English Language Learners

Why Are Our Immigration Policies Driven by the Politics of White Men?
Blog

Why Are Our Immigration Policies Driven by the Politics of White Men?

nyschooltalkLeave a comment

This is a guest post by Soribel Genao, an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at CUNY Queens College. Her research has focused on examining the diverse systemic issues in and reform of urban schools while assessing administrative, teacher, and community collaborations that facilitate more positive student academic and behavioral outcomes such as student retention in marginalized communities. As the year… Continue reading Why Are Our Immigration Policies Driven by the Politics of White Men?

To Each Their Own: Power To the Parents!
Finding the Right School

To Each Their Own: Power To the Parents!

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

Less than 24 hours after my post, New Year, Old NYC School Argument, ran on NY School Talk, The New York Times published their piece on the same subject, Why Black Parents Are Turning To Afrocentric Schools. Now, I’m not suggesting that my post had anything to do with it. The NYT article had obviously… Continue reading To Each Their Own: Power To the Parents!

Family Engagement: The Missing Link to School Reform
Blog

Family Engagement: The Missing Link to School Reform

Guest Blogger (via Vivett Dukes)Leave a comment

Danielle Asher is the Director of Curriculum and Training for Family Leadership Network, a division of the social justice nonprofit, Choice For All in Roosevelt, NY. Ms. Asher works with families and communities to shift the culture of what leadership looks like while working towards anti-racist and equitable systemic change. Danielle works locally and nationally to… Continue reading Family Engagement: The Missing Link to School Reform

Should Schools Push Kids Out Of Their Comfort Zones?
Blog

Should Schools Push Kids Out Of Their Comfort Zones?

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

Earlier this month, The Atlantic ran a piece entitled, Teens Are Protesting In-Class Presentations. Taylor Lorenz wrote: “(S)tudents have started calling out in-class presentations as discriminatory to those with anxiety, demanding that teachers offer alternative options…. “Nobody should be forced to do something that makes them uncomfortable,” says Ula, a 14-year-old in eighth grade, who,… Continue reading Should Schools Push Kids Out Of Their Comfort Zones?

Doing the Math = School Choice
School Choice

Doing the Math = School Choice

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

I have a confession to make. I spend a lot of time on Twitter (@NYSchoolSecrets.com). As a result, I am often caught in multi-day, multi-participant conversations between various people, most of whom I only know as tiny avatar pictures. (Mine features my kids.) Here’s what I have learned from spending a lot of time on… Continue reading Doing the Math = School Choice

What Do I Do As A Mandated Reporter When The Federal Government Is The Child Abuser?
Blog

What Do I Do As A Mandated Reporter When The Federal Government Is The Child Abuser?

Vivett DukesLeave a comment

This question is haunting me. I can’t sleep. I have knots in my stomach. I can’t eat. All I can see is the images of innocent, unsuspecting children sleeping on cold floors, living in cages with no access to their parents or any other trusted adult while some Americans sit around and show more concern… Continue reading What Do I Do As A Mandated Reporter When The Federal Government Is The Child Abuser?

What To Expect When You’re Expecting a New SHSAT Plan [Part #2]: Who Will Win & Who Will Lose When It Passes
Accountability · School Choice

What To Expect When You’re Expecting a New SHSAT Plan [Part #2]: Who Will Win & Who Will Lose When It Passes

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

Last week, I dove into New York City’s plan to diversity Specialized High School admissions by scratching the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT), currently the only method of admission, in favor of a model wherein the top 7 percent of all public middle school students would be accepted at an SHSAT school, as long as… Continue reading What To Expect When You’re Expecting a New SHSAT Plan [Part #2]: Who Will Win & Who Will Lose When It Passes

Why Do We Need Standardized Tests?
Accountability

Why Do We Need Standardized Tests?

nyschooltalkLeave a comment

Lane Wright is Director of Policy Analysis at Education Post. He is focused on telling stories that help families understand how their schools are doing, how to make them better, and how policy plays a role. He’s a former journalist and former press secretary to Florida’s governor. Every state uses standardized tests to find out… Continue reading Why Do We Need Standardized Tests?

Want To Know What New School Chancellor Will Do In NYC? Take a Look At San Francisco! (And How It Worked Out….)
Accountability · Finding the Right School · School Choice

Want To Know What New School Chancellor Will Do In NYC? Take a Look At San Francisco! (And How It Worked Out….)

Alina AdamsLeave a comment

New York City’s new School Chancellor, Richard Carranza, comes to America’s largest district from San Francisco (after a suspiciously brief 18 month tenure in Houston). For the first 24 hours following the appointment, Carranza being in the International Mariachi Hall of Fame was the leading news fluff. Little about his policies. Which left NYC parents… Continue reading Want To Know What New School Chancellor Will Do In NYC? Take a Look At San Francisco! (And How It Worked Out….)

Education Is Too Widely Informed By The Mainstream White Voice
Blog

Education Is Too Widely Informed By The Mainstream White Voice

Vivett DukesLeave a comment

Warm demanding pedagogy and culturally relevant pedagogy also focus on the expressions of teacher care and respect of students, their home communities, and overall well-being. I read this quote and this question arises in my mind:  How can a Trump supporter teach Black and Brown children and be a “warm demander” of those children? It’s oxymoronic.… Continue reading Education Is Too Widely Informed By The Mainstream White Voice