Dear Judy, We are in the process of applying for middle schools in District 15. Almost every school we have looked at says (1) they are highly selective with many more applicants than spots and...

Dear Judy, Hi, I want to prepare my four-year-old for the OLSAT. We did not get a date, yet, but I heard it could be next month, and I would like to get him some test prep material or a tutor. Do...

In the latest weekly poll, we asked whether you thought there was too much focus on test preparation at your school. The majority of you said yes, with 33 percent reporting "way too much" test prep...

It can't be pure coincidence that the DOE released a report highlighting gains made by English language learners less than a week after aboisterous mayoral-control hearingin the Bronx. And even...

Today in Albany, the New York State Education Department issued its annual list of schools and districts in need of improvement(SINIs and DINIs, in education jargon.) Because these schools receive...

Starting next month, the DOE will test English Language Learnersat every grade level to assess their progress toward English proficiency -- measurements critical to each school's Progress Report,...

In keeping with the news of the week from Washington, we asked readers what they thought of charter schools. The short report: There's no groundswell of opinion -- in any direction. Click hereto...

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...

Pre-K information sessions got underway this week, for parents of children who will turn 4 in 2009. As noted in prior posts, the application will be online this year, and both the application and...

Building on a Post storythat ran on Monday, GothamSchoolsyesterday spelled out real concerns with the DOE's high-price-tag contract with the Accenture consulting firm for efforts ostensibly aimed...

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...

Q:  I'm a high school sophomore from the Bronx.  It has always been my dream to attend Columbia University.  However, I doubt I will ever have a chance for admission.  My cumulative average from...

The interviews, tryouts, and discussions about which high schools to rank in what order are all over in our household, so I’ve been wondering lately why my 13-year-old continues to nervously tug on...

“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...

Middle school applications are due Dec. 17, and we’ve posted some new school reviews to help you rank your choices. Most of these schools are new and noteworthy (and may have empty seats to fill),...

Dear Judy, I am a District 2 parent. I keep reading about the need to rank the schools on the application.  The problem is that many schools won't consider you unless you rank them first.  How...

“Are we late?’ my 13-year-old asked again and again, as we headed first to an interview and then an audition, all within a three hour time span at an ungodly hour on Sunday. We were not, but plenty...

Although Brooks is an only child, I sometimes feel as if I'm raising two separate boys: the happy-go-lucky one on the right who exudes charm and intelligence, and the anxious, uncertain one on the...

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn released a report called FoodWorks, featuring 59 proposals for improving health and sustainability throughout the food chain and throughout the city. The...

Lori Podvesker is the Public Advocate's representative on the Citywide Council on Special Education and the parent of an eight-year-old son with special needs. Below is her summary of the...

During a much anticipated tour of a highly selective and extremely appealing high school last week, I fell sound asleep.  It happened in a hot and crowded auditorium, somewhere between the guidance...

College bound high school seniors through out the U.S. are struggling to put the finishing touches on college essays, those pesky assignments aimed at giving admissions officers a bit more personal...

My son is in 6th grade this fall. Is it too early to be thinking about high school admissions? What can I do to get prepared? Anxious dad. Dear Anxious Dad: It's never too soon for a middle...

It just got easier to find transfer schools and programs for older teens who have been unsuccessful at regular high schools. The Department of Education has been opening programs for struggling...