Photo: David Yaseen
With arts programs perennially underfunded in New York City public schools, it’s somewhat cheering to note that aesthetics are considered when new institutions are constructed. The brand-new Frank Sinatra School of the Arts building, just a few blocks from my Astoria apartment, sports a spiffy glass facade emblazoned with names of various performers. As you can see from this photo, which was taken a few years ago when the building was being erected, a few enthusiastic construction workers even paid homage to the school’s namesake by scrawling his nickname on one of the support beams. (That tribute is no longer visible.) See, your kids are right to gape at every construction site they pass; you never know what you’re going to spy.
If you haven’t already seen this Salon.com article in defense of home-schooling, it’s worth a read-through. In his essay, Brooklyn dad Andrew O’Hehir touts the benefits of the option, especially in such a field-trip-rich city like New York, as well as trying to squash some outdated stereotypes:
“Some people suspect we have a hidden ideological or religious agenda we’re not telling them about. We may look like your standard-issue Brooklyn creative-class family—two 40-something parents, two kids, two pet rabbits and a battered Chrysler minivan—but who are we really? Home schooling has become a lot more mainstream and diverse in recent years, but familiar sterotypes endure. As Alicia Bayer, a Minnesota home-schooler and blogger who’s one of Leslie’s [O’Hehir’s wife and home-schooler of their five-year-old twins] online mentors, puts it, ‘People think we’re all conservative Christians who hate the government and wear denim jumpers.’”
If you still haven’t had your fill on this hot topic, check out our home-schooling essay from August.
By now, you’ve probably seen the headlines about President Obama proposing to cut down summer breaks in favor of more time in school, as well as extending hours and opening schools on weekends. And while inevitable moans, tears and tantrums may ensue from your backpack-carrying bunch, the effects could prove monumental—both to you and your tot.
Kids love summer vacation, but three months away from the classroom can be a scheduling nightmare for a busy parent. Instead of stressing over lining up and paying for after-school care, you might feel more at ease knowing your children are safe at school. But there are, of course, downsides. The cost would be extreme, especially in an economy that’s drowning in a swamp of debt, unable to adequately pay educators for their current hours. And we know exactly who will be footing the bill—you.
How do you feel about your youngsters spending longer hours in school on top of a longer academic year? Would you rather pay more tax money for extra school hours or are you content with your current arrangements?
Today the Times reported on single-sex public schools, a dozen of which are located in NYC. Last year P.S. 140 in the Bronx made the switch, hoping to improve the performance of its students. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much improvement overall. There are a number of reasons for the segregation–girls participate more, boys are less disruptive–but with students’ scores remaining stagnant, schools are re-thinking the separation. I am skeptical of organizing a school based on gender. Don’t kids develop the majority of their social skills in school, seeing as they spend half of their day there? A huge part of growing up is learning about peers–and yourself–through interactions with the opposite sex. Would you enroll your kids in a same-sex school or opt against it?
Donna Karan wasn’t all about bright lights and bodysuits during Fashion Week. She pulled together a crowd at her Greenwich Street Urban Zen store Wednesday to discuss the most-recent initiatives of her Urban Zen Foundation. Among the latest beneficiaries: Students in New York’s public school system, whom Karan would like to introduce to more holistic, spiritual ways of thinking, in conjunction with the SFK (Spirituality For Kids) organization. She’s also hoping Bent on Learning, a program that brings yoga into schools, can be introduced to help kids become more centered, loving little beings. Parents interested in either of these efforts can stop by Urban Zen at 705 Greenwich Street this coming week, where SFK will hold an open house on Sunday, March 1 from 1 to 5pm. Bent on Learning will host an event next door, at 711 Greenwich Street, Wednesday February 25th at 7pm.
