grades take part in the Young People's Chorus. 

A well-run after-school program provides coverage from 2:30 to 6 pm daily. Enrichment offerings include Minecraft, running, rugby, musical theater, art, chess, ceramics and more. There is a fee, but scholarships are available. 

Special Education: The school has built programs and supports to serve students with disabilities well; they score above the city average on state math and reading exams. PS 75 also offers an ASD Nest program, where students with an autism spectrum disorder learn alongside general education students with two teachers in smaller classes. Additionally, there are ICT (integrated co-teaching) classes on every grade level with two teachers, one of whom is certified in special education. (Lydie Raschka, July 2026)