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
As the mom of a relatively recent homeschooler, Chalkbeat’s February 17, 2022, post entitled, Home schooling nearly doubled in NYC since pandemic’s start, instantly caught my eye. They reported that: This school year, roughly 14,800 children across the five boroughs have opted to learn outside of school walls, according to internal education department data obtained… Continue reading Everything You Need To Know About Homeschooling in NYC But Didn’t Know Whom To Ask. Your Cheat Sheet Is Here!
(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
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
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
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
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
My daughter took Algebra 1 in 8th grade. (This despite New York City remaining unsure whether that was a good or a bad thing.) She did not take the Algebra 1 Regents exam, however, due to the pandemic. Her school didn’t offer the exam, and no public school would allow her into the building to… Continue reading “Make Them Show You the Rule”… and Other Tips For Dealing With the NYC School System
New York City’s vaccine mandate, which required anyone who works in a public school or a community-based center contracted by the Department of Education (DOE) to have gotten at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine in order to continue working, finally went into effect on Monday, October 4, 2021. Although Mayor Bill de Blasio… Continue reading NYC Vaccine Mandate Doesn’t Stop Teachers Protesting Or Parents Debating
