P.S. 321 William Penn

Having recently moved to the area from out of state, a good school was a top priority and a good public school was even better as so many of us have doubts about our education system but know that we were raised with a good public education. Well, my son has been at PS 321 for several months now and I only have top praise for his teacher (even his substitutes), the principal, and the high participation of the parents. The school offers much more than my son's previous good public school and I believe it is because of the caring leadership of the principal and the involvement of the parents. Any issues that get just a few parents' attention (like mandatory testing) are soon to become well discussed issues for everyone to have their say. The parents can have a significant impact on what goes on at the school. I know that my son is safe, getting a good education, able to expand his mind in areas he did not have access to before, and he is part of a great student body. I now understand why people move to Park Slope for the schools and PS 321 is a shining example.
—Submitted by a parent

This is an extraordinary school with excellent leadership, incredible teachers and great PTA. My first daughter graduated from this school and got into one of the most prestigious gifted and talented middle school in Manhattan. The teachers she had were experienced, competent and nurturing. Her 5th grade teacher made the transition from elementary school to middle school so smooth and seamless. She even emailed her previous 5th grade students on the first day of middle school to with them the best. This is the school that my first daughter wants to go back and say hello to her teachers and staff. Also, my second daughter is currently 2nd grade and she's been here since pre-K. She also has nothing but wonderful experience with teachers, staff and friends. They also offer excellent after school programs and promotes art and music.
—Submitted by a parent

I also have to say that the admin. staff along with some of the other faculty are just downright awful. My registration process was the worst here than the other 3 schools in different states. They belittle, act like they couldn't care less about your child, show that they REALLY couldn't care less about you or your concerns. I cannot believe that they allow people, who are the first a parent will ever come in contact with, to be as rude as they are. I am supposed to put my children in the hands of these people? I love my kids' teachers, fortunately. The problem is you just never know what kind of people you'll be dealing with here. It prevents me from being as involved as I normally would be. My kids go here this year, but I don't think that it was worth it. My kids could go to another great school with much better staff, esp. admin. I really tried to make excuses with the whole, "they're the gatekeepers" thing about admin, etc, but at the end of the day, they are a part -big or small- of my child's education and are supposed to be the ones I go to concerning my children. They fail every time. I hope the principal or someone at the head fixes this major problem. ESPECIALLY ADMIN
—Submitted by a parent

I cannot believe how rude the admin staff are here. I have had several dealings with the general admin staff during the kindergarten application process and every time I get off the phone I feel completely dejected. I have been spoken down to, told I am not telling the truth and reprimanded. 321 I just crossed you off my list, I can't deal with 5 years of that treatment.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a great school. The teachers are intelligent, caring and energetic. The principal is good leader and forward thinking. The parents community is very involved and supportive. My only complaint is overcrowding but the quality of teaching more than makes up for this.
—Submitted by a parent

This school does great . . . with kids who fit its predetermined methods. However, if you don't fit, it's your issue. The administration strongly supports teachers--great, till you get a problematic teacher. Our daughter's K teacher cared about lesson plans more than about the kids. My daughter and many other kids were miserable. The teacher did not want to hear it--her brittle defensiveness drowned out chance for actual discussion. The vice-principal we met with was memorably unhelpful and unreceptive to our concerns, and treated us with blatant suspicion, though multiple families communicated same issues. To the school's credit, they went to observe the classroom--but they kept telling us things were fine, our kid was fine...when she was dreading school each day, suffering, and saying so. The school did a LOT of explaining why things were done in certain ways, and made NO changes to help kids who withered under this teacher. I support teachers, too--but not those who make kids miserable. Our kid's G1 teacher was warm and attentive--we loved her, but she didn't differentiate much, said she couldn't, so our kid didn't get the learning she needed. Ultimately we chose to leave 321.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is in his third year at this school, which we chose over a gifted-student-only magnet school. We have adored and admired all of his teachers. In first grade, he's reading beyond fifth-grade level and is encouraged in his passions for drawing and science. The social-studies curriculum is amazingly deep. The student body is large, but the staff controls for that in creative, effective ways. One day while chaperoning a field trip I watched a fire drill where every student SILENTLY filed out of the building. It was awe-inspiring. The school also has a kindness culture that works amazingly well. Involvement by parents is embraced and appreciated. Teachers here work hard and take great pride in what they do and how their students do. They also celebrate their students' success and encourage them constructively. I really could not wish for a better educational experience for my son, public or private. Plus, this school is three blocks from our home. It's an amazing gift to our child to have such a love of school from the start. Everytime I see Liz Phillips, our principal, I beg her to never retire -- because now we also have a baby!
—Submitted by a parent

We have a fifth grader who is sad to be graduating out of this great school. Our second grader says she wants to be a teacher when she grows up. They have both had fantastic, dedicated teachers supported by an excellent principal and staff. The level of parent involvement is amazing. The school sets its own curriculum due to very high test scores, and the principal makes it clear that the the idea is effective learning, not teaching to the test. If you are fortunate enough to live in the zone there is a good chance you will be happy with 321.
—Submitted by a parent

The principal, teachers and administration are amazing.
—Submitted by a parent

It is filled with hope, light, and encouragement for every child no matter what level of learning they are on. The school inspires kids to be the best that they can be.
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers and parents are simply amazing! They are engaged and make the school feel like it is a cozy community.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is great to prepare your child for prison. It has bars on all the winows, a fenced yard (no grass or greenery), and uniformed guards. mixed experience with teachers and staff...some good/some bad but neither to the extremes of truely great or truely horrible
—Submitted by a parent

Fantastic teachers, dedicated principal, awesome enrichment programs, involved parents, thought-provoking curriculum!
—Submitted by a parent

I love our school because the teachers and administration are terrific at reinforcing the students natural inclination to learn in everything they do! They do not just teach to pass standardized tests - although this seems to be a natural by product.
—Submitted by a parent

My twin girls have gone to 321 since kindergarten, and are currently in 3rd grade. They have had so much fun learning there. Their teachers have been great! Nice community of parents, too.
—Submitted by a parent

We have had a very mixed experience at this school. Both with great teachers and outright difficult ones. Due to the hands off approach of allowing the teachers to run their class, little is done if you get a bad-apple for the year. This is unfortunate. There are a lot of children....the numbers alone make it difficult to get attention. Overcrowding is an issue. Kindness, respect and manners are often ignored to maintain order of the sheer numbers of children. Kids can feel this and become lost in the shuffle. Parental involvement is high.... this has a definite positive advantage for the school but then has a huge down-side when it crosses lines into socialization. Politically correct play-dates and over-parenting are by-products of some with to much time on their hands. Overall the school does very well with reading and writing. The teachers that are great do an exceptional job and should be commended.
—Submitted by a parent

I loved 321. I went there from K-5 and it was great. The teachers are all really great, and the curriculum is good in 321 I was able to be creative and learn a lot at the same time. I enjoyed going to school everyday and am still friends with some of the people I met there. Being able to go out to lunch was also great in 4th and 5th grade as opposed to being stuck in an overcrowded cafeteria for a period.
—Submitted by a student

I was pleasantly surprised that the hype about P.S. 321 seems to be true. My son just finished kindergarten and it's been phenomenal. He had attended a highly regarded private school for nursery and pre-k and I found the education at 321 to be as good or better. The atmosphere is community-oriented and creative. What makes this school great is not only the principal's leadership, wonderful, dedicated teachers who continually educate themselves and the parent body, but the inter-dependent and respectful relationship between all three. Principal Liz Phillips welcomes input and involvement. There are issues with crowding, but at least at the kindergarten level, they are somewhat isolated, having lunch in their classroom rather than the cafeteria, and having their own playground. They seem to manage the crowd very well. I can't say enough good things about it. So far, we love it!
—Submitted by a parent

The school is overcrowded, and yet works really well. One reason it does, I think, is because the teachers are very dedicated and overall very good. With two children having gone through a total of seven grades, so far, we have only been disappointed with one teacher, and have been thrilled with many. The other reason it works is that a good proportion of the parents are fully invested in the school and the kids' education, expecting a lot from the school and the children. Liz Phillips presides over this seemingly chaotic enterprise with grace and humor. I fear continued growth in the school population will bring it to a breaking point, but so far, so good.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is too crowded and it takes months to get the attention of a social worker. I also wonder if it's academically rigorous.
—Submitted by a parent