Research P.S. 29 John M Harrigan School public Schools in Port Chester, New York

“My kids have been in attendance at PS29 since 1999 and while I have my complaints about the school, it has shown itself to be remarkably agile when it finds it necessary to change direction (e.g., the shift from the disastrous Chicago math curriculum to TERC). Facilities are somewhat outmoded but very well-maintained and there is much to be said for sending children to a school that doesn t resemble a medium security prison. Class sizes in the upper grades might be considered large, but for one who attended NYC public schools in the 1970s complaints about class size almost always strike me as specious. The teachers may, as the previous reviewer complained, be too young, but compared to the lifer battleaxes who patrolled the classrooms when I was a kid, I have no complaint. I have no riposte to the charge of unprofessionalism; it seems likely to me that parents who are looking for authoritarian teachers are looking to have their own disciplinary shortcomings mitigated in the classroom. And, again referring to the previous reviewer, why one would prefer to have teachers driving in from the suburbs to living locally among their students simply baffles me. Excellent reputation as a feeder school; graduates routinely accepted at the best public middle school programs.”

“PS29 has wonderful teachers, with a dedicated principle. There is a great after school program. and a very active and involved PTA,. - a wonderful school all round”

“This school is way over-rated. I think because most of the students and parents do not have a nice 'outer-city' school to compare this to they have justified it to be 'great'. Although I would rank it as a 'good' school but the staff is 'too young', 'too un-profesional', and most live locally. It's good for public and Brooklyn but we'll be looking at private schools next year.”

“this school is so fanatastic the teachers are so nice and patient and the students put there all efort into there work”

“P.S. 29 Is the best school ever! i whole heartedly suggest sending your children there! I graduated last year and am now at m.S. 447 In reagents track math!”

“PS29 is the Yale of elementry schools, period. There is no better school, public or private, anywhere.”

“The principal is enthusiastic, dedicated, and knowledgeable. This is based upon numerous first and secondhand encounters. The teachers are great overall, with an acceptable range of approaches and quality. The afterschool program is run in conjunction with the PTA (which is very active) is excellent. There an many parents who could afford private tuition swho choose to send their kids here.”

“Excellent, caring and devoted teachers. Great extracurricular programs. Very diverse student population. All-in-all a superb learning environment.”

“School has great reputation, but class size is increasing. Kids really participate in classes.”

“My children have had a wonderful educational experience at PS 29. The school has a strong reading and writing curriclum. Its student population is extremely diverse.”

“The education and extracurricular activities at this school are comparable to the top private schools in the city. The principal has turned the school around and as a result it is now one of the top rated schools in Brooklyn.”

“I am the parent of a first grader at PS 29 and consistantly inspired by our principal, assistant principal, teaching staff and amazingly dedicated PTA. Check out the artwork lining the halls and the student orchestra (and 1st graders learning to read/write music), the science fair projects and the writers' celebrations, the TADA performances and the visting chess masters. Is it perfect? No. It's still a NYC public school so there are constant budget issues but the commitment to meeting the varied needs of the students is extraordinary. They've managed to create a nurturing, academically rigorous environment that's on par with the highly regarded private schools in our area.”