Education news this week has been breaking at a dizzying pace. This interview with on Democracy Now with Diane Ravitch, a professor of education at NYU, New York University, and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Leonie Haimson, a public school parent and executive director of Class Size Matters, is well worth a read. Here are some highlights: Continue reading "Education News For Week Ending July 31, 2010"
Month: July 2010
Today is Last Day to Register For Public Pre-K
Seats are still available in public Universal Pre-K programs throughout the city for September 2010. See previous post for details.
Application must be submitted or mailed by the end of the day today.
NY State ELA and Math Test Scores – What Do They Mean?
The New York State English Language Arts (ELA) and Math test scores for the 2009-2010 school year have been released. The document is rather larger so here are the relevant sections for the schools in Harlem and Upper Manhattan:
District 3 - pgs. 622-639
District 4 - pgs. 640-654
District 5 - pgs. 655-670
District 6 - pgs. 671-684
Before we get into any of the commentary about the results (and there's plenty already), let's go over what these levels mean. Continue reading "NY State ELA and Math Test Scores – What Do They Mean?"
“Framework for Providing All Students an Opportunity to Learn”
At long last, a document on education that makes sense!
On Monday, a coalition of civil rights groups realeased a 17 page framework for education reform that excoriates, in a nice way, President Obama's education policies and offers direction for how to make things right. Continue reading "“Framework for Providing All Students an Opportunity to Learn”"
Pre-K Registration Round 2 for 2010-2011 School Year
Round 2 Pre-K admissions for the 2010-2011 school year are underway. These are pre-K options for families who applied in Round 1 and did not receive an offer, as well as opportunities for families who are applying for the first time for pre-K options at both DOE sites and community based organizations.
Directories and applications are available online and at borough enrollment offices. The deadline to submit an application is Friday, July 30. Offer letters will be sent to families in late August. See our previous post on the subject for additional details.
If you live in Distritct 3, an additional Pre-K section will open at PS 191 (210 West 61 Street).
For more information, visit the Pre-Kindergarten Admissions page on the New York City Department of Education website.
Press the reset button
Our groundbreaking education blog has a new look and a new name. Preschoolpov is now Let's Talk Schools.
Over the last few months we have been reevaluating our mission and goals:
What is our purpose? We all want our children to get a good education so they can succeed in life. But, what does a good education mean and how can we find it in our community? Where are the good schools? Why aren't all schools good schools? What is our children learning? What should they be learning and how should they learn it?
These are questions we started asking ourselves, our friends, our teachers and, more importantly, our children; things we need to know before dropping our kids off at school.
There are so many school to choose from - public, private, charter, parochial; progressive vs. classical teaching methods; standardized testing; how do we sort through everything?
Let's Talk Schools provides an "insider's view" of our local schools using the shared opinions of parents, students and educators who have experienced the schools first hand. Guided by our ratings and feedback, parents will have the information they need to smart decisions for their child's education.
Additionally, reform of our education system is a tremendous undertaking that's front and center in the national conversation and parent voices are largely missing from the debate. We aim to be that voice in the national conversation.
We need to educate ourselves about the issues and get involved. Let's work with the schools in our local community to figure out what they need to provide a decent education for ALL children, not just our own.
So join us and Let's Talk Schools!
