The Definitive Guide to New York Education & Parenting

Simone P. Aug 13, 2026

Your September School Tax Bill Is Coming. Here Is the One Number That Explains It.

New York spends more per student than any state in the country. Before your school tax bill arrives, here is how to look up what your own district spends, and what the number does and does not prove.

News & Updates

Justin G. Aug 12, 2026

New York's Middle School Reading Gap is Getting Worse

New research finds sixth grade reading scores flat since 2022 and still falling for the weakest readers. New York's literacy law targets first graders, self-certifies compliance, and does nothing for the students already past it.

South Bronx Preparatory A College Board School

Community Voices

Justin G. Aug 12, 2026

Twenty-Nine Schools Are Under State Control: Albany Gave Their Families Until September 28.

New York is rewriting how it labels and takes over failing schools. The comment window runs through back-to-school, and the Regents are on recess for most of it.

The Playbook

Justin G. Aug 11, 2026

Your Evaluation Is Being Rewritten: A New York Teacher's Playbook for the STEPS System

New York is retiring APPR and HEDI for the STEPS system. Here is what changed, and the questions every teacher should ask this fall.

Community Voices

Justin G. Aug 10, 2026

The Trench Is Holding: What Kids Learn Before School

Five kids, one sand trench, and an incoming tide. A school district budget officer on why the difference between two students in the same classroom is usually decided years before either one walks in.

News & Updates

Justin G. Aug 10, 2026

The Adult Most Likely to Be Threatened at Your Child's School Is the One Running It

New research finds parents direct verbal threats and public humiliation at school administrators at roughly three and a half times the rate teachers experience. Nobody is counting it, and the districts paying the price are the ones now struggling to fill leadership jobs.

Parent Support

Justin G. Aug 7, 2026

New York's Free-Tuition Clock Is Ticking: A Student's August Deadline Guide

Two of New York's biggest tuition scholarships close this month. A student's plain-English guide to Excelsior, STEM Incentive, FAFSA, and SUNY Reconnect.

News & Updates

Simone P. Aug 7, 2026

New York's Reading Scores Fall: Here Is What the 2026 Numbers Mean

New York's 2026 state exam scores show reading down five points and math up. Here is what the numbers actually mean for your child.

News & Updates

Justin G. Aug 6, 2026

Your School Taxes Do Not Pay for Lunch. Here Is What They Actually Buy.

New York homeowners pay an average of $7,573 a year in property taxes while their districts spend $37,033 per student. Here is where school money actually comes from, which programs the local levy never touches, and why the bill keeps arriving long after the kids graduate.

Community Voices

Justin G. Aug 5, 2026

New York Says 88 Degrees Is Too Hot to Teach: Many Schools Still Can't Afford the Fix

New York caps classroom heat at 88 degrees but funds no cooling. In a second summer of record heat, the result may be more early dismissals where they hurt most.

News & Updates

Justin G. Aug 4, 2026

New York's New School Immigration Law Turns on a Rule About Pickup Time

New York quietly enacted one of the country's strongest school immigration laws this spring. Districts have until September 21 to certify compliance, and the provision that matters most to families is about who picks your child up.

Teacher at a desk with laptop open while staring out the window

The Playbook

Justin G. Aug 4, 2026

Retire at 58: The Tier 6 Playbook for New York Teachers

New York's Tier 6 overhaul lets many teachers retire at 58 without penalty. What changed, who qualifies, and the five moves to make this fall.

Your Evaluation Is Being Rewritten: A New York Teacher's Playbook for the STEPS System

New York's Free-Tuition Clock Is Ticking: A Student's August Deadline Guide

Your School Taxes Do Not Pay for Lunch. Here Is What They Actually Buy.

The Standard NY Resource Center