Prek: when you engineer a complicated electronic search, you restrict access in two ways

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By Joyce Szuflita
The ability for families to search for UPK programs in the fall and early winter, solely by using the convoluted MY SCHOOLS browse is a problem for me. When you design the way people can access information in a complicated and specific path, people who don’t think in the same way and people with different devices will be disadvantaged. I have no doubt that the search will be useful to many eventually, but the lack of a simple static online map as an additional and extremely necessary resource is a joke. It also doesn’t cost you a dime.
READ TO THE END TO GET A THE LIST.

  • The fact that there is no static map by district of all prek-4 programs on the DoE’s website in the fall is STUPID. Is it too simple? is that the problem? DoE, if you are waiting for new information to print the Directory, just put last year’s Admissions Guide online and write really big all over it that this is last years info, and that it may change slightly this year!!

  • The fact that the current MY SCHOOLS browse function is overly complicated, occasionally random, and not intuitive for many is RESTRICTIVE. The fact that expanding my search beyond a mile from my house requires me to go to the BOTTOM of a long list of schools and click a forward button which then shows me a limited list of schools beyond a mile (but not both) is FRUSTRATING. Filtering the options for a subway line is specific but not the simple interface of JUST SHOW ME ALL THE SCHOOLS. Context is important when making decisions.

  • The fact that families are beginning to look for programs NOW and are unnecessarily confused and frustrated because they are trying to be proactive and the DoE will not release the Admissions Guide (directory) online until winter if they do it at all (they haven’t put the Middle School Directory online and that process is well under way) is CONFUSING.

  • AND the fact that the number of seats in these program, when they do release the information (if last year is an indication), is BURIED through many clicks in the Quality Review of the school IS UNHELPFUL! Also, it only shows enrollment and not seats available.

    Here is last year’s Prek Admission Guide edited for the districts in Brooklyn that I cover and D24 and 30 in Queens (cause I occasionally talk to people there too) which while not the complete story is WAY more information than you will likely get in the winter. I didn’t include other districts because the file was too big to load and I am the school lady, not the computer lady.

    DoE: the fact that this PDF is going to get 1,000 hits isn’t my mission. Giving people the information they crave is. Please make this post irrelevant.