Politicians and parents in November petitioned the Education Department to let qualified children fill Gifted & Talented seats that remained empty after the October enrollment deadline. In a reply last week, the DOE refused the request, saying it would be "extremely disruptive" to schools and...
by Jane Heaphy, executive director of Learning Leaders Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio's goal of increasing parental involvement in schools is exciting! This is what we have been waiting to hear. Families have a vital role to play in our schools' success. Research shows that parents who understand...
It may be a small step, but a Queens principal became something of a hero in my eyes when he acknowledged a reality of life in high-pressure New York City high schools: Kids are exhausted and need more sleep. Townsend Harris Principal Anthony Barbetta came up with a new policy that forbids...
by Sharon McCann-Doyle My 3rd grade daughter still cries at Disney movies and is afraid to see Matilda on Broadway. So I was dismayed to discover that her school's reading list includes "Behind Rebel Lines", by Seymor Reit, part of the city's new reading curriculum called ReadyGen. It's a...
If you're a parent choosing a middle school, you want to know: Do the academics prepare kids for high school? Do the teachers recommend the school? Kids want to know: Does the school require uniforms? Are the other kids nice? Now, just in time for this week's Dec. 13 application deadline,...
Five-year-old J.P. started kindergarten at his neighborhood school in September. Like many kids, he had never been to school before. Two days into the year, his mother received a phone call from the assistant principal complaining that J.P.’s behavior was disrupting the class. His offense?...
Dear Judy, I am concerned about the new kindergarten admissions process in regard to my young child. He has a late December birthday. I know I don't have to send him to kindergarten but what if he is not ready for first grade in the year he turns 6? December child's mom Dear December child's...
Gifted & Talented seats remain open on the Upper West Side—and elsewhere in the city—but parents of qualified children who want the seats say they can't enroll. Last month, we reported that despite the extreme demand for G&T seats this year and the high number of qualifying students,...
New York City’s Education Funders Research Initiative asked our parent organization, the Center for New York City Affairs at The New School, to identify key priorities for education reform under Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio. On Thursday, the Center for New York City Affairs released the results: a...
The official high school directory is essential reading for 8th graders applying to high school in New York City. But, at 565 pages, the directory can be cumbersome, especially for kids already lugging pounds of textbooks. Now, we've created a mobile site that will get this information to kids...
Dear Judy, I am getting concerned about applying to kindergarten. How does the new system work? I like my zoned school, it has a great reputation, but because of that it is very popular and there is always an overflow of kindergarten applications. What happens if it is the only school I choose...
High school applications are due on Dec. 2, the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday, for 8th graders, and 9th graders who want to go to a different school next year. Still undecided where to apply? Check out our new Insideschools mobile website on your smartphone. You can search by borough,...
This information just in from our friends at Advocates for Children: "The NYC DOE's Office of Innovation is interviewing parents regarding their experience with the DOE's busing system for students receiving special education services in NYC. The purpose of these interviews is a collaboration...
It seems like only yesterday that I was worrying myself sick about how my four-year-old son with special needs would make the leap from preschool to kindergarten. (For the record, he’s five now and doing fabulously!) For any child, the move to “big kid school” is a huge transition for the whole...
Fifth graders applying to middle school should get their applications beginning Nov. 18 at their elementary schools, according to the chancellor's letter to principals this week. Applications must be completed and returned to elementary school guidance counselors by Friday, Dec. 13. If you're...
Families will have just one month to use the new online system to apply to kindergarten for 2014, according to admissions dates posted by the Department of Education today. Parents of children born in 2009 may apply online, on the phone to a central DOE number or in person at an enrollment...
The official kindergarten application period doesn't begin until January, but, if your child turns five in 2014, now is the time to begin considering your options and filling in your calendar with important dates. You must sign up for the gifted and talented test this week and some schools are...
The New York City Board of Correction released a report last week that documents the stories of three adolescents who were sentenced to more than 200 days in isolation on Rikers Island. Each of the teens, who were 17 and 18 years old when they were interviewed by the Board, had been diagnosed...
Q: My daughter is interested in graduating from her high school in 3 years rather than 4 years, but the school counselor is discouraging it. What do you think? How hard should I push the school to assist in the process? A: The school counselor is correct. Graduating early is a misguided...
Last weekend, Oct. 26-27, thousands of 8th graders buzzing with the pressure of months (sometimes years) of preparation sat for the two-hour long specialized high school admissions test (SHSAT). Could this be the last year that entrance to a specialized high school hinges on one incredibly...
Confused about high school admissions? Do you still have questions about how to fill out the 12-school application? Insideschools covered those topics and more at our Oct. 9 high school admissions workshop. Clara Hemphill and Jacquie Wayans of Insideschools were joined by Hussham Khan, the...
Given the frenzied competition for gifted and talented seats each year, it was surprising to find that, nearly two months into the school year, there are many empty spots. The Department of Education is reaching out to eligible children to try to fill them by Oct. 31 when registers close. PS...
After enrolling my daughter in middle school earlier this year, I wrote a piece about how difficult it can be to get your child into a good school if you should happen to arrive in the city around the start of the school year. My daughter ended up in a school that was far from our first choice: a...
Dear Judy: I am the proud father of two bright girls in 8th grade. Both have excelled in school overall, especially in math. One of them was provided with 8th grade math Regents this year and the other (who also scored over a 3 on the 7th grade state exam but slightly lower than her sister)...
Q: Help! I am having trouble logging on to my Common Application account. Some of my friends are also having trouble with Common App. It's almost November 1, and I am worried that problems at Common App are going to make my application late. What can I do? Should I write to my colleges and...
Parents of 5th graders spend the fall calling parent coordinators and checking school websites to find out about middle school tours and open houses. Some who aren't quick enough find themselves closed out of daytime tours at popular schools. Now the Department of Education has compiled a list...
When I look back on the full-time job of finding a New York City public high school for my kids, I’m reminded of looking for my first apartment. Anyone else remember coming to New York City with big dreams and a tiny paycheck? And being shown moldy, tiny apartments, up endless flights of stairs,...
It's that time of year again for families of four- and five-year-olds interested in the Department of Education's much sought-after gifted and talented programs. Although last year's testing season was a bit rocky, with a new, harder test and much-publicized grading errors, this year the DOE...
Middle school admissions season kicks into high gear this week for parents of 5th graders. You can meet school representatives at evening district fairs held between Oct. 8-17. Middle school directories for 2013-2014 are online and hard copies are being distributed by elementary schools. Clara...
Judy, I am the parent of a child in pre-kindergarten and am newly elected to a PTA board in Brooklyn. Our zoned school is a lower performing and not highly sought after school in a district that is overcrowded because of what the other schools offer. I was hoping to work on improving parent...
As I planned to relocate to New York City to begin a fellowship at Columbia University this fall, a housing specialist advised me to move into School District 3 because it had “better options” for my 12-year-old daughter. By the time I established residency — a prerequisite for enrolling in the...
High school graduation rates are higher than ever before but college completion remains frustratingly elusive for New York City's public high school graduates. Barely half of students who enroll in CUNY schools graduate with a Bachelor's degree in six years; fewer than one in five of the...
by Isabella Robertson The recent post, Teachers Ask: "Is 3rd grade the new 7th grade?", suggests that there is a new mandate to require children to read books that are too hard for most of them to understand. No such mandate exists. A key shift called for by the Common Core standards is to...
(This story first appeared on DNAInfo.com) Don't forget to put an extra quarter in your child's backpack starting on Monday. The price of school lunch is rising 25 cents to $1.75 — the first price increase since 2003, when the cost of lunch jumped from $1 to $1.50, according to Department of...
Confused about high school admissions? Have questions you need answered about particular schools, or how to fill out the 12-school application? Insideschools.org can help! We are offering a free workshop for parents on Oct. 9: High School Hustle: How to apply. Leading the discussion will be...
This weekend, Sept. 28 and 29, is the Department of Education's gigantic citywide high school fair from 10 am to 3 pm at Brooklyn Technical High School. Prepare for a hectic day, where you will meet teachers, students and administrators and find out about their schools. You can attend...
PTAlink, a website which aims to connect public school parent organizations and serve as a hub of information for parent groups across New York City, launched today. The online resource contains information on parent leadership opportunities, PTA development and administration, fundraising,...
There's good news for parents who don't want to send their kids to kindergarten before their 5th birthday. The Department of Education is proposing a change in enrollment allowing for more flexibility in the placement of five and six year-olds. In the past, the DOE has been rigid in its rule that...
Q: I am a sophomore in high school, but I am already looking at colleges and think I want to transfer between several campuses. I was wondering if that is even possible – to attend not just one or two, but even three colleges without adding any extra years. If so, would I be able to transfer...
The school year is young and some parents are still puzzled by their child's class placement. This week's Ask Judy answers two questions: one about Integrated Co-teaching, and another about bridge classes. Dear Judy, My niece is in 1st grade. Her school sent a letter home yesterday stating that...
Parents concerned about a new online kindergarten admissions system, announced by the Department of Education last week, are urging the Panel of Educational Policy (PEP) to vote no to funding the project at their meeting tonight, or to delay action until there has been time for public comment or...
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No matter how you feel about the end of summer (I am always sad and counting the days until the next one), this week marks the start of what may be a four-year fight for parents of high school freshmen. A fight to make sure they get the right classes, the right teachers and even a lunch period....
<!--[if gte mso 9]> /w:LatentStyles<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]><![endif]--> A few of the city’s best-known schools have new...
School may not have started yet, but incoming 5th-graders and their parents may want to begin thinking ahead. The Department of Education offered this calendar of important dates for those applying to middle school for the 2014-2015 school year: | October 2013 | Directories distributed to...
A new program rolling out in New York City aims to bridge the "digital divide" and get low income students connected to the internet at home. About one in four, or 2.2 million New Yorkers, are without internet access at home and most of those New Yorkers are low-income and minority, according to...
(This story first appeared on DNAInfo.com) The controversial charter network Success Academy plans to operate 100 New York schools by the end of the next decade, DNAinfo New York has learned. The charter chain already has 20 schools in the city with another seven slated to open next year,...
The controversial charter network Success Academy plans to operate 100 New York schools by the end of the next decade, DNAinfo New York has learned. The charter chain already has 20 schools in the city with another seven slated to open next year, despite fierce opposition from public school...
Fourth and 5th-graders who scored 4's (the highest level) on both the 2013 state reading and math exams may apply now through Sept. 16 for seats in district and citywide gifted and talented programs for this school year, 2013-2014. Unlike the younger elementary grades which base admission to...
Students who are new to New York City public schools or who are re-entering city schools after a time away, may register at special enrollment centers beginning on Aug. 28 in all boroughs. The centers are open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Sept. 18, with the exception of Sept. 2, Labor...
The first week of middle school a few years back, I learned that two cherished rituals were soon to be stripped from our lives: bringing cupcakes to our children's class for birthdays and traveling to school together with them. "Your kids are going to be taking the subway alone to school soon,...
