Much of the public debate, blogbuzz, and press coverage of President Obama'seducation address yesterday has focused on his strong endorsement of charter schools, which are publicly funded schools...

Parents of children born in 2005 -- who will turn four in calendar year 2009 -- can find pre-kindergarten applications, information and school directoriesonline. (A curious disclaimer appears when...

After the events of Jan. 12, I plan to submit the following rough outline to the Metropolitan Opera. The proposed production is titled “Snow Day: A Tragedy.” Scene 1 opens in a New York home on a...

To New York’s Department of Education, the kindergarten sign-up period that begins today is “intake,” a time to discover which public schools will be filled beyond capacity come September, and...

Not too long ago, the very phrase Gifted & Talented made me cringe, with its aura of specialness and superiority. When my older daughter, Night Owl (now 6) was in pre-K, the option wasn’t even...

I vividly recall sitting in a waiting room, thinking my daughter’s future was being determined 15 feet away. There, behind closed doors, a child psychologist was administering the Stanford-BinetIQ...

In December, Arts & Letters won approval to expand our middle school downward to include elementary grades, eventually becoming a K-8 school.  And now, happily, we are engaged in the important...

“Are we Jewish or are we Christian?” my kindergartner asked the other day. The question was sparked by classroom discussion about the various holidays celebrated in our Upper West Side...

With middle school applications due on Friday, Dec. 17,  and the kindergarten admissions season beginning in January, the Department of Education is proposing changes in location or grade level at...

The Scholastic Book Fair held this month at my daughter’s elementary created a fun bookstore environment that promoted reading and learning — all while raising thousands of dollars for the school....

New, small high schools fared the best in the annual release today of the Department of Education's Progress Reports which grade the city's schools according to progress students make toward...

Got a child applying to kindergarten, middle school, or high school for next fall? Here's what's happening this week, and month. Kindergarten & elementary grade Gifted & Talented...

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year, not only because of the leaves, but also because of our weekly tours. Each week, 35 or so people come for our weekly tour, and I get to talk about my...

Eighth graders applying to high schools aren't the only ones who should be mindful of the admissions calendar.  Important dates are looming for students applying to middle schools and G&T...

With the release of the 2010 Progress Reportsfor elementary and middle schools, more than 700 schools (out of roughly 1100), including many charters, had lower letter grades. This is a dramatic...

The city released its 2010 Progress Reports for elementary and middle schools, giving each school a grade of “A” to “F,” based mostly on how children did on standardized tests compared to schools...

A popular Brooklyn middle school, IS 234, made the news last week when it sent a few dozen newly-enrolled students to another school because of overcrowding. IS 234, the Arthur W. Cunningham...

Half of the nearly 23,000 students sent to summer school because of low marks on state exams in grades 3-8 were not promoted to the next grade, according to Department of Education statistics...

I’m getting close to asking Mayor Michael Bloomberg, or even Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, to sign a letter to employers around New York City, asking them to grant parents in the midst of choosing...

Middle school students enrolled in K-8 schools fare better on standardized tests than those in typical middle schools, serving only grades 6-8, according to a study authored by Columbia University...

TheCenter for Leadership and College Preparation, affiliated with Bank Street College of Education, offers educational opportunities both to high-achieving students and to struggling students. The...

Since city students and teachers enjoyed their first snow day in five years, the Department of Education pushed back the first day of the state math test for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students, from...

DOE officials announced yesterday that applications for pre-K will be available on March 6th, online as well as on paper, for New York City parents. Children who will celebrate their fourth...

Last night, hundreds of parents attended a forum dedicated to overcrowding issues at elementary and middle schools in Chelsea and the Village. The meeting, sponsored by the Community Education...

Whatever you think of the myriad standardized state exams grade- and middle-schoolers take every year, the New York State Education Department wants to know -- and quickly, too. The state's Board...