Ps 770 New American Academy

PS 770 is an exceptionally special school. I have never come across a principal as communicative as Ms Saratovsky and this commitment extends throughout the staff. PS 770 goes out of its way to provide opportunities for parents to be involved (digitally/in-person, day/evenings), which illustrates an intrinsic understanding of parents' different scheduling and communication needs. We love the diversity of the school's population, but its dedication to culturally responsive pedagogy and critically conscious teaching practices is more impressive. It's not enough to have students attend a diverse school they need to see this diversity represented in their instruction. The message that whiteness needs to be de-centered is being communicated in an impactful way. During Covid-19, PS 770 has gone out of its way to offer comprehensive online instruction. Our kids have different needs, learning styles and attention spans, but despite this my family feels exceptionally supported.

Last year, when I was an anxious mess, trolling the Internet for decent schools, agonizing over my application lists of in-zone/out-of-zone/un-zoned schools, and losing sleep over how I was going to find a decent Kindergarten for my son as a resident of seriously under-served District 17, I made the incredibly intelligent decision to visit PS 770.
I arrived on a Friday morning at 10. I was immediately struck by the bright, cheerful, window-filled rooms and the buzz of productivity in the air. I was shown the locations of the kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade classrooms and invited to observe any and all at my leisure.
I observed for 2 hours and during that time I was amazed to see so many children happily engaged in their work. I never saw anyone, head on elbow, gazing out the window, in the fog of a daydream. I never saw a child looking distracted or a teacher raise their voice. The children were all moving around the classroom, actively participating in learning. I saw 2nd graders give oral presentations on non-fiction books that they'd been reading, with a confidence and true grasp of diction and presentation that amazed me. I saw 1st graders constructing boats out of toothpicks and cucumbers as part of a unit on transportation.
It was when I was in the first-grade class that a little boy came up to me and said, smiling widely to reveal his missing top teeth, “Hello. Why are you visiting our school today?” When I explained that I had a son and that I was looking for a kindergarten for him and asked the boy if he thought that I should send my son to The New American Academy, he replied, “Yes! It’s the greatest school in the whole world!” After our brief exchange he went back to his cucumber project and got back to work.
What struck me about this exchange, was not the boy’s enthusiasm for the school, but the naturalness of our interaction. I had visited numerous, very nice, schools where I saw children I had known for years, sitting quietly at their desks, facing forward as they listened closely to their lessons. When I saw them, they would flash me a quick smile or sneak a little wave and then immediately focus back on what was being taught. Clearly they knew that a disruption in their quiet focus was not allowed in their classroom.
My son started Kindergarten in September 2012, so I have not been a parent at P.S. 770 for very long, but I think that it is clear that he is an active participant in his school day. And I think that because he is treated with enough respect to have a little bit of autonomy in his classroom, he feels very strongly that he would never disrupt the sanctity of it.
The teachers have also been absolute champions of communication, frequently responding to emails from me within 15 minutes, and I can't thank them enough for the kindness and intelligence with which they helped my son deal with a little anxiety about school at the start of the year.
I love the warmth and the celebration of exploration and knowledge that I see at the school. And I think it is very unique.
I encourage anyone and everyone to visit and see it for themselves.

Upon hearing about The New American Academy's model, I was immediately intrigued. Once I visited, I was absolutely blown away by the thoughtful execution of how to best meet children's varying needs. Although the idea of 60 students in one classroom was initially mind-boggling, the fact is that the children are very rarely taught in big groups and they are actually broken up into smaller groups, which makes for a 15:1 ratio (something unheard of in the public school system). The teachers are provided with ongoing training and support and it is quite obvious that they thoroughly enjoy their jobs and absolutely love the children.

One of my favorite aspects of The New American Academy is the fact that the same teachers my daughter has in Kindergarten will be the same teachers all through to the 5th grade. This continuity allows for the teachers, students and their families to develop a strong, long-term relationship where a child's growth and development can be better appreciated. Another one of my favorite things about the school is the focus on a child's need to be physically active. My daughter begins her day by playing outside and doing exercise. This allows her to be prepared to learn in the classroom. In addition to this initial active time, the students also get ample recess time which, again, meets their need to be physically active.

I love that at New American Academy the teachers and administrators know who I am. They know who my child is, not just as a student, but as an individual. I encourage all parents to visit the school and see for themselves the amazing things that are happening every day at The New American Academy