NYC special education referrals plunge 57% from pre-pandemic levels
From Chalkbeat: Significantly fewer students were referred for special education evaluations last year, dropping 57% since the year before the pandemic started, raising concerns that thousands of students have not been identified for services they may need. During the 2020-2021 school year, 9,457 students were referred for evaluations to determine if they need more intensive […]
NYC students go without mandated services because of staffing shortage
The staffing shortage caused by the thousands of unvaccinated teachers and staffers who were out of a job wreaked havoc at some city schools, where students skipped mandated services or were taught by inexperienced teachers. At PS 204 in Bensonhurst and PS 185 in Bay Ridge, there was a lack of speech specialists. At IS […]
As quarantines send students home, what’s the plan to keep them learning?
From Chalkbeat: It was only her son’s third day of kindergarten when Sabrina Padgett got a call in late July that he’d been exposed to COVID and had to stay home for over a week. Soon after, that got extended when Padgett herself tested positive for COVID. Then her other two school-age children had to […]
Critical race theory debate hits New York City public schools
From Chalkbeat: Maud Maron was taken aback during her son’s recent fifth grade graduation when school administrators took a moment to acknowledge that the school building sits on land once taken from Native Americans. “I was like, ‘yes, that is true,’” Maron recounted. “But, as it turns out, for the better part of human existence, […]
Persistence is key: NYC families of students with disabilities share stories of their pandemic year
Persistence is key: NYC families of students with disabilities share stories of their pandemic year Remote learning has proved uniquely challenging for the roughly 200,000 New York City public school students classified with disabilities — many of whom haven’t received all of their mandated support services this school year. To hear about what was and […]
What is the path forward for New York City schools? Mayoral hopefuls weigh in.
Despite Mayor Bill de Blasio’s goal of having students return to classrooms full time, while also offering an all-remote option, next school year feels like a big question mark. The challenges ahead are immense and will fall largely on the shoulders of New York City’s next mayor. Though the new chief executive won’t take office […]
This NYC bilingual educator shares what it means to teach for ‘equity, not equality
“Much of teaching a new language happens in the small moments: in the chatter among peers, in asking to use the bathroom. This year, with New York City public schools shuttered so frequently due to coronavirus cases, students had far fewer opportunities for these casual conversations and questions, said Rebecca Quiñones, a second grade dual-language […]
Coaxing NYC students back to classrooms: wins and struggles at one Bronx high school
When New York City high schools reopen on Monday for the first time in four months, the hallways at Alfred E. Smith Career and Technical High School will not be as crowded as they usually are. But they will be more bustling than many other city high schools. In a typical year, Smith welcomes just […]
