Educational Equity

Educational equity is a goal for many of us but in short supply. Parents, students, and teachers continue to search for improvements in a system that limits access to high-performing public schools, both charter and traditional, and disproportionately disciplines children of color.

Less Than Ethical and Excludes Deserving Students: NYC Mom Files FOIL Request To Review Child’s Admission to Citywide Gifted School
Accountability · admissions · arts in schools · Educational Equity · Gifted & Talented · NYC Parent Voices · NYC School Admissions · Parents Helping Parents · screened nyc schools

Less Than Ethical and Excludes Deserving Students: NYC Mom Files FOIL Request To Review Child’s Admission to Citywide Gifted School

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(This is a guest post by Erma Pfeffer. She lives in New York City and is best known as a loving Mom and an Advocate for her two children, eight and nine years old. She is grateful for the opportunity to share her experiences and opinions regarding New York City’s public education system.) I submitted… Continue reading Less Than Ethical and Excludes Deserving Students: NYC Mom Files FOIL Request To Review Child’s Admission to Citywide Gifted School

Finally! Even the NYT Admits What’s Really Needed To Diversify Specialized High Schools!
achievement gap · admissions · Advanced Placement · Educational Equity · Gifted & Talented · NYC high school · NYC Kindergarten · NYC middle school · NYC School Admissions · school diversity · School Integration · screened nyc schools · specialized high schools

Finally! Even the NYT Admits What’s Really Needed To Diversify Specialized High Schools!

Alina Adams1 Comment

You can’t blame The New York Times for lagging behind. They’ve spent so many years arguing for the abolition of the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT), the exam that qualifies New York City students for entry into the eight Specialized High Schools believed to be the best, it’s inevitable they’d be a day late… Continue reading Finally! Even the NYT Admits What’s Really Needed To Diversify Specialized High Schools!

All High Schools Are Equal… Some High Schools Are More Equal Than Others: NYC Admissions 2022
achievement gap · admissions · Educational Equity · NYC high school · NYC School Admissions · Parents Helping Parents · School Choice · School Integration · screened nyc schools · specialized high schools

All High Schools Are Equal… Some High Schools Are More Equal Than Others: NYC Admissions 2022

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

Earlier this month we looked at the changes – and hypocrisy – of this year’s Middle School admissions process. This week, we turn our gaze towards New York City public High School admissions for 2022. The application went live on Thursday, January 27, 2022 and is due by Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Specialized High Schools… Continue reading All High Schools Are Equal… Some High Schools Are More Equal Than Others: NYC Admissions 2022

NYC Middle School Admissions 2022: Changes… and Hypocrisy
admissions · coronavirus · Educational Equity · Finding the Right School · Gifted & Talented · NYC middle school · NYC Parent Voices · NYC School Admissions · school diversity · School Integration · screened nyc schools

NYC Middle School Admissions 2022: Changes… and Hypocrisy

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

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

NYC’s Top 5 Education Issues For 2022: According to Parents
admissions · Educational Equity · Gifted & Talented · NYC Election · NYC Kindergarten · NYC Parent Voices · NYC School Admissions · NYC Schools Reopening · remote learning

NYC’s Top 5 Education Issues For 2022: According to Parents

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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

Department of Ed Hard Sells BrilliantNYC: Are Parents Buying?
Educational Equity · Gifted & Talented · NYC Kindergarten · NYC Parent Voices · NYC School Admissions

Department of Ed Hard Sells BrilliantNYC: Are Parents Buying?

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

In February of 2021, when New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio announced the end of elementary school Gifted & Talented programming, he also 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 academically… Continue reading Department of Ed Hard Sells BrilliantNYC: Are Parents Buying?

Are Remote Parent-Teacher Conferences Here To Stay?
Accountability · achievement gap · coronavirus · Educational Equity · NYC Schools · NYC Schools Reopening · NYC Teacher

Are Remote Parent-Teacher Conferences Here To Stay?

Alina Adams1 Comment

When New York City shut down due to the Covid pandemic in March of 2020, my middle child was a sophomore in high school. We were informed that Spring parent-teacher conferences would be held over Zoom. I was excited by the idea. At that point, I’d spent close to a decade of my life attending… Continue reading Are Remote Parent-Teacher Conferences Here To Stay?

NYC Parents Speak Up About Remote Learning on Election Day – And On All Future Snow Days
coronavirus · Educational Equity · Hybrid Learning · NYC Election · NYC Parent Voices · NYC Schools Reopening · Parents Helping Parents · remote learning

NYC Parents Speak Up About Remote Learning on Election Day – And On All Future Snow Days

Alina Adams1 Comment

November 2, 2021 was Election Day in New York City. Schools were closed, as many of them were being used as polling places. (However, many a parent did wonder why they weren’t allowed into their child’s school building due to Covid restrictions – but unvaccinated strangers were.) However, instead of the traditional day off, students… Continue reading NYC Parents Speak Up About Remote Learning on Election Day – And On All Future Snow Days

When It Comes to NYC Schools, Why You Should #VoteLocal
Educational Equity · Gifted & Talented · literacy · New York City · NYC Election · NYC Schools · School Attendance Policy · School Budget · School Choice · School Integration · Vote Local

When It Comes to NYC Schools, Why You Should #VoteLocal

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

Non presidential year elections tend to result in low voter turn-out in New York City.  Which is a shame, because, as I wrote exactly one year ago: I have been offering open-to-the-public Getting Into NYC Kindergarten and Getting Into NYC High School workshops for about 15 years now. But it was only four years ago… Continue reading When It Comes to NYC Schools, Why You Should #VoteLocal

Testing Center Makes Up Rules to Prevent Black Teen From Earning High School Equivalency Diploma (Part #1)
Accountability · Educational Equity · homeschooling · student voices

Testing Center Makes Up Rules to Prevent Black Teen From Earning High School Equivalency Diploma (Part #1)

Gregory WickhamLeave a comment

The TASC is the high school equivalency exam used by New York State. It replaced the GED in 2014. As I have been homeschooling myself, I decided that it was time to take the TASC. Unfortunately, registering to take it was more complicated than registering for any other exam I’ve ever taken, including the Advanced… Continue reading Testing Center Makes Up Rules to Prevent Black Teen From Earning High School Equivalency Diploma (Part #1)