In 2019, Brooklyn’s District 15 unscreened all of their middle schools, meaning incoming 6th graders couldn’t be assessed for admission via grades, test scores, portfolios or interviews. All schools now had to accept students exclusively by lottery. Yes, even the arts schools. Before any classes selected via this method had graduated, before any classes selected… Continue reading NYC Middle School Admissions 2022: Changes… and Hypocrisy
2022 brings a new mayor to New York City, Eric Adams, and a new School Chancellor, David Banks. What are the most important issues facing NYC schools for 2022 according to parents? We count down our most popular posts of 2021 as an indicator: 5) Department of Ed Hard Sells BrilliantNYC: Are Parents Buying? Excerpt:… Continue reading NYC’s Top 5 Education Issues For 2022: According to Parents
When my oldest son was applying to college five years ago, he kept me posted every step of the way. Mostly because he kept asking for my debit card to pay various application fees. I also read many, many – many! – drafts of his essay, to the point where we still quote excerpts to… Continue reading I Don’t Know Where My Son Is Applying To College: Why That’s (Kind Of) OK With Me
Anywhere else in the country (the world?), the idea that New York City families start worrying about where their children will attend school over a full year in advance is considered insane. But that’s when the official process starts here. NYC private schools put up their applications as early as August, but no later than… Continue reading What We Know So Far: Applying to NYC Schools for 2022
With Thanksgiving coming up on Thursday, it’s a logical time to think about what I’m thankful for this year when it comes to New York City schools. This is a personal list. I’m not going to get into the pros and cons of broader issues such as school reopenings, vaccine mandates, masking kids, or the… Continue reading 5 Things I’m Thankful For This Year (NYC Schools Edition)
On Friday, October 8, 2021 (right before a long holiday weekend, as per usual), New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio decreed that Gifted and Talented programming would be discontinued in public schools as of September 2022. (Remember that engagement he promised with families and communities to hear their thoughts on the matter? Didn’t happen.)… Continue reading NYC Cuts Gifted School Programs, Unveils New Approach Proven To Fail Poor & Minority Students Most
This past May, I wrote a post called, How NYC School Waitlists Work – And How They Don’t. What I should have called it was How NYC School Waitlists Are SUPPOSED To Work. Consider this post to be the And How They Don’t part (with tips on what you can still do about that). 2021… Continue reading Where’s the Transparency? Behind the Scenes With NYC Public School Waitlists – And What Families Can Still Do To Get In!
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?)
When I first planned to write this Olympic-themed post (back in 2020, oops), I was going to talk about two things: Simone Biles’ athletic feats being deliberately underscored due to “a fear that Biles is so good that she might run away with any competition she enters simply by doing a handful of moves that… Continue reading What NYC Schools Can Learn From Simone Biles & Olympic Gymnastics
In February 2021, when describing the new Gifted & Talented programs he was planning for the 2022-2023 school year, New York City Mayor De Blasio promised: “We will spend the next year engaging communities around what kind of programming they would like to see that is more inclusive, enriching, and truly supports the needs of… Continue reading If NYC Mayor Won’t Engage With Communities, We Bring the Community Engagement To Him! Parents Speak Out On Gifted & Talented ‘Reimagining’
