wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Beth Fertig, WNYC's education reporter and contributor to SchoolBook, and Clara Hemphill, senior editor at The New School's Center for New York City Affairs, talk about Thursday's vote on more school closings and the start of the elementary school selection process. 

Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the city is moving ahead with plans to close and reopen 33 struggling schools even though it means replacing about half their teachers or, according to some, he's proceeding because it means replacing half the teaching staff.

New York and New Jersey were able to avoid big cuts to instruction in their public schools thanks to the U.S. government's stimulus spending, according to a new report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. 

To hear its principal, Steven Cobb, tell the story, Aspire Preparatory Middle School experienced the perfect storm in the fall of 2010. The state made its annual math and reading tests harder to pass that year and, like most schools, Aspire did poorly. Then, just as the school was adjusting to meet the tougher standards, the staff was hammered, Mr. Cobb said. Eight of his 34 teachers were out sick for extended periods during the last school year. 

The campaign is heating up to stop the city from phasing out — or partially closing — 25 struggling schools. Public hearings are being held at 10 of the schools this week with Department of Education officials.

During the Republican Presidential primary debate Monday night in South Carolina, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich singled out janitors' salaries in New York City when he defended his call for paying poor students to work in schools.

Beth Fertig, WNYC's education reporter and SchoolBook contributor, discusses the education proposals in Mayor Bloomberg's State of the City address.

The U.S. Department of Education is raising concerns about New York State's ability to fulfill its $700 million Race to the Top grant.

A new report finds gang activity has been rising in East Harlem. A local non-profit is calling for multiple solutions, including an expansion of the Department of Education's Gang Prevention and Intervention Unit. The unit's director, Norbert Davidson, says his training sessions have reached hundreds of school administrators and also bring in outside agencies to help steer young people away from gangs.

New York City's public school students showed no significant gains on national exams in math and reading this year, despite showing gains in previous years.

Students United for a Free CUNY said they'll hold a Manhattan demonstration and march on Monday afternoon. The demonstration is slated to begins at Madison Square Park and continue to Baruch College.

Education Chancellor Dennis Walcott will be one of the 45,000 people lacing up their sneakers on Sunday for the I.N.G. NYC Marathon. He's been getting support and advice from the city's students.

With fresh concerns that the city will close three of their schools for poor performance, more than 100 parents and teachers turned out for a town meeting in the Brownsville area of Brooklyn, Wednesday night, with Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott.

Beth Fertig, WNYC's education reporter and contributor to SchoolBook, talks about how students and parents deal with cell phone bans in school, and Willyn Webb, educator and co-author, with Lisa Nielsen, of Teaching Generation Text: Using Cell Phones to Enhance Learning describes a few ways teachers can use texting in the classroom.

Four of the city's five borough presidents are calling on state lawmakers to force the city Department of Education to reform its Education Council elections, following widespread confusion during this year's vote.

Beth Fertig, WNYC's education reporter and contributor to SchoolBook, continues the September Schoolbook series, this week focusing on the school buildings themselves.

Space is tight at city schools. Share how your school is managing overcrowding with SchoolBook.

Twice as many city elementary and middle schools earned D's and F's on their annual report cards this year than did last year.

Beth Fertig, WNYC's education reporter and contributor to the New York Times/WNYC project SchoolBook, looks at how the debates over reforming schools are playing out in New York City's classrooms.

The city has put a troubled Brooklyn charter school on probation. The operators of Williamsburg Charter High School have been told to end a contract with their charter management company, the Believe Network, because they didn't get approval first from the city.

The city will no longer produce its controversial teacher data reports, based on student test scores. Instead, New York State will be producing that information.