New York City's Best Public Elementary Schools: A Parents' Guide

By Deborah Apsel, Catherine Man, Clara Hemphill

For nearly a decade, parents have looked to Clara Hemphill to help them find a great public school for their child. For this third edition, Clara and her staff visited nearly 500 of New York City's elementary schools and chose 200 of the best schools to recommend -- with more than 70 new school profiles not included in the previous edition This essential guide uncovers the "inside scoop" on schools (the condition of the building, homework, teacher quality, etc.), includes a checklist of questions to ask on a school tour, and incorporates new listings of charter schools and "magnet" programs. It also provides the hard facts on:

Class size and total school enrollmentTest scores for reading and mathEthnic make up: Black, White, Hispanic, AsianAdmissions requirements: none? tests? interview?Teaching methods and styles: progressive, traditionalWhen to applyHow to decide which schools to try for

Praise for Clara Hemphill's Parents' Guides

New York Daily News... "Brisk, thoughtful profiles of topnotch, intriguing schools." Big Apple Parent... "Hemphill has done for schools what Zagat's did for restaurants." New York Magazine... "Thoughtful, well-researched...required reading."

The New York Times... "A bible for urban parents."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807746134
• ISBN13: 9780807746134
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: Teacher College Press
• Length: 306 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

this book has helped me to make up my mind to move back to NY

This book has helped me to make up my mind to move back to NY--helped me understand the byzantine system, and highlights specific schools that I would never have heard or read about otherwise. Hemphill is an argument for how one must look at specific schools under particular leadership in a finite time period, instead of generalizing. And instead of unproductive nostalgizing, "schools were better in earlier days..." Really, some schools can go downhill, but others have gone uphil, and there is a need to constantly reassess. My only gripe is that the author didn't (couldn't?) review all schools, or more schools. If a school isn't mentioned, then is it totally hopeless? Or were there page number constraints? There is no other book like this. Every city should have a Hemphill book.

A good place to start

I agree with both previous reviewers. I am so glad this book exists because there are many wonderful public elementary schools in NYC. (My son's at one!) But this book does not always contain the very latest information, such as a change in principals. (Principals are very important.) Use this book as a starting point and then talk with as many parents, teachers as you can for the latest developments in the schools you're considering.

Superb Resource

As a NYC K-12 educational consultant, I frequently listen to parents' worries about entrusting their children to the New York City public schools. This is unfortunate, because some local public schools are excellent.Hemphill's book is extremely valuable because she identifies top schools and demystifies the admissions process for zoned and out-of-zone students. She also explains admissions to gifted and other special programs...