In October, Governor Paterson proposed $686 million in school budget cuts. Democratic Senate Leader John Sampson stated yesterday that these cuts “are not going to happen.” The official decision is still pending, but the vote is in process and may be settled as early as Monday evening.

Paterson’s budget office projects a deficit for the remainder of the current fiscal year of $4.1 billion, with deficits of $7.8 billion and $15.7 billion over the following two. Citing these dire economic straits, his plan calls for major cuts in education, as well as healthcare spending. “I will mortgage my political career on this plan,” he told a joint session of the Legislature on Nov. 9th.

The Alliance for Quality Education (AQE) is urging New Yorkers to ask their representatives to oppose these cuts. AQE’s Executive Director Billy Easton told the New York Times that “school aid has to be off limits because of the constitutional obligations that are going unmet.”

You can contact your representative at OurKidsCantWait.org.

A new batch of future-kindergartners will be “turning 5″ soon, and the Department of Education is preparing for their arrival. The kindergarten admissions season is set to begin Feb. 1 for children who will turn five in 2010. The pre-K admissions season will open a month later, on March 1 according to the DOE’s timeline. Eligible students are those will turn four by Dec. 31, 2010.

Turning 5 Fairs  for children with special needs will begin on Nov. 30. Taking place across the city, these events acquaint parents with the public school special education admissions process. The 2009-2010 guide for “Preschool to School Age Orientation” will be available soon on the DOE’s Special Education website.

In January, a handful of schools in District 75, which serves only disabled students, will hold open houses and tours.

Many public schools are already scheduling tours and open houses for prospective parents. For dates, it’s best to check the school’s website or call the parent coordinator.

Uncertain of what is your zoned school? Visit the DOE’s School & Zone Finder or call 311. Looking for another option? Search for “unzoned”  or “charter” schools in the Insideschools Find a School section.

The “Race to the Top” dominated this week’s education headlines, but left a lot of us wondering, “who’s racing and to where?”

Basically, states will “race” to create comprehensive education reform plans, in hopes of earning a chunk of 4.35 billion government dollars to support their efforts. The program was established by the Obama administration under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 — an expansive piece of legislation aimed at stimulating the economy, creating new jobs, and supporting industries critical to our nation’s prosperity.

“We will award grants to the states that have led the way in reform and will show the way for the rest of the country to follow,” said U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, in a Nov. 12 press release.To apply for Race to the Top funds, states must submit plans based on four areas of reform: college and career preparation, data analysis for measuring student progress, recruiting skilled teachers, and improving under-achieving schools. (more…)

Last week, our student blogger, Toni, urged New York City residents to get out and protest the bake sale ban. Well, tomorrow is your chance!

At 3 p.m., concerned citizens will gather in front of City Hall to let regulators know that axing bake sales means axing an important means of raising funds for student activities. And what better way to support bake sales then to throw one? Baked treats will be traded for petition signatures from 3 to 5:30 p.m.

If you can’t make it out, organizers are urging supporters to gather signatures on their own. Once 10,000 are collected, they plan to enlist the support of city council members. “By then nothing can stop us,” reads the group’s Facebook page.

You can also message Chancellor Joel Klein directly to voice your frustration with the ban, or show your support.

Our recent poll on the ban showed that users are somewhat divided on this issue — some think that parents and students can  come up with healthier ways to raise funds. However, the overwhelming majority of the voters,  72%, opposed the ban.

We’ve heard that some schools (no names or numbers revealed) have ignored the regulation.

What’s happening at your school?

In conjunction with the release of the new movie  “Precious,” NY1  featured the work of Insideschools’ parent organization, Advocates for Children. The film follows a 16-year-old Harlem student through her struggles with illiteracy, obesity, and a  broken home. Although the character is fictional, her problems are only too common among children in New York City schools. Cheryl Wills, a NY1 reporter spoke to several of AFC’s lawyers and advocates about the work the organization does to ensure that children like Precious receive the educational services they need. The reporter also interviewed students, clients of AFC, who were “falling through the cracks” until AFC advocates helped find schools and programs to get them back on track.

View the feature on the NY1 website. Kudos to AFC!

There’s some great news in this week’s poll: a majority — 43 percent — of your schools offer high-quality, after-school programs!

However, 25 percent of you feel your school’s programs need improvement, and 23 percent don’t even have a school-based program. These figures are aligned with the results of Afterschool Alliance’s recent survey, America After 3pm, which found that one-quarter of American students are without much-needed after-school activities.

As we’re all now aware, Mayor Bloomberg will retain his mayoral seat for a third term. Following this week’s elections, we’d love to know how you feel about the future of the New York City educational system. Vote now!

In our last poll, we asked if you planned to vaccinate your child against the H1N1 virus. More than 1,000 of you responded. Thirty-four percent said ‘yes;’ 46 percent said ‘no.’ And with the flurry of controversy surrounding the vaccinations, it came as no surprise that 18 percent of you are still on the fence.

The New York Times echoed these sentiments, reporting that fewer than 50 percent of New York City parents have granted schools permission to vaccinate their kids. Vaccinations began this week at small elementary schools and will begin on Nov. 4 and 9 at larger schools. The city’s weekend clinics for middle and high school students will also open in early November.

The Times also weighed in on after-school programs in an editorial titled, “Home Alone.” Citing Afterschool Alliance’s recent study, America After 3PM, the editorial points out that after-school participation has increased markedly since 2004, but not fast enough to keep up with the growing number of “latch-key kids”– estimated at nearly one quarter of our nation’s students.

The study also found that more than 18 million parents would enroll their children in after-school programs if they were available.

In this week’s poll, we’d like to know if your child’s school offers an after-school program. Vote now!

How well does it serve your children? How could the program be improved? Let us know in the comments.

Flu vaccinations begin at 125 New York City elementary schools today. The vaccines arrive with news that older students will once again receive priority at the city’s weekend clinics.

This overturns the Health Department’s announcement yesterday that these clinics would welcome all New York City residents and not just students. Middle and high school students are entitled to vaccinations at designated sites–which are slated to open in early November. Other members of the public will be evaluated, but only those considered “at-risk” will receive treatment.

Health Department spokeswoman Jessica Scaperotti told the Daily News that the sites giving priority to students will redirect the public to other vaccination centers. She reiterated that the best place to receive a vaccination is from one’s primary-care doctor.

Is your elementary, middle, or high school child going to be vaccinated? Take our poll!

The Department of Education announced that vaccines for the H1N1 and seasonal flu viruses will arrive at elementary schools with fewer than 400 students on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Larger elementary schools will receive the vaccines a week later on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Vaccinations will be available to middle and high school students on weekends at off-campus sites in early November.

Although vaccinations are not mandatory for public school students, the DOE recommends that all children between the ages of six and 19 be vaccinated. Children under 10 receive two doses, administered in schools, four weeks apart.

Students must present consent forms signed by a parent or guardian. These will be sent home with students next week. They are also available online through the DOE’s Influenza Information website.

Families of elementary students should return these forms to their school; middle and high school students should bring them to the off-campus locations where they will be vaccinated at the time of vaccination.

The DOE will continue to release information on this season’s flu and student vaccinations at www.nyc.gov/flu.

Is your child going to be vaccinated? Take our poll and let us know why or why not! Vote now!

Last week, we asked what you think about the Department of Education’s recent bake sale ban. An overwhelming number of you — 72% — responded that you oppose the new rule.

About half of respondents said that bake sales should not be banned because they are an important way for schools to raise funds. Nine percent disagreed, voting that PA/PTAs should come up with better fundraising ideas.

The ban is just one part of a larger regulation aimed at curbing New York’s alarming student obesity rates. Twenty-one percent of you felt that bake sales are not a major contributor to this problem, while 17% felt that the last thing kids need is more junk food.

Last week, along with the bake sale ban, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the H1N1 vaccine. Parents are receiving consent forms this week to have their children vaccinated against the H1N1 virus.

In September, we reported that the DOE will provide the vaccine to elementary students in schools, and to other students at weekend clinics. This week, The New York Times addressed a number of concerns regarding these immunizations. Some parents worry that the vaccine was rushed to the public. Others feel that it could not have come a day sooner.

In this week’s poll, we’d like to know if you will have your child vaccinated. Comment below to let us know why, or why not!

Last week, we asked you how budget cuts affected your school. Almost half of you — 46% — reported that class sizes have grown, while more than 60% reported that in-school and after-school programs have disappeared.

A new revision to the Department of Education’s Wellness Policy — a Chancellor’s Regulation aimed at improving the quality of food in schools — has effectively banned the sale of baked goods and snacks during school hours.

“We have an undeniable problem in the city, state and the country with obesity,” Eric Goldstein, the chief of the office of school support services, told The New York Times. “During the school day, we have to focus on what is healthy for the mind and the body.”

The DOE reports that around 40% of elementary and middle school students are considered obese and a strong correlation has been revealed between the health of students and their performance on standardized tests. However, some students and parents feel that bake sales do not contribute to the obesity problem and are important for raising funds to support school programs.

Let us know what you think!

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…)

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…)

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…)