Dear parents, grandparents and education activists,

A busload of Manhattan parents traveled to Albany on Wednesday to lobby for more education funding. If you didn't join us in person, please support us by signing the petition calling on Albany to provide the $2 billion the state owes to New York City public schools as part of the 2006 settlement of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit.

Sign the petition now »

Also, please contact your legislators to ask for fair funding for New York City public schools and for more community schools.

Look up your state Assembly member »

Look up your state senator »

Political activists are calling attention to the issue of millionaires not paying their fair share of taxes. A federal tax loophole called carried interest reduces taxes for hedge fund managers. These activists are seeking to address this inequity by taxing them the same amount on the state level and using the revenue for public schools and other public services. Read the article from the New York Times »

Save the date for a book giveaway in East Harlem on May 14 organized by the UFT and First Book. I will send more details as they become available, but in order to collect your books, you'll have to register with First Book by April 1. To register, print and fill out the First Book registration form, then fax it to me at 212-510-6424 or give it to the UFT chapter leader at your child's school.

Download the First Book registration form »

Be sure to come out to our upcoming workshops on March 29, April 7 and April 8.

• ENACT workshop on parenting skills
  When: Tuesday, March 29 at 9 a.m.
  Where: UFT headquarters at 52 Broadway, 10th floor
   
• Grant writing workshop
  When: Thursday, April 7 at 9 a.m. OR Friday, April 8 at 6 p.m.
  Where: UFT headquarters at 52 Broadway, 10th floor

To RSVP, email me at fstreich@uft.org. For more details, see the flier »

Sincerely,

Francine Streich
UFT Parent-Community Liaison

Upcoming events

• Saturday, March 12: The Caribbean Equality Project, along with partners, invites you to Breaking Silences: A Caribbean LGBT People of Color Symposium from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 61 Claremont Ave. in Manhattan. Presentations will discuss immigration issues, HIV, mental health and more. Registration is free, and breakfast and lunch will be served. To register and find out more, see the event listing »

• Wednesday, March 16: The New York City Office of Library Services will hold an information session for aspiring librarians from 5 to 7 p.m. in the 7th floor conference room at 333 7th Ave. in Manhattan. Register online now »

• Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19: Come to the 9th annual Sista-2-Sista youth summit for high school girls of Pan-African descent at St. Francis College, 180 Remsen St. in Brooklyn. There will be workshops about media, health, entertainment, education and more. For more details and to register, see the event listing »

• Sunday, March 20: Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer invites you to "Up with Aging," a panel discussion and brain health expo. Doors will open at 12:30 p.m. There will be a panel discussion with neuroscientists about the aging brain at 1:30 p.m. and a brain health expo at 3 p.m. This event is free, but preregistration is required. RSVP online now »

• Sunday, March 20: The Association of Black Educators of New York presents a Women's History Month celebration honoring African American women of achievement from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA, 1121 Bedford Ave. in Brooklyn. Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Sheilah Bobo at sheilahbobo@gmail.com or see the flier »

• Wednesday, March 23: The Campaign for Educational Equity and partner organizations invite you to "10467," a play about educational equity in New York. The event is free and will run from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Register online now »

News and reminders

• A new approach to summer school: Chancellor Fariña announced on March 1 a revamped summer school curriculum with visits to cultural institutions and more STEM and college-readiness programs. The initiative is called Summer in the City and is open to both mandated students, who must complete summer school to be promoted, and non-mandated students. To find out more, visit the Department of Education website »

• High school admissions results: Schools received results letters for round one of high school admissions on March 3. These results letters include Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) results and LaGuardia High School audition results. Students can pick up their letters from their guidance counselors. At this point, students who received an admissions offer can accept their offer or submit a round two application by Friday, March 18. Students who did not submit a round one application should submit one for round two. To submit a round two application, visit the Department of Education website »

• Reminder for parents of students in Title I schools: All schools with Title I programs are required to have a Title I Parent Committee. This committee can be either a Title I Parent Advisory Council (PAC) or a subcommittee of the preexisting Parent Association. The Department of Education asks that Title I schools confirm that this committee exists by filling out an online survey by March 18. Visit the survey online now »

• Free e-books for low-income children: Adults working in libraries, schools, preschools, community after-school programs and other programs that serve low-income children can register children for the Open eBooks app, which offers thousands of best-selling books to low-income children to read for free. Find out more »

• Study finds that the majority of public school students are living in poverty: A new study from the Southern Education Foundation found that for the first time in 50 years, more than 50 percent of U.S. public schoolchildren are from low-income households. Find out more »

• Mayor de Blasio announces free municipal wireless internet: In February, Mayor de Blasio announced the launch of LinkNYC kiosks which provide wireless internet, domestic phone calls, USB charging ports, a tablet for web browsing and emergency services — all for free. With over 7,500 kiosks being installed throughout the five boroughs, this will be the largest WiFi network in the world. Read the story on NYC.gov »

• Americans want more regulation for charters: A national poll found overwhelming bipartisan support for more transparency and accountability for charter schools. Participants called for less selective admissions policies, better-trained teachers and more. Read the article from AlterNet »

Opportunities for students

• Scholarship opportunity for students of color: The Whitney M. Young Jr. scholarship fund is accepting applications from New York City residents of African American, Latino or Native American backgrounds who are high school graduates. Applicants should either be accepted to college or currently attending college full-time. Scholarships are between $1,500 and $3,500. The application deadline is April 1. For more details and to apply, visit the website »

• Scholarship opportunity from the Association of Black Educators of New York: Graduating seniors are invited to apply for $1,000 scholarships from the Association of Black Educators of New York. Scholarship winners and outstanding educators will be honored at a reception on June 18. The application deadline is April 30. Download the application »

• Scholarship opportunity for graphic novel artists: Penguin Random House has extended its application deadline for graphic novelist scholarships to March 28. To apply, high school seniors should fill out the application form and mail it with their graphic novels. Although the application says the deadline is Feb. 5, note that it has been extended to March 28. Download the application »

• Free spring classes for high school girls: The YWCA is offering classes in game design, 3D printing, activist theater and more this spring on weekday evenings at 500 W. 56th St. For more information, see the registration form »

• Free summer science program for high school girls: New York University is accepting applications for GenCyber CS4CS, a free, three-week, full-day summer program for high school women. The program will focus on cyber security and computer science. Applications are due by April 27. For more information and to apply, visit the website »

• Summer internships and seasonal jobs: New York City Council Member Fernando Cabrera's blog has assembled a list of summer internships and seasonal jobs that are accepting applications. Find out more »

Resources for parents

• Directory of NYC resources: On NYC.gov, find a directory of public resources on everything from culture and education to how to start a business. See the directory »

• Kid-friendly museum exhibits: Check out a list of 10 must-see museum exhibits in New York City that kids are sure to love. See the list on Kid101.com »

• Support for people in crisis via text messaging: Crisis Text Line offers free emotional support for people in crisis 24/7 via text messaging. To find out how to get support, or to learn about how you can volunteer, visit the website »

• Get notified about emergency events and NYC services: Notify NYC, New York City's official emergency information service, keeps New Yorkers up-to-date about crises and services in the case of emergencies. To start receiving notifications, enroll online now »

• Information about college for immigrant parents: The New York Immigration Coalition has published a guide for immigrant parents about how to find resources on higher education for your kids. The guide is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Bengali and Haitian-Creole. Download the resource for free »