Personal essays reflecting on public policy topics
How Parent-Principal Partnerships Make Schools Work Better
Parents and guardians are one of a school's greatest assets in finding solutions and offering help in a pinch. They volunteer time, share skills and donate money, benefiting all students (not just their own). A big part of what made my kids' elementary school so successful was the collaborative spirit of our families, principal and teachers. So it frustrates me when I see a school that needs help, and its principal fails to take advantage of the help that many parents want to give.
Who Makes the Rules: Conditions for Shelter
Untreated mental illness and emotional disorders, self-medication with mind-numbing chemical substances that overtake the individual’s judgement and ability to self-manage are the real causes of homelessness. Urges and choices that involve illegal activities, sometimes violence, and often, a disregard for the impact of one’s choices on others (family members, neighbors, community supports and random strangers) are what perpetuate homelessness for the vast majority.
High School Lock Up
Ever been greeted at a public school with a metal detector and half a dozen security guards where parents are forbidden?
The Catch-22 of Free PreK
If you’re the parent of a four year old, who works standard 9-5 hours, you most likely have some tough choices. Apparently, NY State thinks the school building is safe enough for PreK students from 8:30 - 2:30 but not after that. And the State doesn’t trust the same After-school staff who care for Kindergarten children to care for PreK children.
How to Keep Elementary Schools Segregated
Schools will continue to grow more disparate and segregated until New York’s policy makers treat early childcare, education and extra-curricular enrichment as an investment in whole families all along the income scale.
Separate and Unequal
The vast majority of NYC families opt for public school. But the decision-making doesn't end there. The overwhelming process of choosing and applying to school continues. Because public schools are not equal -by design.