I have written many posts about how much I love PS 178, Brooks's school. It is extraordinary. Period. This is not news. But I thought it might be an interesting exercise to try to articulate what...

It's Sunday, the last day of holiday break, and at 4:30 my daughter proclaims she's ready for a bath. "But what about dinner?" I ask. "You haven't even eaten yet." "No dinner!" she insists,...

Recently, a friend and public school parent said to me that they were not sure they could expect their child to be known well in school, implying that such things cannot happen "in public school."...

The  Department of Education's proposed closing of some 20 schools—including several large high schools which will be phased out and replaced by small schools—prompted an outcry by students and...

The State Supreme Court today ruled against the Department of Education’s plan for development and use of the playing fields on Randall’s Island, long used for public school sports.  The city, in...

New Yorkers have a new Commissioner of Education, David Steiner, who now holds broad powers over our kids. The Alliance for Quality Education has posted a video featuring education activists,...

It was hard not to feel empathy for the aspiring dancer depicted on the front page of the New York Times last week, in an excellent piece by Jennifer Medinathat looked at the grueling schedule of...

At a press conference yesterday outside the busy 72nd Street subway stop, Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer called on the MTA to restore funding for student MetroCards.  As has been widely...

A dozen New York City high schools were awarded gold medals by US News and World Report, in its annual ranking of the 100 best high schools in the nation. Schools are ranked according to the degree...

Q: My daughter applied Early Decision to an Ivy League school and just found out she was "deferred." Her college counselor told her the school was a "reach," but my daughter chose to apply anyway...

I overheard a conversation this fall between a group of high school freshmen, comparing the weight of their backpacks, their teachers, and their overall adjustment. Many spoke of going back to...

At Arts & Letters, we are embarking on a month of preparation for our Quality Review. For those of you who do not know, theQuality Review stands next to the Progress Report Card, those...

While New York City's scores on the National Appraisal of Educational Progress math exams rose steadily between 2003-2006, the NAEP's 2009 report reveals they have since stalled. Fourth-grade...

Dear Judy, The December holidays are approaching, and I am wondering how to broach the topic of other religious celebrations to our son. He has already come home from school talking excitedly...

District 20's Community Education Council will vote Wednesday on a proposal to alter the district's zoning boundaries. While the changes are intended to alleviate overcrowding, some local residents...

In our November poll, we asked how you felt about your parent/teacher conferences. Of the nearly  550 responses, 41% said, "Great! I really had the sense that the teacher 'gets' my child." That's...

Yesterday the Department of Education announced its  intention to close four schools it considers failing:  Maxwell High School for Career and Technical Education in Brooklyn,  the Academy of...

Eighth-graders and their families are in the final frenzy of filling out high school applications before tomorrow's Dec. 4 due date after a fall of attending fairs, visiting schools, taking exams,...

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 0 1 385 2195 18 4 2695 11.1282 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> 0 0 0 <![endif]-->Imagine your kindergartner arrived at school...

Q: I understand the importance of the college essay, and how admissions people use it to get a sense of the whole applicant beyond the transcript and test scores.  But what's the point of all those...

Proposed changes in District 2 zoning attracted at least 100 parents on Monday night to the first of several meetings held to hear community concerns about new catchment areas for its popular...

Kids who grow up in New York City don't expect suburban amenities like backyards, basement recreation rooms, and their own bedrooms, and they're used to thinking of shared parks and playgrounds as...

This past summer I was assigned Henry Jame’s Portrait of a Lady and couldn’t read more than a page without getting a pounding headache and falling asleep. At first I attributed this to the...

Dear Judy, Kindly let me know where I could find information about rules or regulations pertaining to the amount of time school children, especially in the lower grades, must spend out of...

Lower East Side parents are up-in-arms about the proposed expansion of the Girls Preparatory Charter School. The school is requesting more space to house a growing middle school population -- 50...