P.S. 24 Spuyten Duyvil

Great school. I went there as a child and now my daughter attends. Still hosts a wonderful learning environment. Teachers are superb. School is in excellent shape as well. You can literally eat off the floors. The diverse ethnicity of students make for socially advanced children. Just my opinion. Very pleased.
--Submitted by a parent

Our child started attending PS24 in the fall for Kindergarten. While the school is academically very sound, the environment is very cold and the kids are treated very harshly. The Principal walks around with her nose in the air and does not greet parents (unless you're the president of the PA). The PA is amazing but needs to be more inviting. Whiny parents, snobby community. After hearing so many wonderful things about PS 24, we were very dissappointed with the school overall. We have transferred our child elsewhere.
--Submitted by a parent

PS24 is a great school with outstanding teachers, great PA and students. Like everywhere, there are 10-20% modest performers and some of these suffer of the entitlement syndrome. There are plenty of opportunities to improve, should they focus and increase their efforts rather than whine.
--Submitted by a parent

Can't understand all the great reviews there are probably 2 great teachers if that many and the teacher my son has now her strings are being pulled by the class and grade reps .Thank god my son is smart and I always find new ways of helping him because this teacher really does not care about teaching she only cares about what the top parents think.There are only a select group of parents who are allowed to do anything in the school the rest of us are not even spoken to only when the class needs money they invite us to participate .Thought this was a public school but it is not being run that way
--Submitted by a parent

My son passed the practice test for the ELA test that decides whether he would go into 5th grade next year. So, we've already spent thousands of dollars on his ideal summer camp, the time of which coincides with the mandatgory summer school he now faces. The official ELA scroes were available well before June 20. The letter about him failing the language part of the test was dated June 20, but we didn't receive it until June 24. How do we tell a 10-year-old that he may not go to 5th grade next year and that he may not be able to attend his ideal summer school?
--Submitted by a parent

We began renting in Spuyten Duyvil because we hoped that PS 24 would be a good fit for our children, and we are so grateful that we did. Our son is now in first grade, and although he entered kindergarten not reading at all, now he is a "level M". I am so impressed with the quality of teachers he has had. Mornings are so easy for us because he LOVES going to school. His class composed a full orchestral piece that was then performed by an adult orchestra. He looks forward to Chess Club during lunchtime. He is constantly engaged in charitable activities - most recently we donated books to send to tornado ravaged elementary schools in the South. The school is on a 6 day schedule which allows students to take additional "specials" like theater, music, art, and conflict resolution. We cannot say enough good things about the school. You can't look at the out-of-date postings below. The school's new principal (of almost 2 years now) is really doing things right. by our child. We are so convinced that PS 24 is a great school that we recently made the leap and bought a home here in the neighborhood. We are here to stay.
--Submitted by a parent

Our daughter graduated 2 years ago from PS 24. Her cousins go to Fieldston. We think she received a better education than her cousins and had the added better benefit of going to school with a real cross section of NYC. Most of the teachers and administrators were extremely engaged and prepared to teach our daughter. It was a great jumping off point for middle school and where ever she goes in the future. Avril Wenderoff and Steve Bloom (4th and 5th grade teachers) truly rock and should be cloned
--Submitted by a parent

P.S. 24 has been an awesome place for both my daughter (in G & T) and our son (who started kindergarten after having been recently adopted and not speaking English). They are children with very different needs; P.S. 24 has been a supportive environment with great teachers for both. The distractions around its Principal (or lack of one) prevents it from getting 5 stars.
--Submitted by a parent

After having two children at this school for a total of 11 years, I can say with conviction that PS 24 is a mediocre school with many unprofessional teachers, staff, and administrators coupled with very competitive parents who live vicariously through their children. My younger son had a wonderful woman as his 4th grade honors teacher, but for the other grades the teachers were substandard. If I had to do it over again, I would have explored the many wonderful options in Manhattan and the private schools. Both my kids now go to other truly great schools outside of this community, thus illuminating the mediocrity of PS 24. My advice to parents is to look beyond PS 24's fame status and really check out the types of adults (teachers, parent coordinator, assistant principal, etc.) involved with this school . . . and then run as far away as you can!!!!
--Submitted by a parent

I love this school. It's organized and my child is diciplined. They are informative and I love the school.
--Submitted by a parent