Finding the Right School

Finding the right school is one of the most important decisions parents and families make for their kids, but it can sometimes be the hardest, especially in New York City.

Zero Transparency & Communication: NYC Mom Rages Against New Middle School Waitlist
admissions · DOE Fails · Finding the Right School · School Choice · screened nyc schools

Zero Transparency & Communication: NYC Mom Rages Against New Middle School Waitlist

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(The author of this post wishes to remain anonymous.) Based on my recent experience with the middle school admission process, I can say that there are many issues with the new system.  First of all, removing the appeals process makes things worse and quite difficult. For example, my kid got a surprisingly low score on… Continue reading Zero Transparency & Communication: NYC Mom Rages Against New Middle School Waitlist

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

How To Choose a School — When Schools Are Closed: Tips for Families On What To Ask (And How To Evaluate the Answers)
admissions · coronavirus · Finding the Right School · School Choice

How To Choose a School — When Schools Are Closed: Tips for Families On What To Ask (And How To Evaluate the Answers)

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

New York City notified 8th graders of their public high school placement for September 2020 on March 19th, and 5th graders of their middle school placement on April 6. Most charter schools held their lotteries on April 1 for all available grade levels. Still to come is General Education Kindergarten placement in “late April,” according… Continue reading How To Choose a School — When Schools Are Closed: Tips for Families On What To Ask (And How To Evaluate the Answers)

This Change Could Make Getting Into High School Easier For NYC Kids!
admissions · Finding the Right School · School Choice

This Change Could Make Getting Into High School Easier For NYC Kids!

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When I give my “Getting Into NYC High School” workshops to parents and community groups around the city, I warn families that “getting Into NYC high school makes getting into NYC Kindergarten feel like puppies and kittens in a warm basket.” (I don’t even invoke getting into NYC middle school, which manages to combine the… Continue reading This Change Could Make Getting Into High School Easier For NYC Kids!

Good-Bye To All That: NYC Public School Mom Explains What Drove Her Out Of the System
Finding the Right School

Good-Bye To All That: NYC Public School Mom Explains What Drove Her Out Of the System

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(This is a guest post by Allie Ryan, a former elected SLT Parent Member of her children’s Title 1 elementary school, where she has been a Co-Class Parent for several years. Her children have attended two district-wide G&T programs. Allie is also a founding member of PLACE, Parent Leaders for Acceleration Curriculum and Education, and… Continue reading Good-Bye To All That: NYC Public School Mom Explains What Drove Her Out Of the System

A Revolutionary Rezoning Plan To Increase School Diversity, Bring in More Funding & Make Parents’ Lives Easier! Would You Support?
Finding the Right School · school diversity

A Revolutionary Rezoning Plan To Increase School Diversity, Bring in More Funding & Make Parents’ Lives Easier! Would You Support?

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

New York City General Education public school Kindergarten applications for 2020 were due on Tuesday, January 21. At the last minute, the Department of Education extended the deadline to Sunday, January 26. It was absolutely, positively not due to technical glitches with the very expensive MySchools Parent Portal. (For tips on how to circumvent the… Continue reading A Revolutionary Rezoning Plan To Increase School Diversity, Bring in More Funding & Make Parents’ Lives Easier! Would You Support?

Top 20 NYC Education Stories To Follow In 2020
Accountability · Finding the Right School · New York City

Top 20 NYC Education Stories To Follow In 2020

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

A new year doesn’t mean an end to New York City’s education woes. In honor of 2020, we highlight 20 stories which are bound to continue vexing NYC families, ranked by how much traffic they received in 2019: 20:  The Big Con: Why NYC’s Plan For Raising Student Achievement Isn’t Close To Good Enough For… Continue reading Top 20 NYC Education Stories To Follow In 2020

The Benefits Of Peer Mentorship for NYC Teens Applying To High School
Finding the Right School

The Benefits Of Peer Mentorship for NYC Teens Applying To High School

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(This is a guest post by Michael N. Manta, a senior at Xavier High School who lives in Queens. Michael co-founded the nonprofit NYCMentors.org with his younger brother, Jonathan Manta, to provide mentorship to high achieving underserved middle school students.) In the age of Google and what seems to be an unlimited amount of knowledge… Continue reading The Benefits Of Peer Mentorship for NYC Teens Applying To High School

Second Round Shenanigans: Hunter, Special Music School & Other NYC Schools’ Subjective Admissions
arts in schools · Finding the Right School · screened nyc schools

Second Round Shenanigans: Hunter, Special Music School & Other NYC Schools’ Subjective Admissions

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced he was running for President — as a Democrat, after being elected in NYC first as a Republican, then as an Independent — on Sunday, November 24th. As with other political candidates, I am only going to talk about his education policy record. Here are two major… Continue reading Second Round Shenanigans: Hunter, Special Music School & Other NYC Schools’ Subjective Admissions

Pathways to Creative Industries: Building Greater Access to the Arts in New York City Schools
arts in schools · Blog · Finding the Right School

Pathways to Creative Industries: Building Greater Access to the Arts in New York City Schools

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(This is a guest post by Dr. Joiselle Cunningham, a senior advisor at HERE to HERE, CEO of Pathways to Creative Industries and lecturer at NYU. She previously led in the Obama Administration and received her doctorate from Harvard University. ) “I really love fashion and musical theater,” one student we’ll call Amy shared with… Continue reading Pathways to Creative Industries: Building Greater Access to the Arts in New York City Schools