| The talent at Dreyfoos is amazing. From some of your earlier posts it seems that you are interested in visual arts. So I must assume that the free rides you are referring to is to Cooper Union admittees. Those free rides are not based on need, just pure talent. Cooper Union is free for any admitted student. For several years now Cooper has been admitting several students from Dreyfoos each year.
Many students, though not all, have been in the District's art magnet program since 6th grade. They auditioned for middle school and then again for high school.
All students at Dreyfoos, regardless of the art area, carry the normal academic load of all other public schools in the District and also have an extra class period each day. This translates to each student having at minimum two required art periods. Depending on the "academic" load, they may have more than the two art classes per semester. The school runs on block scheduling, so they may not have their art classes every day, but when they have class (any class) they are long blocks of time. It is probably safe to say that the majority of the students take additional classes after school and in the summers in their chosen art area. - - All of this block scheduling and number of art classes also applies to the middle school of the arts. So as you can imagine these are kids who spend a large amount of time doing what they love. Because competition to get into the school is so fierce, the level of talent tends to be very high.
As far as art supplies, the school provides some supplies and the students also buy some. There is a very active Parents Association for each art area and a foundation that raises money. These moneys are used to enrich the program by providing resources for the school that the District will not fund, for bringing in visiting artists, helping students who cannot afford items they need or who need travel money to visit a school or attend a competition. In short, whatever need might be identified will be considered and funded whenever possible.
The facilities at the school are very nice and in some instances better than some colleges'. The school is in a cluster of historic buildings which housed the county's oldest high school until the building was earmarked for demolition. The old school was going to be torn down when a movement of residents saved it. It was refurbished and Dreyfoos received its permanent home in a beautiful campus.
The students interact very well and respect and support one another. There are no cliques or bullies. Kids are free to be themselves in a nurturing environment. Many of these kids would probably be picked on or ridiculed in a regular school but at Dreyfoos they do not have to be afraid.
Since all students are mixed with other art areas in the academic classes, it is not unusual for "best friends" to be in different art areas. These are truly smart kids who also take very challenging "academic" classes both at the school and at the local universities. It is not unusual for them to win at math and science competitions not just at the local level, but internationally as well. Consequently, many of the highly selective "academic" schools recruit on campus each year.
I think I have answered your questions but feel free to ask more if there is something else you wish to know. |