Alina Adams

Alina Adams is a New York City mom of 3 school-age children and a New York Times best-selling author of soap-opera tie-ins, figure-skating mysteries and romance novels. She is a contributing writer to TODAY Show Parenting, Mommy Poppins, BlogHer, Red Tricycle, Café Mom, and Kveller. After going through the NYC school application process with her own children and realizing just how convoluted, Draconian and needlessly complex it was, Alina resolved to help make all parents aware of all their school choices—and how to get them—via her books, “Getting Into NYC Kindergarten” and “Getting Into NYC High-School,” as well as her podcast, “NYC School Secrets: Parents Helping Parents.” Read more and listen at: www.NYCSchoolSecrets.com
Some Families Don’t Know How To Exercise School Choice. Others Don’t Know They’re Already Doing It: An Open Letter To Both
Finding the Right School

Some Families Don’t Know How To Exercise School Choice. Others Don’t Know They’re Already Doing It: An Open Letter To Both

Alina Adams1 Comment

Kindergarten Connect, the form New York City parents use to apply to public school Kindergarten for September 2019, came out on December 5 after being delayed from its originally announced date, December 3, presumably due to the ongoing disaster that is the new Parent Portal. Kindergarten Connect was designed to help all families exercise school… Continue reading Some Families Don’t Know How To Exercise School Choice. Others Don’t Know They’re Already Doing It: An Open Letter To Both

If Grades & Test Scores Are “Better” At Predicting Student Success Why Aren’t Screened Schools “Better” Than Specialized Ones?
Finding the Right School

If Grades & Test Scores Are “Better” At Predicting Student Success Why Aren’t Screened Schools “Better” Than Specialized Ones?

Alina Adams2 Comments

Applications for New York City public schools were originally due today, Monday, December 3. However, last week, the Department of Education announced that they were extending their deadline to turn in your rankings to Friday, December 14. They went out of their way to stress it absolutely was not due to what an unmitigated disaster… Continue reading If Grades & Test Scores Are “Better” At Predicting Student Success Why Aren’t Screened Schools “Better” Than Specialized Ones?

Should Teachers Forbid Students From Learning Outside of School? What Happens When They Do?
Blog

Should Teachers Forbid Students From Learning Outside of School? What Happens When They Do?

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In my November 5th post, In Mixed Ability Classrooms, Who Is Really Doing the Teaching, I reiterated my contention that it’s very difficult for teachers to work effectively in a classroom where students come in with wildly different levels of preparedness. This post triggered intense pushback on Facebook from teachers, who insisted they had been… Continue reading Should Teachers Forbid Students From Learning Outside of School? What Happens When They Do?

How Will Amazon Affect Schools In Queens – And All Of NYC?
Finding the Right School · School Choice

How Will Amazon Affect Schools In Queens – And All Of NYC?

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Last week, the big New York City news was: Amazon Is Coming To Long Island City, Queens! While pundits debated what that will mean for housing prices, public transportation, and other quality of life issues, The Wall Street Journal hoped for improved student tech training and internship opportunities, The Daily News revealed that it would… Continue reading How Will Amazon Affect Schools In Queens – And All Of NYC?

FAQ’s: 20 Questions NYC Parents Have About Applying To Kindergarten – Answered!
Finding the Right School

FAQ’s: 20 Questions NYC Parents Have About Applying To Kindergarten – Answered!

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There is no nice way to put this: The Department of Education’s Parent Portal is an unmitigated disaster. Since it opened, I have received literally hundreds of emails from frustrated families who are having trouble registering, getting confirmation, or even logging on. Their calls to the DOE are going unanswered, requiring multiple hour wait times,… Continue reading FAQ’s: 20 Questions NYC Parents Have About Applying To Kindergarten – Answered!

In Mixed Ability Classrooms, Who Is Really Doing the Teaching?
Accountability

In Mixed Ability Classrooms, Who Is Really Doing the Teaching?

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“I put him in that group on purpose,” my son’s math teacher told us during Parent-Teacher conferences. “The other students were having trouble understanding some of the concepts and I knew your child could help explain them.” This isn’t my son’s first time at this rodeo. A few years ago, his Computer Programming teacher flat… Continue reading In Mixed Ability Classrooms, Who Is Really Doing the Teaching?

Could This Change Make NYC Kindergarten Admissions Easier – Or Harder?
Finding the Right School

Could This Change Make NYC Kindergarten Admissions Easier – Or Harder?

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Are you a New York City parent applying your child to public school Kindergarten for September 2019? Congratulations! Here are just some of the forms you’ll need to fill out: Interested in a traditional zoned Kindergarten? That goes on Kindergarten Connect! (Whether it’s your zoned school or not.) Unzoned Kindergarten? Dual language Kindergarten? Magnet school?… Continue reading Could This Change Make NYC Kindergarten Admissions Easier – Or Harder?

Will Changing Admission to Specialized High Schools Change Specialized High Schools? How Do We Find Out?
Finding the Right School

Will Changing Admission to Specialized High Schools Change Specialized High Schools? How Do We Find Out?

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This past weekend, 30,000 New York City 8th graders took the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) in hope of being among the 4,000 students accepted to one of the eight schools which use the SHSAT as its sole qualifying measure. This year, twenty percent of seats at every school are being set aside as… Continue reading Will Changing Admission to Specialized High Schools Change Specialized High Schools? How Do We Find Out?

Want To Make NYC Schools More Diverse? Fix These Parent Portal Problems First!
Finding the Right School · School Choice

Want To Make NYC Schools More Diverse? Fix These Parent Portal Problems First!

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Thursday, October 11, 2018 was the last day New York City parents could sign their children up to take either the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) or audition for LaGuardia School of the Arts. It was also the first day when NYC parents could sign their children up to take the Gifted and Talented… Continue reading Want To Make NYC Schools More Diverse? Fix These Parent Portal Problems First!

NYC’s Top 25 Elementary Schools for 2018 & How You Can Get In!
Finding the Right School

NYC’s Top 25 Elementary Schools for 2018 & How You Can Get In!

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Last year’s post on NYC’s Top 10 Elementary Schools By Test Scores: What Makes Them Special – And How You Can Get In proved such a reader favorite, we’ve updated it! Because many schools make a return appearance, we’ve expanded our list to the top 25, and added details about how some of them get… Continue reading NYC’s Top 25 Elementary Schools for 2018 & How You Can Get In!