I've been tossing around this idea for a while now as I've been finishing up the final classes of my senior year. It's a little out there, so please stay with me till the end. The test prep...

Yesterday, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum's office released a report on the state of physical education in the city's schools, concluding what we already know: schools stink at making sure kids get...

Searching for schools is fact of life in New York City, one that requires patience, stamina, resilience. At times you need the skills of an investigative reporter, along with the endurance of a...

It's the middle of school vacation week, which means it's the perfect time for the DOE to send out important letters -- letters that some Insideschools readers consider potentially life-altering....

Bad news for critics of the citywide cell phone ban in schools: Yesterday, a state appeals court upheld the ban, saying that "the department has a rational interest in having its teachers and staff...

Here's one way to deal with the disheartening and overwhelming school admissions process in New York City: don't apply. A growing number of the city's families who are choosing to homeschool are...

On one of our earlier posts about the changes to G&T admissions, Insideschools blog reader Crimson Wife commented: The mess in the NYC G&T programs and the ridiculous competition for...

There is one way to get answers and explanations about the middle school choice process. It requires taking a deep breath, agreeing not to try to game the system and ignoring the "I heard this"...

When the public middle school search began this fall, I was not going to be one of those anxiety ridden parents, whispering rumors and comparing notes and test scores of kids who get in. After...

You'd think Post education reporter Yoav Gonen would know better. Last week, Gov. Paterson announced that his son, an MS 54 8th grader, will attend Beacon High School this fall. This weekend, the...

The city's new social promotion policy scares me. I keep imagining corridors filled with giant sneakers and puny 6th graders bumping into their bearded, muscular classmates who are repeating 8th...

Plainly stated, the Weighted Regents Pass Rate sucks. For those of you who don't know, the Weighted Regents Pass Rate is an assessment of a school's performance based on students' Regents test...

Yesterday the DOE released its long-awaited "Annual Arts and Schools Report" (pdf), an optional survey completed by 1,079 principals about their arts offerings in the 2006-2007 school year. The DOE...

The words middle school strike fear into the heart of otherwise rational parents. It causes some to pack-up and move to the suburbs, afraid that the New York City public school system will fall...

First, the City Council recommends realistic, affordable, broadly supported middle school reforms. Then, after earmarking only $5 million to fund a few of the reforms, the DOE rolls out a punitive...

Dozens of parents, advocates and students representing the Coalition for Educational Justice crowded the foyer of Fashion Industries High School tonight in Manhattan to hold a press conference...

If it's February, it must mean that the DOE is scurrying to find spaces for all of the new schools it plans to open in September. In addition to the 27 high schools and transfer schools opening in...

According to the Daily News, the DOE is spending $32 million— more than three times what it spent last year — to grade standardized tests this year. New state and federal laws require teachers...

When $100,000 is yanked out of your school's budget, every dime that your PTA has raised is more precious than ever. That dime is yours to spend, and no one can take it out of your bank account in...

Let's keep our fingers crossed for Izzy -- today's the day that most kids who applied to a specialized high school find out whether they've been admitted. (It could take a few days for kids to get...

Since October, we've visited more than half a dozen middle schools, compared notes and listed our top five choices in order. We care a lot about education and choice in our family, so we laid out a...

If the DOE is using state test scores to judge students, schools, teachers, and principals, how can it stomach forcing schools to cut extra tutoring (among other programs and services) just six...

A 5th-grade boy raised his hand on our last middle school tour and posed a question that took everyone aback. It reminded grown-ups in the room what it must feel like to be 10 or 11 years old,...

When choosing a middle school, what happens after hours is critical in a city where space is scarce and fields are threatened. Parents mulling middle school options spend a great deal of time...

Speaking of scaling down big plans, it looks like the state will be giving the city's schools $100 million less this year than originally planned in new money. Citing budget constraints, the state...