Dear Judy, Our neighborhood school (in Brooklyn) does not have outdoor recess time. The children never have a chance to play outside. Every day they must sit in the cafeteria for 50 minutes in...

Dear Judy, Our neighborhood school (P.S. 100K) does not have outdoor recess time. The children never have a chance to play outside. Every day they must sit in the cafeteria for 50 minutes in...

The Department of Education identified 20 elementary and middle schools as "struggling" and targeted for "early engagement conversations" the first step in a process that could result in their...

Whether you are starting high school as a 9th grader or as a senior, there are things you can do right now that will prepare you for college. Here are some quick tips that can help you without...

As the new school year begins, we are launching an all-new Insideschools website with dozens of new school reviews, slideshows and videos to help New York City parents navigate a complex school...

The first day of school can't come too soon for many New York City parents. Classes begin for most public school students on Sept. 8, which starts an 180-day school year, as mandated by the New...

Does your child need special education services? A new, free26-page step-by guide will help you get the help he or she needs to be successful in school. The guide, prepared for the advocacy group...

Parents who are dissatisfied with their child’s school placement for this year may have a shot at a charter school. Insideschools has found a handful of charters - most of them new ones -  that...

Newcomers to New York City, who are entering 9th or 10th grade in September, may register to take the summer exam for admission to one of the selective specialized high schools, and to audition for...

UPDATE June 28: As expected, all the co-location proposals were ratified by PEP last night, as was the move of Khalil Gibran school to a new location, as a high school. See coverage on...

If your older teen has not been successful in a traditional high school program this year, now is the time to be thinking about whether he should transfer to another school or program next...

Dear Judy, My son has been assigned to a high school he doesn't want to attend. How does the appeals process work? Queens  Mom Dear Queens Mom, While the initial high school placements are made...

Monday, April 25 update: We asked the DOE for a final count of applicants but it was not available yet, according to a spokesperson. They are waiting to count mail-in applications. Tonight at...

By now, you may have heard about the case of the missing PTA dollars at PS 29 (if you haven’t, you can read about it here and here). For a school that relies on parent fundraising to offset harsh...

I finally came up with solutions to New York’s vexing problems regarding school overcrowding, pitiful educational planning, charter school "co-location" and rampant growth in residential...

Joyous squeals mixed with heart-rending sobs March 31 as I fetched my daughter from kindergarten. Eighth-graders from a nearby middle school had just received letters informing them what New York...

Nearly 8,000 high school applicants were rejected at all the high schools they chose in the main round of acceptances this week. If you are one of them, don’t despair. Some good schools still have...

We have been visiting charter schools this spring and have posted 20 new profiles, just in time for the April 1 application deadline. In addition, we have posted nine previews of charter schools...

After dropping off my kindergartner one rainy morning, I found myself exiting the schoolyard behind a father who worked at one of those knuckle-busting jobs where a man gets intimately acquainted...

The other day, I was on the phone with my daughters’ pediatrician. I had called with concerns about my 6-year-old, Night Owl, who has learning disabilities and motor delays, and in her most...

Parents interested in charter schools should fill out applications before April 1. We have posted more than a dozen new reviews of charter schools and will post more this spring. You may apply...

Now is the time of year when  parents of 3 and 4-year-olds fill out applications, take deep breaths, and then…wait. The pre-K application period begins today, Monday March 7, but placement letters...

Q:  My daughter is a junior at a high school in Queens.  She wants very badly to go away to college; however, she has a GPA of about 74 and does not do that well on standardized tests.  She is...

If trend-watchers are correct, today’s girls will feel the cruel sting of social bullying at a younger age and with more lasting damage than girls of their mothers’ generation. I want to shield my...

After two New York City public high school searches in four years, I’m convinced it’s time to revamp the admissions system to make it more transparent and humane. I don’t want to overhear another...