arts in schools · Educational Equity · NYC high school · NYC School Admissions · screened nyc schools · specialized high schools · student voices

NYC Student’s Take: Making Education in the Arts More Accessible

(This is a guest post by Vitória Lunardi de Castro, the founder of LaG Portfolio Mentors, a nonprofit program that provides free art portfolio preparation to aspiring students who want to attend New York City art high schools. Originally from Brazil, Vitoria immigrated to the United States at a young age and has since made… Continue reading NYC Student’s Take: Making Education in the Arts More Accessible

admissions · Educational Equity · NYC high school · NYC School Admissions · School Choice · specialized high schools

Expert Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) Tips

(This is a guest blog by Lisa Speransky, the founder of Ivy Tutors Network, a mission-driven private education company and proud vendor to department of education schools. For over 20 years, IVY has empowered students to succeed through personalized education and mentorship – because the right team makes all the difference!)  Each year, approximately 30,000… Continue reading Expert Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) Tips

New York City · NYC Parent Voices · NYC Schools · Parents Helping Parents · School Choice · Teaching in NYC

Project Based Elementary School Pivots To Teacher-Led/Parent-Owned Model: Could It Work For Your Child?

(This is a guest post by Amanda Reeves Fellner, Ed.D. Amanda is a mom of a first grader at Portfolio School and is committed to project-based learning as a method for elementary education. She is also a Lecturer in the Early Childhood Program at Teachers College, Columbia University where she works with pre-service teachers and… Continue reading Project Based Elementary School Pivots To Teacher-Led/Parent-Owned Model: Could It Work For Your Child?

achievement gap · Educational Equity · literacy · NYC Parent Voices · Parents Helping Parents

Is Your Child Learning To Read – Or To Guess?

(This is a guest post by Chad Alderman, NYC dad and the creator of ReadNotGuess.com, a program that sends short email lessons to help parents support and monitor their child’s early reading progress.) My 3rd grade son was reading to me recently when he came to the word “gargoyle.” Except he didn’t read it correctly.… Continue reading Is Your Child Learning To Read – Or To Guess?

Accountability · achievement gap · Advanced Placement · arts in schools · Educational Equity · NYC high school · Parents Helping Parents

Is the ‘Fame’ School Gonna Live Forever? Not Under This Principal!

(The author of this guest post wishes to remain anonymous.) The “Fame” school is not “gonna live forever”; that is, not if the current principal has anything to say about it. Since her arrival at LaGuardia High School in September 2019, Principal Yeou-Jey Vasconcelos has been on an anti-academics, anti-merit crusade, despite the alleged “dual… Continue reading Is the ‘Fame’ School Gonna Live Forever? Not Under This Principal!

Accountability · admissions · DOE Screw Ups · NYC Parent Voices · NYC School Admissions · preK · School Waitlists

The UPK Seat That ‘Just Disappeared’ & the NYC Mom Who Fought Back!

(This is a guest post by Irina B., an NYC mom just starting on her public school journey.) My daughter, Ava, was offered a public pre-K spot at PS 347. We accepted our offer in May, got a call from the school, toured it and confirmed our acceptance with the below email From: noreply@myschools.nyc Subject:… Continue reading The UPK Seat That ‘Just Disappeared’ & the NYC Mom Who Fought Back!

Accountability · DOE Screw Ups · NYC Parent Voices · NYC Schools · Parents Helping Parents

District 30 Reacts to the Unceremonious Dismissal of Beloved Superintendent: Where’s the Engagement We Were Promised, Mayor Adams?

(This is a guest post by Jennifer Tuttle, currently the PTA President of PS166Q, Henry Gradstein School, where her first grade son attends school in Astoria, Queens. She is also the Chair of the Department of Theatre and Speech at The City College of New York.) As part of his agenda to reshape the DOE,… Continue reading District 30 Reacts to the Unceremonious Dismissal of Beloved Superintendent: Where’s the Engagement We Were Promised, Mayor Adams?

achievement gap · admissions · Gifted & Talented · NYC Kindergarten · NYC Parent Voices · NYC School Admissions · Parents Helping Parents · school diversity · School Integration · screened nyc schools

Which NYC Schools Will Open Promised New Gifted & Talented Programs in 2022?

(This is a guest post by David Gorvitz, who previously wrote NYC Drops Popular Gifted & Talented Program: A Parent’s Take.) I recently wrote this to the Superintendent of NYC DOE District 3 (Upper West Side/Morningside Heights/part of Harlem), which is considering allocating some of the 100 Kindergarten and 1,000 3rd-Grade seats being added to… Continue reading Which NYC Schools Will Open Promised New Gifted & Talented Programs in 2022?

Dual Language programs · literacy · NYC Schools · school diversity

The “Polyglot Boardinghouse” and the Many Benefits of Bilingualism

(Excerpted and adapted from Parenting with An Accent: How Immigrants Honor Their Heritage, Navigate Setbacks, and Chart New Paths for Their Children by Masha Rumer (Beacon Press, 2021). Reprinted with permission from Beacon Press. Masha Rumer is the author of a nonfiction book about immigrant families, Parenting with an Accent: How Immigrants Honor Their Heritage, Navigate Setbacks,… Continue reading The “Polyglot Boardinghouse” and the Many Benefits of Bilingualism

achievement gap · Educational Equity · student voices

How To Even the Tutoring Playing Field For All Students

(This is a guest post by Moira Du. She is a Filipino student studying in Ateneo de Manila Senior High School and is a blog writer for Connect Me. She is also a volunteer tutor and a freelance writer.) In this world where money is everything, most, if not all, things are business deals. Every… Continue reading How To Even the Tutoring Playing Field For All Students