NYC School Admissions… and Coronavirus? How Parents Forced the Department of Ed To Take Action!
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NYC School Admissions… and Coronavirus? How Parents Forced the Department of Ed To Take Action!

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

On Sunday, March 1, I posted NYC School Admissions… and Coronavirus? asserting that: At press time, there were no diagnosed cases of the novel coronavirus in New York City. A half-hour later, the first confirmed case was reported. (I never claimed to be clairvoyant.) My post discussed how several NYC schools had asked families who’d… Continue reading NYC School Admissions… and Coronavirus? How Parents Forced the Department of Ed To Take Action!

Lets Talk About Days and Hours Worked
Teacher Voices

Lets Talk About Days and Hours Worked

Glenn MasonLeave a comment

“Teachers get off at three o’clock. They don’t work a full day.” “Teachers get summers off and all those holidays.” These are the comments that teachers often hear that make our skin crawl. If our workdays are so cushy, why aren’t people lining up to take our place? Folks who make these remarks never seem… Continue reading Lets Talk About Days and Hours Worked

How to Prepare for Your Child’s School Conference: A Teacher’s Take
Blog · Teacher Voices

How to Prepare for Your Child’s School Conference: A Teacher’s Take

nyschooltalkLeave a comment

(This is a guest post by Dana Kaplan. Dana has her MA in Early Childhood Education with an additional certification in Gifted Education. Dana joined PS 33, Chelsea Prep for the 2006-2007 school year. During Dana’s tenure at PS 33, she taught Pre-K for two years, launched the ICT-Kindergarten class, and independently created, piloted, and… Continue reading How to Prepare for Your Child’s School Conference: A Teacher’s Take

NYC School Admissions…and Coronavirus?
Blog · School Attendance Policy

NYC School Admissions…and Coronavirus?

Alina Adams1 Comment

At press time, there were no diagnosed cases of the novel coronavirus in New York City. However, also at press time, several schools were asking families who had traveled to affected areas over the President’s Week Break to self-quarantine for 14 days. All schools have been asking – begging! – for years for parents not… Continue reading NYC School Admissions…and Coronavirus?

Student Voice As Healthy Food for Thought
NYC Teacher · Teaching in NYC

Student Voice As Healthy Food for Thought

nyschooltalkLeave a comment

(This is a guest post by Erin McGonegle Crespi, Regional Director of Operations of Achievement First Charter Schools. She holds a BS in Natural Resources and Education from Cornell, and an MST in Science Education from Pace University. She taught 6th-8th Grade Science at MS 80 in the Bronx from 2006-2009, and founded Achievement First… Continue reading Student Voice As Healthy Food for Thought

The Broken Feedback Loop: Failing to Prepare Students Prepares Them to Fail
Accountability · achievement gap

The Broken Feedback Loop: Failing to Prepare Students Prepares Them to Fail

Gregory WickhamLeave a comment

School is what you do before the “real world.” It isn’t supposed to prepare you for the real world, it’s supposed to give you a place to prepare yourself for the real world. As it stands today, it is failing far too many students as evidenced by the proliferation of private tutors, the prevalence of… Continue reading The Broken Feedback Loop: Failing to Prepare Students Prepares Them to Fail

The Department Of Ed That Cried Wolf: Why Parents & Students Have Trouble Trusting It
screened nyc schools

The Department Of Ed That Cried Wolf: Why Parents & Students Have Trouble Trusting It

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

The whispers started in early February. Numerous parents reported they’d heard that the Department of Education was quietly planning to unscreen high schools for September 2021 admissions. As one wrote me: At the school where I teach we found out that out of all the available seats for incoming freshmen, three quarters now will be… Continue reading The Department Of Ed That Cried Wolf: Why Parents & Students Have Trouble Trusting It

Can This Software Development Process Be the Key to Raising Standards at All Schools?
achievement gap · Blog

Can This Software Development Process Be the Key to Raising Standards at All Schools?

Gregory WickhamLeave a comment

In software development, there is a system called test-driven development or TDD. It’s a five-step process that gets repeated until a finished product is obtained. Its core mechanic consists of writing tests to check if your software works before you write the software, and when you write the software, you write it just to pass… Continue reading Can This Software Development Process Be the Key to Raising Standards at All Schools?

Are Dual Language Programs Next On the Chopping Block?
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Are Dual Language Programs Next On the Chopping Block?

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

In August 2019, the School Diversity Advisory Group (SDAG) recommended that the New York City Department of Education (DOE) get rid of elementary school Gifted & Talented programs. Their argument was that G&T programs cause segregation, and that offering enrichment to some, rather than all, children was inequitable. They proposed instead an “Enrichment For All”… Continue reading Are Dual Language Programs Next On the Chopping Block?

An Open Letter To Parents Who Are Just “Too Busy”
Accountability

An Open Letter To Parents Who Are Just “Too Busy”

nyschooltalkLeave a comment

(This is a guest post by Isis Spann, an educational coach determined to prove that “high poverty can equal high performance when we engage more with families.” She is a founding delegate of the National Parents Union, FUNdamentals of Learning owner, and author of “Taking the WORK Out Of Homework.”) “I don’t have time to… Continue reading An Open Letter To Parents Who Are Just “Too Busy”