Gifted and Talented Programming

NYC Mayor Promises Gifted School Programs for 2021: How This Could Benefit ALL Kids
achievement gap · admissions · Educational Equity · Gifted & Talented · NYC Kindergarten · NYC School Admissions

NYC Mayor Promises Gifted School Programs for 2021: How This Could Benefit ALL Kids

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio and his School Chancellor Richard Carranza have been railing against elementary school Gifted & Talented programs since they both stepped into office. (Despite not having a very good grasp of what ‘gifted’ actually meant or why NYC families were so desperate for the meager programming the Department of… Continue reading NYC Mayor Promises Gifted School Programs for 2021: How This Could Benefit ALL Kids

Lost Scores, Retests & The Current State of Gifted & Talented Programs in NYC Schools
admissions · Blog · coronavirus · DOE Fails · DOE incompetence · DOE Screw Ups · Gifted & Talented · NYC Parent Voices · NYC School Admissions · online learning · remote learning · School Waitlists

Lost Scores, Retests & The Current State of Gifted & Talented Programs in NYC Schools

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

Last May, I reported on how the Department of Education lost dozens of Gifted & Talented tests — and waited almost four months to inform families (after weeks of telling them the tests weren’t lost, the parents must have done something wrong!). Retests were offered to those affected along with students new to New York… Continue reading Lost Scores, Retests & The Current State of Gifted & Talented Programs in NYC Schools

How To Choose a Gifted & Talented Program For Your Child
Finding the Right School · Gifted & Talented · NYC Kindergarten · NYC Teacher · School Choice · Social-Emotional Learning · Teacher Voices · Teaching in NYC

How To Choose a Gifted & Talented Program For Your Child

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(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 Choose a Gifted & Talented Program For Your Child

Why Our NYC School Chancellor Is Absolutely Right About Gifted & Talented Programs… And Why He Is Absolutely Wrong
Finding the Right School

Why Our NYC School Chancellor Is Absolutely Right About Gifted & Talented Programs… And Why He Is Absolutely Wrong

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

After announcing his plans to change admissions to New York City’s Specialized High Schools, and after expressing confusion as to why any family would opt for a screened school (despite his own daughter doing so in San Francisco), and after calling a mother “racist “ who objected to District 3 middle-schools setting aside 25% of… Continue reading Why Our NYC School Chancellor Is Absolutely Right About Gifted & Talented Programs… And Why He Is Absolutely Wrong

“By the Time I Was the Only Black Kid in All My Honors Classes, I Was Already Confident in My Abilities.”
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“By the Time I Was the Only Black Kid in All My Honors Classes, I Was Already Confident in My Abilities.”

Vivett Dukes1 Comment

I donated some books to my local public library yesterday. One of the bags that I used to transport the books was from Howard University. I got that bag at a parent orientation for incoming freshman students. On the front of the bag it proudly showcases the date that this historically Black university was established… Continue reading “By the Time I Was the Only Black Kid in All My Honors Classes, I Was Already Confident in My Abilities.”

What Makes a “Good’ NYC School?
Accountability · Finding the Right School · School Choice

What Makes a “Good’ NYC School?

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

With Kindergarten Connect applications due this Friday, January 12 (unless the Department of Education decides to, once again, push back their own deadline), I have been hearing from dozens of parents looking for help with finding a “good” school for their child. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that different… Continue reading What Makes a “Good’ NYC School?

Will a New Chancellor Mean a New Direction for NYC Public Schools?
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Will a New Chancellor Mean a New Direction for NYC Public Schools?

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

The end of 2017 brought the announced retirement of Carmen Fariña as New York City School Chancellor. Regarding her replacement, Mayor Bill de Blasio, according to Chalkbeat, “emphasized that he is not looking for someone to shake things up but rather wants  someone who will follow through on the course that he and Fariña set out.” Remember those issues… Continue reading Will a New Chancellor Mean a New Direction for NYC Public Schools?

Do NYC Arts High Schools Set Extremely High Standards… In Everything But Academics?
Finding the Right School · School Choice

Do NYC Arts High Schools Set Extremely High Standards… In Everything But Academics?

Alina Adams1 Comment

In addition to taking the “ridiculous” Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) which I so cruelly forced him to study for, my 8th grade son also auditioned for the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art & Performing Arts.  (Yes, that’s really what it’s called and that’s really how it’s punctuated, although most… Continue reading Do NYC Arts High Schools Set Extremely High Standards… In Everything But Academics?

Do Parents Know How To Choose the Best School in NYC?
Finding the Right School · School Choice

Do Parents Know How To Choose the Best School in NYC?

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

It’s school application time in New York City! Parents of four-year-olds are taking advantage of every to advantage to prep them for entry into public Gifted & Talented programs, private schools, and the hybrid Hunter College Elementary. Parents of 5th graders are wrestling with the convoluted process of middle-school admissions. Meanwhile, 30,000 8th graders took… Continue reading Do Parents Know How To Choose the Best School in NYC?

NYC Kids Forced To Start Kindergarten Before Age 5 – Two Parents’ Perspectives
Blog · Finding the Right School · School Choice

NYC Kids Forced To Start Kindergarten Before Age 5 – Two Parents’ Perspectives

Alina Adams2 Comments

As we have noted before, New York City has the latest school birthday cut-off in the country, December 31st. This means that one-quarter of children are forced to start kindergarten before they turn five years old. There is research to support both sending young children to school and holding them back. So what should you… Continue reading NYC Kids Forced To Start Kindergarten Before Age 5 – Two Parents’ Perspectives