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?
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
Most of NYC’s 1.1 million public school students are doing remote learning. Every student needs an internet-connected device. As of mid-October, 77,000 students were still missing devices necessary for distance learning. I don’t doubt that 77,000 devices can be distributed in ten weeks, but I do doubt that they have been. Mostly because thousands of… Continue reading COVID Rates Rise, Remote Learning Continues: How You Can Help
(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
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
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
(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
Last week, we heard from New York City families about how the first week of remote learning went for them, culminating with one mother proclaiming, “It. Does. Not. Work.” This week, we asked those schools which managed to re-open in person to share some tips with those who will only begin opening their doors this… Continue reading Back To In-Person Learning: How Some NYC Schools Are Making It Work
