P.S. 220 Edward Mandel

I am a very active parent in my child's life. Went to school to observe my child's class since I was received a couple of calls from school and was very upset at what I saw. I agree with many parents, the school is like prison. No organizational skills. School curriculum sucks. The staff is rude, unfortunately my sons behavior declined even further from the environment he is currently in. I am definitely contacting the District office so they can begin investigating and most importantly evaluating the teachers and staff they hire. Very unhappy with the experience my child has. I am very much afraid for my child's safety. My child has no motivation. My son comes home everyday and tells me that his teachers shouts all the time. I didn't believe him till I observed the class myself. What I saw was horrible. I urge all the parents to visit the class and school in general to have an idea where their kids spend their day. If you care for your children take action. Your child is not safe in this school.
—Submitted by a parent

this is my childs 1st year @ the school but I went a long time ago, & yes I do agree with some of the statments made like staff being rude & not friendly & staff being loud with the kids but it is a good school that trys hard 2 be the best & with limited resources & staff we can not complain especialty when parents do not get involved, there is so much the staff can do, the kids also need their parents involved & there is none! u can not complain if u r not going 2 help make it better! no school is perfect but it is a good school & i would b the 1st 2 say something but I also get involved! but wish the school was more diverse staff & kids!!
—Submitted by a parent

WORST SCHOOL EVER! NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER send your child to this school.. too many problems, too little support ~ this school is a JOKE! home school ur child before u send them here!

This school is like a prison. To much favorotism at this school. If somebody doesn't like your child, they will make sure that other people will do same. My son was taken to the hospital by a stupidity of his classmate principal of that school. Just a simple joke put my son in troble for which I wasted $500 because of this school.
—Submitted by a parent

The staff always seems upset and everyone is always yelling all over the place. Everything else seems to be ok including the teachers. Not sure yet though but will come back and post soon for more detailed information. Oh, and the bathrooms are really very stinky for sure.
—Submitted by a parent

Like all schools, I suppose, this one has some good teachers and some not-so-good ones. I do think the administration for the school is decent--they genuinely care about the children and their well-being, but there is often little follow-up on things because of insufficient staffing. I have spent plenty of time there with lots of opportunity to observe. There's a good deal of yelling by adults. I think it sets a very poor example for the children and leads to unnecessary stress for all. The school has low parent involvement, and I see this as a big drawback.
—Submitted by a parent

My daoughter has gone to this school for 6 years and now she is in honers class in seventh grade
—Submitted by a parent

I am a parent of a high fanctional PDD child and he is attending PS 220 CTT program. This is the only school that offeres this program from 1-5 grage. No other scholls in Queens offer this program from 1-5 grade. This school cares a lot for special educatin children. Their special services like ST, PT, OT are exelent. How can you give PS 196 all five stars, if they don't offer this program (CTT) at their school or maybe they don't have children with special needs in their neighborhood or are they practicaly don't care?
—Submitted by a parent

First of all, as for the parent who says this school looks like a prison, he/she wrote this same exact comment for a nearby school, so his/her credibility is doubtable. Having said that, I do believe this school is below average. The office is not a welcoming place. One day I was trying to leave my child's class snack and was not allowed to even enter the office because I didn't bring ID. My son's teacher is absent excessively. It is the second time this year that my child's class is going to a trip to the movies, yet they've only had 1 educational trip. This school is very disorganized. I would not reccommend it at all. The only positive thing I can think about it is the security guard who has been there for many years and very helpful.
—Submitted by a parent

The worst school I have ever seen. Very dangerous for children, there is no security, children can leave unatended from school. Very dirty and smelly bathrooms. The school looks like a prison.

Personally, I think this school has come a long way. All of the recent teacher hires have exceptional dedication and know the children well. Extra activities are also developing well!
—Submitted by a parent

My son was in PS-220Q school for six years. All those years we had different kinds of problems. The school doesn't have good leadership and discipline, which is essential for beginning relationship between principal-teachers-students. The school doesn't have enough budget to afford many special programs, especially Gifted programs, for students. Every teacher has a minimum of 30 students in the classroom. This year, my son graduated from his school. During Parent-Teacher conferences my son's teachers said that there were no problems with his grades or knowledge. All his grades and tests were either Good or Excellent. His Citywide and Statewide tests were above average. During his graduation everything suddenly changed. His teacher did not give him an award, blaming it on his 'behavior'. His 5th grade teacher had no attention to the good students. I will not recommend this school to anybody.
—Submitted by David K., a parent

The teaching staff at this school is excellent, they take on the 'no student left behind' attitude. The school publishes a monthly newsletter to keep parents well informed.
—Submitted by Fran, a parent

I love this school. The teachers are caring and very much involved with their students. The staff is very protective of the children. The school aids know the children by name. Which to me it means, 'that you care'. Thank you for being part of my childs early school memories.
—Submitted by a parent

This is one of the worse grade schools in Forest Hills which is a shame. Poor communication and responsiveness from the new principal has discouraged parental participation. Morale is low. This school was once active and vibrant. The students and faculty remaining there are suffering.
—Submitted by a parent