An angry crowd of parents, kids, and elected officials gathered outside City Hall yesterday to protest Chancellor’s Regulation A-812, which bars the sale of home-baked goods at school fundraisers, while sanctioning the sale of foods such as Baked Doritos.

The protest drew more than 100 parents and kids. Some decried the hypocrisy of banning the tradition of selling home-baked goods — all in the name of wellness — while approving the sale of processed foods.

“There are so many things they can do before they get into the bake sales, which has been the parents’ territory for generations, ” said Brooklyn New School parent Larissa Phillips who came to the protest with her daughter. “When they sell Snapple to make money it’s OK , but when we try to sell some baked goods, it’s unhealthy and not OK — that’s a double standard.”

Others who joined the protest, like Public Advocate Bill De Blasio, bristled at the lack of common sense shown in the matter. He echoed the frustration expressed by many protesters in the crowd. “You can’t make a school better without involving parents to the fullest, and right now, this decision, like so many others, was made with only the most superficial effort to engage parents. ”

The Bake-In drew a lot of news coverage. Gothamschools features commentary from Bake-In organizers Elizabeth Puccini and Anisa Romero, and NY-1 was there too.

Since this was a parent-led event, we’ll let a mom have the last word. Check out what the co-president of the NEST+M PTA, Susan Townes-West had to say:

NYC Green Schools, a parent clearing house on school food and environmental issues, is holding a rally on March 18 from 4-6 p.m. at City Hall, to protest Chancellor’s Regulation A-812.

The regulation sets out policy for when parents can hold bake sales and what foods can be sold by parents and students to raise money in city schools. It is an issue that continues to engage parents’ attention, not only because the regulation limits fundraising opportunities, but also because what kids should eat in school and out is a hot topic these days. See our Cupcake Comeback post and the many comments it drew.

In their press release, rally organizers say that, “the regulation prohibits home-baked foods from being sold at school fundraisers, while permitting Doritos and Pop-Tarts instead! ” [sic]. These foods are among the approved, pre-packaged foods that the DOE permits. (more…)

In last week’s poll, we asked how the kindergarten admissions process was treating you. Only eight percent of parents are “all set,” while 54 percent share some level of concern. See our recent blog post on the admission process for more information. This week we’d like to know if you’ll be taking part in the school environment survey.

Have you gotten that electric green envelope? The fourth annual NYC School Survey is out, and it can also be filled in online (you’ll need the eight digit code that appears on the bottom right hand corner of your paper survey). This year, all teachers citywide, as well as 6th through 12th grade students at 364 schools, will fill out the survey online, skipping the paper version entirely. The deadline is April 23.

The parent survey responses, along with teacher and 6th-12th grade student surveys responses, count toward 15% of the schools’ grades on the Progress Reports (student performance counts for 25%, and student progress makes up 60% of the total score).

The Learning Environment Surveys are also promoted as a way to provide valuable information to administrators and School Leadership Teams, pointing up places where improvements may be needed in areas such as academic expectations, communication, engagement, safety, and respect.

Among the changes in this year’s survey, the Chancellor’s office informed principals, are an “increased focus on how well schools create opportunities for teacher collaboration, and how well schools prepare students for ‘postsecondary success’.”

There’s also a new advertising campaign — complete with bus shelter posters and Internet ads and radio spots — encouraging participation.

In past years, the survey process and the Progress Reports have aroused some skepticism, and the increased pace in school closings has tensions running high in many buildings. How do you feel about the survey? Will you participate? Has your school encouraged you to fill it out, and if so, have you felt pressured to rate your school favorably? Please take our poll at left, and share your comments below.

Parents who want to serve on the Citywide Council on Special Education (CCSE), or the new Citywide Council on English Language Learners (CCELL) now have until March 19 to nominate themselves. The original due date was March 12.

Applications are available online at powertotheparents.org. Paper applications are available through the Office for Family Engagement and Advocacy, or call 212-374-4118.

There is no change in the dates for the citywide “advisory vote ” by parents on April 26-30 and the actual selection by PA and PTA officers on May 11-12 . Successful candidates will be announced May 31.

The special ed council is being reconstituted to bring it in line with the August 2009 amendments to State education law. Now, CCSE members must include parents or guardians of all students with individualized education programs (IEPs), not just parents of District 75 students. The CCELL is a new council established under the August law. Candidates must be parents of students in programs for English Language Learners.

Got time for a protest today? Join The Alliance for Quality Education, and other other community and education groups, at one of 18 protests against statewide education budget cuts. There’s at least one protest in every borough, starting at 12:30 p.m.

Below is the press release from AQE with the details:

What: Parents, students, educators and community members will hold 18 press conferences, town hall meetings and protests across New York State on Thursday, March 4, to oppose Governor Paterson’s proposed $1.4 billion cut to state education funding. In New York City, nine events will be held throughout the day to oppose the governor’s proposal to cut $466 million in state school aid. Events will take place in all five boroughs.

Who: Alliance For Quality Education, Campaign For Fiscal Equity, NYC Coalition For Educational Justice, Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, Education Voters Of NY, Make The Road NY, NY Communities for Change, United Federation Of Teachers and more.

When: All events will take place on Thursday, March 4^th. See exact details below.

Visuals: Parents, teachers, elected officials.

Where: Various events across the city (listed below)

MANHATTAN

Murry Bergtraum High School Press Conference, 411 Pearl Street; 12:30pm

Speakers at Murry Bergtraum High School Press Conference:

• Zakiyah Ansari, Alliance for Quality Education/ NYC Coalition for Educational Justice
• Michael Mulgrew, United Federation of Teachers, President
• Geri Palast, Campaign For Fiscal Equity, Executive Director
• John Elfrant, Murry Bergtraum High School, Chapter Leader
• Ernest Logan, Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, President
• Glynda Carr, Education Voters of NY, Executive Director

Additional Events occurring in all five boroughs are listed below:

MANHATTAN

MS 54 Booker T. Washington School Press Conference, 103 West 107th Street, 3pm

BRONX

PS 11 Town Hall Meeting, 1257 Ogden Avenue; 5:30pm-8pm

BROOKLYN

IS 318 Eugenio Maria De Hostos Press Conference 101 Walton Street 3pm

PS 13 Roberto Clemente Press Conference, 557 Pennsylvania Ave. 12noon

IS 171 Abraham Lincoln Town Hall Meeting, 528 Ridgewood Ave. 6pm-8pm

QUEENS

IS 125 Thomas J McCann Press Conference, 46-02 47th Ave, Woodside, 3pm

Make the Road Press Conference, 92-10 Roosevelt Avenue, Elmhurst, 11am

STATEN ISLAND

PS 45R Press Conference, 58 Lawrence Ave., 2:30pm

The Department of Education is launching elections for a new citywide council composed of parents of students who are learning to speak English — known in DOE parlance as “English language learners” or ELLs. This is in addition to the already existent citywide council for special education parents, citywide council for high school parents, and community education councils in the 32 school districts.

Parents may nominate themselves for election at www.powertotheparents.org (deadline March 12). From April 12- 26, borough-wide forums will introduce the candidates. Parents of kids in ESL or bilingual education will be able to weigh in on an “advisory” vote between April 26-30. The official selectors - elected PA and PTA representatives - will vote May 11-12. All voting is online; results will be announced on May 31.

The establishment of a Citywide Education Council for English Language Learners is required by amendments to the state education law passed in August 2009. Advocates for Children has expressed concerns about voter eligibility, barriers for parents without online access, and council member training.

Parent participation is another concern. In June 2009, we reported that only 1,190 PTA officers out of an estimated 4,500 potential voters cast ballots in the Community Education Council elections. [CEC elections take place every two years. The next election is slated for May 2011.] A New York City PTA president commented that she did not vote because there were fewer candidates than seats. “Everyone was a shoe-in,” she wrote.

A new selection is also taking place in May to bring the Citywide Council on Special Education in line with the amended law. Now, CCSE members must include parents or guardians of all students with individualized education programs (IEPs), not just parents of District 75 students.

Parents or guardians who need paper applications, should contact the Office of Family Engagement and Advocacy at 212-374-4118 or e-mail ofea@schools.nyc.gov.

We’d like to know: Do you attend your district or citywide CEC meetings? If so, do parents actively participate? What can the city do to improve parent participation from ELL families?

Project Cicero launched its tenth annual book drive to help stock under-resourced public schools, community centers, and homeless shelters throughout the city. According to its website, over the past nine years Project Cicero has placed 1.3 million books in 7500 classrooms and libraries, reaching 300,000 students.

Through March 4, 2010, participating public, independent, and parochial schools will be collecting new and gently-used children’s and young adult books. For information on how to organize a book drive or to donate new books from Project Cicero’s Wish List on Amazon.com check out their website or email info@projectcicero.org.

Dear Judy,

The December holidays are approaching, and I am wondering how to broach the topic of other religious celebrations to our son. He has already come home from school talking excitedly about an upcoming Kwanzaa parade and chatting away about Santa Claus. While I think it’s great that my young son is being exposed to other cultures in his public school, how can I be sure that the school will know where to draw the line? What are the guidelines about holiday celebrations in school? In this day and age, where it seems Christmas is everywhere, how can I make sure to help him distinguish between our family’s traditions and those that others celebrate?

Thanks very much,
Menorah mom

Dear MM,

For years, parents in a multi-cultural city like NYC have been facing the “December Dilemma”—the desire to maintain personal practices and traditions in a context of competing holidays and symbols. New York City families celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Eid al-Adha (which sometimes falls in December), the winter solstice, Kwanzaa and more. And some do not recognize any religion.

Of course, parents have the responsibility of teaching their own beliefs and principles to their kids but schools have long been the locus of this dilemma, because that is where kids encounter competing cultures. The subject has been deliberated in lower courts across the land, yet there is no definitive Supreme Court ruling. However there are guidelines, weighing in on the side of keeping in-school holiday celebrations secular, and inclusive. You can find a summary of guidelines and court opinions about appropriate practice, endorsed by 17 educational and religious organizations, at First Amendment Center.

More to the point of your own concerns, a recent “reminder” (below) to principals from the Department of Education, does set boundaries on holiday displays and appropriate celebrations. The key is to help your school maintain an atmosphere of mutual understanding and respect for the diversity of the city, even if your own school does not have a widely diverse student body.

• The display of holiday symbol decorations with secular dimensions is permitted. Displays that depict images of deities, other religious figures, or religious texts are prohibited. Permitted symbols include, but are not limited to, Christmas trees, kinaras, dreidels, Menorahs, and the Star and Crescent.
• Holiday displays must not appear to promote or celebrate any single religion or holiday. Therefore, any permitted symbol or decoration must be displayed simultaneously with other symbols or decorations reflecting different beliefs or customs.
• All holiday displays should be temporary in nature.
• The primary purpose of all displays should be to promote the goal of fostering understanding and respect for the rights of all individuals regarding their beliefs, values, and customs.

Judy

P.S.  Also puzzled about holiday gift giving to teachers?  Check out an Ask Judy on that subject.

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

In our November poll, we asked how you felt about your parent/teacher conferences. Of the nearly  550 responses, 41% said, “Great! I really had the sense that the teacher ‘gets’ my child.” That’s encouraging! Twenty-one percent said it was “Just OK.”

Fourteen percent said it was “Awful,”  and 12% were “Frustrated” because it was short and uninformative. Nine percent did not attend.

Middle and high school parents seemed the most disgruntled, perhaps because their time with the teacher typically lasts only three minutes and waits can be long. One parent was so discouraged that she said she may skip it next time.

Post a comment to let us know how your parent-teacher conference went!

Lower East Side parents are up-in-arms about the proposed expansion of the Girls Preparatory Charter School. The school is requesting more space to house a growing middle school population — 50 5th-graders were turned away last year due to lack of space. Neighborhood parents worry that an expansion will exacerbate overcrowding issues in District 1, where many schools currently share buildings.

Last Wednesday, parents, students, and educators packed into PS 20 to discuss the Department of Education’s plans for expanding Girls Prep, as reported by the new Manhattan local news site, dnainfo.com “You see how crowded and hot it is in here?” Marilyn Roberts, a PS 20 parent asked at the meeting of the district’s Community Education Council. “That’s how our children are going to feel. [Expansion] is a short term solution and a long term disaster.”

Girls Prep shares space with PS 188 and PS 94, a special education school for autistic kids. Expanding the school would affect other schools in the district as well, parents say. (more…)

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the middle school fairs. Several open houses and tours later, my family is taking on the seemingly impossible task of ranking schools. Schools that I thought would be among “our” first choices are now somewhat less impressive when viewed up close.

Although my son continues to grumble, he is learning what is important to him in a school and recognizing the signs of a potential “home.”  “J” is mainly concerned with technology and the arts. He prefers a 6-12 school so that he doesn’t have to go through this process again (until college, that is).  I am largely concerned with whether the students’ voices are heard and their input valued. A lack of student voice is the number one complaint amongst the kids that I work with.

Given your thoughtful questions and comments, I thought an update might be useful. Sonia wondered how to find unzoned schools, “Bronx Dad” asked about District 10 schools, and  “District 13 parent” lamented the lack of both true diversity and high quality citywide schools. (more…)

The Child Nutrition Act is up for reauthorization. All of the Untied States Department of Agriculture nutrition programs that fall under this legislation, including School Breakfast and School Lunch Programs, are scheduled to be updated in Congress; the last time was in 2004. This is a chance to make sure no children go hungry, but also the potential to change-and improve-what they are served in their school cafeterias.

Last week, the USDA reported that “food insecurity” rose last year-that is, more families were unable to consistently put food on the table (14.6% of families were food insecure in 2008, up from 11.1% in 2007). As a consequence, more children are going to school undernourished, so their cafeterias are often the best source of a complete meal.

In NYC, recession-related food insecurity may be compounded by the high cost of living. Yet, because of bureaucracy, many kids who should be eligible for free meals are not getting them. At the same time, 1 in 5 kindergarten students in NYC is obese, and Type 2 diabetes is at an all-time high. (more…)

In our last poll, we asked how you felt about the future of our public schools in the wake of  Mayor Bloomberg’s reelection. It turns out that many of you – 32% — are angry: you feel our kids were pawns in a costly campaign and wish the money had gone to schools instead.

Fifteen percent have confidence that the mayor  has done a lot to make the schools better and that he can keep up the momentum. Fifteen percent are determined to get our kids the best education possible regardless of who’s in charge, and 18% are worried things will get worse. Only 10% said they were optimistic that the schools will improve, and just 7% were disappointed that Thompson didn’t win.

This week, we’d like to know how your parent-teacher conferences went. Vote now! You’ll find this week’s poll near the upper left hand side of this page, and you can share your comments here.

A notice went out in the Principal’s Weekly last week inviting schools from all over the city to participate in the Green Cup Challenge, a national student-driven energy challenge. Please talk to your principal or interested teachers if you think they might enjoy having an energy scavenger hunt for four weeks in January with the goal of reducing the school’s electricity use.

The Challenge also encourages students to submit a video. Take a look at last year’s winning video here. Some suggested activities during the Green Cup Challenge month include having a waste-free day in the cafeteria, enforcing a school lights-off-at-night and turn-off-the-computer-after-hours policy, hosting an assembly about climate change, showing a documentary such as The Story of Stuff, or inviting a speaker.

Speaker, book, and film ideas are posted at EducatingTomorrow.org, the UFT’s (Teacher’s Union) green committee site. This is the first year that NYC public schools can participate in the Green Cup Challenge and the more schools that participate, the more fun the competition will be.

Interested schools can register online. An introductory meeting and training for interested schools will be held on Dec. 8 from 9-11 am at the Urban Academy School for Green Careers on West 84th Street in Manhattan. For more information or questions about signing your school up to participate in the green Cup Challenge contact Ozgem Ornektekin.

Last year 120 schools nationwide participated in the Green Cup Challenge and collectively reduced their carbon emissions by 2.5 million pounds, the equivalent of taking 220 cars off the road for a whole year. New York City schools can make a difference!

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.

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?

Marriage is hard. I don’t know of any husband or wife who hasn’t, at some point or another, experienced this lifetime commitment as tiresome, uninteresting, and relentless. Even when you love your husband and he loves you and your relationship has already earned the depth of decades. And even without an autistic child thrown into the mix.

Raising an autistic child apparently increases divorce rates to 80%, although I have not been able to find a reliable source for this oft-quoted statistic. I’ve seen some of these marriage breakdowns first-hand, and I find them especially sad.

I am hardly cocky enough to claim that I know the secret to staying married, but since my husband and I both celebrated our birthdays recently, I have been thinking a lot about what keeps us together. And perhaps, more importantly, what fails to drive us apart. (more…)

Dear Judy: 

 My daughter just started kindergarten in a public school with a very big school yard.  Her schedule is robust with no play and all academics, mostly spent in a very warm classroom.  At lunchtime, the kindergartners stay in the cafeteria watching the others play and then are lined up outside in the yard for the last five minutes (again watching the other kids play) until their teachers come to get them so they can begin the next three hours in the warm classroom.

I have spoken to the teachers, the parent  coordinator, and the principal about the “why” behind this physically unhealthy and “mean” policy.  No straight answers yet, I’m still hoping.

Am I allowed to get my child during the lunch hour and bring her back to school after lunch? When I was a kid this was allowed. I want my young child to have some physical activity during the school day.

 Kindergarten parent

Dear Kindergarten parent,

Lunch in or out?  There is no city regulation governing this question; it is the school principal who determines the policy at each school. However a principal can’t keep individual parents from taking their child out to lunch.

For years and years many children went home for lunch, escorted by their mothers. That was in the “olden days” when women did not work and kids walked back and forth from school. Today it is rare, but not unheard of. There are logistics to work out:  You will have to sign your daughter in and out of school every lunchtime.  You and the school will have to decide where you will pick her up, what happens if you are late, who will  be responsible for her until you show up, and how will you inform the staff of exceptions. Besides adding a layer of supervision, these are understandable concerns for the safety of your daughter. You must work out suitable procedures with the principal and stick to them. (more…)

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

Every time I arrive at an overcrowded school corridor to sign up for a three-minute parent teacher conference, I have the same thought: There must be a better way.

There are too many names on the sign-up list. The parents are anxious and antsy. It’s always too hot and crowded, and I immediately start feeling sorry for the teachers, besieged by questions.

With one child in middle school and another in high school, I am officially a veteran of New York City public school parent teacher conferences. I’ve developed a few survival strategies.

If possible, I take a personal or vacation day and attend the afternoon session in an effort to avoid ridiculous evening lines.Even so, I can’t beat the system.

(more…)

Last night, I read my daughters Bread and Jam for Frances. My favorite part is the end, when Frances relishes every bite of her sophisticated boxed lunch (Lobster salad! Cream of tomato soup!) and “makes it all come out even.” Alas, in my house, a steady diet of peanut butter and jelly has done nothing to make picky Night Owl beg for something new. Cafeteria lunch? Forget it! We’ve tried. Each time, she eschews the healthier options in favor of a white hamburger bun dipped in ketchup. I figure we’re better off packing lunch.

Volunteering in the lunchroom, I’ve seen an impressive variety of homemade offerings on display. There are Caribbean stews and colorful Chinese stir-fries. My friend Min, who is from Korea, makes her son freshly steamed rice, on which she arranges black beans into a letter of the day. All of these lunches look healthy and hearty, and the children devour them.

A recent New York Times article detailed the art of the bento box; some of their examples dazzlingly intricate. If I had hours to spend sculpting bunnies out of food and thought it would coax Night Owl to eat more, perhaps I would perfect this craft. And I do get the idea of the bento box: to juxtapose as many colors, textures and food groups as possible, for nutritional value and visual appeal. A friend of mine packs Laptop Lunches, westernized bento boxes she says force her to create a varied and balanced meal — and leftovers work just fine for filling the compartments. (more…)

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…)

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…)

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…)

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

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!

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…)

In July, we reported that, following a flood of parent complaints, the Department of Education would re-consider its ban on  parent-funded assistants in schools. According to The New York Times, the DOE has reached an agreement with the teachers’ union to allow the school aides to stay — at least for this upcoming year.

Principals will be permitted to hire aides with money raised by parents’ groups as long as those aides are included in the official school budget, which makes them eligible for union protection. The DOE and union officials hope to come to a long-term solution before the current agreement expires at the end of the school year.

Last week, we asked whether you are monitoring the number of hours your kids spend in front of the screen — especially as this intense heat and humidity could be keeping them indoors. Nearly half of you said you limit the number of hours of computer and TV use per day or week. About a quarter of you leave it up to your kids, and 17% of you said you don’t really have much control, but wish you did. Thanks for voting!

On Thursday, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum released a report that found a majority of public school principals surveyed by her office support the $81 million Achievement Reporting and Innovation System (ARIS), a computer system designed to boost achievement and accountability in classrooms. (more…)

A new study shows that increasing numbers of parents nationwide plan to volunteer at their children’s school this fall, citing the slow economy and budget cuts to schools as incentives. According to the study, by GreatSchools.net and the Harris Interactive research firm, nearly two-thirds of 1,086 parents polled feel it’s more important now than ever to volunteer at school.

The results show that 20% more parents plan to volunteer this year than did last year –  an anticipated jump from 23%  to 44%. The trend is “most pronounced” among African American parents; 60% said they planned to volunteer up from the 23% who volunteered last year. (more…)

Last week, we asked what you thought about programs that give students cash for good grades and test scores. Nearly  60% of you are opposed to the idea.

Some of you, however, did think pay-for-performance initiatives had merit. Ben said that he was open to programs that produce positive results. Michael suggested that students who need to work to help support their families be paid in advance, so that they  have more time to apply themselves academically.

Now that we’re in mid-August, we want to know to if you’ve been keeping tabs on how much your kids watch TV and surf the web. Vote now, and let us know more about your ‘house rules’!

Arts education has taken a backseat in New York City public schools for the past few years. With emphasis placed squarely on improving reading and math test scores, the arts are too often considered “extras.” According to the non-profit Center for Arts Education, the city’s public schools are not even meeting state requirements that mandate a certain percentage of instructional hours dedicated to the arts - as much as 20% of time in lower elementary grades and a paltry one semester for the entire four years of high school.

CAE has been lobbying for dedicated arts funding for the schools  and now it wants to enlist parent advocates. As part of a “Parent Fellows” program, 8-10 parent leaders citywide will be trained  in arts education advocacy tactics.  Tasks will include  visiting schools and reaching out to parents  to increase awareness of the benefits of arts education.  Parent Fellows will be paid a monthly stipend, as yet to be determined, and will be trained in leadership skills. (more…)

Over the past two weeks I have been struck by the overwhelming response to Insideschools’ post on banning parent-funded assistants from public schools. After reading through the numerous, impassioned comments, the old saying “crabs in a barrel” came to mind. It is a metaphor that I have heard commonly applied to African Americans over the years. It refers to the supposed tendency of one segment of the community to attempt to hold back another upward-bound individual or segment. The eventual result is that no one succeeds. It seems that once again parents are pitted against each other in a battle for the finest education.

One parent noted that the PTA-funded assistants have allowed some schools to continue to thrive where they may have otherwise faltered due to overcrowding. Another parent voiced concern that schools serving the working class are left out completely because they receive neither Title I funds, nor a wealth of money from parent donations. Still another parent commented that the average family in New York City cannot afford several hundred dollars in yearly school fees. (more…)

After a flood of parent complaints about the Department of Education’s crackdown on parent associations independently paying for teaching aides in crowded classrooms, the DOE is  reconsidering its decision and may allow the practice to go forward this year after all. The New York Times, Gothamschools, and the Daily News report that, yesterday, Chancellor Klein proposed an arrangement  in which the assistants would be called “substitute aides” and paid $12.30 per hour. He made his proposal at a meeting at Tweed with parents from a dozen Manhattan schools and City Councilmembers who put together the meeting.

The arrangement is subject to the approval of the District Council 37, the union representing non-instructional school staff. (more…)

In an editorial in today’s Daily News, Eva Moskowitz weighs in on the controversial  decision by the Department of Education to  clamp down on parent associations paying for non-union teaching aides in their children’s classrooms. Her take? Schools benefit from parent fund-raising that helps lower class size, especially in middle class schools which get less funding than those with a high percentage of low income students.  She posits, “The UFT doesn’t like it because these aspiring teachers aren’t union members.”

Commenters on Insideschools have been debating the merits of the practice, which according to the New York Times, only affects about 18 highly desirable city schools. Some argue that this is “another example of  Bloomberg steamrolling important parent input,”  that  will “drive more  middle class [families] out of the city. ” Others argue that, “It’s a public system and there should be a level playing field.” A few commenters suggest ways in which schools across the city can “pool fundraising.” Others note the role of the powerful teachers union, which filed a grievance last fall about the hiring practice. (more…)

A group of Upper West Side parents, elected officials and other concerned citizens has been meeting this summer to plan a new, academically challenging high school focused on journalism and writing to open with a 9^th grade class in fall, 2010, in the Brandeis High School building on West 84^th Street. The group, organized by City Councilwoman Gale Brewer, hopes the school will be named in honor of Frank McCourt, a former Stuyvesant High School teacher and author of the bestseller Angela’s Ashes ,who died on Sunday.

The school is still in the planning stages, but the parents, led by Tom Allon, publisher of the West Side Spirit who taught with Frank McCourt at Stuyvesant, hope it will grow to serve between 800 to 1,000 students. That’s small enough to give students a sense of community, but large enough to offer art, drama, several foreign languages, Advanced Placement, special education and services for English Language Learners that are often missing at the new small schools that have been created in recent years. The Department of Education is interviewing prospective “project directors” for the school this summer. The “project director” will be hired part-time in the fall and, if the school is approved by the DOE, will likely be assigned as principal early in 2010. (more…)

I’ve never agreed with Schools Chancellor Joel Klein’s ban on cell phones in school. I understand that students shouldn’t text or chat in class. But as a New York City public school parent whose middle school kids ride the subway and get around to after-school activities on their own, I need to hear from them when they leave and arrive. I’ve longed for a compromise solution that allows phones to be stored and retrieved when the day is over.

Camp, however, is an entirely different story, as I’ve learned the hard way this summer. My older son’s camp had a policy that kids could have their cell phones in their cabins only, but I decided this would be a good time to take it one step further.
Why, I wondered, did he need to chat or text with friends back home or call his parents during a two-week music camp? It seemed the perfect time to unplug – no computer, television or addicting electronics of any kind. Until the calls started coming in. “Mom, everyone else has a cell phone here!” came the first urgent call. “I need my cell phone!” I heard the following night. “Send it now! Send me my cell phone!” (more…)

Donya Rhett, PhD, aka “Bronx Mom,” is a frequent commenter on The InsideSCOOP. A resident of Morris Heights, she is the parent of a 10-year-old son and an (almost) 5- year-old daughter who both attend Central Park East 1. She also surveys the New York City public school scene as a clinical psychologist working in a school-based health center at a Harlem middle/high school campus. We’re pleased to welcome her contributions to The InsideSCOOP.

“Bronx Mom” is a bit of a misnomer. Yes, I am a mom. Yes, we live in the Bronx. And yet, I often feel very disconnected from my Morris Heights neighborhood because my children have only attended Harlem schools.

I tried to make an “educational home” in the Bronx six years ago when I first began searching for kindergarten for my son. Sadly, there were few choices in my district (10) that were accessible to us and would also be a good fit for my bright, very active child. Given the beliefs of some that families should stick with their zoned school, I thought I might shed some light as to why I, self-titled Bronx Mom, crossed district lines in search of the best fit. (more…)

In April, our blogger Jennifer Freeman wrote about the potential for parent-funded teachers’ aides to be pushed out of our city’s overcrowded classrooms. That looming threat has now become a reality, The New York Times reported yesterday.

Parent associations at top schools have a long tradition of raising thousands of dollars to independently hire assistants to help teachers in the classroom, run enrichment programs, or manage students in the cafeteria and at recess. Sparked by a complaint from the teachers union, however, the Bloomberg administration has told principals to put an end to the practice. Any aides hired for the coming school year must be employees of the Department of Education whose salaries are included in the school’s official budget. (more…)

In last week’s poll we learned that people use both electronic and human resources to get insights into their schools and community. About a third of respondents to last week’s poll turn to the Department of Education’s website;  the same number  rely on friends, neighbors, teachers, and other school personnel. Internet resources like parent listservs and education-media sites serve about 10 percent and 16 percent of responders, respectively.

Today is report-card day at schools citywide — and it’s your turn to grade your child’s school experience this year. Better yet, ask your child!

Only 1,190 PTA officials out of an estimated 4,500 potential voters cast ballots this spring in the election for the 34 Community Education Councils, according to the Department of Education press office. Despite an extensive publicity campaign through the DOE’s Powertotheparents.org organizers and website, 18 councils will require another round of elections to break a tie or add an uncontested candidate. The district and citywide councils are considered to be the parent voice under mayoral control.

Only a school’s three PTA officials can vote for CEC candidates. During the first round of elections, PTA officials each had two votes to cast; during the second round, they will each have one vote.

Six CECs will hold an election for a candidate who received no votes during the first round of elections. “They were on the original ballot, but they just didn’t receive any votes,” said Nicole Duiginan, a DOE spokesperson. “[The chancellor’s regulation] requires an affirmative vote take place.” CECs must have at least six members to hold an official meeting, and several districts operated without a quorum for much of this school year. In the recent election, District 8 in the Bronx and District 16 in Brooklyn only elected five members, so they will each hold a second “election” to obtain one more member, chosen from the candidates who received no votes during the first round.
Eight CECs will have true tiebreakers, where several candidates all received the same number of votes. (more…)

Taking a page from the District 3 playbook, yesterday parent representatives of Manhattan’s District 2, joined by the United Federation of Teachers, filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education and schools Chancellor Joel Klein, charging violations of state law by DOE reconfiguration of neighborhood schools and programs without Community Education Council consultation or approval.

State education law mandates CEC participation in decisions that affect local schools. Yet “the DOE fails consistently to consult with the CEC,” according to the lawsuit’s lead plaintiff, District 2 CEC president Rebecca Daniels. “CEC members have an obligation to take action to right this wrong, to ensure that the voice of New York City public school parents is never silenced.”

The DOE backed down from the District 3 lawsuit in April, backpedaling on its plan to close traditional zoned public schools in Harlem and replace them with charters. The current suit lists a litany of DOE actions at elementary, middle, and high schools in the district; click here for more information.

How gerrymandered can an election get? Parents inquiring why the Community Education Council advisory vote results were not yet posted have discovered — once again — that the Department of Education has unilaterally decided to change the rules of CEC elections midstream.

Originally, the result of the parent advisory vote was to be posted publicly on the powertotheparents website in early May, according to that site’s home page. Instead, last week the DOE instructed the election vendor to withhold results of the parent advisory “straw poll” vote, which was intended to guide the real vote, until after the official selectors cast their votes, according to a Power to the Parents staffer.

The official CEC voting process is already convoluted: three PTA officials from each school each cast only two votes for candidates for the 12-member CECs. Deadlines for candidate sign-up, the straw poll, and the official voting have all been changed repeatedly this year at the DOE’s direction. In the latest change, the CEC voting deadline was extended to midnight tonight.

Still, I look forward to finding out who will be elected to my CEC for the coming two-year term. As the new mayoral control law is considered, it will be up to next year’s crew to promote parents’ voices in the system. Preventing the DOE from manipulating community elections is one of many reasons why parent advocates would like to see administration of the CECs be made independent from the DOE — perhaps placed under the Public Advocate’s office.

As part of the rewrite of mayoral control legislation, CEC3 supports a public November CEC election held alongside other public elections. The current system is devised, controlled, and constantly changed in a murky and undemocratic manner by DOE. “Power to the parents,” it’s not.

EDITOR’S UPDATE: Representatives of other CEC’s are also speaking out about issues surrounding the election. Here is a letter sent on May 19 from the District 31 CEC to Jacqui Lipson, the CEC administrative coordinator at the DOE, raising concerns similar to those Jennifer wrote about in this post:

(more…)

Last night, I was one of 50 parents of students with special needs at a meeting called by Garth Harries, the new Senior Coordinator for Special Education at the Department of Education. Held at PS 199 in Manhattan, the meeting was billed as an opportunity “to solicit informed and thoughtful input from parents as it relates to Special Education.”

The concerns voiced were not new: some untrained (and thus insensitive) paraprofessionals, untrained (and thus ineffective) general-ed teachers, CTT classes that are too large, under-served IEPs (Individualized Educational Plans), and schools misrepresenting parents’ rights, just to name a few. But there were also some bright spots: parents from the ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) Nest program (myself included) sung its praises and encouraged Harries to nurture and grow it, and a mom with a vision-challenged child reported her family’s very positive experience.

As was the case the last time I heard Mr. Harries speak, he began with a disclaimer: Although he has no background in special education, he is working very closely with those who do. No matter how many times he says this, it neither diminishes his insufficient qualifications nor inspires my confidence. He is the Senior Coordinator for Special Education, and he has no background in special education. His previous job at the DOE involved closing dozens of schools. The lack of logic here simply baffles me.

Even the way this meeting was arranged was unconventional: very short notice, with no public announcement, and the DOE reserved the right to handpick the participants. Regardless, many parents expressed their hopes that this was only the beginning of an open dialogue and wanted to know how and when and where it would continue.

To his credit, Mr. Harries did talk about the Arise Coalition and its recently published recommendations, and he also talked about the potential for good inclusion programs to help the general-ed population as much as the special-needs population. But for now, it is all just talk. Until Mr. Harries makes a systemic change that is directly responsible for helping an actual child, I remain skeptical.

Dear Readers,

Last week’s question concerned a student theft of another student’s property. Judging from the number of comments this column received, this question clearly struck a nerve with parents. Debate among readers ranged from blaming the incident on the student for bringing a forbidden cell phone to school, to the school’s not having the personnel to adjudicate incidents.

To be fair, it can take many hours of a teacher’s or guidance counselor’s time to resolve incidents like this, to the detriment of other work. And yes, cell phones are banned from school, although some schools turn a blind eye to the rule. But my bottom line is this: it is the schools’ responsibility to respond to parents’ concerns. Schools may not be technically guilty in cases of theft, but they are guilty of ignoring or dismissing parents’ and students’ problems. Schools should develop a specific routine and designate personnel to handle such incidents, the routine should be included in the safety plan, and the safety plan should be given out to all parents. The Parents Association must be part of the team that sets up the plan.

An even more important question not mentioned by commenters is, how can the school establish a climate that engenders respect for the school community and reduces student-to-student crime, bullying, and other discipline problems? My answer: spend a lot of time working toward that goal. Here are some ways to do that: (more…)

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

Morning and afternoon rallies will bracket lawmakers’ workdays this Wednesday, May 6, with the focus squarely on kindergarten admissions. This year public school kindergarten admissions feature wait lists, overcrowding, and increasingly high demand for seats in neighborhoods where parents are being turned away from — or asked to patiently wait for — their zoned schools.

Starting with a 9  a.m. march from Battery Park, leading to a public event in City Hall Park at 10:30, “thousands” of city parents, union members and plain citizens are expected to  join AFSCME (the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO) organizers to protest the Bloomberg budget proposal that cuts kindergarten from New York City-administered day care centers. The proposed closures would  effectively move 3,500 (or more) youngsters from city-run day care to public-school kindergarten classrooms (or wait lists). Event organizers say that at least three dozen City Council members will be present, as will Comptroller William Thompson, at least two borough presidents – Marty Markowitz of Brooklyn and Helen Marshall of Queens — and union leaders from New York and Washington, D.C.

That afternoon at 4 p.m., education advocates and parents will rally on the steps of City Hall to protest a “Kindergarten Krisis,” charging that more than 400 schoolchildren have “no school seats” for the fall term, particularly in neighborhoods like Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Tribeca, and Greenwich Village, where high demand has met with a limited supply of desirable kindergarten space. The problems are not unique to Manhattan: Brooklyn’s District 20 faces stiff challenges in its oversubscribed elementary and middle schools, and District 24 in Queens has already been busing young children, moving entire grades to schoolyard trailers, and making do with buildings that serve twice as many children than they were built to shelter.

Insideschools.org is surveying elementary-school principals to learn more about the kindergarten admissions process this year; feel free to comment below, especially if you know of a school or a district where the problems are particularly acute.

The hundreds of kindergarteners on waiting lists for schools all over the city are not the only sign of crowding in the schools, as many schools fear being forced to open extra classes in rooms that are now used for art and music. Rather than looking for the source of these failures in enrollment projections or capital planning, the Department of Education is going on the offensive against parents. In this case, their target is parents and parent associations who fund part-time arts, chess, and assistant teachers to make up for DOE shortfalls. The new DOE approach threatens to end services for hundreds if not thousands of children.

In a series of letters and school visits, the DOE has asserted that parents must hand their money over to DOE, subject to DOE rules about timing and amounts, before that money can be used to pay for part time aides and enrichment. A few years ago Klein abolished Project Arts, the program that used to reserve funds to ensure that all public school kids would receive music, dance, and visual arts. Now the DOE is trying to crack down on parents’ efforts to provide access to these fundamentals of a decent education. (more…)

After a stormy tenure as principal of MS 8, The New Preparatory Middle School, in Queens, and despite strong support from the Department of Education, Principal John Murphy stepped down yesterday, following more than a month of daily protests by parents and teachers and a hailstorm of negative press. In a formal statement, Chancellor Klein said “Principal Murphy has come to believe that his continued presence at MS 8 is distracting from the school’s learning environment and focus on student academic performance.”

Murphy has been charged by the school’s teachers with grade-fixing and tongue-lashings severe enough to send recipients to the hospital; political and civic leaders, from City Council members to the NAACP, as well as parents, have actively challenged his leadership. Assistant Principal Cheryl Spencer will lead the school until a formal appointment is announced.

Since today is Earth Day, it seems a good time to mention that all New York City public schools are now members of the Green Schools Alliance, a national organization helping schools to cut their carbon footprints.

Last Saturday, more than 650 students gathered at a conference at the Collegiate School to trade strategies (there will be another one in the fall). City Council member Gale Brewer, who attended, said of the conference “it was huge!”

John Shea, Executive Director of the DOE’s Division of School Facilities, is working on benchmarking energy use — basically, taking baseline measurements — at the city’s public schools. So far, over 850 schools have been benchmarked. Green Schools Alliance will post information online so communities can see how much energy their school uses, and everyone–students, parents, custodians, administrators–can work on saving energy for their school.

What can you do to help your school go green? Make sure your school is using recycled paper, recycling the paper it uses, turning off lights and computers when they are not needed, and reviewing its energy audit. Encourage teachers and administrators to communicate with parents by email and on school listservs to conserve resources. My kid’s school is looking into switching from Styrofoam lunch trays to corn-fiber-based trays and using biodegradable garbage bags, even though they cost a bit more. Ask your principal. Ask other parents. See if your building’s custodian might report to the PTA on the school’s energy audit, and what savings can be found in your building. Want more ideas? See the Green Schools Alliance website.

On this Earth Day, and every day, it’s good to remember that no matter what our educational struggles may be, we all have to live on the same planet.

Gotham Schools is reporting that embattled PS 20 principal Sean Keaton has asked for a meeting, via the Times’ local blog, to hear parent concerns about his administration, citing coverage on Insideschools.org and in the Brooklyn Paper.

Demand for the school, and for other nearby public schools, has risen as the Fort Greene-Clinton Hill neighborhood has experienced an influx of young families (read: outspoken parents). But another piece of the puzzle deserves a mention: One of the two new citywide gifted and talented programs the Department of Education plans to open in September will be sited at PS 20 and fall under Principal Keaton’s leadership come September.

No details yet about the time or the place of the proposed meeting.