When Richard Carranza was the School Chancellor of New York City (April 2, 2018 – March 15, 2021), his repeatedly stated goal was to provide the exact same education to every single public school student in grades Pre-K through 12. That’s equity, his key professed value. He championed Computer Science… For All! (Despite not understanding… Continue reading How Carranza Could End Up Helping the Students of NYC After All!
Last week, Chalkbeat reported: New York City public schools are projected to receive $4.5 billion in federal coronavirus relief, bringing a significant financial boost as education officials plan for the fall… (B)ig questions remain, including how state and city officials will use this new infusion of cash — roughly $4,500 more per student — to… Continue reading Parents Weigh In On How NYC Schools Should Spend Our Federal Relief Money
Joe Biden’s inauguration promised to usher in a fresh era of sense and science. Americans rejoiced. Joe Biden vowed to re-open all schools closed by the COVID-19 pandemic within his first 100 days in office. Parents rejoiced. Then the details began emerging. High schools would not be included in the reopening plans, only Kindergarten through… Continue reading Biden Vows To Reopen All US Schools in First 100 Days: What That Means For NYC
(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
On Thursday, December 10, 2020, almost exactly nine months after he first closed New York City public schools, Mayor Bill De Blasio triumphantly announced that he finally has a plan for dealing with the disruption and learning loss. He calls it the 2021 Student Achievement Plan! (But wasn’t the bulk of the disruption and learning… Continue reading A Matter Of Trust: Why Some Families Have Lost All Faith In NYC Schools
“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
I have been offering open-to-the-public Getting Into NYC Kindergarten and Getting Into NYC High School workshops for about 15 years now. But it was only four years ago that I started hearing the question: How will Betsy DeVos being Secretary of Education affect my child’s school? My reply is to ask parents to name the… Continue reading #VoteLocal: Who Is Really Responsible For Your Child’s Education? (Cuomo, De Blasio, and More!)
Mayor Bill De Blasio, multiple members of the City Council, and Chancellor Richard Carranza insist there is only one action which will solve all of New York City’s school woes —including over 50 percent of students performing below grade level, dismal college readiness rates, and more. That action is: Integration. You see, all of these… Continue reading How NYC Department of Education Is Thwarting School Choice – And Integration
(This is a guest post by Michael Kane, who has worked as a New York City public school teacher for over 13 years and is a steering committee member of NY Teachers For Choice, a grassroots organization of educators. He is a former UFT union delegate who served on consultation committees addressing problems with working… Continue reading Did NYC Sell Student & Teacher DNA to a Biotech Company?
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
