Schooled: Inside the Nation’s Largest School District

The annual application process for NYC high schools has kicked off and parents are scrambling to understand the process. Deb, Yiatin, and Josh sit down this week with a few parents who have made transformational differences in helping thousands of parents in navigating a complex process with their contributions. The first guest, Amélie Marian, has received numerous awards for her research and is p...

What does it take for a student in NYC to be successful? Josh, Deb, and Yiatin sit down this week with Brooklyn parent Michael Hall whose essay, The Blueprint (Link #1), generated a lot of buzz among parents over his strategies for student success.

Schooled is taking the week off, but we’re leaving you with a little homework. That includes reading Michael Hall’s “The Blueprint” ahead of his upcoming appearance on the show. Read Michael Hall’s “The Blueprint” Join the PLACE NYC Facebook group

The Schooled email inbox is overflowing so Deb, Yiatin, and Josh dig into listener emails on a range of topics from the history of gifted programs to ELLs to the racial composition of schools in the wake of revived integration debates in the aftermath of the Nikole Hannah-Jones article.

In a major shakeup, NY’s Board of Regents voted to end the Regents exams as a graduation requirement. Is the replacement a better option? What stirred this dramatic change? Josh and Yiatin discuss this new direction with guest Neetu Arnold , an education policy researcher at the Manhattan Institute and author of “ Why Is New York Dumping Its High School Exit Exam? ” recently published in both the...

Nikole Hannah-Jones published an explosive follow up “ In Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own? ” to her controversial 2016 New York Times article “ Choosing a School for My Daughter in a Segregated City ” and questions if she failed her child after intentionally sending her child to a low income, predominantly black school as her way of improving outcomes for what she called racial...

Deb, Yiatin, and Josh are back for another year of diving into the intricacies of the nation's largest school district. We look back at the summer and look forward to what's going to happen over the next school year. Welcome back!

School is back in session and so are we! Season two starts this week, and we'll see you Thursdays.

As the school year comes to an end this week, Yiatin, Josh, and Deb reflect back on the top stories and policies this year and read the tea leaves on what the top issues will be for the fall.

School may technically still be in session, but for many New York City students the year is already over. This week, the hosts explore the strange limbo of June, when Regents exams take over school buildings, classrooms empty out, and serious questions emerge about whether the city’s academic calendar still makes sense. They also unpack the latest developments in New York’s ongoing class-size batt...

Deb, Yiatin, and Josh sit with City Councilmember Phil Wong who lays out the hot button issues being discussed on the Education Committee like generative AI, the digital state test fiasco, budget issues, and the Gifted and Talented bill he is co-sponsoring.

A new report on declining enrollment projections in NYC by Danyela Souza-Egorov, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and public school parent, are coming to a head and empty seats have Yiatin, Josh, and Deb asking — what happens when a class size is too small? Plus, a controversial new incentive for teachers in oversized classrooms raises eyebrows.

This week on Schooled, Deb, Yiatin and Josh unpack Harvard’s controversial move to cap the number of A grades and what it says about grade inflation from Ivy League campuses to New York City classrooms. The conversation explores whether grades still measure merit, how inflated standards shape student expectations, and why subjective grading creates problems for admissions and accountability alike....

As Albany budget negotiations continue to unfold, NYC Comptroller Mark Levine joins Josh, Yiatin, and Deb for a timely conversation about accountability, education funding, and the forces shaping school budgets. Along the way, he hints at changes he’d like to make and offers a serious warning about what the future could hold for education spending.

Yiatin, Deb, and Josh lead off this week’s episode with a discussion on other funding streams that schools tap into such as PAs, grants, and Title I, and how that impacts outcomes. Plus, a closer look at a new tax credit for education.

A new eye-opening article came out in The Atlantic about NYC’s education budget, “ A Mediocre Public-School Education for Just $40,000 a Pupil ” that has everyone talking. Josh, Yiatin, and Deb sit with the author and Assistant Editor at The Atlantic, Marc Novicoff, in a candid discussion on how the ballooning budget got where it is today, and why it’s unlikely to change.

Emotions are running high after the DOE abruptly shelved several controversial proposals that were set for a vote by the Panel for Education Policy this week including the vote to approve a new high school for accelerated math. Deb, Yiatin, and Josh discuss the political overlay and challenges for the Mayor and Chancellor.

The school calendar for next year is out with some controversy. Josh and Yiatin connect with Audrey Goodson Kingo, a NYC parent and a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in New York Magazine and Parents, on the politics entrenched in the school calendar. Also, Deb shares her thoughts on a consequential vote for a new high school.

NYC Public Schools recently released new guidance on implementing AI in schools, sparking important questions around data privacy, the role of technology in the classroom, and how students, teachers, and administrators should actually use AI. Joining hosts Deb, Josh, and Yiatin is Shannon Edwards — a parent of two, veteran tech expert, member of the Chancellor's AI Advisory Committee, and auth...

Hosts Josh, Deb, and Yiatin discuss a range of top of mind education issues with guest Councilmember Eric Dinowitz. What are the pressing issues on the arts, class size, twice exceptional students, and parent engagement? Plus, hear Dinowitz’ thoughts on enrollment and housing.

A new report, " And Stay Out! ," was recently released on school zoning, recharging a debate on NYC schools “redlining.” Hosts Deb, Yiatin, and Josh dig in with guest Chad Marlow, a Senior Policy Counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and father of two in NYC public schools. What can be done about it and what are the challenges? Would this open up school choice for NYC fami...

A new cutting edge high school is being proposed in NYC dubbed “the AI high school” sparking a debate about what does AI in schools mean? Linda Quarles and Benjamin Morden, council members from CCHS, join hosts Yiatin, Deb, and Josh on what an AI high school is all about and the pros and cons of using AI in schools.

NYC high school offers are out, and some parents are faced with uncertainty. This week our hosts Deb, Josh, and Yiatin answer the top questions parents are asking about what to consider before accepting a final offer.

High school offers are going out today to NYC public school 8th graders. On top of many students’ list are the coveted Specialized High Schools. Josh, Deb, and Yiatin discuss with guest Wai Wah Chin, the charter president of CACAGNY and adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute, on one way that opportunities could be expanded.

A proposed school merger stirs up strong reactions and makes the news, but why is that? Hosts Yiatin, Deb, and Josh discuss why some school moves are controversial. Also an unexpected leadership resignation at the DOE and what that could mean for parents. Plus, more snow day talk!