NYC parents: Was your child exposed to COVID? Here’s what to do next
Once again, New York City parents are facing questions about when to keep their children home from school or get them tested for COVID as they learn of possible exposures. Though the omicron variant appears to be slightly loosening its grip, nearly 2,200 students and school staffers reported positive coronavirus cases last weekend, according to […]
Hochul proposes $2.1 billion increase for NY schools, extension of NYC mayoral control
Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed a $2.1 billion increase for the state’s public schools and called for a four-year extension of New York City’s mayoral control of schools in her first budget address Tuesday. Hochul’s proposal builds on her State of the State address earlier this month, which outlined plans to recruit and retain more teachers, […]
This urban farming teacher is helping Bronx students connect to the earth and each other
A new horticulture program is blooming at a Bronx high school, and environmental science teacher Vanessa Spiegel is helping tend it. Bronx International High School — a progressive, project-based school that serves recent immigrants — launched its urban farming program this year at the five-year-old Morris Campus Farm, adding it to its roster of career […]
NY cancels January Regents exams as COVID cases surge
New York students won’t take Regents exams this January. New York education Commissioner Betty Rosa canceled the winter tests on Tuesday, citing a “daunting” spike in coronavirus cases across the state. No decisions have been made yet regarding the June and August exams, which far more students take. Officials previously said they planned to move […]
NYC school COVID testing is falling short, some educators say
As city officials investigated whether a slew of positive COVID cases should close down Millennium Brooklyn High School, science teacher Mike Stivers tried to get swabbed on Tuesday during the school’s weekly testing visit. Stivers and other teachers were turned away. They hadn’t filled out the newly required consent forms three days earlier — before […]
Special education tuition hearings shift to NYC trials agency to address backlog
From Chalkbeat December: The de Blasio administration is transferring oversight of a backlogged special education complaint system — where filings typically take months or years to resolve — from the education department to a city entity that operates administrative trials. The shift was codified earlier this month in a memorandum of understanding between the city […]
Albany 101: Here are the big NYC education issues to watch in the new legislative session
When New York state’s legislative session begins this month, don’t expect to see the familiar rallies of advocates, union leaders and lawmakers pressing the governor to boost money for schools. That’s because state lawmakers passed a budget last session that, for the first time, committed to fully cover Foundation Aid, the formula that provides the […]
NYC expands translation of special education plans, but onus still on parents with limited English to request it
Parents of students with disabilities who don’t speak English have long struggled to get their children’s learning plans translated into their native language, a crucial barrier to advocating for extra help or ensuring they are receiving the correct services. Officials are now taking more significant steps to address the issue. Last school year, the education […]
