Getting Into NYC High School

It Cost More To Get My Kids Into Public Art Than Specialized High School (Why Aren’t More People Upset About That?)
admissions · arts in schools · Educational Equity · NYC high school · NYC School Admissions · screened nyc schools · specialized high schools

It Cost More To Get My Kids Into Public Art Than Specialized High School (Why Aren’t More People Upset About That?)

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

In a non-Covid year, New York City 8th graders (and a small number of 9th graders) take the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) and audition for arts high schools like LaGuardia, Frank Sinatra, Talent Unlimited, etc… in the fall. In a non-Covid year, only teens who relocated to NYC after the deadline are allowed… Continue reading It Cost More To Get My Kids Into Public Art Than Specialized High School (Why Aren’t More People Upset About That?)

Choosing My Daughter’s High School To Please Mayor DeBlasio
admissions · NYC high school · NYC Parent Voices · NYC School Admissions · School Choice · screened nyc schools

Choosing My Daughter’s High School To Please Mayor DeBlasio

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

Regular readers of New York School Talk know how important Mayor Bill de Blasio’s approval is to this NYC mom. Hizzoner was most displeased with the high-school choices I made for my two older sons. I have only my daughter left. This is my last chance to get it right! When trying to figure out… Continue reading Choosing My Daughter’s High School To Please Mayor DeBlasio

The Benefits Of Peer Mentorship for NYC Teens Applying To High School
Finding the Right School

The Benefits Of Peer Mentorship for NYC Teens Applying To High School

Guest Blogger (via Alina Adams)Leave a comment

(This is a guest post by Michael N. Manta, a senior at Xavier High School who lives in Queens. Michael co-founded the nonprofit NYCMentors.org with his younger brother, Jonathan Manta, to provide mentorship to high achieving underserved middle school students.) In the age of Google and what seems to be an unlimited amount of knowledge… Continue reading The Benefits Of Peer Mentorship for NYC Teens Applying To High School

The Spooky Case Of the Mysterious, Missing SHSAT Tickets: Parents Sound Off On Department Of Education Incompetence (Part #3)
Accountability · Blog · Finding the Right School · New York City · School Choice

The Spooky Case Of the Mysterious, Missing SHSAT Tickets: Parents Sound Off On Department Of Education Incompetence (Part #3)

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

In late 2018, the New York City Department Of Education (DOE) unveiled their brand new, online Parent Portal, MySchools, which was supposed to make applying to all levels of the school system — Universal Pre-K, Kindergarten, Gifted & Talented, Middle and High School — more streamlined, efficient, and convenient. In 2019, some parents couldn’t register.… Continue reading The Spooky Case Of the Mysterious, Missing SHSAT Tickets: Parents Sound Off On Department Of Education Incompetence (Part #3)

Everything NYC Families Need To Know About Urban Assembly High Schools: Is One Right For Your Child?
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Everything NYC Families Need To Know About Urban Assembly High Schools: Is One Right For Your Child?

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

When I speak to community organizations about Getting Into NYC High Schools, I stress that the summer between your child’s 7th and 8th grade year is the critical time to research all of your HS options, so that you can start the process of applying in September. The best tool to begin your research used… Continue reading Everything NYC Families Need To Know About Urban Assembly High Schools: Is One Right For Your Child?

Why do the “Bad Kids” Like Me?
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Why do the “Bad Kids” Like Me?

Vivett DukesLeave a comment

Once a week, I have a class period set aside during the school day to provide my students with extra help. I teach English Language Arts so you would think that students would come to me with questions about their homework assignment on GoogleClassroom or to review questions that they got wrong on a test… Continue reading Why do the “Bad Kids” Like Me?

NYC Schools Are Failing Kids With Disabilities: Parents Speak Out
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NYC Schools Are Failing Kids With Disabilities: Parents Speak Out

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

A December 16, 2016 report by DNAInfo.com outlined the difficulties encountered by New York City high schoolers with disabilities when looking for schools that meet  their physical and academic needs. What the report didn’t cover, however, was that the problems with finding accessible schools start much earlier than high school. In fact, many elementary Gifted… Continue reading NYC Schools Are Failing Kids With Disabilities: Parents Speak Out

Does Attending a Specialized High School Make a Difference?
Blog · New York City

Does Attending a Specialized High School Make a Difference?

Alina Adams1 Comment

No, at least according to Matt Barnum who, in a recent Atlantic article called “Is Attending the ‘Best’ High School Academically Relevant?,”  bases his conclusion on a study done by the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research. But as a New York City mom of a son in a specialized high school, I see enormous… Continue reading Does Attending a Specialized High School Make a Difference?

If a Charter School Operated Like This Non-Charter “Public” School It Would Be Shut Down
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If a Charter School Operated Like This Non-Charter “Public” School It Would Be Shut Down

Alina Adams2 Comments

“Hunter is the original charter school,” offered a Hunter parent at a panel on NYC Selective School admissions that I moderated last month at BASIS Independent Manhattan School. I’d never thought of it that way but, as soon as he said it, it made perfect sense. And yet, I don’t see activists clamoring to close Hunter… Continue reading If a Charter School Operated Like This Non-Charter “Public” School It Would Be Shut Down

Do NYC Parents Have to “Game the System” in Order to Find the Right School for Their Child?
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Do NYC Parents Have to “Game the System” in Order to Find the Right School for Their Child?

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

Last month, the New York City Department of Education finally made it easier for students to switch public schools, which should, in theory, remove some of the existing barriers to parents and students exercising their right to choose where – and how – they are educated. Previously, transfers, especially in high-school, were reserved for documented… Continue reading Do NYC Parents Have to “Game the System” in Order to Find the Right School for Their Child?