NYC Parent Voices

NYC Parents Sound Off on 2021 Kindergarten Admissions: Your Most Commonly Asked Questions… Answered!
admissions · NYC Kindergarten · NYC Parent Voices · NYC School Admissions · Parents Helping Parents · School Choice · School Waitlists · transferring schools

NYC Parents Sound Off on 2021 Kindergarten Admissions: Your Most Commonly Asked Questions… Answered!

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Early on the morning of April 8, families began emailing me to report that New York City’s parent portal was acting funny. General Ed Kindergarten results were appearing in the waitlisted section, then promptly disappearing. This is good news, I told them. Based on previous years, when results arrived via blank and garbled documents, this… Continue reading NYC Parents Sound Off on 2021 Kindergarten Admissions: Your Most Commonly Asked Questions… Answered!

NYC Mom Pushes Back Against “Coerced Consent” COVID-19 Testing in Public Schools
coronavirus · NYC Parent Voices · NYC Schools · NYC Schools Reopening · Parents Helping Parents

NYC Mom Pushes Back Against “Coerced Consent” COVID-19 Testing in Public Schools

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(As a coalition of parents and teachers sues the DOE to stop the testing, this is a guest post by Diana Brogan, an attorney but currently stay-at-home mom of two elementary school students. She is PTA President and Executive Committee member of the District Presidents’ Council.) Last Monday morning thousands of New York City public… Continue reading NYC Mom Pushes Back Against “Coerced Consent” COVID-19 Testing in Public Schools

Cuomo & De Blasio Promise They’ll “Listen To Parents” On Reopening Schools: Here’s What NYC Parents Want Them To Hear
coronavirus · Hybrid Learning · NYC Parent Voices · NYC Schools Reopening · online learning

Cuomo & De Blasio Promise They’ll “Listen To Parents” On Reopening Schools: Here’s What NYC Parents Want Them To Hear

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

“Do whatever you want to do: Remote, hybrid – whatever your parents agree to, you can do,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio at his press conference on November 22, 2020. In response, De Blasio promised to listen to parents and get “maximum agreement,” before unveiling his reopening… Continue reading Cuomo & De Blasio Promise They’ll “Listen To Parents” On Reopening Schools: Here’s What NYC Parents Want Them To Hear

Whatever You Do For Your Child, You’ll Be Wrong: Why I Gave My Son Permission To Drop Out Of High School
Advanced Placement · Blog · homeschooling · NYC Parent Voices · online learning · transferring schools

Whatever You Do For Your Child, You’ll Be Wrong: Why I Gave My Son Permission To Drop Out Of High School

Alina Adams1 Comment

We see a child in a maple tree We’re watching him climb, You and I. You say, “Come down, You’ll hurt yourself!” I say, “Go up You’re touching the sky!” – “Seeing Things” by John Kander and Fred Ebb Those who’ve been reading me regularly might remember that my middle child has been begging to… Continue reading Whatever You Do For Your Child, You’ll Be Wrong: Why I Gave My Son Permission To Drop Out Of High School

NYC Parent Rails Against “DOE Attack on Literacy in New York City’s Public Schools”
admissions · literacy · NYC Parent Voices · NYC School Admissions · screened nyc schools

NYC Parent Rails Against “DOE Attack on Literacy in New York City’s Public Schools”

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(This is a guest post by M. Baranski, a parent in the NYC public school system.) The DOE’s movement spearheaded by the school chancellor Carranza and encouraged by the Mayor is trying to completely undermine our already barely functioning educational system by eliminating the concept of “education” and merit based achievement from DOE’s agenda.   Carranza,… Continue reading NYC Parent Rails Against “DOE Attack on Literacy in New York City’s Public Schools”

NYC Mayor Pressures Families to Opt Into Hybrid Learning: Parents Fire Back!
Blog · coronavirus · DOE incompetence · Hybrid Learning · NYC Parent Voices · Parents Helping Parents · remote learning

NYC Mayor Pressures Families to Opt Into Hybrid Learning: Parents Fire Back!

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

To date, our most popular post of 2020 has been: The (Last Minute) Plans of Mice and Men… And NYC Schools, listing all the ways in which Mayor Bill De Blasio and Chancellor Richard Carranza have been announcing, then walking back, then changing school reopening plans since the spring. Now comes another bait and switch:… Continue reading NYC Mayor Pressures Families to Opt Into Hybrid Learning: Parents Fire Back!

Naked Came the Mother & Other Embarrassing Remote Learning Stories
Blog · coronavirus · NYC Parent Voices · NYC Schools · Parents Helping Parents

Naked Came the Mother & Other Embarrassing Remote Learning Stories

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

My husband is a teacher. He’s back at work five days a week. My oldest son is a junior in college. They sent him home back in March, and already informed us they’ll be remote for the entire 2020-2021 academic year. My younger son is a junior in high school. He has opted for all… Continue reading Naked Came the Mother & Other Embarrassing Remote Learning Stories

Success Stories: Parents Reveal What’s Working For In Person Learning
coronavirus · NYC Parent Voices · NYC Schools Reopening · Parents Helping Parents

Success Stories: Parents Reveal What’s Working For In Person Learning

Alina Adams1 Comment

Last week, we featured a round up on New York City school leaders sharing how they’ve been able to make in-person learning work. This week, we highlight parents’ stories: My son is at LREI in the PreK, and PreK and K are 5 days a week in person from 9am-1pm.  We are utilizing 4 outdoor… Continue reading Success Stories: Parents Reveal What’s Working For In Person Learning

NYC Mom Asserts, “Remote Learning? It. Does. Not. Work!”
Hybrid Learning · NYC Parent Voices · NYC Schools · online learning · Parents Helping Parents · remote learning

NYC Mom Asserts, “Remote Learning? It. Does. Not. Work!”

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(The author of this guest post wishes to remain anonymous.) Caveat – my vantage point is primary school; I have a kindergartner and a third grader and I believe that the principal and teachers at my daughters’ school are genuinely and in good faith trying their best to make this school year as positive an… Continue reading NYC Mom Asserts, “Remote Learning? It. Does. Not. Work!”

Straight From the Trenches: Parents Report What Really Happened During NYC’s First Days Of School
achievement gap · Blog · coronavirus · DOE Fails · DOE incompetence · DOE Screw Ups · educational equity · Hybrid Learning · NYC Parent Voices · online learning · remote learning

Straight From the Trenches: Parents Report What Really Happened During NYC’s First Days Of School

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

Even though they had six months to plan for re-opening New York City’s schools, Mayor Bill De Blasio and Chancellor Richard Carranza still insisted on doing everything at the last minute.  Schools were supposed to begin remote learning for all on Wednesday, September 16, and blended/hybrid for those who chose it on Monday, September 21. … Continue reading Straight From the Trenches: Parents Report What Really Happened During NYC’s First Days Of School