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Sadly, bullying is on the minds of many parents and students, and why not? Clannish and mean-spirited behavior isn’t just a product of face-to-face interaction, but also raises its ugly head in cyberspace. The anonymity of the Internet has allowed cowards to make nasty comments about students they don’t like. Recently, newspapers have reported on a 13-year-old girl who jumped to her death in Florida after being hazed and tormented by fellow students, ages 14 and 12.
Ask any New Yorker with children what’s the hardest part of living in the city. Having enough living space is high on the list; perhaps even higher is choosing the right high school.
New Yorkers cherish the city for its variety and diversity. There are more school choices than flavors in a Häagen-Dazs ice cream shop. Yet, despite the amount of research parents do and how many school visits they make, no one is guaranteed to make the right choice.
From an infant’s first days, parents make choices for their child representing the family’s values and interests – taking into consideration the child’s own personality. And yet when children enter school, we relinquish much of this participation. The child becomes a student. But now more parents are asserting that education needn’t happen at the expense of individuality.
