When Leia was a baby we affectionately called her Koala Bear, for the way she held tightly around my neck and never let go. Now, at 4 ½, when she clasps herself around my legs to block my exit from...

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...

There are still 850 teacher vacancies across the city's nearly 1700 public schools.  If they aren't filled by October 29, schools may lose the money budgeted for those positions . That's according...

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...

Last chance to register for a public pre-kindergarten program for the 2010-2011 school year! The Department of Education has sent out another reminder that there are still slots available in ...

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...

How do you get your kid to break the chips and fries lunch habit and eat more lettuce or apples at school? Check out Friday's editorial page in The New York Times (preferably the print version...

With massive budget cuts to education threatened, the charter cap raised, and new school construction unable to keep pace with demand, it’s no surprise that more than half of all the city’s public...

TheScholasticbook fair just wrapped at Leia’s school, and as a result our bookshelf is a little more crowded than it was before. The annual sale is a significant fundraiser for PS 29, so I always...

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...

A few thousand seats are still available in pre-kindergarten programs even after the second round of admissions, according to the Department of Education. If you have a child turning four years...

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...

It’s a familiar scene by now. Leia, age 4, catches sight of me at pre-K pick-up and shouts “Mommeeeee!” as she bounds toward the doorway where I’m standing. She almost knocks me over with her...