For Teens who go to high school: How are the schools in NYC?

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Undecided

How are the high schools in the five boroughs? I have heard they aren't good and are filled with crime..

Answer
Hi,

I just answered this question on the NYC page, and what I wrote is below.

But I just wanted to add that none of these people who have already answered sound like they know anything about NYC public schools! The first two only repeat the old nonsense about private school being the only alternative for kids in high school (which is dead wrong, but commonly believed by people with little knowledge of the public school system. The other person only mentions three of the top specialized schools in the City. While that's not exactly wrong, it's so limited as to be useless info. It's like telling someone who asks where to apply to college "well, I hear Harvard is a good school!" Again, it smacks of someone who knows little about the public school system.

Anyway, here is what I originally answered on the NYC page:

I am not a teen, but I am a NYC public school teacher and my daughter just finished the whole high school search business. She just got accepted into on of the top high schools in the City.

The truth is that we have some amazing, wonderful high schools in NYC, some that are really geared to a specific student and some that are great for just any all around good student. We ALSO have some terrible high schools where violence is not uncommon, graduation rates are low, and very little learning is going on.

Getting into a good high school is very tricky, and involves a LOT of work on the part of both parents and students. It can be an exhausting, frustrating experience. It is also weighted towards the top students - kids in the middle or on the bottom of their middle school classes can feel that their needs are very much ignored in the whole choice system.

For us, it really worked out great! My daughter was offered a seat in the first round of high school selection, which means she got into a "specialized school". The specialized schools are top schools that admit kids through a special process, different from the other schools. Most require that you take a special test called the SHSAT and score higher than other kids applying to the same school. One of them requires an audition in particular areas of the arts and top grades in middle school.

If a kid is offered a seat in that first round, they are offered a seat in a specialized school as well as a seat in another school they also applied to (the top school on their list that also wanted them.) My daughter was offered both a seat in the specialized school as well as the top school she listed on her list of 12 schools she would be willing to go to, which was a "selective" school. (Selective means that the school has certain requirements that must be met if they are even to consider the student.)

So it worked out well for us. But many kids cannot find enough schools they qualify for that they would be willing to go to. They are not good enough students to get into the "specialized" schools or the "selective" schools (the selective schools tend to be very small) and they have to put down schools they really DON'T want to go to. OR they aren't matched with ANY school on their list and must go into the THIRD round of matching. By that time, there are far fewer choices and the students in that third round really have very few options.

So it can be a difficult, complicated system and kids CAN end up in terrible high schools. On the other hand, those kids who DO get into the better schools (and there are a LOT of good schools, btw) do get a really incredible education.

A mixed bag, at best.

I need some cute and fun songs to make a dance to for little boys?

Hannah

I am on a high school dance squad and I have to make up a dance for boys. this may be all ages but most likely it will be little boys. last year they did a country theme and I hate to do that again but I cant think of any songs that would be good for them. does anyone have any suggestions? I would also take the country song suggestions too!

Answer
Kidâs Songs (Disney & More)

Jem & the Holograms--When Itâs only me & the music, I Got my eye on you, Universal Appeal, Depends on the mood Iâm in, People who care
Disco Mickey Mouse Album- Disco Mickey Mouse, Mousetrap, Macho Duck , Watch out for Goofy, Welcome to Rio
AnimanaicsâThere is only 1 of you, U.N. Me, Iâm Cute, Iâll take an island, Quake! A Quake!, Monkey song
Will Smith-- Wild wild west, Summertime, Men in Black, parents just donât understand
Bill Haley & the Comets--ABC Boogie, See you later alligator
They Might be GiantsâIstanbul, particle man, birdhouse in your soul
Rockin RobinâBobby Day
Whoâs Johnny-El Debarge
Inspector Gadget theme (ska verison)âSka king Crab
The Bumblebee tuna song (ska verison)âMephiskapheles
Head to toeâLisa Lisa & the Cult Jam
Labyrinth--Chilly Down, Magic dance
Rainbow ConnectionâKermit the frog
Annie-- Dumb Dog, Letâs go to the movies, Hard knock life
Muppet show theme
Purple people eaterâSheb Wooley
Happy trailsâSons of the pioneers
Who put the bopâThe Big Bopper
Baby Bumblebee
Fraggle Rock theme
Farmer in the dell
Hokey pokey
Puff the magic dragonâPeter, Paul & Mary
Yankee Doodle DandyâJames Cagney
My bonnie lies over the ocean
Monster mash
Yellow polka dot bikini
Witch doctor
I have the powerâShe-ra: Secret of the sword
Raining Sunshine - Miranda Cosgrove (cloudy w/ a chance of meatballs)
Let's Get Together (The Parent Trap)
The Ugly Bug Ball (Summer Magic)
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah (Song of the South)
Are We Dancing (The Happiest Millionaire)
Oogie Boogie's Song (The Nightmare Before Christmas)
Heffalumps and Woozles (Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day)
Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly)-- (So Dear to My Heart)
Cruella De Vil (101 Dalmatians)
Some Day My Prince Will Come (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)
You've Got a Friend in Me (Toy Story)
The Siamese Cat Song (Lady and the Tramp)
Space Jamâtheme song, Hit âEm High (Monstars theme)
Batman-Partyman-Prince, Batdance-Prince
Fern Gully--Toxic LoveâTim Curry, If Iâm gonna eat somebody it might as well be youâTone Loc, A dream worth keepingâSheena E
Oliver & Co-- Once Upon a time in NYC-Billy Joel, Perfect isnât easy-Bette Midler
Aladdin--A Whole New World, One Jump Ahead
Little Mermaid--Under the Sea, Kiss the Girl, Poor Unfortunate Souls, Part of Your World
Lion King--Circle of Life, Hakuna Matata, I Just Can't Wait to Be King, Be Prepared, Can you feel the love tonight
Beauty and the Beast--Beauty and the Beast, Be Our Guest, Something There, Belle
Mary Poppins--Jolly Holiday, A Spoonful of Sugar, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag), Let's Go Fly a Kite, Stay Awake
Pete's Dragon--Candle on the Water, Boo Bop Bopbop Bop (I Love You, Too), I swear I saw a dragon
Bambi-- Love Is a Song, Little April Shower
Disneyland--Main Street Electrical Parade, It's a Small World (After All), The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room
Bedknobs & Broomsticks--The Age of Not Believing, Portobello Road, Substitutiary Locomotion, A Step in the Right Direction
Cinderella--Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo, Oh Sing Sweet Nightingale, A dream is a wish your heart makes, So this is love
The Jungle Book--The Bare Necessities, I Wanna Be like You, That's What Friends Are For
Pinocchio--When You Wish upon a Star, I've Got No Strings
The Hunchback of Notre Dame-- Out There, God help the outcasts
Pocahontas--Colors of the Wind, Just Around the Riverbend, Steady As the Beating Drum"
Sleeping Beauty-- Once Upon a Dream, I Wonder
Dumbo--Pink Elephants on Parade, Baby Mine, When I See an Elephant Fly
Robin Hood--Oo-De-Lally, Love
The Aristocats--Thomas O'Malley Cat, Everybody Wants to Be a Cat

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