Uncommon Schools Launches New Preschool in Bed-Stuy Neighborhood * Brooklyn Paper

"But what is unusual is that the preschool is available to parents of public charter students. For the past three years, the New York City Department of Education has frozen funding for new universal pre-K programs. As a result, Uncommon was left with no other option than to fully self-fund the three programs it has launched in the years since. These sites, in Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights, offer free, high-quality, full-day pre-K and after care."

""We made this commitment because of the ongoing and urgent need in the communities we serve", said Oluwabumi Ajayi, the interim director of pre-K at Uncommon Schools. "While we remain hopeful that the school system will reinstate funding so we can pour more resources into our programs and reach even more families, we are committed to doing our part to provide excellent pre-K opportunities to as many children as possible.""

"The high-performing charter school network operates 23 schools serving grades K-12 and now 3 pre-K programs in Brooklyn with more than 8,000 students. Uncommon is well-known for preparing students to get to and through college, with nearly all their high school graduates moving on to college. Even in preschool, students are introduced to college. Each of their classrooms is named after a college or university from around the country."

Uncommon Bed-Stuy Pre-K greets new students with handshakes, hugs, or fist bumps and offers preschool seats to parents of public charter students. The New York City Department of Education has frozen new universal pre-K funding for three years, so Uncommon fully self-funds three Brooklyn pre-K sites in Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights. These sites provide free, high-quality, full-day pre-K with before- and after-care and often run waitlists. The Uncommon network operates 23 K-12 schools and serves more than 8,000 students including three pre-K programs. Classrooms are named after colleges and the program emphasizes college preparation and family-centered care.

Read at Brooklyn Paper