Hi! I’m wondering if others parents are seeing their elementary schools struggle to find substitute teachers.

My kid’s school can never find a sub. When a teacher is out, the kids get split up into other classrooms, leading to overcrowding. They also put kids into DLP (dual language program) classrooms that are taught in a different language, thus ensuring that they can’t engage with the material at all, all day!

I have read that there is no substitute teacher shortage in NYC, and our PTA has agreed to pay tens of thousands of dollars for subs. So what gives?

Just had a little one recently and feeling now a bit behind on the nursery school/ daycare game. What do people do for their children from 0-2 in terms of care and schooling? At 2, we can send our LO to pre k but does that mean we’d need to get them into the school now? All very confused by this process.

Hello friends! Many here have been interested, encouraged, and inspired by my posts regarding school screen time. Parents have started a NYC based Schools Beyond Screens chapter to advocate for better screen time policies and limits for all students. There is now a Petition that details what we are asking NYCPS for. Please sign! Read the website for NYC Schools Beyond Screens to learn more. We also include in our demands that children have a right to screen free environments during recess, “brain breaks“, PE, and lunch. If you have felt as strong as I about the use of tech in schools please sign the petition and read through the website and join us!

Hi everyone!

Little Scholars Childcare Center in NYC is exploring the possibility of opening a new childcare center in the Lincoln Square/Upper West Side area and would love to hear from local parents and expecting families!

We've put together a quick, anonymous survey to better understand what families in the neighborhood are looking for when it comes to childcare, including their needs, preferences, and priorities.

Your feedback would be incredibly helpful as we explore how to best serve the community!

Take the survey here: https://apply.littlescholarsnyc.com/lincoln-square/survey

Thank you so much for your time and input!

While I was picking up my toddler, I saw a mouse run across the room. I brought it up to the daycare management and they couldn’t guarantee that it would never happen again, and admitted that it isn’t the first time it has ever happened.

I’m devastated because I’ve otherwise been really happy with their care. I’m also stressed because this is one of the only daycares in my area that participates in DOE 3K and UPK, and I was planning on sending him there for the next few years. What would you do in this situation?

With an additional 10k seats being rolled out this fall I am worried about them using a lottery and my wait-list spot being useless. We are now too late to put our names on wait lists at other places nearby. Paid 2k sounds great, but worried this will mean no program at all (or nothing nearby). Does anyone from current 2k enrollment know if they will take current wait lists into consideration somehow? I'd be shocked, but hope there is something we can do.

I've got a 5~ month old and I'm on parental leave at the moment. Would love any tips or advice you guys have.

EDIT: thank so much for the excellent tips!! I really appreciate it.

Hi All. My son is currently in 5th grade and going to middle school next year. The middle school application process is overwhelming and I feel like I don't even know where to begin. We have a couple of schools on our list and I would love to hear feedback on any of them or any other school recommendations to add on.

My son is can be a bit of an introvert. He's into legos, building and creating things, drawing and likes to play soccer. He is better at ELA and Science, and I would love for him to have stronger basis and interest in Math as he sometimes struggles with the concepts.

The schools currently on our list are Yorkville East Middle School, East Side Middle School, Community Action School, Isaac Newton Middle School and Robert Wagner (currently zoned D2). We are D4 and would like to stick close to East Harlem, UES, UWS, but wouldn't mind a commute. Thank you for the help!

Hi everyone! My husband and I are getting ready to start a family and would love some OB recommendations!

I’ve established care at Weill Cornell’s 575 Lexington practice (although I don’t have a specific doctor yet) and was really looking forward to hopefully delivering at Alexandra Cohen. Unfortunately, with NYP potentially going out of network with UnitedHealthcare, I’d love to explore some other options just in case.

Would love to hear which OBs you’ve loved and where you delivered! Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!!

I realize that tutors are pretty standard in NYC but this is a new area for me. As I watch my new high school student struggle with a big jump in difficulty I think I need to find a math tutor. Ideally one that can help with both Algebra and Geometry. Any suggestions or advice as to how to go about doing this? I already asked the school and they said they didn’t provide recommendations and did not have a list.

Thank you!

This is a little open ended. If anyone has experience with this, please share your thoughts. I am also curious how expanded Horizon services will affect this.

my son is 11, adhd and the bus situation at his school is a mess. two buses on the same block, substitute drivers, route changes. when he gets confused he goes quiet. phone on silent in the bottom of his bag. doesn't pick up, doesn't text.
last month his dot sat at the wrong bus stop for 47 mins. i couldn't reach him. couldn't tell if he was still there or long gone.
what we do now, with Findmykids, when my kid doesn't answer the phone: i send the loud ring. it goes off even on silent. he hears it, looks at the phone, sees my message that says stay there. he doesn't call, doesn't talk to anyone, just waits. we practiced it at home first so it wouldn't scare him.
the hard part was me not using it every time i got nervous. it's for the bad days.

what do u do with a kid who goes quiet?

Hi there!

We absolutely love our neighborhood in Brooklyn and our one-bedroom. But we’re thinking about starting a family, and we’ve concluded that a two-bedroom here plus daycare would be out of reach.
We’re very interested in Riverdale, specifically Spuyten Duyvil, as a place to raise little humans. The co-ops are within our price range, and we like the Metro-North stop and tons of parks and green space.

Looking at schools, parents seem very happy with PS 24 for elementary. My concern is the zoned middle school, Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy, which seems to have a bullying problem. I found this in last year’s DOE student survey report, where roughly two out of three kids said bullying happens most of or all the time.

I know there are some top private schools in the area, but they’re out of our price range, and I really don’t want my kids in an extremely competitive environment at age 11. I also recognize they might not get in, given how many families are competing for so few spots. Still, that seems preferable to an environment with a bullying problem.

I’m curious how other families in the area have navigated middle and high school.

anyone have kids at peck slip school? would you recommend it? trying to figure out whether to go the private route (but $$$) or if public school is good enough. otherwise, if you’re a fidi parent with a good school experience, where are your kids and how did you choose?

My child is in kindergarten, and we recently received the i-Ready assessment results. I’m trying to understand what these scores actually mean and how accurately they reflect a child’s reading and math abilities.

To be honest, I was a little surprised by the 50th percentile in math. My child can count well beyond 100, do single-digit addition and subtraction, and even understands some basic multiplication concepts. So I guess I expected a higher score.

Or maybe I’ve been overestimating my child’s math abilities? I always thought my child was doing pretty well in math, but now I’m wondering if my expectations were off or if there’s more to kindergarten math than I realized.

The reading score was around the 90th percentile, which was more in line with what I expected since my child loves books, enjoys letters, and is always trying to write independently.
I’m not necessarily concerned about the scores, but I’m curious how much weight parents should put on these assessments, especially at such a young age.

Does i-Ready really give an accurate picture of where a child is academically? Do teachers actually use these results to adjust instruction, or is it mostly just a benchmark for the school?
Would love to hear other parents’ experiences!

Hi everyone,

I'm British, my wife is American (from California), and we have a young son. I'm trying to get my head around the NYC school system and would really appreciate some advice from parents who've been through it.

I was registered for prep schools/boarding schools from birth myself, and I remember doing various tests when I was very young, after which things seemed fairly straightforward. Looking at NYC, though, there seems to be an overwhelming number of options, and I'm not entirely sure where to start.

A few questions:

• Admissions interviews: Do both parents generally need to attend? I work in finance, so my hours can be pretty brutal, and I'm not sure how realistic it is to take time off for multiple school visits and interviews.
• Interviews for young children: What are schools actually looking for when interviewing a five- or six-year-old? I find it slightly strange to think about having to give a detailed assessment of a child's character at that age.
• Academic focus: I studied Classics at university, so I'd love for our son to have the opportunity to study Latin and ideally Ancient Greek from a relatively young age. Are there NYC schools that are particularly good for this?
• Future boarding school: I'd like to keep open the possibility of boarding school later on, either in England or New England. Are there particular NYC schools that provide a good foundation for either route?

My wife isn't familiar with the NYC school system (although she did go to boarding school in California), and most of my friends don't have school-age children yet, so I don't really have many people to ask in real life. I'm finding it a bit overwhelming trying to work out where to start, especially given how many options there seem to be here!

I'm conscious that I'm probably thinking about some of this quite early, but I'd rather understand the landscape now than discover we've missed something important.

Would love to hear people's experiences, particularly from families who've gone through NYC independent-school admissions or have experience moving between the American and British education systems.

Thanks!

P.S. We live on UWS, but thinking of moving to UES soon for schools etc, I also have a cousin who lives there

Hi my child was nominated for the G and T program in kindergarten and was on the waitlist. We were told we can apply again next year. I just wanted to know what the experience been like for parents and kids who are already in the gifted and talented program.

Thanks !

Hi all - my son is turning 3 years old on November 7th. Does anyone have recommendations for reasonably priced indoor spaces on the Upper West Side or Harlem (no higher than 135th street). The Play Street Museum is booked during my desired date and I’m a bit concerned that a playground date in early November may be risky weather wise. Thanks!!

Hi all! I'm trying to decide between two OB practices and would love input from anyone who's been a patient at either.

Option 1: Weill Cornell Brooklyn (delivers at NYP)
• About 2 miles from my home, and I can take the bus there

• I saw Dr. Gerlach. She was super sweet, but she completely ignored my partner during the visit, which felt odd.

• The office feels older than NYU's

Option 2: NYU 53rd Street (delivers at NYU Tisch)
• Most modern office I've seen, with state-of-the-art technology. I was honestly in awe of the facility.

• About a 30-minute train commute (2 trains G to E)

• I saw Dr. Talib and liked her more. She's younger and felt more my style.

• I've heard it can feel like a "factory," which gives me pause

• I'm also hesitant because there's a chance a doctor I've never met will do the delivery

I know both hospitals are great, so I'm really trying to get a sense of the day-to-day patient experience:

• Has anyone seen Dr. Gerlach or Dr. Talib? How was it?

• How was prenatal care at either practice? Did you feel rushed, or like you got real time with your doctor?were the wait times long?

• Did you usually see your own OB, or rotate through the group?

• Did you end up being delivered by your own OB, or someone you'd never met? Did it matter to you in the end?

• What was L&D like at the delivering hospital? I believe both have private rooms.

• Did the commute ever become a problem, especially in the third trimester or with frequent appointments?

Any experiences, good or bad, would be really appreciated. Thank you

We recently toured NY Kids Club in Brooklyn Heights, and our first impression was really positive! The space felt bright, welcoming, friendly, and sweet.

Our daughter is currently 2, and we’re considering enrolling her in their 2s program, with the possibility of continuing into their pre-K program once the lottery process begins.

The director mentioned that she would get priotized if she is enrolled already and they now have a second DOE class, so there should technically be enough spots available, which sounds promising.

I’d love to hear from anyone whose children currently attend or have previously attended NY Kids Club Brooklyn Heights. How has your experience been?

We’d love honest feedback on the teachers, especially turnover rate, communication with parents, overall environment, and whether your children were happy there.

We’re also open to other recommendations for preschool or 2s programs in the Brooklyn Heights area!

Thanks so much for any insight or advice!

How early did you get on a list for day care? Also open to nanny share due April 7- I have space if that’s an issue. Thank you!

My husband and I will be moving to NYC in June 2027 and the thought of apartment hunting is already stressing me out so trying to do some initial research to narrow down what neighborhoods we would like to look in. I have been looking through threads the past few days and noted a lot of people gave the advice to identify what you need and what you would like because in New York you’re not going to get everything. So here is ours, any recommendations or additional tips are appreciated!

Needs:
- 2 bedroom minimum
- In unit washer dryer
- Under 45 minute commute via subway to Midtown
- Rent under $4,375 a month
- under 15 minute walk to a family friendly park

Wants:
- elevator or less than one flight of stairs (only if there is stroller storage at the base level)
- second bathroom
- dishwasher
- third bedroom
- playroom in building

Additional Background:
We will have a 2.5 year old and 6 month old when we move. I am currently staying home so daycare is not needed for now. Our plan is to live closer to the city for the next 2-3 years then reevaluate where we want to raise our kids (city or suburbs).

Our ideal neighborhood:
We would love a neighborhood that has lots of activities for littles (story time, gymnastics, playground, etc). I would love in general if the neighborhood was welcoming of kids, aka neighbors not complaining about strollers taking up the sidewalk, etc. Above all I would love somewhere I feel safe running to the grocery store at 8 PM alone with my kids.

If there is any info I missed providing that may help let me know!

My husband and I are looking to start a family in the near future and I need to find an OBGYN...we live in Williamsburg so not the most ideal location as there isn't a hospital near by. I'm trying to decide whether it makes more sense to find a doctor in upper east or fidi but I rather first find a doctor and go from there. Would love any recs!