Latest NYC ed news: PreK, more gifted programs & new private UWS school

It’s been a busy couple of weeks on the New York City educational front, for both public and private school families.

To start with, there are some new Gifted & Talented programs coming to under-served areas of Bronx and Brooklyn. However, as they begin in the 3rd grade, they will be of no help to parents of the 1000s of rising Kindergarteners who qualified for gifted programs, even though there aren’t nearly enough seats to accommodate them all. It is possible to transfer your child to a public Gifted & Talented program after the main entry-point Kindergarten year, but it’s a much more difficult process. A mom who actually was able to do it, reveals her secrets, here.

Following that, NYC informed parents of where their child had been placed for public PreK. After swearing that all programs were equally high-quality and thus there was no difference between one and another; all parents should be thrilled with what they got, the Department of Education promptly announced that the Second Round of admissions was now open, with new school seats available, in case you didn’t like your current one. For parents still wondering whether to take a public or private PreK spot, two veteran teachers explain what to look for in a preschool, here.

Finally, for parents unhappy with their current Kindergarten options for September 2016, new private schools are popping up all over. Hear about rolling admissions at the New York International School, here. And for 2017, be advised that while the Mandell School is closing, its space will be filled by a new Upper West Side outpost of BASIS Brooklyn. Currently, the tuition for the Brooklyn private school is about half that of other NYC private schools. Will they be able to match that rate, or will Manhattan real-estate prices make it impossible? Their information page doesn't yet say.

We’ll keep you posted on that and all other NYC school news as it develops!