After I got the aforementioned email that the guidance counselor and the parent coordinator at PS 321 had the master list of all the middle school acceptances, I called the Parent Coordinator. She checked and said: “She’s not on the list.”
WHAT?
“She not on the list.”
I felt faint. The parent coordinator assured me that she would look into it.
Less than an hour later I walked into the guidance counselor’s office and she took one look at me and said, “I know. She’s not on the list.”
I felt doubly faint.
Well, it turns out that OSFO really isn’t on the list (which should name all of PS 321’s fifth graders). Nowhere. Nothing. Some kind of computer glitch; a technical mistake? She probably got into a school somewhere but she’s not on the master list from the Department of Education. The guidance counselor is going to call some of the schools that OSFO listed on her application to see if she go in. Somewhere.
Chances are she did or she will. That would be nice.
Outside of the school building at pick-up, friends looked at me expectantly. “So where did she get in?” When I told them my sad tale they looked aghast.
“Okay, Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn,” one said. “You go girl and take the DOE down.”
Word traveled fast. I got an email from a friend that the Daily News wants to talk. Another friend gave my number to Elissa Gootman at the New York Times.
I keep telling OSFO not to worry, that this will all work out, that it has absolutely NOTHING to do with her, that everything is okay.
She seems totally fine, by the way. She’s a solid kid; a real rock.
And then she heard me talking on the phone to the New York Times. She doesn’t know who I was talking to but she can tell that I am agitated, annoyed, on edge, shakey, not happy and so on.
I made a few calls. The parent coordinator at one of the schools said, “Why don’t you let your guidance counselor do the footwork.”
I guess that’s a good idea. In the meantime, wonder if we’ll ever get those letters?
this is also happening in high schools. My son got into a school that is ridiculously far from home. I submitted an appeal and have not heard anything back. I am starting to think that this appeal thing that the DOE gives out is a bunch of bologna. Not really expecting parents to fill it out, but I did, and still no word as to where my son will be attending high school this fall.
Unfortunately the choice is overcrowded classrooms in the “good” schools or kids being sent to “lesser” schools. The overcrowding creates the deterioration. As a public school parent, I know that parents can act to make their kids school a better place. Get involved at the school. If you think the principal is a dud, tell the DOE why. Good schools don’t just show up — they are made by a partnership between the principal, tachers, parents and DOE. Stop whining about the school placement and get a life.
My child was put in a very low performing middle-high school not our on list. He’s a great student with good grades, etc. Like the daughter of the previous poster Marcia, I cried and wondered why no school thought he was good enough. Argh! Haven’t told him yet, will appeal, but I have no faith in the DOE appeals process so then what? Moving seems the only option, but we don’t want to move, we just want a decent school where our kid can learn something. How sad.
As you know, my daughter is in the same boat, and we are not thrilled. I’m happy to talk to the press or anyone else. This is not acceptable.
The whole DOE is a scandal. Read SHOCK DOCTRINE: Disaster Capitalism. Parents are voting on Bloomberg-Klein’s disaster with their feet. Make the sacrifices and send your kid to private of parochial school. Or, move. Your children do not deserve this treatment.
My 8th grade daughter came home from school in March with the letter saying she had not been matched to any high school. Her first reaction was -no one thought I was good enough, even though I met my junior high school goal of making honor roll every marking period and never being late. After taking special exams, memorizing monologues, singing auditions, writing essays, interviewing, touring schools, meetings with the guidance counselor, pouring over the HS directory, checking inside schools.com, and passing through numerous balloon arches at high school fairs – NO MATCH! Our supplemental round match is a school that does not exist yet – no classrooms, teachers or curriculum-just 2 web pages with stock photos of students and teachers. Today the results of our appeal were due and no letter was sent home from the DOE. Tell that to your friends at the papers!
L, first off – long time reader – first time caller;). Ur column is why I first read gersh’s paper.
Hang in there – we’re going thru the same crap with pre-k and our kids. Our school administrators @ PS 10 have been great as have B DiBlasio & the pub advocates office. @ the press conference today we had some great parents speak. Thx 4 da post! I think the key now is publicity & protest & fighting. And given the DOE’s level of professionalism, unfortunately you’re probably not theonly one with a child not on the list. As overwhelming andstressful as this sounds, its time to fight. Hoping all the best, dan
Wasn’t OSFO left off the list when it came time for auditions and interviews? A friend of mine was in the same situation with her son, and he also “isn’t on the list” of acceptances. There must be a connection. Sorry to hear you have to wait even longer for the news …