Category: Blog

Mayor de Blasio Turns His Back on Low-Income Parents Protesting His Forced Placement of 400 Teachers
Accountability · Blog

Mayor de Blasio Turns His Back on Low-Income Parents Protesting His Forced Placement of 400 Teachers

Laura WatersLeave a comment

Below is a press release from StudentsFirstNY, which relays reactions of New York City parents to the news that Mayor Bill de Blasio and Chancellor Carmen Fariña will force placements of 400 of the 882 teachers assigned to the Absent Teacher Reserve. The ATR is more popularly known as “the rubber room,” via Steven Brill’s 2009 New… Continue reading Mayor de Blasio Turns His Back on Low-Income Parents Protesting His Forced Placement of 400 Teachers

This Long Island Parent Asks, Is My Daughter’s School Preparing Her For College?
Accountability · Blog

This Long Island Parent Asks, Is My Daughter’s School Preparing Her For College?

Tina PosterliLeave a comment

As the mother of a daughter who will be entering the 11th grade this fall in a Long Island, New York public high school, my summer months  have been consumed with thoughts about these final two years and if they will truly prepare her for the transition to college. While the testing has become more… Continue reading This Long Island Parent Asks, Is My Daughter’s School Preparing Her For College?

Do Dual Language Programs Keep The Language of Privilege From Kids Who Need It Most?
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Do Dual Language Programs Keep The Language of Privilege From Kids Who Need It Most?

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

Earlier this year, I wrote about Dual Language programs in New York City schools, and who really benefits from them.  Is it the non-English speakers that Chancellor Carmen Fariña touts, or is it the already English-speaking children whose parents, when shut out of Gifted & Talented programs, use the Dual Language option to secure yet… Continue reading Do Dual Language Programs Keep The Language of Privilege From Kids Who Need It Most?

A Summer Staycation at Your Local Public Library
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A Summer Staycation at Your Local Public Library

Vivett DukesLeave a comment

Guess what I just did? I got a library card! Finally! After being homeless for six months, I moved into my current home almost a year and a half ago and I finally got around to making one of the most important decisions of my summer. The English teacher in me was ashamed that I… Continue reading A Summer Staycation at Your Local Public Library

Learning Through Exploration: NYC Students — This Summer It’s Time To Hit The Streets!
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Learning Through Exploration: NYC Students — This Summer It’s Time To Hit The Streets!

Vivett DukesLeave a comment

It’s no question that New York is the best city on the planet. Biased much? Yeah, I admit I am biased a bit, but it’s true! Anything and everything you could want or imagine from any part of the world is at your fingertips! I mean, for the cost of a train ride – $2.75… Continue reading Learning Through Exploration: NYC Students — This Summer It’s Time To Hit The Streets!

Three Reasons Why Teachers Must Travel Over the Summer!
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Three Reasons Why Teachers Must Travel Over the Summer!

Kalyca Adesina ThomasLeave a comment

I find tremendous meaning in traveling. When teachers are able to explore the world during the summer they create shared experiences with students, a “first-person” account of the curriculum, and a strengthening of school professional learning communities. I appreciate opportunities that take me out of my comfort zone. College studies abroad to Spain, science research… Continue reading Three Reasons Why Teachers Must Travel Over the Summer!

Here’s How To Make Summer Reading Fun!
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Here’s How To Make Summer Reading Fun!

Vivett DukesLeave a comment

This summer I’ve been experiencing the perfect synergy of work (I’m teaching a middle school, small-group reading enrichment class), professional development (I’m completing the final two classes required to receive my New York State advanced certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, aka TESOL), and play (I’m in Manhattan just about every weekday… Continue reading Here’s How To Make Summer Reading Fun!

Informal Mentoring: The Art of Giving Back
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Informal Mentoring: The Art of Giving Back

Vivett DukesLeave a comment

Most new teachers leave the profession within five years. I’ve been hearing this stat and others like it for what seems like forever. The next logical question for me is, “Why?” The answers is multi-tiered. At the core of this mass exodus are inadequate, irrelevant, and ineffective pre-service experiences, as well as a lack of… Continue reading Informal Mentoring: The Art of Giving Back

Changes in Chicago’s Educational Policy Set Off Alarms For This New York City Public School Teacher!
Accountability · Blog

Changes in Chicago’s Educational Policy Set Off Alarms For This New York City Public School Teacher!

Vivett DukesLeave a comment

New York City public high school students recently dodged a policy bullet that just struck Chicago’s public schools. According to the Washington Post, To graduate from a public high school in Chicago, students will soon have to meet a new and unusual requirement: They must show that they’ve secured a job or received a letter of… Continue reading Changes in Chicago’s Educational Policy Set Off Alarms For This New York City Public School Teacher!

Why Do So Many Teachers Work Second Jobs?
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Why Do So Many Teachers Work Second Jobs?

Vivett Dukes1 Comment

It’s summertime and, while teachers need to rest after a long school year, I am gearing up to head back to the classroom to teach summer school. Many of my colleagues and I simply can not afford to be home all summer without earning some extra money. Even if you are not going away for… Continue reading Why Do So Many Teachers Work Second Jobs?