March 20, 2025

Dear Families,

On Tuesday, Chalkbeat printed an article about schools being directed to use an online teaching program, iReady. The goal is for iReady to boost children’s reading skills before April’s statewide English language arts exam.   This directive applies to all schools with grades 3-5.

You may be familiar with iReady as an online screener our school is required to give three times each year.  iReady also has an online teaching component that CPE1 has not previously used.  We have not offered those lessons in which a computer program, not a live teacher, selects and teaches different lessons for different students.

Schools that use iReady in their classrooms already have schedules that include time this computer program.  If we cut down our regular reading curriculum to make time for children to work alone on laptops, adding iReady in one area might affect reading in another.

We will make iReady available to all grades 3-5 students.  This will be each family’s choice.   Soon, we will email each grade 3-5 family separately to say how to access iReady.  Children will be able to log on at home.

We know that not all families support this kind of reading work, while others will embrace it.  Home access allows those who choose to have extra opportunities for practice, including during April vacation.  There will be much more information sent to children in grades 3-5, so all families can decide what’s right for their child.

Ray on the Move

Starting Monday, Ray will be moving from second and third grades to Hansel and Selena’s K-1 classroom. 

A younger student now requires the support of a full-time paraprofessional.  So far this year, Ray is the only para in our school without such a specific assignment.  There are no other candidates – within the school or as substitutes – to fulfill this serve as the required, full-time paraprofessional.  We would not want to make a midyear change otherwise.

Ray shared this news with children so that they can prepare for a change.  Most second and third graders have individualized handshakes with Ray; they’ll give those handshakes as a Friday farewell.  Those handshakes will be back on Monday, too, when they see Ray on the school yard and in the hallway. Among the children in our middle grades, Ray is going to be both missed and seen.

Save This Date

On May 10, the City College of New York is hosting a special education conference. You are invited.

The conference is called In Defense of Childhood.  It’s dedicated to inquiry-based learning.

The conference location is significant. The original six CPE teachers came together on the City College campus, at the Workshop Center for Open Education.  Deborah Meier, the founder of Central Park East, is expected to speak about the legacy of the Workshop Center and CPE, and the future of progressive education.

You do not have to be a teacher to attend this conference.  In fact, some of the workshops are designed especially for families. 

Please circle May 10 on your calendar.