Miseducation

While protests over the Israel-Hamas war have gripped New York City college campuses, we look at how high schoolers have reacted — and the student freedom of speech issues being raised.

P.S. Weekly reporter Dorothy Ha speaks to Orlena Fella, whose high school was uniquely impacted by recent protests at City College. Then, Dorothy heads over to the New York Civil Liberties Union for an in-depth conversation about student rights with Racial Justice Counsel Camara Stokes Hudson.

Finally, Dorothy talks to host Jose Santana about how free speech concerns have shown up at her high school.

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To stay up to date on New York City schools coverage throughout the week, sign up for Chalkbeat New York's daily newsletter at ckbe.at/subscribe-ny.

Learn more about The Bell's student programs and podcasts at bellvoices.org.

What happens when a teen wants therapy but their parents are unsure? Is NYC’s bold initiative to offer free virtual therapy to teens working? Tune in to find out.

News Bulletin — Chalkbeat's Amy Zimmer breaks down top education stories from the past week. (2 min)

Segment A — Salma Baksh interviews a mother-daughter duo as they discuss conflicting views on therapy. (11 min)

Segment B — Shoaa Khan explores Teenspace, the city's new virtual therapy initiative that provides free services for teens. Hear about the ambitious new program from Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan and therapist Dr. Jill Daino . (8 min)

Learn more about Teenspace: talkspace.com/nyc

Want to get in touch? Email us at [email protected].

To stay up to date on New York City schools coverage throughout the week, sign up for Chalkbeat New York's daily newsletter at ckbe.at/subscribe-ny.

Learn more about The Bell's student programs and podcasts at bellvoices.org.

In P.S. Weekly’s food episode, fourth graders visit NYC schools’ test kitchen, high schoolers rate grilled cheese sandwiches, and students dish on having microwave access.

News Bulletin — Chalkbeat reporter Julian Shen-Berro breaks down top education stories from the past week. (2 min)

Segment A — Student reporter Ava Stryker-Robbins and Chalkbeat reporter Alex Zimmerman visit the NYC Public Schools' test kitchen to learn about the process food items go through before they end up in school cafeterias. Spoiler alert: they have to win the approval of some tough critics. (12 min)

Segment B — Student reporter Jose Santana makes a surprising discovery when he visits the Bronx Latin school cafeteria on a recent Plant-Powered Friday. (6 min)

Segment C — Student reporter Santana Roach speaks with his principal and students at his school, Frederick Douglass Academy II, about access to microwaves.  (7 min)

Want to get in touch? Email us at [email protected].

To stay up to date on New York City schools coverage throughout the week, sign up for Chalkbeat New York's daily newsletter at ckbe.at/subscribe-ny.

Learn more about The Bell's student programs and podcasts at bellvoices.org.

In this special episode, student reporters Shoaa Khan and Jose Santana speak to Chancellor David Banks about a range of important issues that affect students. Hear what the leader of the NYC public school system had to say about a new "Hidden Voices" history curriculum, school start times, the persistence of school segregation, cell phone policies, and more.

Want to get in touch? Email us at [email protected].

To stay up to date on New York City schools coverage throughout the week, sign up for Chalkbeat New York's daily newsletter at ckbe.at/subscribe-ny.

Learn more about The Bell's student programs and podcasts at bellvoices.org.

In the first segment, student producer Christian Rojas Linares explores a new apprenticeship program through the eyes of Heidy Torres, a high school junior who works 16 hours a week for Bloomberg, the finance giant and media company.

The second segment, produced by Marcellino Melika and Tanvir Kaur, focuses on a student who has devoted enormous energy to getting into a top college — submitting 23 applications requiring 50 supplemental essays.

Want to get in touch? Email us at [email protected].

To stay up to date on New York City schools coverage throughout the week, sign up for Chalkbeat New York's daily newsletter at ckbe.at/subscribe-ny.

Learn more about The Bell's student programs and podcasts at bellvoices.org.

More than 200,000 New York City students have a disability classification that entitles them to specific learning accommodations — but do they always get them? Students share their experiences.

RSVP for "Inside P.S. Weekly" Zoom event on April 17: https://ckbe.at/psweekly

Want to get in touch? Email us at [email protected].

To stay up to date on New York City schools coverage throughout the week, sign up for Chalkbeat New York's daily newsletter at ckbe.at/subscribe-ny.

Learn more about The Bell's student programs and podcasts at bellvoices.org.

The national wave of book bans has been coming ashore in surprising ways in New York City.
News Bulletin – Chalkbeat reporter Alex Zimmerman breaks down top education stories from the past week. (1 min)
Segment A  – Student reporter Salma Baksh interviews her former librarian Lindsay Klemas, who received online backlash for promoting an LGBTQ+ book during Pride month. (8 min)
Segment B – Shoaa Khan and Tanvir Kaur take us to an English class at the Academy of American Studies, where students read banned books — exclusively. (6 min)

RSVP for "Inside P.S. Weekly" Zoom event on April 17: https://ckbe.at/psweekly

Want to get in touch? Email us at [email protected].

To stay up to date on New York City schools coverage throughout the week, sign up for Chalkbeat New York's daily newsletter at ckbe.at/subscribe-ny.

Learn more about The Bell's student programs and podcasts at bellvoices.org.

Officials estimate that more than 36,000 migrant students have enrolled in New York City public schools over the past two years.

What challenges are these new students facing? And what are schools doing to support them? This student-reported episode explores these questions through conversations with students, educators, and a journalist who's been covering the issue.

Segment A
Chalkbeat Reporter Michael Elsen-Rooney breaks down the issue and how the broader media narratives don't necessarily reflect experiences on the ground. (6 min)

Segment B
Student reporter Jose Santana interviews a Claremont International High School student about her transition to the school system and how one program has made a big difference. (9 min)

Segment C
Student reporter Bernie Carmona talks to Sunisa Nuosy, a former international high school teacher about the joys and challenges of educating immigrant students. (7 min)

Additional reading:
• Read this story about students from NYC’s largest school for newcomer immigrants as they push for a change in the school name
• Read this first-person story from an educator advocating for more school social workers to support NYC migrant students

To stay up to date on New York City schools coverage throughout the week, sign up for Chalkbeat New York's daily newsletter at chalkbeat.org/newsletters.

Learn more about The Bell's student programs and podcasts at bellvoices.org.

Want to get in touch? Email us at [email protected].

Welcome to the the sound of the New York City school system.

P.S. Weekly explores pressing issues facing students and teachers in the Big Apple. The Bell's team of high school student producers work alongside Chalkbeat's seasoned education reporters to bring you stories, perspectives, and commentary you won't get anywhere else.

Episodes air Wednesday mornings, starting March 27.

>> Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify

The threat came in an e-mailed letter from the principal to the entire student body: Stop following the anonymous Instagram accounts, or face suspension.

When Principal David Marmor of Francis Lewis High School in Queens discovered two accounts — one which posted fight videos and the other which included vulgar content that in some cases targeted specific students — he didn’t hesitate to act. In addition to threatening suspension, he promised to cancel all “celebratory events” like pep rallies and prom until the accounts were deleted or lost all their followers — a dramatic step that raised questions about the line between students’ free speech online and punishable behavior. 

First reported by Chalkbeat New York, the case immediately caught our attention. Social media's impact on our lives as teens can't be overstated. Anonymous Instagram pages that share confessions, photos, and videos about school communities have become increasingly common. Sometimes the content is harmless. Other times, it feeds into vicious bullying. 

We called up Chalkbeat’s Alex Zimmerman to break down what happened at Francis Lewis and discuss the broader implications of Marmor’s actions. Should schools be allowed to regulate students’ social media use? If so, did this principal go too far?

Learn more about our work at https://bellvoices.org.

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This episode was hosted by Shoaa Khan and Jose Santana. It was produced by Sabrina DuQuesnay, Mia Lobel, Mira Gordon, and Taylor McGraw, and made in collaboration with Amy Zimmer and Alex Zimmerman from Chalkbeat New York.

Music from Blue Dot sessions.

This episode was made possible in part by the Summerfield Foundation, the Pinkerton Foundation, FJC, and Hindenburg Systems.