The Definitive Guide to New York Education & Parenting

Students taking exams in gymnasium setting

Justin G. Jun 5, 2026

Graduation Rules: Here Is Why Your Child Still Has to Take the Regents.

New York is rebuilding what it means to earn a high school diploma, but the Regents exams are not gone yet. Here is what is actually changing, which students are affected, and why your child still has to take the test this year.

News & Updates

Justin G. Jun 4, 2026

New York Now Has Statewide Rules for Diapering and Toileting in Schools

New York just adopted its first statewide rules for diapering and toileting in schools. Section 136.10 sets new standards for equipment, training, privacy, and dignity, and bars schools from excluding children who are not yet potty trained. Here is what every New York parent needs to know.

News & Updates

Justin G. Jun 3, 2026

New York Teachers Just Drew a Line on Screens and AI in the Youngest Classrooms

New York's largest teachers union wants screens and student-facing AI out of pre-K through second grade classrooms statewide. Here is what NYSUT's resolution means, where Governor Hochul stands, and how New York families can weigh in before it becomes policy.

Students talking in a middle school classroom

News & Updates

Justin G. Jun 3, 2026

Is New York's Statewide School Cellphone Ban Actually Working?

One year in, New York's statewide school cellphone ban is delivering better behavior and stronger student well-being, but flat test scores. Here is what Hochul's first-year survey and the latest national research reveal, and what it all means for New York families.

a teacher working with students at their desks

News & Updates

Justin G. May 29, 2026

NY Tier 6 Reform: What It Means for Teachers & Schools

New York's 2026 state budget cuts the Tier 6 teacher retirement age from 63 to 58 and lowers pension contribution rates for over 830,000 public employees. Here's what it means for classrooms, educators, and taxpayers across the state.

New York State public school board meeting

News & Updates

Justin G. May 29, 2026

Should Your Community Have a Vote Before a Charter School Opens? A New Bill Says Yes

Two new New York State bills would require public hearings and a community vote before any charter school can open, expand, or renew. Here's what the legislation means for school budgets and families across the state.

An elementary school classroom in New York City with young students working on math problems

News & Updates

Justin G. May 28, 2026

Mayor Zohran Mamdani Is Overhauling How NYC Kids Learn Math

Mayor Mamdani is expanding NYC Solves, the city's math initiative, into elementary schools for the first time across four districts this fall. Here's what the $17.3 million overhaul means for your child's classroom.

A wide-angle photograph of a New York State public school building exterior

News & Updates

Justin G. May 28, 2026

The White House Is Sitting on $2 Billion for Schools - Here's What That Means for New York

The White House is withholding more than $2 billion in congressionally approved education funding. New York State has already lost access to $463 million in school grants. Here's what families and educators need to know.

News & Updates

Justin G. May 26, 2026

The Pope Says AI Is Threatening Critical Thinking While Our Schools Try to Figure it Out

Pope Leo XIV's new encyclical warns that AI is eroding critical thinking. New York schools are still sorting out how to respond, and the stakes for students couldn't be higher.

News & Updates

Justin G. May 25, 2026

What New York Schools Are (and Aren't) Teaching About Memorial Day

New York State has a veterans speaker program, a civic readiness framework, and 700 school districts. So why do so many students leave for Memorial Day weekend without ever learning what the holiday actually means?

News & Updates

Justin G. May 22, 2026

New York Schools Support Staff Are Barely Getting By

New York school classroom aides, teacher assistants, lunch monitors, and clerical staff are earning wages that fall far below the state's own cost of living benchmarks. As Jeff Bezos calls for zero federal income taxes on the bottom half of earners, a look at the numbers reveals just how badly New York's school support workforce has been left behind.

School Bus Autumn drive through New York countryside

News & Updates

Justin G. May 21, 2026

NY's Zero-Emission Bus Mandate Delayed Five Years

New York State has delayed its zero-emission bus mandate by five years, moving the 2027 purchase deadline to 2032 and full fleet conversion from 2035 to 2040. Here is what families, school districts, and communities across New York need to understand about the health, policy, and accountability stakes.

New York Now Has Statewide Rules for Diapering and Toileting in Schools

Is New York's Statewide School Cellphone Ban Actually Working?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani Is Overhauling How NYC Kids Learn Math

The Standard NY Resource Center