InsideSchools Blog

SPONSORED POST: The Catholic School Difference

The following is a paid message from Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of New York. New York families with children entering grades Pre-K or Grades K to 8 are switching to Catholic Schools more than ever before. Parents are choosing Catholic Schools because they are family-friendly – offering...

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SPONSORED POST: Your Child Will SHINE At Brilla! Apply Now

The following is a sponsored message from Brilla Public Charter Schools. Allow Brilla to help your child thrive in every aspect of their lives—today and far into the future. Brilla Public Charter Schools is a network of FREE K-8 schools in Districts 7 & 10 in the Bronx. Parents love Brilla...

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SPONSORED POST: Attend an Ascend Open House or Apply for Fall 2024!

The following is a sponsored message from Ascend Public Charter Schools. Join Ascend, with caring, committed teachers who see the brilliance and potential in every child! Attend an Open House or apply for Fall 2024! Brand New Ascend Schools Open Fall ’24: Cypress Hills Ascend Middle School at...

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Embracing Newcomers: Lessons from InsideSchools & Allies

The beginning of this school year saw numerous media reports on public schools struggling to enroll and accommodate nearly 30,000 school-aged children who have arrived in New York City since April 2022. Fortunately, a group of schools and organizations are already doing this work and offer an...

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SPONSORED POST: The Catholic School Difference - Staten Island

The following is a paid message from Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of New York. A Catholic education is the stepping stone to your child’s journey. Beyond an excellent education, Catholic schools instill family values, spirituality, and a sense of community. For many, Catholic schools are...

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Fast Facts: NYC Public Kindergarten

Kindergarten Applications are Open! Let’s go over the basics: Who: NYC children born in 2019 are guaranteed a spot for fall 2024 When: Now through Jan. 19, 2024 How it works: List up to 12 kindergarten choices, including G&T and Dual Language programs. Offers depend on the order of your...

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Our testimony on challenges facing newly arrived immigrant students

InsideSchools director Natasha Quiroga appeared before the New York City Council Joint Immigration and Education Committee to share our insights and observations from helping over 400 newly arrived families enroll their children in schools. The following is the full transcript of the...

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What to Look For in LGBTQ+ Accepting Schools

For parents and caregivers, finding an affirming school for your LGBTQ+ child can be overwhelming. NYC public schools have policies protecting LGBTQ+ students, families and educators. Here are signs that a school goes above and beyond to create a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. An Active...

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SPONSORED POST: The Catholic School Difference

The following is a paid message from Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of New York. The Catholic School Difference A Catholic education is the stepping stone to your child’s journey. Beyond an excellent education, Catholic schools instill family values, spirituality, and a sense of community....

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Improve Your Middle Schooler's Reading with 3 Tips from a Seasoned Tutor

In middle school, the academic work gets harder. Help your tween read better with three easy tips you can do at home. 1) “Click or Clunk”: Check your understanding Help your child become a better reader with the "Click or Clunk" trick. Smooth, easy sentences are "clicks," and tricky ones are...

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High School Admissions: Your Questions Are Answered!

Got questions about applying to high school? We've got answers! Our two high school admissions webinars presented with NYC Admissions Solutions cover everything from rules and procedures to finding schools that are a good fit and how to rank them on the application. We know you're busy, and may...

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Advice for High School Freshmen

High school can be a scary time. One day you’re in a school with preteens, and the next you’re passing by 18-year-olds in the hallway who can drive and vote. Middle to high school is a huge transition. Hopefully, now that it’s October, everyone is settling in. Here are five tips to make the most...

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Helping Migrant Students and Families Find Their Way in New York City

This was originally published in Urban Matters by our colleagues at The Center for New York City Affairs at The New School. Tomorrow, roughly one million students will begin classes in New York City public schools. Among them: almost 19,000 recently arrived migrant children who, with their...

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Guiding Newcomers Through NYC's School Maze

Welcome our newest blogger, Marilyn O'Day (pictured on the far left). Marilyn volunteers at InsideSchools events for newly arrived families and is entering her junior year of high school. “We’re all nervous,” says Laura Zingmond in her introductory Zoom with me. “We’ve never hosted an event like...

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InsideSchools Hosts New Immigrant Workshop

On a recent hot summer day, July 27th, InsideSchools hosted its first workshop for asylum-seeking immigrants. Our group included several InsideSchools staff, and parent and student volunteers. On a table in an atrium at the New School University Center, we spread out our sign-in sheet, name...

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Help Newly Arrived Immigrant Families Navigate NYC Public Schools!

InsideSchools has helped millions of families like yours understand the NYC public school system. Now, we need your help to make sure the newest New Yorkers can navigate their educational journey in their new country. You know how complicated the New York City public school system can be. Just...

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Look who uses InsideSchools—and tell us why you're here!

We are so glad you are here. The InsideSchools community is made up of a wide range of people who come for different reasons. Do you see yourself here? If not, tell us in the Comments who you are and what brings you here! Our users are 👇 New to NYC—and parenthood! "I need help navigating...

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My Goal Is to Help Parents Be Their Child’s Best Advocate

This interview was originally published in Urban Matters by our colleagues at The Center for New York City Affairs at The New School. Last month, Natasha Quiroga, formerly director of the Parental Education and Readiness Program (PREP) and senior counsel for the Education Opportunities Project...

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How was applying to middle school this year? Tell Us!

The wait is over! Fifth-graders across the city received their middle school offers. What was your school search like? What did you look for? How did you learn about schools? Are you happy with your child's placement? Tell us what you thought about the middle school application process. We...

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SPONSORED POST: Engage. Educate. Empower.

The following is a paid message from School in the Square. School in the Square (S2) is a FREE, PreK–12 public charter school now accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year. S2 engages, educates, and empowers its students to respond mindfully and creatively to life’s opportunities and...

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Watch our webinar: Why Instructional Materials Matter

Why should parents and guardians care about the workbooks, textbooks, handouts, and online programs that teachers use for lessons? In this webinar, our friends at EdReports talk to parents about why instructional materials are so important. They discuss: How to quickly find out if your...

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How was applying to high school this year? Take our survey!

The wait is over! Eighth-graders across the city received their high school offers. We know that applying to high school in New York City can be a complex and stressful process. A lot is asked of students and their families. Tell us what you thought about the high school application process. ...

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We Asked, You Answered! Our Parent Engagement Survey Results

During Fall 2022 we sent out a survey asking families to tell us how they currently engage with their children’s school and how InsideSchools can further support them. Offered in English and Spanish, our short survey covered a range of topics. They included the frequency with which parents...

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Why can’t we have great schools in every neighborhood?

The problem with public education in America isn’t that all schools are bad. The problem is that the quality is so uneven. In New York City, some lucky parents simply enroll their children in their neighborhood school with nothing more than proof of address. But many parents, unsatisfied with...

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Why Black History Month Matters

Progress in America has never been a straight line, as President Barack Obama remarked after Donald Trump was elected president in 2016. We zig and zag, sometimes forward, sometimes back. The way we teach American history is no different. We move ahead, and then fall back. Look at the zigs and...

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I Attended a CEC Meeting. This is What I Learned.

Last week, as I fried onions and garlic for the burritos I would soon share with my family, I propped my laptop on my yellow kitchen stool, turned up the volume and attended my third Community Education Council (CEC) meeting in a month. These took place online, at dinnertime, and represented...

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3-K, Pre-K & Kindergarten Explained

Thank you to all who joined us for our webinar, NYC 3-K, Pre-K, and Kindergarten Explained, presented on December 14, 2022. Videos of the event are now available for viewing in English and Spanish. In this webinar, we provide an overview of the NYC public school system (districts and zones),...

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Conociendo el 3-K, PreK y Kindergarten de NYC

Gracias a todos los que nos acompañaron en nuestro webinar, NYC 3-K, Pre-K, y Kindergarten Explicado, presentado el 14 de diciembre de 2022. Los videos del evento ya están disponibles en español y inglés. En este seminario web, proporcionamos una visión general del sistema de escuelas públicas...

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Five special ed questions to ask on high school tours

If your child has special needs, applying to high school can be an especially daunting task. The information you need to make good choices may not be readily available on school websites or in the high school directory. While all schools are expected to offer special education services, the...

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Unhappy with Kindergarten Placement? Here's What To Do

If your child didn't get the kindergarten spot you asked for, try to stay calm. Waitlists at schools move over the spring and summer. We have seen it happen year after year. Children get offers on a rolling basis as families make final choices. Hang in there. The city sent out offers for...

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Black History is American History

Learning Black history is a year-round endeavor, but since this is Black History Month, let's kick it off with a few educational resources for the whole family. Reading Rockets: Watch interviews with award-winning Black authors and illustrators of children's books, learn about the history of...

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Admisiones en Las Escuelas Secundarias de NYC

Gracias a todos los que se unieron con nosotros en nuestro mini-seminario sobre la Admisión a las Escuelas Secundarias de la Ciudad de Nueva York, que presentamos el 18 de diciembre de 2021 en colaboración con la Biblioteca Pública de Nueva York. Ya están disponibles los vídeos del evento en...

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Applying to NYC High Schools: A Webinar

Thank you to all who joined us for our NYC High Schools Admissions webinar, which we presented on December 18, 2021 in partnership with the New York Public Library. Videos of the event are now available for viewing in English and Spanish. Topics covered include understanding the process, your...

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¡Hola y bienvenidos a InsideSchools!

Mi nombre es Gigi Hernández y estoy aquí para proporcionar ayuda a las familias hispanohablantes de InsideSchools. Vivo en Queens y soy un producto del sistema escolar público de NYC, como mi familia. InsideSchools es un recurso para ayudarle a navegar por las opciones de las escuelas públicas....

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Pregúntale Gigi: Es urgente. Mi hijo de sexto grado está en una nueva escuela y no puedo dejarlo. ¿Es posible que le den un autobús escolar amarillo?

Estimada Gigi, Buenos días. Quería saber si la escuela tiene autobuses para los niños. Mi hijo va a empezar sexto grado en una nueva escuela y tengo un bebé en casa. Si dejo al bebé en la guardería y al niño de sexto grado en su escuela, llegaré tarde al trabajo. ¿Puede mi hijo mayor tomar el...

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Top 20 most sought-after NYC high schools in 2021

Large high schools with enrollment of at least 1,000 as well as small, selective schools continue to be in high demand according to Department of Education (DOE) data provided to InsideSchools. Midwood High School once again took the top spot with 10,142 applicants, edging out Townsend Harris—a...

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NYC high school results are out! Here's advice on what to do next

Last week 8th-graders finally received their high school placements. Some students are thrilled, or at least satisfied, with their placements. Some are not happy and wondering what to do next. We have advice for whichever category you're in. First, a little perspective. NYC has the largest...

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Best Bets in the Bronx: Elementary Schools

Applying to kindergarten in the Bronx? Application season is open! Last year we updated all 200+ Bronx elementary school reviews. Listed here are a handful of good neighborhood schools, charters, and schools that accept children from a whole district or borough. This list is not exhaustive....

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New Edition: FAFSA: The How-To Guide for High School Students

Our colleagues at the Center for New York City Affairs have published the fall 2020 edition of our popular guide for high school students who are applying to college and beginning their all-important quest for financial aid: FAFSA: The How-To Guide for High School Students (And the Adults Who...

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Best middle school bets: Boroughwide options in Brooklyn

A previous version of this story ran in October 2019. It has been updated with new information for October 2020. While the Department of Education has yet to finalize policies for the Fall 2020 admissions cycle, schools that typically screen for academic performance may have different admissions...

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Bronx middle school best bets

A previous version of this story ran in October 2019. It has been updated with new information for October 2020. While the Department of Education has yet to finalize policies for the Fall 2020 admissions cycle, schools that typically screen for academic performance may have different admissions...

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Best middle school bets: Boroughwide options in Manhattan

A previous version of this story ran in October 2019. It has been updated with new information for October 2020. While the Department of Education has yet to finalize policies for the Fall 2020 admissions cycle, schools that typically screen for academic performance may have different admissions...

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Best middle school bets: Borough-wide options in Queens

A previous version of this story ran in October 2019. It has been updated with new information for October 2020. While the Department of Education has yet to finalize policies for the Fall 2020 admissions cycle, schools that typically screen for academic performance may have different admissions...

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Putting Out The Dumpster Fire Of New York’s School Reopening

This article originally appeared in Urban Matters, a publication by our colleagues at the Center for New York City Affairs at The New School. There can no longer be any doubt that New York City’s plan for reopening schools is falling apart. By insisting that school buildings be opened for...

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New Online Class: How to Support Online Learning at Home

We're thrilled to launch How to Support Online Learning at Home, a free online class for NYC families available on our new community platform, InsideSchools+. It was designed by InsideSchools editor in chief Dr. Tom Liam Lynch, a former education technology professor and parent of a soon-to-be...

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Introducing InsideSchools+

Now more than ever, we need each other. That’s why we at InsideSchools have spent the summer creating a new space to support NYC families in what promises to be an unusual year. It’s called InsideSchools+. We created it because we know NYC families need a lot of support this year. And our team...

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