homeschooling

Students Helping Students: Want To Pursue an Alternative Educational Path? I’ll Help You Do It! Ask Me Anything!
Educational Equity · Finding the Right School · homeschooling · NYC high school · NYC middle school · School Choice · student voices · transferring schools

Students Helping Students: Want To Pursue an Alternative Educational Path? I’ll Help You Do It! Ask Me Anything!

Gregory WickhamLeave a comment

From Alina Adams: When my son, Gregory Wickham, convinced me to let him drop out of Stuyvesant High School and homeschool himself, one of my major conditions was that he do all of the work himself. Since then, due to both changes in the NYC public gifted, middle, and high school admissions system, and families’… Continue reading Students Helping Students: Want To Pursue an Alternative Educational Path? I’ll Help You Do It! Ask Me Anything!

What Students Can Do When Schools Cut Advanced Courses
achievement gap · Educational Equity · homeschooling · NYC high school · online learning · School Choice · student voices

What Students Can Do When Schools Cut Advanced Courses

Gregory WickhamLeave a comment

(Ed. note: High schools are cutting back on Advanced Placement offerings nationwide, ranging from NYC’s LaGuardia HS to Stamford, CT to Washington state to the University of Chicago’s Lab School. In addition, some NYC middle schools are trying to get rid of honors math, while California looks to detrack all math classes.) TL;DR: You should… Continue reading What Students Can Do When Schools Cut Advanced Courses

Everything You Need To Know About Homeschooling in NYC But Didn’t Know Whom To Ask. Your Cheat Sheet Is Here!
Advanced Placement · coronavirus · homeschooling · Parents Helping Parents · School Choice · student voices

Everything You Need To Know About Homeschooling in NYC But Didn’t Know Whom To Ask. Your Cheat Sheet Is Here!

Alina Adams2 Comments

As the mom of a relatively recent homeschooler, Chalkbeat’s February 17, 2022, post entitled, Home schooling nearly doubled in NYC since pandemic’s start, instantly caught my eye. They reported that: This school year, roughly 14,800 children across the five boroughs have opted to learn outside of school walls, according to internal education department data obtained… Continue reading Everything You Need To Know About Homeschooling in NYC But Didn’t Know Whom To Ask. Your Cheat Sheet Is Here!

Don’t Let Any Lowly Bureaucrat Stop You: NYC Teen’s Guide to Getting Your High School Equivalency Diploma
coronavirus · homeschooling · NYC high school · student voices

Don’t Let Any Lowly Bureaucrat Stop You: NYC Teen’s Guide to Getting Your High School Equivalency Diploma

Gregory WickhamLeave a comment

In October, Gregory Wickham wrote Part #1 of Testing Center Makes Up Rules to Prevent Black Teen From Earning High School Equivalency Diploma, detailing his struggles with New York City bureaucracy. Here’s what happened next: The initial part of my story was much more exciting than the finale. After my first attempt at registration was… Continue reading Don’t Let Any Lowly Bureaucrat Stop You: NYC Teen’s Guide to Getting Your High School Equivalency Diploma

I Don’t Know Where My Son Is Applying To College: Why That’s (Kind Of) OK With Me
admissions · homeschooling · NYC high school · NYC Parent Voices · Parents Helping Parents · STEM Education

I Don’t Know Where My Son Is Applying To College: Why That’s (Kind Of) OK With Me

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

When my oldest son was applying to college five years ago, he kept me posted every step of the way. Mostly because he kept asking for my debit card to pay various application fees. I also read many, many – many! – drafts of his essay, to the point where we still quote excerpts to… Continue reading I Don’t Know Where My Son Is Applying To College: Why That’s (Kind Of) OK With Me

5 Things I’m Thankful For This Year (NYC Schools Edition)
admissions · Finding the Right School · Gifted & Talented · homeschooling · NYC Election · NYC Parent Voices · School Choice

5 Things I’m Thankful For This Year (NYC Schools Edition)

Alina Adams1 Comment

With Thanksgiving coming up on Thursday, it’s a logical time to think about what I’m thankful for this year when it comes to New York City schools. This is a personal list. I’m not going to get into the pros and cons of broader issues such as school reopenings, vaccine mandates, masking kids, or the… Continue reading 5 Things I’m Thankful For This Year (NYC Schools Edition)

Testing Center Makes Up Rules to Prevent Black Teen From Earning High School Equivalency Diploma (Part #1)
Accountability · Educational Equity · homeschooling · student voices

Testing Center Makes Up Rules to Prevent Black Teen From Earning High School Equivalency Diploma (Part #1)

Gregory WickhamLeave a comment

The TASC is the high school equivalency exam used by New York State. It replaced the GED in 2014. As I have been homeschooling myself, I decided that it was time to take the TASC. Unfortunately, registering to take it was more complicated than registering for any other exam I’ve ever taken, including the Advanced… Continue reading Testing Center Makes Up Rules to Prevent Black Teen From Earning High School Equivalency Diploma (Part #1)

We Know What’s Best For Your Child: NYC Answers (Some) Parent Questions About Back To School 2021
coronavirus · homeschooling · Hybrid Learning · NYC Schools · NYC Schools Reopening · online learning · remote learning · Teaching in NYC

We Know What’s Best For Your Child: NYC Answers (Some) Parent Questions About Back To School 2021

Alina Adams1 Comment

In response to last week’s post, Everything We Don’t Yet Know About NYC School Reopening 2021 (But We’re Not Afraid To Ask), multiple parents commented that they were terrified to send their unvaccinated children back to school in September without a remote option. When he spoke at a press conference on Thursday, August 26, Mayor… Continue reading We Know What’s Best For Your Child: NYC Answers (Some) Parent Questions About Back To School 2021

Everything We Don’t Yet Know About NYC School Reopening 2021 (But We’re Not Afraid To Ask)
coronavirus · Educational Equity · homeschooling · NYC Schools Reopening · online learning

Everything We Don’t Yet Know About NYC School Reopening 2021 (But We’re Not Afraid To Ask)

Alina Adams2 Comments

This summer, my fully vaccinated 14-year-old daughter was finally able to return to her Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation program at the Harlem Armory, a NY State facility. Halfway through the six-week training camp, a fellow team member tested positive for COVID. All those who’d had contact with them were ordered to quarantine for 10 days.… Continue reading Everything We Don’t Yet Know About NYC School Reopening 2021 (But We’re Not Afraid To Ask)

Independence Day: How Covid Spurred NYC Families To Explore All Their School Options
Educational Equity · homeschooling · Hybrid Learning · NYC Schools · NYC Schools Reopening · online learning

Independence Day: How Covid Spurred NYC Families To Explore All Their School Options

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

“How’s homeschooling going?” I am asked regularly by those who know I allowed my middle child to leave Stuyvesant High School this past November, two months into his Junior year. (I was actually stopped on the street by a woman who pointed at me and told her kid, “That’s the mom who let her son… Continue reading Independence Day: How Covid Spurred NYC Families To Explore All Their School Options