Tutoring

Calls For Closing All NYC Gifted & Talented/Screened Schools – Where Does Hunter Fit In?
Blog

Calls For Closing All NYC Gifted & Talented/Screened Schools – Where Does Hunter Fit In?

Alina Adams1 Comment

On Tuesday, August 27, 2019, New York City’s School Diversity Advisory Group released a proposal that formally called for the closing of all Gifted & Talented programs and Screened schools. Not included in the report was Hunter College Elementary and High School, the most coveted NYC gifted school of them all. Full disclosure: My husband… Continue reading Calls For Closing All NYC Gifted & Talented/Screened Schools – Where Does Hunter Fit In?

10 NYC Public Schools Which Went Up In Test Scores in 2019 — And 10 That Went Down.
Accountability · Finding the Right School · School Choice

10 NYC Public Schools Which Went Up In Test Scores in 2019 — And 10 That Went Down.

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

New York City released elementary school test scores for the 2018-19 school year on Thursday, August 22, 2019. In the past, I’ve listed the Top 10 Schools by Test Scores for 2017, and the Top 25 Schools by Test Scores for 2018. While there is some juggling for placement every year, the top-scoring schools tend… Continue reading 10 NYC Public Schools Which Went Up In Test Scores in 2019 — And 10 That Went Down.

A Child’s Education: Whose Job Is It Anyway – The Parents’ or the School’s?
Accountability · Blog

A Child’s Education: Whose Job Is It Anyway – The Parents’ or the School’s?

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

This may come as a shock to my readers: Not everybody loves me. I know! Who’d have thunk it? When I wrote last week about the Department of Education’s latest multiple screw-ups, from high school admissions to Pre-K, I was chastised: (S)top perpetuating the myth that public schools are poorly managed and inferior… All things… Continue reading A Child’s Education: Whose Job Is It Anyway – The Parents’ or the School’s?

Algebra in 8th Grade Is Good! Algebra in 8th Grade is Bad! Pick One, Mr. Chancellor.
Blog · Educational Equity

Algebra in 8th Grade Is Good! Algebra in 8th Grade is Bad! Pick One, Mr. Chancellor.

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

Like Computer Science for All, Algebra For All is a New York City initiative which predates our current school chancellor, Richard Carranza. According to the official nyc.gov website: Through Algebra for All, by 2022, every student will have access to algebra in eighth grade, complete algebra no later than ninth grade, and there will be… Continue reading Algebra in 8th Grade Is Good! Algebra in 8th Grade is Bad! Pick One, Mr. Chancellor.

Should Teachers Forbid Students From Learning Outside of School? What Happens When They Do?
Blog

Should Teachers Forbid Students From Learning Outside of School? What Happens When They Do?

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

In my November 5th post, In Mixed Ability Classrooms, Who Is Really Doing the Teaching, I reiterated my contention that it’s very difficult for teachers to work effectively in a classroom where students come in with wildly different levels of preparedness. This post triggered intense pushback on Facebook from teachers, who insisted they had been… Continue reading Should Teachers Forbid Students From Learning Outside of School? What Happens When They Do?

In Mixed Ability Classrooms, Who Is Really Doing the Teaching?
Accountability

In Mixed Ability Classrooms, Who Is Really Doing the Teaching?

Alina Adams1 Comment

“I put him in that group on purpose,” my son’s math teacher told us during Parent-Teacher conferences. “The other students were having trouble understanding some of the concepts and I knew your child could help explain them.” This isn’t my son’s first time at this rodeo. A few years ago, his Computer Programming teacher flat… Continue reading In Mixed Ability Classrooms, Who Is Really Doing the Teaching?

NYC’s Top 25 Elementary Schools for 2018 & How You Can Get In!
Finding the Right School

NYC’s Top 25 Elementary Schools for 2018 & How You Can Get In!

Alina Adams1 Comment

Last year’s post on NYC’s Top 10 Elementary Schools By Test Scores: What Makes Them Special – And How You Can Get In proved such a reader favorite, we’ve updated it! Because many schools make a return appearance, we’ve expanded our list to the top 25, and added details about how some of them get… Continue reading NYC’s Top 25 Elementary Schools for 2018 & How You Can Get In!

How To Make Any School a ‘Good’ School – In One Simple Step
Blog

How To Make Any School a ‘Good’ School – In One Simple Step

Alina Adams1 Comment

We’ve all seen the infamous video by now: The Upper West Side mother objecting to a proposal to set aside 25 percent of seats in New York City’s District 3 middle schools for students who score either a 2 (below proficient) or a 1 (well below proficient) on their NY state standardized tests. The conceit… Continue reading How To Make Any School a ‘Good’ School – In One Simple Step

Is An “Unenriched” Spring Break Worth Living? (Hat-Tip: Socrates)
Blog · School Choice

Is An “Unenriched” Spring Break Worth Living? (Hat-Tip: Socrates)

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

Even before Spring Break kicked off in New York City, my email box was flooded with offers of what I could do to “enrich” my children over that time period. They could learn to code. Or cook. Or write a novel. Sharpen their basketball/tennis/lacrosse skills, design an outfit, or take part in a musical theater… Continue reading Is An “Unenriched” Spring Break Worth Living? (Hat-Tip: Socrates)

Please Stop Equating Low-Income With Low Achievement. And Pretending That Sitting Next To Middle-Class Kids Fixes Both.
Blog

Please Stop Equating Low-Income With Low Achievement. And Pretending That Sitting Next To Middle-Class Kids Fixes Both.

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

Everyone from Beatrice Kaufman to Fanny Brice to Sophie Tucker to Mae West to Cher has been quoted as saying, “I’ve been poor and I’ve been rich. Rich is better.” Few would disagree with them. Just like few would disagree that New York City schools with wealthier families post higher test scores due, in no… Continue reading Please Stop Equating Low-Income With Low Achievement. And Pretending That Sitting Next To Middle-Class Kids Fixes Both.