Justin G.
Just my thoughts!
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Property Tax Relief Is Coming for Nearly 3 Million New Yorkers - Here Is What You Will Actually See
Nearly 3 million New Yorkers are splitting over $2 billion in STAR property tax relief this year, with checks running from $350 to $1,500 depending on age and income.
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Claude for Teachers Launches Amid NY AI Policy Gaps
Anthropic's free new AI tool for teachers lands in New York classrooms just as the state's biggest district still can't finish its own AI rules, and the nation's largest teachers union pivots from banning classroom AI to endorsing it.
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When Summer Screen Time Becomes a School-Year Problem
Summer technology habits can make the return to school harder. A gradual family reset can restore sleep, attention, homework routines, and healthier phone boundaries without turning every day into an argument.
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New York's New Reading Push Could Change What Summer Tutoring Actually Buys You
New York is training 25 Empire State Service Corps members in the science of reading. Here is what the shift means for summer tutoring, how families should evaluate reading support, and the questions every parent should ask before saying yes.
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New York City Freezes School Tech Spending While Its AI Policy Keeps Slipping
NYC schools have paused new technology purchases while officials scramble to finish an AI policy that keeps slipping. Here is what changed, what didn't, and why it matters well beyond the five boroughs.
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The Empty Afternoon: Why the Best Thing You Can Give Your Kid This Summer Is Nothing to Do
Child development research suggests the most valuable thing you can give a kid this summer isn't another camp or activity. It's a long, boring, unsupervised afternoon with nothing planned at all.
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Congress Passed a Kids' Online Safety Law. Albany Got There Two Years Earlier.
The House just passed a major kids' online safety bill. New York already passed something similar, and tougher, two years ago. Here is what changes, what doesn't, and why the difference actually matters for families here.
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