Yesterday, I heard from another parent that her daughter had gotten a letter inviting her to interview at the school my own daughter listed as her number one middle school choice and we have received no such letter. The other parent said the interviews are tomorrow.
Today, I went to the school and talked to the parent coordinator. She told me that indeed the interviews are tomorrow and that last week, a letter had been mailed to My Kid . Tomorrow, is also interview day at two or more of the other somewhat selective public middle schools in the neighborhood, which my daughter and/or her classmates have listed as either their first or second choice on the official NYCDOE middle school choice application. These schools only interview for consideration, children who have listed that particular school as first or second on their official NYCDOE middle school choice application.
My daughter cannot interview tomorrow morning because during the first week of January, I went online and acquired for her a ticket to the 10:30 am entrance exam for the gifted and talented school in Manhattan. (Not the 8:30 am test. Not the 3:00 pm test. Not the test given on another day. Her ticket is for that test time and that time only. It has her name on it. A computer gave it to me and I cannot get another ticket. I chose a time based on My Kid’s soccer schedule which, as of January 6, was the only conflict she had.
When I told the parent coordinator that my daughter was scheduled to take this particular test –which most of the 5th graders of most of the parents I talk to at drop-off and pick-up time at My Kid’s elementary school will be taking– the parent coordinator, at what My Kid hopes will be her middle school, had no idea what I was talking about. She seemed never to have heard of this well-known public gifted and talented school, –which is listed in the back of every Middle School Directory for every district– one of the Citywide MIddle Schools with School-Based Applications.
The essay my daughter is asked to prepare in advance of the interview at the the multi-district somewhat selective themed middle school in Brooklyn, is an answer to the following question: “If you could make up one school rule that everybody would have to follow what would it be.” Not, “Why are you interested in math, science and/or technology?” which was the question in previous years and speaks to this particular school’s stated theme.
Also today, I got an e-mail from the NYC Teaching Fellows reminding me to complete my application and get it in. I started an online application some months ago on a whim, and have been getting regular updates about the application deadline extensions ever since.
I heard on NPR, that last fall only about 450 Teaching Fellows entered the New York City Public schools. That’s less than a third of the number hired in previous years. The news story implied that the lack of interest in the teaching profession might have something to do with the DOE hiring freeze that has been in effect since May 2009.
The NYC Teaching Fellows website lists minimum eligibility requirements, including an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 (unless there are extenuating circumstances). Today I was sent answers to common questions such as “Should I apply if my GPA is below 3.0?” and the new answer is “Yes.”
There will be a make-up interview sometime next week.