This place is huge and antique to say the least. I came by to check out my nephew orchestra…read moreperformance. I Love the history the building tells from the outside all through the stairways. The sound in the performance room we were in for his performance was great. The seating reminded me of my Great Grandmother church back home in Chicago (Ebinizer) how the rows are extremely long benches wrapped across the room back to back. Every seat in the house was a good seat unless you are sitting behind one of those signature monumental antique pillars. This building is pretty busy as there are a lot of rooms for performances, educational programs, after school programs, etc. I love the architect and the diversity of the students, program participants, program directors, etc.. I look forward to checking out this place again hopefully during my nephew Holiday performances.

I went to Packer for "lower" and "middle" school. It was an amazing school offering a great blend…read moreof art and core education classes. Class sizes were small, teachers were very engaged and I got a wonderful variety of music, dance, art and cultural experiences. The school has a lot of traditional festivities such as the May Day Dance, Pumpkin Patch, the Winter Sing or Dance Concert. The grounds and facilities preserve the history and beautiful architecture of the early 20th century while utilizing current technology and modern design. The Chapel is breathtaking - with stained glass windows from Tiffany. As taken from the website: "Packer Collegiate Institute is an independent, college preparatory day school providing coeducational programs from PreK-12. The oldest independent school in Brooklyn, founded in 1845 in the historic district of Brooklyn Heights. It has a rich educational history...The campus includes 6 connected buildings: Founder's Hall, the Science Building, Alumnae Hall, the Pratt Building, the Commons, and the Middle School." The garden and outside facilities are truly beautiful and worth stopping by even just to see the outside!

Ah DOE. You were trouble from the start. But you do pay my bills, so I can't complain too much!…read more In 2002 when I applied for my certification, you forgot to give it to me. I had to call up 3 years later and get it processed. In 2006 when I was looking for a job, you didn't help one bit! Actually, you denied me a job and I ended up at the most dangerous school in the state. Thanks for that. In 2006-2007 you did arrange for me to get paid for 1 year of experience, and a Master's degree. I got paid on time, every 1st and 15th. It goes straight into my bank account, even in the summer. It's glorious. In 2007 you just gave me $3,400 (tax free) for working in above school, which you didn't help me find. So who won now?! Thank you!

Disclaimer: I am not writing as student/employee of the DOE…read more For a mentor program that involved working with high school students, I was subject to background check and fingerprint process that had to be done at the DOE. For one of the largest municipal educational systems in the country, I was surprised to find that there was only one location to for all administrative affairs and it was in Downtown Brooklyn, which IMHO, is not a central or convenient location for those from all parts of the city (notably Staten Island & the Bronx). The hours, while normal for a bureaucratic agency, are extremely inconvenient -- especially for the population it serves! How is anyone who is currently working able to come in Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm? The students themselves are in school longer. The coffee shop on my street serves a much smaller population and even less important function and THEY have better hours. Half a day on Saturday? Even an 8am opening time on weekdays would be exponentially more helpful. Outside the hours, the process is highly inefficient where you have to wait in a line to state your purpose to WAIT IN A LINE AGAIN. Yes, I said that right: you have to wait in a line to wait in a line, even if you have all the proper paperwork. Unfortunately, unlike restaurants, there isn't an alternative NYC DOE you can go to but one can only hope that some reevaluation could occur to better serve the teachers/volunteers/staff and by proxy, students/people of New York. Giving two stars because staff was friendly and helpful and cannot be faulted for what is an organizational/process inefficiency.

Man, sending your kid to be taken care of by strangers can be tough…read more I was fully prepared to hate every daycare we toured and subsequently convince my wife that I should quit my job and take care of our little girl full time, because no one was good enough to do the job.* But we loved Changing Tomorrow as soon as we walked inside. The location may not be ideal (for us or in general - it's located in a construction-clogged area of Downtown Brooklyn), but the facilities are excellent, and the people are wonderful. It is brand new, clean, and very well run. It's as if they took stock of the bougie parents in the neighborhood, and decided to create a daycare that offered everything they might want: Flexible schedules and long hours (open 7 am to 7 pm). Nurse on site at all times. Organic food catered for the kids (after they turn 1). Montessori methods that focus on the cognitive, social, and emotional development of your kid. Frequent activities like dance, soccer, finger-painting, and trips to the park when it's nice out. Best of all, they have monthly meetings where they take suggestions for what the parents would like to see from the school, and they actually try and implement those suggestions where it makes sense. (I wish those meetings weren't at 7 am, but I suppose getting up early is part of being a parent.) We're only a couple of weeks in at this point, but so far I have to say that the staff is just amazing. They put up with the minute and specific instructions we (and I imagine all parents) throw at them on a daily basis, and they are shockingly on top of the Brightwheel app that they use to keep us updated on our child throughout the day. Yesterday I got over a dozen photos and videos of my daughter, plus updates on her naps, feedings, diaper changes, and more. My kid still cries every time I drop her off, but it's really gratifying to see a smiling photo of her just a little bit later so I know she isn't crying all day. A huge thank you to Meridith the Education Director, Ms. Victoria, Ms. Janiece, Ms. Maria, and all the other wonderful people that work here. I'm constantly surprised that the teachers in the other age groups (that don't spend the day caring for her) recognize my daughter on sight when we walk in the door; it makes the place feel a lot more like a family. Thank you all for taking care of our daughter; I know it isn't easy, and we really appreciate how much you care. It makes it a little bit easier to leave her with you. ____________ *And also because I'm a progressive man that knows my wife can handle the breadwinning duties in this modern world. Definitely not because I'm tired of working and need to be supported in this lifestyle to which I've become accustomed.

Enrolling our daughter in Changing Tomorrow Academy was one of the best decisions we ever made…read more We had originally planned to send her to a daycare just around the corner, but when that fell through were in a desperate situation. Amanda was so wonderful and found a place for us at very short notice. We weren't expecting much -- we were just happy to have found somewhere so quickly -- but our daughter flourished and thrived under their care. Amanda was extremely communicative and seemed to know everything about how our child was developing. She is so great with the children and just an extremely positive force to be around. We never worried for a second when our daughter was there. The teachers were wonderful at helping her adapt to her first daycare, and then helping her transition to the toddler class. We got regular updates and photographs throughout the day that regularly made us laugh. They came up with really great ideas for activities. They calmed us when we were worried and gave us tips to help her along. The facilities here are amazing, but the staff are what makes it great. We HIGHLY recommend Changing Tomorrow Academy and will be eternally grateful for how they took care of our little one.

Fantastic place. My kids go to a summer camp here and they're having the blast everyday. Teachers…read moreare so sincere and take really good care of children. They prepare so many exciting activities for each day and my kids come home with a smile on their face. I'm sure regular school days are awesome too! Also, It's in the very convenient location! There are many choices of buses and subways to take. Shops, restaurants, and cafes are around.

We love Kiddie Korner. Our eldest started there aged 15 months and our youngest aged 7.5 months -…read moreand both continue to be very happy there (eldest is now 4 years old). Here's what we like: - Welcoming/warm atmosphere: the staff all seem to genuinely care about every child and support their individual needs. - Curriculum: with babies/young toddlers, we initially just wanted a safe and loving environment for them while we were at work. But we've also enjoyed seeing them learn and grow in every way. New concepts, numbers, the alphabet, etc - and of course, lots of songs - they cover it all. - Activities: art, yoga, "science lab", and Music Together - these have been great for our littles ones. - It's also nice to feel a part of the community, even though we're not Jewish. Many of the families are from different cultures/backgrounds. And it's kind of fun to hear your child pick up bits of Hebrew. The only real drawback is that October can be challenging with so many Jewish holidays (not all of them observed by other NYC schools). But we still love sending our baby and our preschooler to KK.

Do not send your child to this school. What Jenny has reported in her review was not an uncommon…read moreexperience. If you are desperate to go here, ask them about the abnormally high rates of administration turn over. Ask them about the school being closed down. And if the owners, who have no educational background, tell you the issues you are experiencing (for example, your child feeling scared or unsafe) are unheard of at Pache or tell you that your child is lying, welcome to the club. There are good teachers here but they and your child deserve so much more.

My child did not feel safe at this school. She was repeatedly harassed, followed into the bathroom,…read morehit and bitten by a classmate. The staff had no empathy and repeatedly minimized her feelings. Not a nurturing environment that embraces the need to feel safe and be heard.

We have had a great experience so far at Imagine. My toddler and infant are both there now and all…read morethe staff and teachers are great! They have enrichment programs, structure and free play learning times, time outside to burn off all the toddler energy, and a great environment. My toddler is learning a lot there, socially and academically, and my infant is getting a great experience as well. (to the neighbor complaining about outdoor time: that is usually when most kids are getting picked up and a great way to get them more fresh air. The comment about needed to "move if you cannot afford better care" is really patronizing and your observation is out of context and therefore inaccurate.)

If you like the idea of your child spending two hours every afternoon during spring and summer…read morespending play time in a yard, while the staff looks on blasting (non child friendly) music this is the place for you! I don't have any children at this place (thank God!), but I live right next door, and I can't Imagine anyone wanting to send their children there. If you can't afford to send them anywhere else, move!