In its ongoing effort to destroy neighborhood schools and communities, the NYC brought out a plan to centralize kindergarten admissions. This paren activist says it is time to fight back now:
“Last week, the DOE announced the roll-out of a new $800,000 kindergarten admissions process, known as Kindergarten Connect.
“Kindergarten Connect, like the centralized system currently used for high school admissions in the city, asks parents to submit a list of their school choices, ranked in order of preference. The DOE will then process this application and determine where the child will attend kindergarten. For most districts, this differs significantly from the current, school-based system in which parents who apply to multiple schools learn of acceptances or waitlists from each school individually. It is then up to the parents to decide where to enroll their children.
“Of course, there are many ways our admissions policies can be improved, but any policy that moves from press release to Panel for Education Policy vote in one week—and that affects thousands of families—deserves our close attention. This is especially true since the last time the DOE tried to centralize kindergarten admissions (in 2008) over a thousand parents, from all 5 boroughs, signed petitions to stop the policy from becoming a reality.
“Despite this, there has been no opportunity for public comment on Kindergarten Connect. So we at NYCPublic.org are taking things into our own hands and creating a place for the public to weigh in and ask questions about this policy.
“Please visit this page to see what parents are saying about Kindergarten Connect, and to add your two cents by filling out the form on this page. Our hope is that these stories will find their way into the press and be heard by decision makers.
“Even if you are not quite sure what to think about this policy change, we ask that you consider writing the Panel for Education Policy today to request that they table a decision on Kindergarten Connect until there has been a public hearing and period for public comment.
“In May of 2014, parents will receive kindergarten admissions letters with only one school placement (a big change from years past). They will likely have very few options to move their child to another school. Please don’t wait until then to mobilize around this policy.
“Sincerely,
“The NYCpublic.org Team
—
Liz Rosenberg
Executive Director and Co-founder
NYCpublic.org
917-697-1319
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Reblogged this on Blog of an e-marketer by Main Uddin.
Whether parents or central administration makes the final decision, this just highlights the insanity of New York’s school “choice” program. Parents shouldn’t have to worry about getting their kid into the “right” elementary school. Every elementary school should be a place that parents would be comfortable sending their kids and kids should go to the nearest assigned school.
Exactly. And what about transportation? Do they expect tiny children to be riding public transportation all over the city, like the older children have to do?
“. . . the last time the DOE tried to centralize kindergarten admissions (in 2008). . . ”
Well, you know the saying “If at first you don’t succeed try try again”.
I find it interesting that one of the worries of NYC folks who are usually strenuously opposed to parent choice is that it could potentially leave parents with — you guessed it — fewer choices at the end of the K process.
Dienne, sure, in a perfect world every parent should feel confident that their local assigned school. You can accuse me of making a strawman argument if you want, but in NYC we are very, very far away from that ideal, particularly in the most troubled districts. And eliminating choice would spell the end of some wildly popular progressive schools like Deborah Meier’s Central Park East I and II; the Manhattan School for Children, and the Brooklyn New School; the stand-alone G&T schools and integrated programs that attract 40,000 applicants for K-3 every year; the renowned and ultra-high-performing specialized high schools . . . how is this a good thing?
How would “eliminating choice” spell the end of the popular progressive schools?
They are unzoned schools of choice that use an admissions lottery just like charter schools do, and children travel from all over their districts (and even outside of them) to attend. I don’t see how they, or other choice/exam schools, would exist when “kids should go to the nearest assigned school.”
has de Blasio expressed an opinion about this?
Again…follow the $$$$$. Outrageous.
Kindergarten conncect, aka HAL 9000.
-School official Dave, “I’m placing Aaron in kindergarten in PS 193, open PS193.”
-Kindergarten connect, “I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
I’m all for notice-and-comment periods, and the DOE definitely has a history of trying to get policy proposals up for PEP votes without much lead time. This could be an instance where more discussion would be a good thing. I’m not sure that saying the proposal is part of the DOE’s “ongoing effort to destroy neighborhood schools and communities” helps that discussion, though.
From the comments, I’m assuming that nobody on this thread (maybe with the exception of Tim) has actually gone through the process of kindergarten admissions in NYC. Anyone who has gone through that process knows that this proposal is a response to complaints that public school parents and public schools have been making for a long time. For some context, here’s Scott Stringer’s letter to Walcott from 2011 calling on the DOE to implement an online kindergarten application system.
Click to access LettertoWalcottKAdmissionsProcess.pdf
FLERP: I have been through the kindergarten process and I did think it was awful because my child was wait listed for our zoned school for nearly 6 months. That being said, I remain incredibly grateful that my child was ultimately able to attend OUR neighborhood zoned school. I love that we are part of a local community. I would not want my child assigned to a school in another part of NYC.
Yes, a great zoned elementary school is a wonderful thing. Great zoned middle schools and high schools would be even more wonderful.
That is great. MY neighborhood zoned schools have some serious issues, and I’m grateful to have other choices.
I’d also like to point out that the main culprit in the K mess is the hodgepodge of admissions processes for privates, charters, unzoned schools, and so forth. Then the tendency for a critical mass of parents to hold onto multiple placements and make a choice at the last possible second. I do think the DOE overestimates how many people have reliable internet service (not through a smart phone) and I’m troubled by the fact the service is only offered in English. But I view this as a good faith attempt at improvement, not a last-ditch Bloomberg attempt to scorch district-school earth.
Not to worry, Tim, unless de Blasio intervenes, there will be no neighborhood schools at all. You will have lots of choices, if they want your child.