For time immemorial, elementary school students have been pulled out of class for mandatory hearing tests — often administered by school aides in noisy hallways, or school closets. No more. The Department of Education announced this month that it has done away with hearing screening in elementary schools, following recommendations made by the United States Preventive Services Task Force, a group that advises the federal government on screening and preventive health services.

The reason for the reversal? Apparently there is no solid evidence that hearing screening at this age leads to better educational or social outcomes. In addition, many times the screenings showed a false positive - when actually the hearing loss was due to a temporary medical condition such as the build up of ear wax!

According to health officials, most severe hearing deficiencies are now detected in infancy, thanks to universal neonatal hearing screening.

While one screening in schools has been done away with, another has been added. Tuesday the Daily News reported that all students who attend publicly funded pre-kindergarten programs must undergo a mandatory screening for developmental delays. Last year some 56,000 kids attended public pre-K programs — this year there are even more enrolled, according to the DOE, although there is no final count as yet. (more…)

Author’s Note: All quotes below about my son’s program are are from a recent article, “The ASD Nest Program” in “Teaching Exceptional Children,” a peer-reviewed journal in the special education world.

On Sept. 9, the first day of school, Brooks became an official “Nester.”

What that means is that he successfully transitioned from last year’s Intensive K, a self-contained class of six kids on the autism spectrum, to a Nest K, an integrated class with 12 students, four of them autistic. Without taking anything away from how hard Brooks worked last year and how hard his teachers and therapists worked to get him to this next level, I would be remiss not to also acknowledge the good fairy who seems to have perched herself on my little boy’s shoulders ever since his diagnosis, and who is thankfully choosing to stick around for another year.

Although my husband and I have always been philosophically inclined towards an inclusion special ed model, we also fully understand how difficult it is to implement such a model effectively. Not only do the ASD Nest folks get it right, they make it look easy. (more…)

Dear Judy,

How many classes are teachers supposed to teach in a day? My daughter’s class was merged with another. Now she is in a cramped room, with no desks, just chairs, and more than 30 kids. I attended curriculum night and when I asked why they went from three classes to two on her grade level, the teachers said the principal decided on it. Teachers are only teaching five periods a day.

Concerned mother

Dear Concerned mother:

It sounds like your daughter’s principal is faced with a familiar situation these days — not enough money to keep class size low. Evidently, the principal found that he could maintain the number of kids allowed in a class according to the teachers’ contract by combining two classes into one. That way, only two teachers, not three, would have to be budgeted. (more…)

 Have a school question for Judy?  Search archives | Contact Judy

I admit it: last year, I ditched out early on our PTA meeting (my daughters were climbing on me). This year, I vowed not only to attend but to listen carefully until the bitter end — which was more than an hour and a half. Many other parents seemed to be doing the same, even those toting squirming babies. After all, we want to know how budget cuts will affect our children, what might be whisked away, how we can all help. It’s harder, this year, to take for granted that certain programs and services will magically happen on their own.

Our principal declared herself optimistic, despite the 5% cuts we’re being hit with. She opened the meeting on an upbeat note, reading friendly letters students had written to her over the summer — one, amusingly, begged for better toilet paper in the school bathrooms. As the stream of teachers and parents spoke, I realized just how much of what helps our school succeed comes from the PTA. They make many of our arts programs possible. They maintain the web site. They organize enrichment classes taught by parents (last year, a dad helped kindergartners make a movie). They pay for some of the school’s supplies. And, of course, they raise the money and recruit parent volunteers to do all of this. (more…)

This past spring, I wrote about Rupert Issacson, the man who wrote a book called The Horse Boy about healing his autistic son, Rowan, by taking him to Mongolia to ride horses and visit shamans.

Although I expected to be skeptical, I found the book very moving.

As a follow-up, Issacson produced a film that chronicles his story that is being released in theaters this week. Here in New York, it opens at IFC on Wednesday night, with a special appearance by Isaacson on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

If you see it (and/or him), please comment here.

In last week’s poll, we asked if you would be attending the first PA/PTA meeting of the school year. Most parents — 66% — voted yes.

Several respondents said that back-to-school night segued into the inaugural meeting. A Queens parent said that the first PA meeting is “crucial to attend” for information about changes for the upcoming year. Another parent disagreed, calling the PTA “useless,” and added, “They didn’t even serve coffee.”

Twenty-two percent of parents said they would not go to the meeting. Two parents voiced their frustration that the PA at their schools “is led by a clique of parents with their own agenda.”

Eight percent of parents received no notice of a meeting and 2% have no parent organization at their school.  Chancellor’s Regulation A-660 mandates that all schools have either a PA or PTA, and that the association send out notification to families about meetings in a timely fashion. (more…)

Guest blogger Mandy Hass is the parent of a Manhattan 4th-grader and the director of business development and marketing for Advocates for Children, the parent organization of  Insideschools.org.

Charter school supporters are crowing over a new apples-to-apples study — conducted right here in the Big Apple — showing that charter students outperformed their peers whose parents tried but failed to get their kids into charter schools.

Charter cheerleaders are chastising skeptics who’ve dismissed any data showing that charter students do better on standardized tests on the assumption that charters cream the kids most likely to succeed (because their parents or guardians cared enough to apply). (more…)

Parents, teachers, facilities managers, and students can share ideas and information about schools going green on a new citywide website, Green Schools NYC. Green schools experts can post links, ideas, and information, while people looking for ideas and advice on greening schools can find them on the site, or ask experts for information.

The more users who  join the website, the more useful it will be for both experts and newbies. Already participating on the site are parents and teachers at schools that have worm composting projects (that give kids a science lesson while reducing food waste) and parents at schools who are throwing green-themed fall festivals.

The Links and Resources page contains links to local organizations that provide programs, advice, and curriculum on schools going green, including one where children visit farms and cook meals with freshly picked vegetables. The new site makes it easy to post documents, such as the Back To School Green Schools Supplies memo posted by a mom at PS 334, which can be downloaded and adapted by other schools. (more…)

After a restful summer unplugged from technology, I’m back to blogging! For new readers, my name is Toni and I’m a senior instrumental major at LaGuardia Arts high school. I am also a member of the New York City Student Union, a student-run organization whose mission is to serve as a powerful, collective voice for NYC’s public high school students.

The student union began in 2006 after a cell phone ban was placed on public schools. Four high school students (who are now in college) were reading articles together about the ban and kept reading quotes such as “a parent says,” “a teacher says,” “a principal says,” “the mayor says,” and “the chancellor says.” They noticed that while students were more affected by the ban than anyone else, their opinion was not publicized at all.

These four students organized a student protest outside City Hall, but very few students showed up. They realized that there was a lack of unity and communication among students across the city, which made it difficult to organize and defend our rights as students. That year, the New York City Student Union was born. (more…)

Two weeks into the school year, some students are spending more hours on school buses than they do in some classes. Lindsey Christ, former Insideschools staffer and now NY1 education reporter, reported Monday that a Queens kindergartner commutes for two hours on a bus to get to a school located just 10 minutes from his home.

The Daily News reported on students in the Bronx who have been denied busing because their school, the Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation, moved from one district to another. A Department of Education official was quoted saying that buses do not cross district lines, except in cases of children who transfer schools under the No Child Left Behind law.

Special education students are  bused across district lines, if their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) specifies that they need a program that’s not offered in their district. And, it is the families of special needs students who most often have busing troubles, especially at the beginning of the school year.

Advocates for Children coordinated an effort to monitor special education placement at enrollment center across the city to identify and track common problems experienced by parents during the first two weeks of schools. Many parents told the monitors about transportation problems, including busing.

“A number of parents we spoke with expressed concerns about busing and transportation – some of them quite egregious,” said Maggie Moroff, special education policy coordinator at AFC. “We are working to assure those families have the information they need to advocate for themselves, and helping out wherever possible.” (more…)

On the soccer field last weekend, the parent of an 8th-grader casually inquired what it takes to get into one of the city’s best high schools. I wanted to laugh, but that wouldn’t be fair, because as I started my own search with my son a year ago, I was equally curious and anxious.

“So, do you think Beacon wants straight As and4s on both tests?” the mother asked. Like many parents trying to unravel the mystery of high school choice in the nation’s largest school system, she wanted straightforward answers that would help her assess her son’s chances. If her son was not an outstanding student, (I did not ask) would his chances of being accepted at one of the top schools be diminished?

As the high school search begins for 8th-graders, the question of who gets in is especially disconcerting. The specialized high schools like Brooklyn Tech, Stuyvesant, and Bronx Science are not for everyone, but the criteria is at least transparent: students take an exam, and if their score is high enough, they’ll get in. Students with poor grades who don’t test particularly well can be accepted, although those who get in generally have taken test prep for the exam. (more…)

Dear Judy

What is the best way to find out about high school open houses and tours? Is there an updated list on Insideschools.org? How many schools should we visit? Are open houses really helpful?

8th-grade parent

Dear 8th-grade parent:

Attending an open house or tour should be a priority for kids and parents looking for a high school but, try to narrow your list to a manageable number, based on your schedule. Your daughter may be excused from class to tour a school, but can you get a note for your boss?

The high school application allows you to apply to up to 12 schools, not counting the specialized high schools and charter schools. Our advice to families: don’t apply to a school you wouldn’t attend. Likewise, I can’t imagine sending a child to school without first checking it out in a visit. Students frequently venture out of their neighborhoods, and even their boroughs, for high school, so going on a school tour is a great way to test out the travel time and to check out the subway and bus connections. (more…)

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What advice can you give me for my 8th-grade son to prepare for Ivy League schools? His reply is “I’m only in 8th grade.” But I worry as he is not in honors classes and I think he should be. He did well last year in 7th grade but all of his teachers said he could do much better as he is very bright. He is focusing on his social life and he thinks school is for social activity. How can I change his mindset? Am I worrying too soon?”

Well, yes and no. First, there is a social component to school — if your son were studying all the time and had no friends at all, that would be a source of worry. But if his friends are responsible good students, who do not lure him into dangerous activities, that’s great. Make sure he knows that his friends are always welcome in your home, because if they get together at your house, you’ll know where he is! Now back to academics. You have raised a number of issues.

Let’s start with the one in your first sentence. Please substitute “a high quality collegiate experience” for “Ivy League schools!” The Ivies do not have a monopoly on providing excellent education (nor does an Ivy League degree guarantee happiness, or even a job). There are hundreds of fine colleges and universities. In addition, the Ivy League schools have an acceptance rate that averages less than 10%. Because of intense competition, it’s very, very hard to get in. If you convey to your son that only an Ivy League is acceptable, he may become demoralized and won’t even try — or he may try and not be accepted, and then feel like a failure. Please don’t set him up for that. (more…)

 Have a question for Jane?  Search archives | Contact the College Counselor

Back-to-school means back to blogging for our regular contributors. As students settle into classroom routines, we want to re-introduce you to the writers who bring their voices to the InsideSCOOP.

• Claiborne Williams Milde, a parent of two, came on board this summer as she prepared her five-year-old daughter “Night Owl” to step up to kindergarten at Brooklyn’s PS 29. We look forward to hearing more about Night Owl and her preschool sister in Claiborne’s “Kindergarten Corner.”

• We got to know Donya Rhett, our “Bronx Mom,” through her frequent comments on our blog posts. Donya  is a mother of two and will give us a peek inside schools from her unique perspective as a clinical psychologist at a school-based health center in Harlem.

• Jennifer Freeman began blogging in 2007 as our “Money Mom” to let readers know about fundraising opportunities for schools. Last year, she kept us in the loop as a member of the District 3 Community Education Council, and now she’ll be keeping us “Clean and Green” as a member of a District 3 Green Schools Committee.

• Liz Willen, the assistant director of the Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media at Columbia University, gave us a parent’s perspective of the daunting high school admissions process last year. With her older son now settled at LaGuardia High School and her younger son in his second year of middle school, Liz will continue to cover the trials and tribulations of parenting a ‘tween and a teen in her columns Middle School Muddle and High School Hustle.

• Our web developer Marni Goltsman begins her second year as a public school parent and Insideschools columnist. We eagerly await her insights as her son transitions from a small, self-contained classroom into a larger, integrated kindergarten class in PS 178’s ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) Nest program.

• Toni Bruno, a member of the NYC Student Union, is back for her senior year at LaGuardia High School. We’re glad to have her  “Student Voice” again this year.

Staffers (Cristin, Dan, and Pamela) will continue to anchor our regular news coverage on the city’s public schools, and please keep your questions coming to our experts Judy (”Ask Judy”) and Jane (”Ask the College Counselor”).

Last week, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) brought school children a step closer to enjoying produce from small, local farms in their cafeterias. The “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” initiative, announced last Tuesday, seeks to better nourish kids and support local farms by creating stronger connections between the two. The USDA will allocate $50 million for public schools to buy local produce and will set up farm-to-school tactical teams to tour schools and help them put the plan into action.

How and when this initiative will benefit NYC schools (and growers) remains to be seen, but good nutrition is always good news. Many kids get the majority of their calories at school, so what they’re served there can make the difference between wellness and illness. With national rates of childhood obesity and Type II diabetes skyrocketing, it’s becoming more apparent we need to change our collective habits-quickly. Helping schools replace processed foods with more fresh produce is a move in the right direction.

Alongside the Garden to School Café programs, which our family participated in this past summer at PS 29, “Know your Farmer, Know Your Food” provides an opportunity to educate our kids about nutrition and food production, while feeding their growing bodies. If students’ enthusiasm last week over pesto and salad from the PS 29 garden was any indicator, kids won’t need much convincing that wholesome fare is delicious too.

Is any tasty local food ending up in your school lunchroom? Comment below to let us know.

Looking at the results of last week’s poll, we realize that we truly underestimated how much parents spend on school supplies! Seventy percent of 561 voters said they spend over $50 at the start of the year.

Thanks for voting and for sharing your money-saving tips! One parent said that she was surprised when she first encountered a supply list in kindergarten, but now that her child’s in middle school, “it just seems like business as usual.” A few of you said that that you don’t get supply lists from teachers in a timely fashion, which makes it difficult to buy them before the stores run out.

Monday marks the second full week of school. We’d like to know if you are attending the first Parents Association (or Parent-Teacher Association) meeting of the year. Vote now, and comment below to let us know why or why not!

Insideschools student blogger Toni Bruno writes to tell us of the third annual Social Justice Park Party, tomorrow, Sept. 19, hosted by Transform America. Toni will be attending, representing the NYC Student Union, which will be joining other education advocacy groups.The goal of the event is to improve communication between education advocates, both adults and students, and to find ways they can work together.

Transform America describes the party as “a gathering of organizations to promote social justice, recruit activists, and advance our campaign for better education in NYC.” In addition to recruitment and networking, there will be music, dance and food.Toni writes: “You do not need to be a member of an organization to attend, you can just come have a good time while supporting the causes of education reform and social justice.”

The party is from 1-6 p.m. at St. Nicholas Park Plaza on 135 Street in Harlem. For more information or a map of St. Nicholas park, visit Transform America’s website.

School is back in session and the parks around here are a bit emptier; toddlers once again rule the swings and sandboxes. All went smoothly for us, enough for me to question my own moments of worry. Night Owl, my kindergartner, still struggles with the early-to-bed, early-to-rise routine, but she put on her game face and strode confidently into her classroom. Her old classroom. It was the only hiccup in an otherwise smooth morning at PS 29. Thanks to clear communication from the school, everyone seemed to know what to expect that first day, so the momentary congestion in the halls only seemed to produce amiable chitchat.

Many arriving kindergarten parents were pleasantly surprised to see classroom assistants alongside teachers — after being told in June we would not have them. Our school is increasingly crowded. A new kindergarten class sprouted this year to absorb the influx, but the classrooms are still full. It was a relief when news came later in the summer that the city had reversed itself, and granted permission to keep PTA-funded aides in the classroom, especially in the face of budget cuts. Our PTA leaders hired them in time for opening day, so there are an extra set of hands in the kindergarten classrooms. (more…)

Last spring we reported that the Department of Education issued a ban on hiring new teachers due to budget cuts. Instead, principals were urged to hire teachers from the pool of excessed teachers — those who lost their jobs due to schools closing, or staff cuts, but who continue to receive a full salary, even though they are not in the classroom.

A week into the new school year, Chancellor Klein reiterated his call for principals to hire excessed teachers. In his weekly letter to principals, Klein said there are 1,500 teachers in the excessed pool, 500 more than last year. “This is a fiscal liability in this budget climate, and we must reduce it,” he writes. He goes on to point out there are 1,100 teacher vacancies in the city’s schools.

Klein imposed a hiring deadline of Oct. 30 and insists that most vacancies be filled with “internal staff.” For those schools which are unable to fill the positions by that date, the DOE “may be be forced to take back the dollars budgeted for those positions to pay for the increase in teachers in the excess pool.” (more…)

Students are not the only ones wrangling with mathematics this year. Yesterday, The New York Times reported how principals have cut costs to meet their 5% slimmer school budgets, after the budget cuts announced last spring.

According to the Times, principals across the city made most cuts by eliminating teaching positions and reducing spending on equipment, supplies, and books. For one Brooklyn principal at PS 273, the loss of four teachers bumped class size from 21 students to 29.

Today’s Daily News reports on overcrowding in other city classrooms — including  40 students jammed into  one room at PS 102 in the Bronx. Leonie Haimson, of Class Size Matters, has published a Q&A with details about class size limits, according to the UFT contract: 25 in kindergarten, up to 28 in grades 1-3, and 32 in grades 4-6.  Beyond those numbers, teachers can “grieve” (complain) to the Department of Education. (more…)

The United Nations declared next week as Climate Week. What does have to do with your child and school? The United Nations Foundation is encouraging teachers to bring climate change curriculum into classrooms next week, September 20-26, when the UN’s General Assembly will be discussing world climate policy.

By engaging students on the topic, schools can contribute their voices to a bigger call for global climate action.The school climate curriculum project is known as Cool Your School. The website includes lesson plans for children of all ages. It explains, in language kids can relate to, why this subject is important for our future. A second site, Unite for Climate, gives older children more chances to be part of a solution, such as participating in 350.org and the Green Cup Challenge.

The United Nations Foundation is hoping teachers will especially focus on climate curriculum on Sept. 21, the opening day of the UN’s General Assembly, to connect children with government leaders from across the world who will be gathering in New York City and addressing climate change.

Ask your child’s teacher or principal whether they are  incorporating climate curriculum into the week’s lesson plans and let us know!

On the first day of school this year, I delivered my son to his 5th-grade class (he quickly dismissed me with the words: “I got this”), and my daughter to her kindergarten class in her new school. She joined a group of five-year-olds with similar dazed and confused expressions.

I journeyed from my kids’ elementary school to the Harlem middle and high school campus where I work as a clinical psychologist in a school-based health center. I recognized the same dazed and confused expressions on many of the incoming 6th-graders’ faces. These former kings and queens of elementary school suddenly appeared quite young and uncertain, wandering through hallways also populated with college-bound high school seniors. As anxiety-provoking a transition as this may be for the tweens, my experience has been that it is even more so for parents. Year after year, a couple of loving and protective parents seek supportive therapy for their kids who seem to be having a hard time adjusting to middle school. Year after year, the majority of these students prove their resilience and work through the adjustment phase with minimal clinical support.

Beginning middle school is a significant and stressful transition for nearly all students. An important part of growing up is developing the skills to cope with such stressors. An additional issue for new middle school students is that, not only are they anxious about being in an unfamiliar school (as are the pre-K and kindergarten students), they are now also painfully aware that others may be evaluating them. In fact, adolescence is the time when our kids become convinced that everyone is watching and judging them because the world is their audience! (more…)

Today The New York Times reports that 7th-graders who correctly answered only 44% of the questions on state math exams were rewarded with a passing grade. After similar reports published this summer, this latest analysis doesn’t come as a surprise.

According to the Times, the threshold for passing was 60% in 2006, but now kids can get by with fewer correct answers on the math exam in every grade. And a passing grade (Level 3 or 4) isn’t required for promotion; a student only needs a Level 2 to move up. The Times says that the number of right answers needed to earn a 2 has dropped so low that on some tests, “a student could randomly guess and still stand a good chance of moving on to the next grade.”

And don’t forget, in August, the Daily News found that the number of right answers needed to earn a 2 on the 6th-grade reading test had “sunk so low” that a student could guess on the multiple choice section and leave the rest of the test blank. Perhaps that’s part of the reason why the number of 6th-graders who scored a Level 1 dropped from 10% in ‘06 to 0.2% this year.

While some state officials defend the tests and cutoff scores, State Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch, assured the Times that the Board understands the faults in its current system. “We are painfully aware of the fact that our tests do not align with the national tests,” she said. “We need to align new standards with a new set of assessments that are rigorous and dependable.”

Voters were divided in our last poll about testing preschoolers for admissions to gifted and talented programs. One thing appeared to be clear, though: you’re not happy with the status quo–only 2% of responses supported leaving the system as it is! We appreciate your feedback:

“Fed Up Mom” thinks G&T programs are a waste of money. According to her, G&T classes have substantially fewer students at her school. “My child would have benefited from a smaller class but couldn’t have it because they wasted a teacher on the G&T kids,” she said.

Parent Alexandria Gecin agrees that all students need smaller classes and quality education — not just those who do well on a test. She added, ” G & T doesn’t test for high artistic ablility, musical ability, high maturity, great spatial skills or anything other than an ability to pass what is essentially a little kid’s IQ test.”

One mom, however, shared that G&T classes were her son’s ticket out of a bad local school. Many more of you shared your thoughts on our initial post about testing 4-year-olds. Thanks for joining the conversation!

Now as we head into the second week of classes, we’re wondering how much of a dent new school supplies made in your family budget. The Daily News reported Wednesday that some parents are struggling to pay for back-to-school items in these tough economic times. How did your family fare? Vote now, and add your comments below!

Some New York schools embrace in-class discussion of the events of September 11, 2001. Others choose not to, for fear of reliving a tragedy that is still so tender in the hearts of the city. Six high schools across the country have adopted a specialized 9/11 curriculum this week, in hopes of fostering a better understanding of the events and moving forward.

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani unveiled the curriculum Tuesday at a hotel near the World Trade Center site. “It gives young people a framework in which to think about Sept. 11,” he said.

Developed by the New Jersey-based September 11 Education Trust, the lesson plan utilizes archival footage and interviews with more than 70 witnesses, family members, and politicians. The non-profit, directed by 9/11 victims’ families, survivors, rescue workers and educators nationwide, hopes to create an “open-ended inquiry” that will reflect on the impact and legacy of the attacks.

“This is one of the critical subjects on which young people should develop some ideas and thoughts,” said the trust’s executive director, Anthony Gardner, in an interview with the Associated Press. “[The curriculum] gives young people a framework in which to think about Sept. 11, all that it meant and all that it means to the present.”

How have you talked about 9/11 with your kids? Have they talked about it in school?

Chancellor Klein announced yesterday that public input will help direct the allocation of this year’s Contracts for Excellence funding. This should be a heads-up for parents and educators who have long been frustrated with the city’s educational spending decisions.

The Contracts for Excellence funds support programs aimed at students in greatest need: English Language Learners, students in poverty, students with disabilities and those with low academic achievement. These funds are to be spent in six specific program areas: class size reduction, time on task, teacher and principal quality initiatives, school restructuring, full day pre-K ,and ELL programs.

Class size reduction has been a consistently hot topic in the educational funding debate with Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters, one of the fiercest advocates. “If you believe that your child is not receiving the education he or she deserves because of overly large classes, you should attend these hearings, speak out, and demand that the State Education Department provide stronger oversight so that NYC complies with the law,” Haimson says in a press release this week. (more…)

Principals throughout the city were reminded last week, in a letter from Chancellor Klein, that only “environmentally sensitive cleaning and maintenance products” may be used in public schools. Since 2005, New York State has mandated that schools use green cleaning supplies that create healthier environments for children.

The Principal’s Weekly newsletter noted that principals and parents often purchase cleaning supplies for the classroom. “Please be sure your teachers are aware that state law requires them to use only Green Seal Certified or Eco Logo approved surface cleaners and hand cleaners,” it said.

Let us know what’s happening at your school? Does your teacher’s wish list of needed supplies specify “green” products?

More than a year after dangerous levels of polychlorinated biphenyls were discovered in several New York schools, the caulk that contains the toxin still lines the windows and doors of some classrooms.

A Spring 2008 investigation by the Daily News revealed high levels of PCBs–a toxin linked to developmental defects in children– in the caulkings of six public schools. The schools were scrubbed and soils contaminated by the toxin were removed.

In March of 2009, the Department of Education announced that toxic levels of PCBs had been discovered in 19 more schools. Classes were cleaned and soils removed.

Now, at the start of a new school year, parents charge that toxic caulk still lines the windows and doors of their children’s classrooms. Naomi Gonzalez, a Bronx mother whose 6-year-old daughter, Elimina, attends the contaminated PS 178, decided to take her frustration to the courtroom. (more…)

While GothamSchools joined Chancellor Klein on his annual five-borough, back-to-school tour, The New York Times’ City Room blog followed a few students as they embark on a new school year. We were particularly intrigued by the scene at PS 19 in Corona, Queens, where the Times said “confusion reigned.”

Though the K-5 school enrolls nearly  2,000 students and some classes are housed in trailers, the line of families hoping to enroll their children “extended down the better part of the block.” According to the post, the school is one of 27 that still had a kindergarten wait list in July.

What was the scene like at your  school this morning? Does your school still have students waiting to enroll? Let us know below.

The last day of summer should be a day for sleeping in, shopping for supplies, or perhaps seeing friends who have been away. If the households I know (including my own) are any indication, thousands of students are instead scrambling to finish long-ago assigned book lists and assignments. Some of those assignments were given out with report cards in June. And this year, with a late Labor Day and contractual issues, the start of school has come later than ever.

So what gives? I brought the subject up for discussion among friends and families and got a variety of reactions. One came from a parent whose friend handled the last minute mania this way: She offered to pay her children $100 to get the summer assignments done the first week, so she would not have to nag or argue with them. With the homework underway early (the incentive worked perfectly) the entire family relaxed and enjoyed summer.

This same sort of incentive or bribe (because that’s what it is, isn’t it?) could be extended throughout the year, if parents in the midst of this recession really want to be in the business of paying for performance. That brings up other issues entirely. (more…)

Welcome back to school! Seniors will be starting to work on their college applications in a few weeks, and while this should not dominate the most important business of the day — doing well in senior year — it should not be left to the last moment. Here’s the first question of the 2009-2010 school year.

My son is starting his senior year and I am concerned about how to start applying for scholarships. He plays soccer and I would like to know how to approach coaches so they can see him play. Also, my son’s school will not have a college counselor this year. So who in the school can I contact about helping my son with his applications?

Even though your son’s high school may not have a designated college counselor, every high school should have guidance counselors whose job it is to assist him. They can answer questions about colleges, help with application questions, and advise about scholarships — and not just athletic scholarships. Scholarship organizations send out information each fall to high school guidance offices, and this information should be posted for students to read. Your son should make an appointment with his guidance counselor early! This is especially important if there are a lot of students who are going to approach them for help — don’t wait until the application deadlines are near. (more…)

 Have a question for Jane?  Search archives | Contact the College Counselor

Dear Judy,

My son is just starting kindergarten in a K-8 school. If he is unhappy in a K-8 school can he apply to middle school elsewhere? Or if you are unhappy in a 6-12 school can you apply to high school elsewhere?

- Apprehensive Mom

Dear Apprehensive Mom:

The beauty of schools that combine elementary and middle school grades, or middle and high school grades, is that families may not have to go through the tedious middle and high school admissions process and can continue at the same school. However, the answer to your question- are you able to switch schools if you are not happy at a K-8 or 6-12 school? — is yes, you always have the option of going through the application process at normal school entry points, including 6th or 9th grade. (more…)

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At noon today, President Obama will address the nation’s school children. After much ballyhooing from conservatives concerned about the tenor of the speech, The Times reports that it will be a “pep talk” for students,  urging them  to “study hard” and “respect their teachers.”

The speech will be  broadcast live at noon today from a high school in Virgina and is posted on the White House  website.

Listen in, and let us know what you think. We’re wondering how many New York City public schools — which open tomorrow - will be sharing the talk  with their students.

Today Daily News columnist Juan Gonzalez challenged Mayor Bloomberg’s proclamation that the city will open 23 new school buildings, creating 13,000 new seats for students.

Gonzalez says that some of the buildings touted as “newly-constructed” were, in fact, only renovated. More shocking still is that three of the “new” facilities are actually just rentals — two of which have staggering price tags attached. Over the next 20 years, a lease on the Bronx building set to house  Jonas Bronck Academy will set the city back $40 million — on top of the $11.5 million already spent on renovations. For the new Urban Assembly School of Business for Young Women, the city will shell out $191 million for space in a Financial District office building.

The DOE says their designation of “new construction” can be applied to any school that’s creating new seats, but Gonzalez doesn’t believe the total of new seats created is accurate, either. He points to the case of two Bronx high schools, which are moving from temporary trailers into a renovated building, meaning “no actual new seats will result,” as the trailers are being taken down. (more…)

Before the city released the 2008-2009 school progress reports Wednesday, the New York Post braced us for shockingly high results. But after the release, the Post had to update its statistics — quite a bit. A whopping 97% of the city’s elementary and middle schools received As and Bs, even higher than the 85% first reported. Just 27 schools citywide received Cs, Ds, or Fs.

Chancellor Klein wants to clarify what the good grades mean, according to The New York Times. To be sure, he says, they do not indicate that schools are stellar. Rather, the grades indicate that schools met their “progress target.” And the grading system mainly defines progress by how much student test scores improve from one year to the next.

But with state tests’ soaring scores already under fire, should we put any stock in a grading system guided by those scores? We’re not the first to ask that question. (more…)

Wondering where the city’s 2009 candidates for mayor, public advocate and comptroller stand on education? Well, Advocates for Children of New York has the scoop. Yesterday, they published the results of a candidate survey about issues in our city schools.

“Education is a critical factor in this election, and we voters need to know where the candidates stand,” said Kim Sweet, AFC’s Executive Director, in a press release. “The results of this survey give New Yorkers important information as they prepare to cast their votes.” (more…)

The New York Post reports astonishing news today: more than 85% of elementary and middle schools earned an A or B on 2009  school “progress reports,” which are expected to be released today. Even more surprising is that only two schools received Fs.

Those stats have improved enormously in just two years, according to the Post. In 2007, only 61% of schools earned top marks and 35 schools received Fs. Many of the failing schools have since been closed or have new principals. (Learn more about the fate of failing schools in today’s Daily News.) (more…)

Today, Mayor Bloomberg unveiled a multi-faceted plan to combat swine flu this fall. With the first day of school in sight, protecting the city’s students is a top priority, Bloomberg said.

Swine flu resurfaced in parents’ minds this summer when the city announced schools will remain open this year in the face of reported cases. Here’s what you should know about the mayor’s new campaign as your kids head back to school:

• Vaccinations for elementary school students will be available at your child’s school in mid-October. Letters will be sent home on the first day of classes with more information.
• Vaccinations for older students will be available at soon-to-be-announced sites in each borough.
• The city will post daily listings of schools reporting more than five cases of flu online.
• A flu-prevention campaign will be launched in schools, complete with signs, posters, and classroom instruction.

(more…)

In today’s Daily News, new State Commissioner of Education, David Steiner, says our schools just need some common sense. He thinks our system is fraught with poor practices that defy logic - ranging from placing novice teachers in the most challenging classrooms to failing to reward the most accomplished teachers.

Steiner says we need a carefully mapped-out curriculum (with input from parents!) to ensure that students move successfully from our schools into college and the workplace. He thinks teachers should be better prepared before they fly solo, and that we need improved supports for those already in the classroom. For Steiner, school administrators and school districts should provide the feedback and training tailored to teachers’ needs.

And as for our state tests, which have attracted continued criticism, Steiner says that that logic dictates that we need to be sure they assess important knowledge and skills - fairly, accurately, and reliably. Steiner knows it’s going to be an uphill battle to make changes, “but doing so is good, common sense: our children’s future depends on it.”

What do you think Steiner’s top priority should be? Teacher quality? Better curriculum? Improved exams? Let us know below!

My daughters have declared themselves ready to go back to school. It was too easy! I can’t take any credit for the last couple of rainy, boring days of our vacation that convinced them. But, just because there’s no apparent angst around here doesn’t mean we’ll be breezing gracefully through the school’s doors, on time, next Wednesday morning.

We’ve gotten more than a tad lax, having been out of town for August. I’m not entirely sure my daughters know how to clean up after themselves any more, not to mention follow a classroom routine. I can’t say whether any of their school shoes fit (or where they are), and there was a list around here somewhere of supplies we’re supposed to get for my daughter’s kindergarten classroom. We need updated medical forms and booster shots and, worst of all, my 5-year-old Night Owl is living up to her nickname with a vengeance, creeping around until 11 p.m. and snoozing until 10. Help! (more…)