Accountability · NYC Parent Voices · NYC Schools · Parents Helping Parents

NYC Parents Reveal What They’d Like To See More – and Less – Of in Education Reporting

Last month, Alexander Russo wrote in his newsletter, The Grade: Good news. A new study, Keeping up with the ed beat, shows that parents love and value information about schools. The bad news? They say that news coverage is too negative and it doesn’t include enough of the kinds of information that they really want.… Continue reading NYC Parents Reveal What They’d Like To See More – and Less – Of in Education Reporting

coronavirus · NYC Parent Voices · NYC Schools · NYC Schools Reopening · Parents Helping Parents · preK

No More Masks in K-12 NYC Schools: Parents Weigh In

New York State lifted its mask mandate on Wednesday, March 2, 2022. New York City followed suit for Kindergarten through 12th grade public schools starting on Monday, March 7. (Many private schools already struck it in response to the state law.) However, on Thursday, March 3, Gothamist reported: New York City students who are under… Continue reading No More Masks in K-12 NYC Schools: Parents Weigh In

achievement gap · admissions · Advanced Placement · Educational Equity · Finding the Right School · NYC high school · NYC middle school · NYC Parent Voices · NYC School Admissions · School Choice · school diversity · School Integration

Why I REALLY Sent My Daughter to a ‘Diverse’ Public School

The New York City Department of Education defines racially representative schools as “those that enroll between 50 percent and 90 percent black and Hispanic students.”  By that definition, the public high school my sons attended, even though it was only 18 percent white, was still not diverse. That’s because it was also 71 percent Asian. … Continue reading Why I REALLY Sent My Daughter to a ‘Diverse’ Public 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

(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

Accountability · NYC Parent Voices · NYC Schools · Teacher Voices · Teaching in NYC

Who’s Schools Are They Anyway? Should Parents Have Any Say In Education?

In response to recent state, local and school board elections where education finally(!) became a key voting issue and parents turned out in unprecedented droves to support their candidates, the Michigan Democratic Party tweeted out the following statement: This is not a winning strategy. And deciding that THIS is why parents are families are frustrated… Continue reading Who’s Schools Are They Anyway? Should Parents Have Any Say In Education?

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

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

coronavirus · NYC Parent Voices · NYC Schools · NYC Schools Reopening · Parents Helping Parents · School Attendance Policy

Back To School NYC: What Really Happened the First Week

My daughter came home from her first day back to New York City public school on Monday, January 3, 2022 and announced, “There are so many teachers and kids out it’s like after The Snap.” Not exactly. While Thanos, of Marvel movie fame, snapped his fingers and made half the residents of the universe disappear,… Continue reading Back To School NYC: What Really Happened the First Week

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

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

admissions · homeschooling · NYC high school · NYC Parent Voices · Parents Helping Parents · STEM Education

I Don’t Know Where My Son Is Applying To College: Why That’s (Kind Of) OK With Me

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

Educational Equity · Gifted & Talented · NYC Kindergarten · NYC Parent Voices · NYC School Admissions

Department of Ed Hard Sells BrilliantNYC: Are Parents Buying?

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?