Why I Gave My Son Permission to Drop Out of High School

We see a child in a maple treeWe’re watching him climb,You and I.You say, “Come down,You’ll hurt yourself!”I say, “Go upYou’re touching the sky!” –…

The Epidemic We’re Not Talking About: Most High School Seniors Can’t Read or Do Math

The National Assessment for Education Progress (NAEP)—nicknamed “America’s Report Card”—released their 12th grade scores at the end of October.  The horrifying results: Just 37% of 12th-graders reached or…

Vote Local Day 5: Care About Schools? Vote Local. (ft. Alina Adams)

Yes, there is a big national election happening. But if you really want to improve policy in education, we need to #VoteLocal.  New York School…

Samantha Bee’s Latest on Education Shows She’s Just Another Privileged Parent Who Doesn’t Get It

Samantha Bee decided to go on the attack against school choice this week during her show, Full Frontal. Based on the first clip she played during…

Believe It or Not, Trump and DeVos Have Done Some Good for American Education

WHAT WE GOT RIGHT: I’ve been leading Getting NYC Kindergarten and Getting Into NYC High School workshops for New York City parents for approximately 15 years. But only since the 2016 presidential elections has the question began popping up during the Q&A portion: How is (Education Secretary) Betsy DeVos going to affect my child’s education?…

Education Reform in 2018 Is Going to Need a Parent Seal of Approval

A few years ago, at a convening of education advocates, one veteran in the reform movement highlighted the lack of racial diversity in the room…

White Families You’re Not Doing My Kids Any Favors By Sending Your Kids to Our School

The big buzz word in New York City education is: Diversity. On October 26, 2017, yet another plan was announced, this time promising to bring diversity…

I Didn’t Have Dual-Language Classes When I Immigrated. Maybe That’s a Good Thing.

Earlier this year, I wrote about dual-language programs in New York City schools, and who really benefits from them. Is it the non-English speakers that Chancellor…

The Hidden Costs of Our Tutoring Epidemic

There’s a tutoring epidemic. It goes beyond four-year-olds prepping to ace gifted and talented screenings, and teens cramming for the Specialized High School Admissions Test.…

Believe It Or Not, Free College Comes With a Price

To much fanfare and press releases, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently announced his free college plan for families in the state earning less than…