The Definitive Guide to New York Education & Parenting

a student handing his cellphone to a school security guard

Justin G. Jul 29, 2026

New York's Phone Ban Cleared Year One: This Fall Is the Real Exam

New York's school phone ban is a year old and no longer up for debate. This fall brings the first data on whether it works, and for whom.

News & Updates

Justin G. Jul 28, 2026

The Building Is Part of the Problem: What New York's Chronic Absenteeism Data Really Shows

New York's chronic absenteeism rate is climbing again, split sharply by race, disability, and housing status. New research adds a second suspect: failing HVAC systems and moldy buildings.

Parent Support

Justin G. Jul 28, 2026

New York Poured Billions Into Child Care, But In Dozens of Counties, the Waitlist Never Moved

Albany added a record $1.2 billion to child care this year, yet the voucher waitlist still hasn't budged in dozens of New York counties heading into fall.

New York State Education Building, Albany NY

News & Updates

Justin G. Jul 27, 2026

New York Spends the Most on Schools in America. It Also Has 12 Percent Fewer Students to Teach.

New York has led the nation in per-student school spending for nineteen straight years, even as enrollment keeps falling. Here is a full, data-driven look at where the money comes from, where it goes, and why the results still lag the price tag.

Parent Support

Justin G. Jul 27, 2026

The End of the Regents as You Knew It: What New York's New Diploma Means for Your Kid

New York is phasing out Regents exams for a competency-based diploma. The Class of 2027 is the last required to pass. Here is what every NY parent should do now.

The Playbook

Simone P. Jul 26, 2026

10 Things Every Student Can Learn From LeBron James, No Basketball Required

LeBron James just took a pay cut at 41 to chase what he loves. Here are 10 life lessons from his career that have nothing to do with basketball, and how to actually practice them in school.

News & Updates

Justin G. Jul 24, 2026

New York's School Safety Report Has Two Headlines But Only One Holds Up

New York's newest school safety report shows bullying and drug incidents rising past pre pandemic levels, even as serious violent incidents nearly vanish, mostly because the state redefined what counts as one.

a parent and teenager comparing two pairs of sneakers

Parent Support

Justin G. Jul 23, 2026

The New Back-to-School Budget: What Families Are Really Spending in 2026

Families expect to spend an average of $863.86 per K-12 student this year, but the real back-to-school budget runs from August through June, not just one shopping trip. Here is where the money actually goes, and how families, especially in New York, can budget smarter.

student using an AI learning assistant on a laptop at a classroom desk

Community Voices

Justin G. Jul 22, 2026

AI Isn't Going Away: Schools Should Stop Pretending They Can Ban It

Students are already using artificial intelligence inside and outside school. Districts should replace blanket bans with explicit rules, stronger assessments, teacher training, and serious AI literacy.

News & Updates

Justin G. Jul 21, 2026

Over 100 Lawsuits Filed Against Trump's Education Reshaping

From dismantling the Department of Education to a birthright citizenship order, here is every major legal front in the fight over Trump's education agenda, and what New York stands to win or lose.

New York high school students in an agriculture-based career pathway

News & Updates

Justin G. Jul 20, 2026

New York's New Diploma Plan Isn't Finished But Rural Schools Are Already Building It

New York is moving toward a competency-based diploma, and two rural districts, Marion and Cassadaga Valley, are already building the career pathways the state's NY Inspires initiative is still designing.

News & Updates

Simone P. Jul 17, 2026

New York's Summer Programs Keep Getting Smoked Out, and No One's Fixed the Response

A statewide air quality advisory pulled summer camps indoors across New York this week, but whether a program got the memo in time still comes down to luck.

New York Spends the Most on Schools in America. It Also Has 12 Percent Fewer Students to Teach.

AI Isn't Going Away: Schools Should Stop Pretending They Can Ban It

New York's New Diploma Plan Isn't Finished But Rural Schools Are Already Building It

The Standard NY Resource Center