Over the past two weeks I have been struck by the overwhelming response to Insideschools' poston 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...
In a lively kickoff meeting last week, District 3 parents, Department of Education officials, and others met to see how to help their schools go green. The DOE announced a commitment to cutting schools’ carbon footprints in April when it joined the Green Schools Alliance. Since public schools...
Summer break is hardly a vacation for more than 90 schools across the city that will be moving into new locations for the new school year. For some, moving means a home in a brand-new building, while for others, it is a less-than-welcome change. Many of the moves involve charter schools which...
In our last poll, we asked you to tell us what you think about your school's physical education program. Almost a third of respondents told us it was great, but nearly 50 percent think there's room for improvement. In her introductory post, our new blogger Bronx Mom said that the lack of...
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,...
Word comes from Joyce Szuflita of NYCSchoolHelpthat an interim acting principal was named at PS 20 in Fort Greene. The new principal, Lena Barbera, comes from a popular Boerum Hill school, PS 261, where she has been on staff since 1996, most recently as assistant principal. Check out the PS 261...
In an editorial in today's [Daily News](http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/07/29/2009-07-29itstheuftvscityparents.html?page=1), 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...
Dear Judy, We just moved to New York City this summer. Do you have any ideas for free summer activities? New to NYC Judy answers: Dear New to NYC, Welcome to summer in New York City! Lots of families may be at loose ends now that summer school is ending and early camp sessions are over. A...
This summer, my daughters and I are getting our hands dirty, thanks to their schools and our city. We may live in an asphalt-dominated landscape, but with minimal effort we have found green spaces where we can practice the good, old-fashioned art of gardening. My 4-year-old's school, PS 29,...
A group of Upper West Side parents, elected officials and other concerned citizens has beenmeeting this summer to plan a new, academically challenging high school focused on journalism and writing to open with a 9th grade class in fall, 2010, in the Brandeis High School building on West 84th...
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...
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...
In the news this past week come reports that some low-performing students, as well as students with special needs, are being pushed out of charter schools and enrolling in their neighborhood zoned schools, echoing what we reported in May (See: "Most vulnerable students shut out of charter...
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...
In our last poll, we wanted to know if you supported the City Council's resolution to add Id al-Fitr and Id al-Adha to the public school holiday calendar. Thanks for your comments! Should your child need to miss school for a holiday, make sure to request, in writing, that your child be excused...
Q: I am on Facebook a lot with my friends, just to, like, stay in touch, share photos, nothing serious. Sometimes we use four-letter words in our conversation, it doesn't really mean anything. My mom saw my page and really got on my case for this. She says college admissions people read...
Claiborne Williams Milde is the parent of a kindergartner at PS 29 and a three-year-old preschooler. She lives in Brooklyn and is a freelance writer and cook. We're pleased to welcome her regular contributions to The InsideSCOOP. On a gray day this June, my daughter—I’ll call her Night Owl—stood...
The Daily News reported yesterdaythat five of the city's schools that posted the lowest scores on state math exams this year had been opened to replace failing schools closed by the Department of Education for poor performance. Additionally, the News reported, some of the schools slated for...
Looking for a slot in a public pre-Kindergarten program for September? The second round of admissions will begin on Monday, July 13, according to the Department of Education. To be eligible, children must turn four years old by Dec. 31, 2009. A directory of schools with open seats will be...
Yesterday in Harlem, parents, students, and staff of PS 123 protested the move of Harlem Success Academy II into their school building. They contend that the charter school will prevent their traditional neighborhood school from expanding in the future. (See NY1 footage of the rally...
Families of soon-to-be kindergartners or 1st-graders who are new to the city may request an application to test for gifted and talented programs. Applications are due July 16. Contact your local placement office for an application. The Department of Education will not guarantee placement -- even...
Parents of 2nd and 3rd-graders waiting to find out their gifted and talented program placement should be on the lookout! A Department of Education official confirmed that the letters were sent out last Thursday - a day earlier than expected! Remember: you must accept your placement offer by...
Today the The New York Post reports that state Democrats in Albany are ready to pass legislation extending mayoral control of New York City public schools, but The New York Timesreports that the bill passed by the Assembly will not sail through the Senate. Meanwhile, here in Manhattan, parents...
The Department of Education announced the launch of the Big Apple Games, a free summer recreational program that runs through August 16. There is no registration deadline for the six-week program, which offers children between the ages of eight and 19 a chance to participate in a range of...
As the end of the school year marked the exit of several top special education officials at the DOE, we wondered when departing Garth Harries, senior coordinator for special education, would issue his recommendationsto improve special education services. Today, Harries met with the Arise...
Just a few short months ago, I blogged that I would sell a major organ to see Brooks eat a vegetable. This week at dinner, my son turned to me and very matter-of-factly asked: "Can I have more broccoli, please?" My husband and I shot each other that incredulous look that autism parents treasure,...
In early June, Insideschoolsand GothamSchools, among other outlets, reported the nomination of Garth Harries as Assistant Superintendent of New Haven, CT, schools. Harries built a tough reputation as a "systems guy," according to Department of Education spokesperson David Cantor, as portfolio...
This morning at 11 am, a coalition of students, civic leaders and advocacy groups plan to release a 'white paper' and report card on the incidence of bullying and bias-based harassment in the city's schools. Student leaders from the Sikh Coalitionand other organizations will speak, as will...
Dear Judy, My son is entering 7th grade this fall. Should I be thinking about high school admissions already? What can I do to get prepared? - Thinking Ahead Mom Judy answers: Dear Thinking Mom, It's never too soon for a middle school family to start thinking about high school. There are new...
Q: My son is finishing his junior year, and so far he has not done that well in high school -- his average is not quite an 80. He wants to study pharmacy. I don't want him to go to a community college -- I prefer that he attend a college with dorms so that he has the full campus experience. Where...
Principal Brian Culot of the Anderson School, one of Manhattan's three citywide gifted and talented schools, has announced his resignation as principal, effective this August. In a letter to the Anderson community, Culot explained that he's taken a position closer to his home, to permit him to...
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'swebsite; the same number rely on friends, neighbors, teachers, and other...
As readers who've contributed to our comments can attest, myriad questions persist regarding gifted and talented program placement for rising kindergarten and 1st grade students. This is the second year the Department of Education has administered the process, which had previously been managed by...
Standardized testing in English Language Arts and Math took place this year in Januaryand March, respectively, but the testing calendar is set to change next year, when both tests will be offered in May, according to information sent to school principals by the Department of Education. According...
United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten will be leaving the NYC-based teachers union, as has been widely rumored and reported, to focus on her duties as president of the national union, the American Federation of Teachers, a post she's held since last July. UFT VP Michael...
It's the last week of school, but the questions and concerns swirling around gifted and talented program placements continue, as the hundreds of comments responding to the previous G&T postattest. In hopes of getting answers to some of the questions that have been raised, we'd like to hear...
The high school graduation rate for New York State schools will be released at noon today in Albany, as part of a discussion with the state's Board of Regents. As the mayoral control law sunsets (potentially) in eight days, and as Albany's various Neros continue to fiddle away, the city's...
When I heard the disturbing news yesterday that a teacher's aide at Brooks's school had been arrested for child molestation, my neurotic parental instincts kicked in: how did anyone ever talk me into letting my innocent son venture out into this dangerous world? But since I also understand that...
At a recent middle school event, some of the newly tall eighth-graders looked down at their parents. Many had caught up with the girls who once towered above them. I saw facial hair and giant sneakers. I glanced over at the incoming fifth-graders attending the event and wondered what these...
One of the three new citywide gifted and talented programs, slated to open this September at PS 20 in Brooklyn, has been canceled, according to Department of Education spokesperson Andy Jacob. PS 20's former principal, Sean Keaton, was arrestedin May for allegedly attacking a teacher. It's not...
In New York City where about half of the high school students don't graduate in four years, transfer schools, which offer smaller class size, and programs tailored to individual students' needs, are an increasingly important option for students who haven't been successful at a traditional high...
Q: Is the Advanced Regents Diploma necessary for getting into SUNY colleges? While our daughter passed most of her Regents exams, she failed one of them, a math test; she can re-take it, but is nervous that she’ll fail it again. And without this exam, she won’t be able to obtain an Advanced...
Last week, both the Postand NY1 highlighted schools' lack of compliance with regulations that limit the amount of junk foodavailable in public schools: Two-thirds of the schools audited by State Comptroller Thomas diNapoli's office sold sugary and salty, nutritionally vapid snacks, most often in...
Students who are English Language Learners are not well-served in the city's new, small high schools, according to a report released today by Advocates for Childrenand the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. When Mayor Bloomberg took office in 2002, 28.5 percent of students learning...
In Albany, the State Assembly's Education Committee has passed a revised version of mayoral control which may be voted on by the entire Assembly as early as tomorrow. Over at the Senate, Hiram Montserrate, the indicted former City Council member who last week defected to the Albany Republicans,...
Last week, we confirmedwith Department of Education representatives that kindergarten and 1st grade gifted and talented placement letters would go out starting today. Now, the DOE website says letters will go out starting June 19th, this Friday -- which leaves exactly one week until the deadline...
It's mid-June, and the gifted and talented universe is buzzing: Not only are kindergarten and 1st grade placements anticipated early next week, the Department of Educationis accepting applications for 4th and 5th grade seats in citywide and district G&Tprograms; the deadline for submission,...
The Department of Educationannounced today the soon-to-be-official appointment of Garth Harries as assistant superintendent of schools in New Haven, CT. Harries had previously served as CEO of the Portfolio office at the DOE, where he supervised the wholesale closure of dozens of schools and the...
Our colleagues at GothamSchools have a nifty new feature built to assess the impact of the coming budget cuts: If you know what's on the chopping block at your child's school, chime in and help paint an e-portrait of what 5 percent cuts look and feel like across the city.
Last year, the Department of Education's new middle school choice and matching process left too many special needs children who were in CTT (collaborative team teaching) classes out in the cold, particularly in "choice" districts where there aren't zoned schools and students take tests or...
This is a picture of me, Brooks, and his kindergarten teacher. It was taken last August, when she came to my home to meet Brooks and get a sense of how she could help him overcome his challenges and ignite his love of learning. She sketched out a road map that day, one that would enable her to...
