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...

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...

Q:  I have been taking AP courses since my sophomore year at a competitive high school.  All of them have been hard. I am averaging around a B/B- with occasional C’s and some A’s.  My SAT score is...

It’s hard to overlook the amenities – or the lack of them – when searching for a New York City Public high school.  Who wouldn’t be wowed by Stuyvesant’s swimming pool, Frank Sinatra’s rooftop...

The lunch at the School Food Rocks conference last weekend featured the healthiest, greenest recipes that School Food can make. Vegetable stir-fries, Pasta Bolognese, a salad bar with sesame...

Without the option of a local diploma many students won't graduate at all, according to a report released today by Advocates for Children (AFC).  More than a Statistic: Faces of the Local Diploma,...

The New York City Department of Education backtracked on anew policythat would have charged schools for using their facilities after 6 p.m.  Principals were told of the policy in their weekly...

It’s hard to imagine that after all the tests, the tryouts, the rankings and the pressure to get into one of New York City’s best public high schools that it sometimes doesn’t work out as...

Joyce Szuflita, of NYSChoolHelp.com, attended the Meet and Greet with Chancellor Klein sponsored by the District 15 Community Education Council. Here's her recap of the evening. Last night,...

If making decisions about New York City public schools was anything like looking for real estate, I’d be ready to buy into the New York Harbor School right now, before the crowds arrive. (Come to...

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...

Dear Judy, Our high school is overcrowded by the capacity standards in the DOE Blue Book. Our school has corrected the DOE calculation of space twice and our submittal has gone unacknowledged....

Frustrated abouttest scoresor your school's Progress Report? Do you wish your child's class was smaller? Parent activists and education advocacy organizations are organizing for change this fall....

I waited patiently outside an auditorium door for my turn, then bravely took the stage to work on the song I’d been practicing for months, “My Favorite Things,’’ from the Sound of Music. Three...

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...

Dear Judy: I have an 8th-grader preparing for high school. I just received her citywide test scores for ELA and math. I understand the grading/scoring scale has changed -- her scores fell by 100...

If you're not already in the throes of a high school search for your 8th-grader, now is the time to kick into high gear. The Department of Education Enrollment Office is hosting two parent...

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...