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.
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.