New York City has some of the best and worst public schools in America and as well as the nation's largest system of choice. As a result, New York City parents are often forced to shop for elementary schools the way parents elsewhere shop for colleges. Clara Hemphill has written a guide that provides parents with everything they need to find a good school in their neighborhood or to apply to the dozens of alternative schools that accept children from outside their immediate neighborhoods. Interviews with teachers and parents uncover the "inside scoop" on schools, including atmosphere, homework, student stress, competition among students, the quality of teachers, the condition of the building, and more. It also provides the hard facts on: Class size and total school enrollment; Test scores for reading and math; Ethnic make up: Black, White, Hispanic, Asian; Admissions requirements: none? tests? interview? Teaching methods and styles: progressive, traditional; When to apply; How to decide which schools to try for