Brooklyn elementary schools span the gamut from progressive to traditional, and PS 456 with its close ties to the Brooklyn New School (aka BNS aka PS 146) will be on the progressive end of the spectrum. Progressive schools aren’t going to be for every family, and if you have your heart set on an NYC gifted and talented program or any G&T program, progressive schools likely won’t be for you.
I had the opportunity to listen in to the inaugural PS 456 open house (don’t worry, there are 5 more virtual sessions and 1 more in-person session) and Principal Johnson-Willis struck me as a kind-hearted soul who would carry the spirit and ethos of BNS over to this brand spanking new elementary school in Downtown Brooklyn.
Questions? I’ve got answers. Here we go!
Who can apply to Brooklyn elementary schools and PS 456 in particular?
Parents of children born in 2019 and 2020 have a shot at a seat at PS 456 for the 2024-2025 school year. The school is starting out with three Kindergarten classes and one PreK class.
There are 27 unzoned Brooklyn elementary schools. The search function is not great in MySchools, but it is the most accurate, so check the filter for unzoned schools, then zoom in on the map to focus on just Brooklyn which spans 12 schools districts. PS 456 and BNS are two of these 27 schools that take students from across the borough.
When it comes to diversity, the only criteria NYC uses is whether you qualify for free or reduced price lunch. One other criteria I saw for diversity in admissions was for students who live in temporary housing. Even though schools claim they want racial, social, and economic diversity, the only legal way they can screen for diversity is through these two criteria. I actually did not know this and it only came to my attention at the PS 456 open house.
The parent coordinator who has been with BNS for 20 years and will partially assist with PS 456 until it hires its own parent coordinator did make a good point: non-zoned schools that accept kids from all over the borough have a higher chance of hitting the three areas of diversity that elementary schools are seeking. Zoned schools will only take children who live in the immediate area, and as we all know, housing still segregates and impacts school quality.
What will the facilities be like at PS 456
Unlike other Brooklyn elementary schools, PS 456 is going to be brand spanking new. The address is 489 State Street in downtown Brooklyn, conveniently located across from the Whole Foods and Apple Store. This is going to be what I think is the only truly accessible school in all of Brooklyn owing to its proximity to Atlantic Avenue Barclays Center and Hoyt Schermerhorn St. subway stations. That’s 12 subway lines combined!
This is going to be a top of the line facility compared to buildings built in the 60s or earlier. All classrooms will reportedly have sunlight which is great since kids learn best in well ventilated, inspiring, naturally lit spaces.
The Khalil Gibran International Academy will be moving into this very same building. Though both schools will be housed in the same building, you can rest assured that the high schoolers will not be bullying the 5th graders. They will have separate entrances, separate gyms, separate cafeterias, and separate libraries. Both schools will also have separate music rooms and separate art rooms.
Side note: our school house a middle school and an elementary school with no separate entrances or waiting areas. I have yet to hear my Kindergartener complain about an incident. I think the issue of mixed schools using the same building is really a moot point.
A note of caution: it was unclear at the end of the presentation what was meant by shared spaces in the school outside of the science lab. Probably a point of clarification that you should raise if you are into this.
What kind of programs will be offered at PS 456?
Like many Brooklyn elementary schools, a mix of programs will be offered. There will be:
- One Kindergarten ICT class (classes where students with IEPs – usually 40% of the class- are co-taught alongside general education students; there is an extra adult in the class meaning two teachers to compensate for the additional learning needs),
- One Kindergarten dual language program for Spanish (like other DLPs, the target enrollment is 50% speaking the target language and 50% English speakers),
- One Kindergarten general education class
- One PreK general education class
- NO gifted and talented class (and this makes sense, a G&T program does not fit in with the BNS and PS 456 teaching spirit which leans progressive)
One parent asked if the teachers in the dual language program would be TESOL certified to which the answer was yes. But in doing more sleuthing, I didn’t see TESOL called out in either the certification requirement or the certification testing sites linked on the NYC Public Schools Teaching Requirements hub.
TESOL also didn’t necessarily inspire confidence in me. TESOL assesses a candidate’s ability to teach English to non-native English speakers.
Call me paranoid, but I would be more concerned about whether an educator is proficient in the target language. There are many dual language programs at private schools, so I think the competition for bilingual candidates is higher since all subjects are supposed to be taught in both languages. Just an opinion of course. Private elementary schools are not necessarily more attractive to teachers than regular public schools.
The plan is to have one dual language class per grade. Classes will be taught with alternating days in each language to hit the 50/50 target. This means one day is taught all in English and the next day would be taught all in Spanish.
At full capacity, there will be ~500 students across all grades.
What will be taught at PS 456?
Unlike most Brooklyn elementary schools, PS 456 takes an interdisciplinary approach and will actually implement it (at least if they follow through with this practice as is done at BNS; take a tour – you’ll see what I mean). PS 456 will also model its curriculum on BNS, meaning the following themes:
- PreK – nature around us
- K – shore school
- 1st grade – farmers
- 2nd grade – outdoor world
- 3rd grade – West Africa
- 4th grade – Native Americans
- 5th grade – inter-relationships in nature
English language arts (ELA), math, science, and social studies will be taught, but with more opportunities to get outdoors and for hands-on learning. A focus on nature and field trips is big though this is where my imagination stumbles. It’s not clear to me even though I asked several times whether there will be a garden on-site at PS 456, just as there is at BNS. A lot of learning happens there, so without a garden at PS 456, just know that the experience will be different – especially in the first grade when students are supposed to be farmers.
BNS is also closer to places like Valentino Pier and the salt marshes were a lot of Kindergarten takes place. The theme of Kindergarten is shore school which is why these places play a key role in the curriculum. I don’t know how funding for school busses works, but if it were THAT easy to secure, wouldn’t more Brooklyn elementary schools be doing these field trips?
The other interesting thing that was mentioned is that the kids get outside every day. The principal noted that “there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing” which is true, but has anyone looked at the cost of weatherproof gear?
It’s actually the biggest part of our son’s clothing wardrobe each year, especially quality snow pants not for skiing but to stay warm in winter. I know at Compass Charter School, there’s actually a whole set of these clothes for each child, but I don’t know if this is true at BNS, and I don’t know how that would work at PS 456.
5 months into the year at our school, my kid’s field trip has consisted of a 10 minute walk to the weekly farmer’s market. I don’t think this is that different from other Brooklyn elementary schools – budgets are so tight I don’t know how any funding would be allocated to field trips.
So, while PS 456 did a good job selling itself, the grain of salt is that the presentation deck contained pictures of what happens at BNS. And BNS is a much older school from 1978 – it has had decades to build its fundraising mechanisms.
Like BNS, PS 456 also noted it has a strong commitment to anti-racism teaching.
Will PS 456 follow the science of reading?
This was the weakest point of the presentation. The answer was yes but my gut told me children would be left behind anyway. Every school administrator knows the answer to that question today – “yes, we follow the science of reading.” But get to the classroom level where teachers are implementing the science of reading, and things fall apart.
Read the section in this post called “Parents of Kindergarteners Need to Teach Reading” about what happened to us at our school and you will understand why I am so grateful our son entered Kindergarten reading at a solid first grade level.
Back to what the principal said: “Districts can choose from 3 curriculums, PS 456 will use Wit and Wisdom. BNS is using it. BNS will map Wit & Wisdom to other programs they have used in the past.”
“Map Wit & Wisdom to other programs they have used in the past” –> I’ve seen this piecemeal approach before at our school, and even with skilled teachers, there are holes and flaws in delivery of instruction.
PS 456 won’t be the last school to piecemeal their reading program together, and to be honest, this is true all across America. But here’s where I have to be extra cautious if Mr. 5 were attending this school: the ethos is that opting out of tests is best. If this is true, then there is less respect for standards and ensuring that kids are at least tracking to the average. American learning standards are already in some cases uncompetitive when you stack them against what other grades can do in other countries.
Take the Kindergarten math common core standards for example – it’s ludicrous that the most challenging task it asks Kindergarteners is to know how to add and subtract within 10. Mr. 5 adds and subtracts within 100. He knows multiplication tables. He can tag a 1000s chain. He is not gifted but he can do these things which are standards for 2nd graders because we know he is capable and have taught him at home.
I digressed, but the point is – if I were the parent of a student at PS 456, I would 100% be figuring out how exactly reading is being taught in the classroom, whether kids are only learning one sound per letter, what if any spelling practice is provided, etc.
Are there specials?
I don’t actually know any Brooklyn elementary schools with zero specials (the word used to describe extracurricular activities like art and PE). The question is how often does your child get to attend these specials, and here, in most schools I toured, the answer is once a week.
This is where our charter school becomes very interesting as a case study – we have a much longer school day ending at 345 pm. The reason is because each child gets to attend two specials every day, four days a week. This is A LOT compared to many NYC public schools.
The specials at PS 456 will include:
- Music and movement classes through a partnership with BAX
- Puppetry in practice
- Later on as kids are older, they hope to bring in swim and bike lessons as occurs at BNS
- BNS also does metal working in later grades – it might come over to PS 456 if they are following the BNS model closely
What about bussing?
Buses are provided for students who live within a 5 mile radius of 489 State Street. Brighton Beach and Bay Ridge for example is too far, and some areas of Sunset Park will also be too far. It doesn’t mean you can’t attend PS 456 – but you’ll have to find your own way to the school.
Will there be after school and early morning drop off?
They haven’t yet finalized after school programming but they plan to have a program running until 530 which is the same structure as at BNS. The parent coordinator mentioned that the first week will be a phased in drop off meaning just a few hours a day for a couple of days. I found these sorts of days the worst as a working parent – three hours of school means I maybe got two hours of real work in. It’s a model that is a slap in the face for parents with full-time jobs and no full-time nanny. But you of course can survive anything for a short amount of time.
The school day is expected to be as such:
- Start time: between 810-830
- End time: between 230-250
They’re not yet sure about early morning drop off, but I wouldn’t count on it as they will have a lot of moving parts to execute on just to open the doors.
Yes – your child will have a school. They have zero doubts that the building will be ready in time for a September 2024 opening. To be fair, we live across the street from the new Design High School which was built in collaboration with Bank Street College of Education and that school opened on time in September 2023. I know because there are a lot more high schoolers trying to get bubble tea at the same time I need a caffeine hit.
How will teachers be hired?
I found this response to be super interesting! Interviews will happen this spring (Spring 2024). Anyone can apply – private school teachers, teachers from out of state, etc. Some teachers from BNS might come over to PS 456 – just depends on who applies to teach. The principal noted she would ask things like:
- Share with me a time when you followed kids’ interests
- Tell me about an opportunity you had to develop curriculum
- What do you think about assessments (note: BNS was once upon a time, the seat of the opt out of testing movement and continues to espouse no standardized testing. 90-95% of families at BNS opt out of the standardized testing beginning in 3rd grade. This is fine and going to be a right that every family can exercise. Just know that not testing could leave your child vulnerable to weak spots that will be too late to address in middle school and later if a family is not mindful and on top of schooling).
What should you do if you don’t get a spot at PS 456?
You do exactly as you would be do even if you got a spot: you have to stay on top of your child’s education. And if you want extra credit, you supplement school for high quality education.
Especially with what I shared above regarding the science of reading, you can’t take chances. I love all the trappings of progressive schools – I also want my child to be a strong reader. Reading to learn is what will impact their future success. Do not and I repeat – DO NOT – take chances with this. Do not wait a whole year to see if your child will learn. Get in there from the day the school year starts and make sure.
Should I include PS 456 on my list of 12 Brooklyn Elementary Schools?
Yes, though I personally don’t know how high on the list I would rank it. This is a question that my decision making course and tool – Confident Decision Maker’s Toolkit – would be helpful for. And the strategies for applying to Kindergarten summarized in this post obviously holds true here too.
Having worked with Joyce and Dana – the Brooklyn school whisperers – for our 3K, PreK, and K applications (we’re fans :)), I imagine their response would go something along these lines:
- There will be growing pains in getting a brand new school of the ground
- A big risk is how teachers gel with the principal, and how the principal works with parents. Not all principals can be loved by all the constituents, and if you lose either the teachers or the parents…that’s trouble
- A big pro is that teachers like shiny new facilities so in theory, you’ll get a competitive pool of applicants. The question becomes whether the principal’s hiring theory is aligned with a parent’s education vision.
Just remember – whether you get in to PS 456 or not, your duty to help your child learn doesn’t end at pickup. We live in a world where that reality wasn’t true 30 years ago, and it is certainly not true today. Stay the course – raise a lifelong learner.
