Dear Judy, I was recently denied the right to observe my daughter in her public high school. I was not given a reason. I contacted the district and filed a complaint with the District Family Advocate. She told me that by rule of the Chancellor I would have to get permission from every parent of...
District 3 parents got official word late last week regarding the admissions policy for PS 452, slated to open in the PS 44building in September to alleviate overcrowding in a few Upper West Side schools. In a March 26 letter to the Community District Education Council, Elizabeth Rose of the...
The fight goes on. The MTA has decided to postpone its vote on the issue of student MetroCards, saving the final decision until June. During these next few months it is more important than ever that we make our voices heard and keep the pressure on! A few weeks ago, students from the Urban Youth...
The "angst-o-meter" we've been gauging in this week's poll spilled out onto the steps of Tweed Courthouse yesterday as parents and advocates gathered to voice their discontent with the recent actions of the Department of Education. Topics addressed at the "speakout" centered on the impact on our...
Because I was only working 20 hours a week last summer, I was able to patch together part-time child care and the ASD Nest half-day camp in July into a workable model. This year, with my husband and I both in full-time positions, we are joining the "summer camp challenged" ranks. The good news:...
Lower East Side parents from PS 188 and PS 94, a school for students with disabilities, with legal assistance from Advocates for Children of New York, filed a formal challenge to the New York State Education Commissioner charging that the Department of Education violated state law in approving...
April 7 Update: The Department of Education released an update on April 5 stating that all high school acceptance letters, including those involving schools slated for closure, have been mailed. If you have not received your letter, you may request a copy from your school's guidance counselor...
<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt; Normal 0 0 1 489 2791 23 5 3427 11.1287 &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt; 0 0 0 &lt;![endif]-->As each new technology bursts onto the scene, I am always among the last to jump on the bandwagon. Atari? I was the only kid in my class without...
Letters to some 80,000 8th-graders awaiting news of their high school acceptances will be sent out beginning today, according to Chancellor Klein. Apparently no students were matched to any of the 14 high schools slated for closure. Here's the statement by the chancellor: "Beginning tonight...
New York State Supreme Court Judge Joan B. Lobis ruled that the Department of Education (DOE) acted illegally in moving to close 19 schools, voted on at the January meeting of the Panel for Education Policy. Specifically, she held that the DOE failed to follow requirements in issuing Environment...
The Department of Education (DOE) officially added three more to the list of new schools opening in September, 2010. Two were approved this week by the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) at its March 24 meeting. The PEP approved the opening of PS 267 on Manhattan's Upper East Side. We reported...
Anybody interested in learning about how the parent councils are working --- or in some cases not working -- around the city should check out NY 1 education reporter Lindsey Christ'sseries on District 16 in Bedford Stuyvesant. The Community Education Councilin that district -- the smallest and...
UPDATE 3/24: Some 2,000 incoming kindergartners are on waitlists for public school next year. There are 112 schools with waitlists, some in every borough. The longest list belongs to PS 87, on the Upper West Side, with 125 students. Check out the list of schools on GothamSchools. On Monday,...
March 26 Update -- The earliest a school can set its application deadline is April 1. Many schools, because of next week's vacation, set a later deadline. These dates can be found in the DOE's Charter School Directory. March 23 -- In years past, students applying to charter schools were required...
Still looking for a new school for next September? You may want to consider one of the 17 elementary or middle schools that will be opening next fall. Most have been in the works for awhile, but a few are awaiting approval by thePanel for Education Policy (PEP) which is meeting tonight, March 23,...
Q: I've just been waitlisted by my first-choice college. Or, as they put it, they are "offering" me a "spot" on the waiting list. Does this really mean anything, or is it just another way of their saying "no"? A: Many students report that they would actually prefer to be told "no" straight out...
Update 3/30/10: Letters have been mailedto the homes of 70,000 applicants, rather than given out at school, as a result of the March 26 Supreme Court ruling in the case which had delayed their delivery. Ed note: There is no final word as to whether the high school acceptance letters, which were...
MTA's vote on student Metrocards has been postponed, causing considerable anxiety for public school students and families waiting to learn whether their free fare cards will stay, go away, or be provided at half-price. Currently, nearly 600,000 city students receive free...
When the Department of Education released its 2009 graduation statistics last week, headlines and press releases touted a record-breaking 63 percent graduation rate. However, they failed to address the fact that only one in four students with special needs graduates within four years. Local...
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...
As I type, concerned New Yorkers are protesting the impending "bake sale ban" outside City Hall. Parents, students and educators organized the "bake-in" to voice their discontent with the ban on selling home-baked goods in school fundraisers, while pre-packaged foods, such as Doritos and...
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...
After approving 19 school closures in January and 16 colocations in February, the Panel for Education Policy will vote on more than a dozen school utilization changes in March and April. Eleven co-locations plans and six school re-siting proposals, which would affect schools in three boroughs,...
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...
<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt; Normal 0 0 1 105 602 5 1 739 11.1287 &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt; 0 0 0 &lt;![endif]-->Last week, the New York Times reported on a bill just passed in the House of Representatives, to protect school children from certain forms of...
The first round of kindergarten applications for the 2010-2011 school year are due today, and already some schools have more applicants than seats available. However, new schools, and rezoning in some districts, may alleviate some of the overcrowding that caused 28 schools to turn 287...
How will the planned MTA cuts to student MetroCards affect education? That's the topic of a City Council hearing on Friday, March 13 beginning at 1 p.m. in Council Chambers. Insideschools student blogger Toni and the NYC Student Union have beenactively opposing the cuts; MTA hearings over the...
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...
All around the city, schools are embracing and thriving on green. Some are learning about climate change from teacher resources like Earth Day NY or Facing the Future. Others are building green roofs, using watt meters and composting food scraps. The Green Gremlinsof Grace Church school pairs...
Long-awaited "main round" high school acceptance letters to 8th graders MAY be delayed, according to a report in today's Daily News. The letters with high school matches,due to be delivered to students on March 24, are being held up by court order because of a lawsuit against the Department of...
Q: I will be applying to universities in the U.S. from France. My English is fluent and I lived in the U.S. as a child. My father is American, my mom is Colombian, and I have an American passport. We have been living in France for the past four years. Will this allow me to apply as an...
The 1,082 page, 20-year-old world history textbook sits on a desk next to the 1,114 page biology book. They weigh in at a good five pounds each. There’s no more room for them in the already overloaded backpack, stuffed with an equally weighty Spanish textbook, lunch (quite possibly including some...
The process of applying to kindergarten has changed over the years. For some, it's simple: go to your zoned school, bring the paperwork proving your child's age and place of residence, fill out some forms, and you're basically done. You'll be able to register without a problem in April. For...
This week New Yorkers gathered in each borough to protest MTA layoffs, budget cuts, and the cancellation of student MetroCards. The Insideschools staff was wrapping up its workday Thursday when chants of protest poured in through our 7th-story window. I grabbed my camera and bolted down the...
Mandy Hass is a parent at Lower Lab, as well as the director of marketing and business development for Insideschools.org. Last week's Village Voice cover story, Inside a Divided Upper East Side Public School: Whites in the front door, blacks in the back door, has succeeded in bringing two...
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...
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...
New York City students can now anonymously report threats or acts of violence at their schools by calling 866-SPEAK-UP. The toll-free hotline is operated by gun violence prevention group PAX, whose national service has received more than 35,000 calls since it was founded in 2002. City Council...
Dear Judy, My client wants to withdraw her child from kindergarten because of child care problems. Is this allowed? Social Worker Dear Social Worker, Withdrawing a child from kindergarten has no legal obstacles, but it does have other consequences for the child. It's hard to believe, but in...
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...
Two Brooklyn parents are joining forces with Advocates for Children (AFC) to challenge the extension of PAVE Academy Charter School's colocation with PS 15. Despite public protest, the Panel for Educational Policy approved the extension during its January 26 meeting. In response, AFC filed a...
The NY Post reports that 3,00 0 parents attended the third annual Harlem Education Fair, held Feb. 28 at the 369th Harlem Armory on 143rd Street. That's far short of the 10,000 parents event organizers predicted would turn out to learn about dozens of charter, parochial, private, and public...
<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt; Normal 0 0 1 189 1079 8 2 1325 11.1282 &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt; 0 0 0 &lt;![endif]-->Was your child born in 2005? 2006? If so, now is the time to register for a kindergarten or universal pre-kindergarten spot. If your child will be...
It's time for a new crop of 4-year-olds to begin applying to pre-kindergarten! The admissions process for the 2010/2011 school year begins Monday, March 1 with applications due by April 9. All children who turn four in 2010 are eligible for public pre-K, although they are not guaranteed a...
Parent-teacher conferences scheduled to take place today [Thursday, Feb. 25] at New York City intermediate and junior high schools will be rescheduled due to poor weather conditions, reports the NYC Department of Education in a press release. "While we continue to monitor the weather, all...
The Panel for Educational Policy approved 13 charter school colocation proposals at its monthly meeting, held Wednesday night at the Fashion Industries High School in Chelsea. New York City families packed the school's 1,300-seat auditorium, according to NY1. Charter school parents and...
In a surprising change of course, the Department of Education announced that it will cancel plans to move a charter school into a Bronx vocational high school. The DOE's decision comes after meetings with representatives from the construction industry, reports the The New York Times. The New...
In our last poll, we asked how you feel about your school's lunches. Fifty-eight percent of you said your school does NOT serve healthy lunches. Twenty-three percent said the food is healthy. Seventeen percent of you pack your own lunches, and said you're not sure. In the comments, more than a...
A few weeks back, Insideschools attended the yearly New High Schools Fair. We were lucky enough to speak with faculty and staff from each school about their hopes and plans for the 2010/2011 school year. We've condensed all of this information into fact-packed profiles that will help you...
There are many reasons why high school choice in New York City is so fraught and frightening for parents. In a city where parenting can resemble a competitive sport, important questions abound. But as our children age, we learn that these questions are only the beginning. Concerns from parents...
City Limits devotes its entire March issue toHarlem Children's Zone, featuring a comprehensive report by Helen Zelon, long-time contributor to Insideschools.org. The lead article, "Is the Promise Real," chronicles the history and status of the initiative, developed by charismatic leader Geoffrey...
