Get help, advice and information on all your Reference and Education issues. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/york.htm Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:22:41 GMT en There have been many instances over the past 20 years or so where people have been so unhappy about the schools that they have decided to step up and do something about it. In response to this discontent, charter schools have been formed. For many New York City Schools families, charters appear to be the way to go. Virtually anyone concerned with the state of New York City Schools can open a charter school. Parents, teachers, principals (whether they are from public New York City Schools or private ones), community leaders, philanthropists and nonprofit organizations are all examples of the types of folks who open charter schools in response to a perceived lack in quality public education. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/62587_New_York_City_Schools_Include_Charters.html Tue, 02 Oct 2007 05:22:03 GMT No one can argue that teachers arent important and, next to students, are the lifeblood of any school. So why are so many teachers leaving the profession? New York Schools, while they havent lost their entire teaching staffs, are experiencing a high turnover of teachers, just like the rest of the country. New York Schools, which is the nations largest school system, recruited approximately 5,000 new teachers this summer (2007) by the middle of August. They were looking for teachers certified in Math, Science, or Special Education. New York Schools offered a housing incentive that, in some cases, totals 5,000 to be used towards a down payment on a house. The incentive apparently worked, based on the number of teachers hired. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/61219_Where_Have_All_The_New_York_Schools_Teachers_Gone.html Sat, 22 Sep 2007 16:24:56 GMT As the largest school district in the nation, with over a million students, the New York City Public Schools face a mammoth task. In some ways New York City Schools are at an advantage because New York State has required the stringent Regents exam as a requirement for graduation for years. That doesnt mean that everyone in the New York City Schools is fond of the mandatory tests, but it has put the city and state at an advantage as far as meeting some of the No Child Left Behind Acts Standards. At least teachers and administrators of the New York City Schools already had some tight standards in place. Teachers in New York City Schools need to have or obtain a Masters Degree to teach. While the New York City Schools are in need of teachers, just like the rest of the nation, the standards that they hold their teachers to and the pay are among the highest in the country. Thats not to say the New York City Schools dont have problems- they do. But the New York City Schools do have a sound foundation for hiring teachers. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/59623_Teachers_In_New_York_City_Schools.html Sat, 01 Sep 2007 18:25:30 GMT The necessity to assess students is irrefutable. In fact, a lot of people believe that formal assessments are the only way to tell how a student is progressing, and teachers feel pressured to teach to the test. For many educators, part of their paycheck is based on how well students score on standardized tests. Fortunately for students and teachers alike, New York Public Schools recognize the need to not only assess them fairly and accurately, but also see the necessity of offering various kinds of tests to be used at the teachers discretion.New York Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein recently announced that all schools will have access to a range of flexible periodic assessment tools to help them track students progress in English Language Arts and math starting in the 2007-08 school year. Its interesting and encouraging that the Chancellor recognizes the need for these tools. Perhaps even more interesting is the motivation behind them. Teachers have always used assessments to monitor their students progress. Now theyll be able to find out quickly exactly what New York Schools students are learning and where they need more help, Chancellor Klein said. These tools are quicker and more accurate than what New York Schools have today. Theyll make it easier for our educators to tailor instruction to meet the individual needs of every student. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/58349_New_York_Schools_Institute_Universal_Assessment.html Mon, 20 Aug 2007 17:04:04 GMT New York City Schools started converting many of its massive high schools into smaller, thematic schools in 2002. The 2006 graduates who were the first students in New York City Schools to have spent their entire four-year high school experience in the smaller venues had impressive results. And the 2007 results continue to look good. Graduation rates of the 47 small-sized New York City Schools are significantly higher that the citys overall rates. The small schools report a 73 graduation rate while the city reports a 60 rate. These numbers are important to several different groups within the New York City Schools. The small schools initiative is a major component of Mayor Michael Bloombergs attempt to improve the New York City Schools. The first installation of the smaller New York City Schools were funded with over 30 million from groups like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Carnegie Corporations and the Open Society Institute. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/55656_New_York_City_Schools_See_Large_Success_With_Small_Schools.html Tue, 31 Jul 2007 05:49:18 GMT New York Schools encompass two different worlds: New York City and New York State. Assessments of the two are generally separate since the thriving metropolis of New York City is a different world from the New York Schools that make up the rest of this rural and suburban state. Johanna Duncan-Poitier, recently named senior Deputy Commissioner of Education http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/53781_New_York_Schools_Plan_For_The_Future.html Wed, 27 Jun 2007 11:49:47 GMT In the 5 years since New York City Schools received funding from philanthropic giants like the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, the Carnegie Corporation, and the Open Society Institute New Yorkers have watched closely the development of New Century High Schools (NCHS). The 70 million investment funded an initiative to create smaller high school communities in this vast metropolis. The goal is to provide children in New York City Schools with more choices to drive them toward their goals of college, or practical employment. Currently, 83 New Century High Schools are educating over 13,000 high school students. These schools are markedly different than traditional New York City Schools. The first difference is in size. A NCHS is housed in a larger high school, but only educates about 400 students. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/51621_New_York_City_Schools_See_Success_In_New_Century_High_Schools.html Mon, 04 Jun 2007 18:25:21 GMT According to the National Education Association, the New York schools have made significant strides in academic achievement over the past few years. In a nationwide comparison, the New York schools have improved student achievement, as well as the schools themselves. Though issues remain that challenge the New York educators, parents and the community can be assured that the New York schools are doing everything in their power to remedy these. Students Are Achieving http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/48882_New_York_Schools_Cited_As_Among_The_Best_In_The_Nation.html Sun, 06 May 2007 18:44:34 GMT In the past, even the mention of creating a single-gender public school raised controversy with a wide array of opponents, including womens organizations. In 1996, the New York schools created the first all-girl school in the nation, and the controversy still rears its ugly head. The Opponents http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/48870_Successes_Of_Single-gender_New_York_Schools_Overshadowing_Opposition.html Sun, 06 May 2007 18:44:36 GMT As with all public schools across the nation, New York schools have standards in reading and mathematics that must be met by its students. Unfortunately, many students fall short of the standards and their families are not in a position financially to provide the extracurricular tutoring that is required to improve the skills of their children. The New York schools do not want to see any child at any grade left behind and provides the solution. The New York schools have student academic intervention programs that provide the needed tutoring, counseling and teaching of skill sets. The New York schools services are a supplement to the general teaching curriculum. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/48861_Academic_Intervention_Services_Available_From_New_York_Schools.html Sun, 06 May 2007 18:44:37 GMT Though public schools across the nation are improving their school environments for students, the New York schools are falling behind, according to the National Education Association (NEA). In a recently posted web page, the NEA cited many failings of the New York schools. Here are some of the challenges that the New York schools continue to face during the 2006-2007 school year. Average Sizes for Schools and Classes http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/48841_Nea_Gives_New_York_Schools_A_Failing_Grade.html Sun, 06 May 2007 18:44:39 GMT Looking for a high school for your child that concentrates on preparing for higher academics? The New York City schools have five such high schools. If you have a child now in elementary or middle school, live or plan to live in New York City, and you would like to see your child excel in high school and college, begin planning now for his or her enrollment in one of five specialized New York City schools. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/48737_Lots_Of_High_School_Choices_In_The_New_York_City_Schools.html Sat, 05 May 2007 22:49:41 GMT Residents of the Dominican Republic, especially the impoverished ones, have long viewed the United States and especially New York City as a land of limitless wealth. All you have to do is live there for a few years, and you too will be wealthy. This erroneous vision was fostered in the 1980s with the crack epidemic centered in Washington Heights, an area located north of New York City and predominantly populated by Dominican immigrants. Thousands of dollars in cash were sent back to the families, who still lived in the Dominican Republic. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/48734_Dominican_Children_In_New_York_City_Schools_Face_Two-edged_Sword_Of_Difficulties.html Sat, 05 May 2007 22:49:45 GMT The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child put forth that one primary purpose of schools is to develop respect for human rights and the fundamental freedoms that all children should enjoy. They noted that to truly understand and promote human rights, one has to live them out in relation to others. The New York City schools has taken this directive seriously and to heart by creating its School for Human Rights, a combined middle and high school academy that is built around the concept of human rights. It is one of nearly 150 small public schools opened through special initiatives in the last three years by the New York City schools, having opened its doors in September 2004. During the New York City schools school year 2005-2006, the School of Human Rights had over 180 students. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/48729_Human_Rights_Take_Front_And_Center_For_The_New_York_City_Schools.html Sat, 05 May 2007 22:49:47 GMT In an attempt to get more funding into the poorer school districts and reduce funding for the wealthier districts, Governor Eliot Spitzer replaced the very rigid, long-standing formula for funding of the New York schools. The old formula gave the same per student funding to all New York schools districts without regard to needs or demographiceconomic differences. Spitzer convinced Senate Republicans in wealthier districts, such as Long Island, to vote for his final budget by including special funding add-ons for only this year. The funding add-ons guaranteed that New York schools in the wealthier districts would receive similar funding as last year, though they are not guaranteed beyond this year. A multitude of mathematical computations were required for this years funding formula, which gave a distribution of 1.76 million. Overall, it appears to be similar to last years distribution; however, upon a closer look, a disparity occurred between at least two New York schools districts that creates the exact opposite effect desired by the Governor. http://advice-and.info/Reference-and-Education/48005_Inequitable_Funding_For_Some_Within_The_New_York_Schools.html Tue, 01 May 2007 22:45:51 GMT