Posted on Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Eighth grader Jah’si could barely contain his excitement as he dialed the number. “Mom, I was accepted!” he screamed into the phone. On the other end, his mother, Shanique Johnson, started to cry. She’d just received the same email with news of his acceptance and scholarship to Horace Mann.
Ms. Johnson always knew that her son had the talent and determination to succeed. “He just needed to be challenged,” she says. “Harlem Academy was invested in him, and because of that I saw real growth...
Tags: secondary school, school choice, middle school Posted on Friday, May 5, 2017
In 90% of the school districts that Harlem Academy serves, no kindergartner scored high enough in 2016 to be eligible for the citywide gifted and talented programs. These opportunities are available only to students already testing above the 97th percentile.
Promising children from low-income communities don’t have the resources or preparation to compete for these spots, and the programs are dominated by children from more affluent communities.
At the same time, local public and charter...
Tags: school choice Posted on Thursday, April 13, 2017
Year after year, Harlem Academy students improve their performance on standardized tests. Most notably, scores jump an average of 11 points after a student’s first year at HA. We took a closer look at the second-grade class to see how this growth was accomplished during their first year at Harlem Academy.
“Tell me about your favorite book that you’ve read this year,” asks Head of School Vinny Dotoli. Two students are engaging with him and a visitor to the school. They are the classroom...
Tags: lower school, school choice Posted on Monday, March 7, 2016
A choice like no other in this community
“I had my child in five schools before we found Harlem Academy. None of them were pushing my son to grow. The situation in my district, it was just sad.” - Fifth grade parent
All New York City parents know the stress of finding the right school for their children. In Harlem, the South Bronx, and Washington Heights, however, the challenge is even greater. More than 80% of local students are failing, and local public and charter schools must focus on...
Tags: family partnership, school choice Posted on Friday, January 9, 2015
One of the questions we receive most often from prospective supporters and parents is why are we a private school and not a charter school?
The short answer is that only as a private school does Harlem Academy have the flexibility to achieve its mission. We identify talented children and provide them with the advanced academics and character development they need to catch up with their peers from more affluent communities.
Below is an in depth look at why we set Harlem Academy up as a private...
Tags: school choice