Accountability

Educational Reparations: Black Children Deserve the Same Chance to Succeed as Their White Peers (Part #1)
Blog · Educational Equity · student voices

Educational Reparations: Black Children Deserve the Same Chance to Succeed as Their White Peers (Part #1)

Gregory WickhamLeave a comment

H.R. 40 in Congress and Assembly Bill A2619A in the New York State Legislature, if passed, would establish commissions to investigate and develop a program of reparations to remedy the lasting effects of the enslavement and oppression of Black people in America and New York, respectively. Although neither of these bills have been passed yet… Continue reading Educational Reparations: Black Children Deserve the Same Chance to Succeed as Their White Peers (Part #1)

Should You Opt Your Child Into NYC State Tests? The Pros and Cons!
Accountability · achievement gap · admissions · remote learning

Should You Opt Your Child Into NYC State Tests? The Pros and Cons!

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

In a change from previous years, in 2021, New York City parents need to decide whether to opt their children in –rather than out — of the annual state tests. The deadline to sign up for 3rd through 8th grade English Language Arts (ELA) exams was April 15, and the deadline to sign up for… Continue reading Should You Opt Your Child Into NYC State Tests? The Pros and Cons!

How Will NYC Schools Deal With Learning Loss…. Amidst Claims None Happened?
Accountability · achievement gap · coronavirus · NYC Schools · remote learning · UFT

How Will NYC Schools Deal With Learning Loss…. Amidst Claims None Happened?

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

Last week, we asked parents to weigh in on how New York City schools should spend the federal relief money coming our way. On Wednesday, March  24, 2021, President Joe Biden urged districts to use the funds to open all schools. However, according to the White House’s parameters, “all” schools are already “open.”  The federal… Continue reading How Will NYC Schools Deal With Learning Loss…. Amidst Claims None Happened?

NYC Has a New School Chancellor: What This Change Means For Your Students
Accountability · NYC Schools · school diversity · School Integration

NYC Has a New School Chancellor: What This Change Means For Your Students

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

In June 2018, in a post entitled, What To Expect When You’re Expecting a New SHSAT Plan (Part #1): The Mayor’s Hidden Agenda, I wrote: Unlike the SHSAT schools, the Mayor doesn’t need a vote in Albany to change admissions to Screened Schools. He could implement his 7 percent plan with the stroke of a… Continue reading NYC Has a New School Chancellor: What This Change Means For Your Students

The Other Epidemic: Majority of American High School Seniors Aren’t Proficient at Reading Or Math
Accountability · achievement gap · DOE Fails · Educational Equity

The Other Epidemic: Majority of American High School Seniors Aren’t Proficient at Reading Or Math

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

The National Assessment for Education Progress (NAEP) — nicknamed “America’s Report Card” — released their 12th grade scores at the end of October.  The horrifying results: Just 37% of 12th-graders reached or exceeded the academic preparedness benchmarks for both math and reading that would qualify them for entry-level college courses. (Ed. note: They are being… Continue reading The Other Epidemic: Majority of American High School Seniors Aren’t Proficient at Reading Or Math

#VoteLocal: Who Is Really Responsible For Your Child’s Education? (Cuomo, De Blasio, and More!)
Accountability · achievement gap · Blog · DOE Screw Ups · NYC Schools Reopening

#VoteLocal: Who Is Really Responsible For Your Child’s Education? (Cuomo, De Blasio, and More!)

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

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!)

Teachers Union Prez Says NYC Schools Have Been Fixed—But For Whom?
Accountability · Blog · Educational Equity · NYC Schools

Teachers Union Prez Says NYC Schools Have Been Fixed—But For Whom?

nyschooltalkLeave a comment

(This is a guest post by Matthew Ladner, executive editor of redefinED. He has written numerous studies on school choice, charter schools and special education reform, and his articles have appeared in Education Next; the Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice; and the British Journal of Political Science. He is a graduate of… Continue reading Teachers Union Prez Says NYC Schools Have Been Fixed—But For Whom?

Dear Parents: Your Expectations Of Teachers Should Match Your Commitment As A Parent.
Blog

Dear Parents: Your Expectations Of Teachers Should Match Your Commitment As A Parent.

Vivett Dukes1 Comment

Summer is here and I’m exhausted. Teaching, while extremely rewarding, is equally as draining — sometimes more so. Every year, it becomes more and more apparent to me that a huge part of why I’m so exhausted has to do with the shortage of parental involvement in their children’s / my students’ academic lives. Dear… Continue reading Dear Parents: Your Expectations Of Teachers Should Match Your Commitment As A Parent.

To Promote Or Not To Promote: That Is The Question.
Accountability

To Promote Or Not To Promote: That Is The Question.

Vivett DukesLeave a comment

It’s that time of year when the school year is coming to yet another end. While some students exuberantly await the start of their summer vacation, others are scrambling, beseeching, and working hard at last to hopefully avoid summer school attendance or worse — getting retained in their current grade, otherwise known as “getting left… Continue reading To Promote Or Not To Promote: That Is The Question.

My Worlds Converge: A Personal Story About My Special Needs Son and The Contraction of Education Reform
Accountability

My Worlds Converge: A Personal Story About My Special Needs Son and The Contraction of Education Reform

Laura WatersLeave a comment

March is National Disabilities Month, but in my family we observe this designation every day.  Our fourth child, Jonah, has Fragile X Syndrome, a genetic mutation that can cause (as it does in our son’s case) a constellation of symptoms including global developmental delays and autistic-like behaviors. My sister is afflicted by both physical disabilities… Continue reading My Worlds Converge: A Personal Story About My Special Needs Son and The Contraction of Education Reform