SHSAT Schools

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)

3 Things NYC Can Do TODAY To Integrate Public High Schools!
Blog · Finding the Right School

3 Things NYC Can Do TODAY To Integrate Public High Schools!

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

I give up. New York City School Chancellor Richard Carranza has decreed that the most important issue facing our public high schools isn’t that close to 80% of students aren’t graduating college-ready, SAT scores are well below the national average, or there’s a  lack of access to Advanced Placement (AP) classes. No, according to the… Continue reading 3 Things NYC Can Do TODAY To Integrate Public High Schools!

What’s “Enrichment,” Anyway? Can It Really Replace Gifted & Talented Programs?
Blog · Finding the Right School

What’s “Enrichment,” Anyway? Can It Really Replace Gifted & Talented Programs?

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

When I give my Getting Into NYC Kindergarten workshops to community organizations, I explain the differences between New York City’s two types of Gifted & Talented programs. The five Citywide G&T’s are Accelerated. That means that, because there is no such thing as a G&T curriculum, these schools take the standard NYC school curriculum and… Continue reading What’s “Enrichment,” Anyway? Can It Really Replace Gifted & Talented Programs?

“Implying That Black and Hispanic Kids Only Do Better When They’re In School With White Kids Is Racist.” A NYC Mom Speaks Out.
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“Implying That Black and Hispanic Kids Only Do Better When They’re In School With White Kids Is Racist.” A NYC Mom Speaks Out.

Alina Adams1 Comment

When news dropped late last month (literally 10 minutes before my middle child’s birthday dinner) about a proposal to get rid of New York City’s Gifted & Talented programs, The NY Daily News asked me to write an editorial on the topic. It ran on August 27 and was entitled, Eliminate Gifted & Talented Programs?… Continue reading “Implying That Black and Hispanic Kids Only Do Better When They’re In School With White Kids Is Racist.” A NYC Mom Speaks Out.

A SHSAT Compromise I Can Live With – Can You?
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A SHSAT Compromise I Can Live With – Can You?

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

It was exactly at this time last year when Mayor Bill de Blasio and Chancellor Richard Carranza announced their plan to introduce a bill in the New York State Assembly that would alter admission to New York City’s 8 Specialized High Schools from a single Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) to extending offers to… Continue reading A SHSAT Compromise I Can Live With – Can You?

It’s the Hypocrisy, Stupid: NYC School Choice For… Some
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It’s the Hypocrisy, Stupid: NYC School Choice For… Some

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

We really should be used to it by now. The hypocrisy, that is. News broke last week that Cheryl Watson-Harris, whom New York City School Chancellor Richard Carranza promoted to First Deputy Chancellor in July of 2018, had somehow gotten her children into two of Brooklyn’s top screened middle-schools — at least one of whom… Continue reading It’s the Hypocrisy, Stupid: NYC School Choice For… Some

True Equality Means Everyone Is Equally Unhappy
Accountability · Blog · Finding the Right School

True Equality Means Everyone Is Equally Unhappy

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

New York City public middle school placement decisions were distributed to students just before Spring Break 2019. For months leading up to the big day, parents had been hearing about how this would be the season of true equality in school admissions. But did that, in fact, happen? The headlines trumpeted: Two NYC districts embarked… Continue reading True Equality Means Everyone Is Equally Unhappy

The Privilege (and Cost) Of Being “Well-Rounded.”
Accountability · Blog · Finding the Right School

The Privilege (and Cost) Of Being “Well-Rounded.”

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

About a year ago, I asked: Is an ‘Unenriched’ Spring Break Worth Living? I confessed that, despite offers flooding my inbox to sign my kids up for coding camp or a writing workshop or test prep, I was tired. So, over Spring Break, we did… nothing. In New York City, admitting you let a child… Continue reading The Privilege (and Cost) Of Being “Well-Rounded.”

What Can NYC’s Specialized Schools Learn From Chicago? Getting Beyond SHSAT Prep.
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What Can NYC’s Specialized Schools Learn From Chicago? Getting Beyond SHSAT Prep.

nyschooltalkLeave a comment

This is a guest post by my friend and colleague Maureen Kelleher, a senior writer and editor at Education Post. Previously she spend a decade as a reporter, blogger, and policy analyst, publishing in platforms as diverse as Education Week and the Center for American Progress. While New Yorkers debate the merits of scrapping the… Continue reading What Can NYC’s Specialized Schools Learn From Chicago? Getting Beyond SHSAT Prep.

By the Numbers: Math the NYC Department of Education Really Doesn’t Want Parents To Do
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By the Numbers: Math the NYC Department of Education Really Doesn’t Want Parents To Do

Alina Adams2 Comments

When my editorial, The Drive To Change Elite School Admissions Is All About Killing the Messenger, ran in the New York Post on March 21, I received many compliments from friends and readers. My husband was not impressed. He started peppering me with questions: What are the numbers for this? What are the numbers for… Continue reading By the Numbers: Math the NYC Department of Education Really Doesn’t Want Parents To Do