Justin G.
Just my thoughts!
Same Judges, Same Law, Same Verdict: New York's Vaccine Mandate Survives a Second Look
A federal appeals court has upheld New York's school vaccine mandate for a second time, after the Supreme Court ordered a fresh look. Here is what changed, what didn't, and what New York families should actually watch for next.
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Latest Update on New York's Upcoming Diploma Change
New York's next diploma overhaul was announced through a personal letter to teachers. Here is what the competency-based diploma actually changes, and when it affects your child.
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The Building Only Looks Empty: What Actually Happens at School All Summer
A school in July looks abandoned, but it is running its busiest season. Inside the summer that decides your fall: closing the books and the external audit, capital projects and inspections, curriculum planning, professional development, staffing, and the board work that happens while nobody is watching.
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The End of Seat Time: How New York Is Rewriting What a Diploma Means
New York is dismantling seat time and the pass-to-graduate Regents requirement in favor of competency-based education, projects, and a single diploma. Here is what is actually changing, what is not, the real timeline, and how families should prepare without getting caught flat-footed.
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The College Savings Account Most Families Think They Can't Afford to Open
Most families never open a 529 because they think it is for the wealthy. It is not. New York's plan has no minimum, a state tax deduction worth real money, and far more flexibility than it used to. Here is how the most underused college savings account works, and how to start this week with as little as a few dollars a paycheck.
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Where Do the Teenagers Go? The Quiet Crisis of the Vanishing Third Place
Teens are not just addicted to their phones. They have run out of places to go. As the third place disappears, the screen becomes the only open door. Here is what the research says about teen loneliness, and how families and communities can rebuild the real-world spaces that summer used to provide.
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Your Child's Summer Grocery Money Is Real But Getting It Isn't Always Automatic
New York's Summer EBT (SUN Bucks) puts $120 per child toward summer groceries, and 2026 benefits are landing now. But attending a free-meal school does not guarantee it. Here is who gets it automatically, who has to apply by September 8, and how to claim money your family may be owed.
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How to Get Your Child Evaluated for Special Education (and IEP or a 504)
Suspect your child needs support at school but don't know where to start? This New York guide walks parents through requesting a special education evaluation, the 60-day deadlines districts must meet, the two-question eligibility test, and how to tell whether your child needs an IEP or a 504 plan.
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The Revote: Districts That Clawed to Yes, and the Ones Facing Contingency Cuts
New York's June 16 budget revotes split the state in two. Rome, Locust Valley, Grand Island, Ogdensburg, West Canada Valley, and South Country clawed their way to yes, most by cutting. Randolph, Lyndonville, and West Valley failed again and now face contingency budgets with zero levy growth and forced cuts to programs and staff. Here is what happened, and what it means for families.
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Scholarship Season Still Open: Real Money With Summer Deadlines
Some of the year's most generous scholarships quietly close over the summer, when far fewer students apply. Here is a verified, current rundown of awards with deadlines between now and the end of September 2026, from $10,000 STEM and healthcare scholarships to $20,000 and $25,000 no-essay options, with application links for each.
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The 0.4 Percent Rule: What to Tell Your Kid When the Odds Say Quit
A championship speech turned a 0.4 percent comeback into a worldview. Here is how parents can borrow that same reframe to raise kids who keep working when the odds, and the scoreboard, say it is time to quit.
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Special Education and Civil Rights Are Leaving the Education Department
The federal government is moving special education and civil rights oversight out of the Education Department. The laws protecting students with disabilities have not changed, but who enforces them has. Here is what it means for families, and why some states have far more at stake.
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