Concerned parents spoke out about special education reform, set to sweep the city this fall, at a recent Community Education Council 27 forum featuring Department of Education (DOE) Chancellor Dennis Walcott. While the hot topic dominated most of the evening’s conversation at M.S. 137 in Ozone Park, parents, teachers and administrators inquired about a gamut [...]
Thousands of Queens parents will be without a “plan b” if child care is not bankrolled in the city’s final budget, advocates said. Funding for child care was not restored in Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s executive budget after a $70 million cut in his preliminary spending plan, pushing dozens of Queens programs to the brink. “This [...]
St. John’s University graduated nearly 3,000 students on Mother’s Day, May 13, for its 142nd Commencement festivities. “Today is one of my favorite days of the year, when we get to celebrate the accomplishments of our students,” said Rev. Donald Harrington, president of the university. “And, I have to say that in my 23 years [...]
One Long Island City high school was recently named New York’s “valedictorian.” The Baccalaureate School for Global Education (BSGE), located at 34-12 36th Avenue in L.I.C., is the top high school in the state based on rankings released by the U.S. News and World Report. BSGE was also ranked as the 21st best high school [...]
Missing just two days of school per month may not seem serious, but it presents a major obstacle to a high school diploma. Seventy five percent of chronically absent sixth graders — defined as missing 20 or more days of school, or two per month — fail to graduate high school, said Mayor Michael Bloomberg [...]
A job opening in Manhattan required a resume to be submitted online, but the woman applying had no computer, no resume and no clue where to begin. Seeking help, she visited her local Queens Library branch, where a job search librarian helped her write the resume and submit it online. Joanne King, the library’s associate [...]
Missing just two days of school per month may not seem serious, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg said today that it presents a major obstacle to a high school diploma. Seventy five percent of chronically absent sixth graders — defined as missing 20 or more days of school, or two per month —fail to graduate high [...]
The Weeks Woodlands civic group is awaiting a decision from the appellate court as it proceeds in its lawsuit to halt the expansion of St. Mary’s Hospital for Children. Construction on the Bayside facility began in October of 2010, despite opposition from Weeks Woodlands. Predominantly taking issue with surrounding zoning laws and the size of [...]
Stellar scholar Sarah Gafur snagged an award from the 2012 Scholastic Art & Writing competition – the country’s longest-running and most prestigious academic scholarship program for those who excel in the visual and literary arts. Gafur, an eighth grader at P.S. 232 in Howard Beach, won a $6,000 scholarship to attend a three-week program at [...]
The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and the Council of School Supervisors & Administrators (CSA) are hoping to “turnaround” the city’s decision to close 24 schools in court. The organizations filed suit today in State Supreme Court, seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction until issues surrounding the Department of Education’s (DOE) Turnaround plan can [...]
