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.

Answering Parent Questions About Getting Into NYC Kindergarten 2021: COVID-19 Edition
admissions · coronavirus · Finding the Right School · Gifted & Talented · NYC Kindergarten · NYC School Admissions · School Choice

Answering Parent Questions About Getting Into NYC Kindergarten 2021: COVID-19 Edition

Alina Adams6 Comments

A post that I wrote this past August receiving as many new hits per day as more recent updates suggests that New York City parents are desperate for information about how to apply their children for Kindergarten in 2021. Here are where matters stand as of Monday, December 21, 2020. General Education Public Schools: Unlike… Continue reading Answering Parent Questions About Getting Into NYC Kindergarten 2021: COVID-19 Edition

From Stuyvesant HS to Homeschooling in One Marking Period
Advanced Placement · Educational Equity · Finding the Right School · homeschooling · NYC high school · online learning · School Choice · student voices

From Stuyvesant HS to Homeschooling in One Marking Period

Gregory WickhamLeave a comment

Two Mondays ago I began to homeschool myself in lieu of completing my tenure as a Stuyvesant High School student. There are many reasons I did this, including greater educational and temporal freedom, but it is important that I share not only why, but also how I homeschool, so that others may find it easier… Continue reading From Stuyvesant HS to Homeschooling in One Marking Period

Do NYC School Zones Violate Federal Law?
admissions · Educational Equity · Finding the Right School · School Choice

Do NYC School Zones Violate Federal Law?

nyschooltalkLeave a comment

(This is a guest post by Tim DeRoche, author of A Fine Line: How Most American Kids Are Kept Out of the Best Public Schools, published on the 66th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling.)  The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted issues of educational access in our public schools, since there are stark… Continue reading Do NYC School Zones Violate Federal Law?

Never Waste a Good Crisis: How NYC Families (And Teachers And Advocates) Can Take Advantage, Too (Part #1)
admissions · coronavirus · Educational Equity · Finding the Right School · online learning · remote learning · School Choice

Never Waste a Good Crisis: How NYC Families (And Teachers And Advocates) Can Take Advantage, Too (Part #1)

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

Ever since New York City School Chancellor Richard Carranza advised colleagues that one should “never waste a good crisis” in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, NYC parents have been in a panic. They assume he’ll use it as a backdoor method for ramming through all the changes he hasn’t been able to make via the… Continue reading Never Waste a Good Crisis: How NYC Families (And Teachers And Advocates) Can Take Advantage, Too (Part #1)

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

nyschooltalkLeave a comment

(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

nyschooltalkLeave a comment

(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!

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

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

nyschooltalk1 Comment

(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?