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Learning Resources for Parents

Help with homework

  • Dial-A-Teacher — UFT's homework help program. Classroom teachers answer homework questions at 212-777-3380, Monday through Thursday, from 4 to 7 p.m. during the school year.

Scholarship and financial aid information

  • Albert Shanker College Scholarship Fund — Each year, the UFT proudly awards nearly $1 million in undergraduate and graduate scholarships to academically excellent and financially eligible students from New York City public schools.
  • Student Aid on the Web — Free information from the U.S. Dept. of Education on preparing for and funding education beyond high school.
  • College Answer — A resource for college planning from Sallie Mae
  • NYS Higher Education Services Corporation — A resource from New York State that covers state and federal grants as well as loans and scholarships
  • College Board — The College Board is the organization that does the SATs; their site has test information as well as other college prep material.

Special education information

Check out the UFT's page on special education support for parents and caregivers »

 

Resources for English Language Learners (ELLs)

  • New York State Education Commissioner’s regulations governing ELL instruction, known as "Part 154"
  • New York City DOE’s policies and programs for ELLs
  • Colorín Colorado — Colorín Colorado is a free web-based service that provides information, activities and advice for educators and Spanish-speaking families of English language learners. It was created by the American Federation of Teachers, public TV and radio station WETA, the National Institute for Literacy, and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs. It includes instructional best practices, downloadable lesson plans, handouts and skill-building books, stories, activities and ideas. Sign up for their email newsletters here.
  • National Association for Bilingual Education — NABE's mission is to advocate for bilingual and English Language Learners and families and to cultivate a multilingual multicultural society by supporting and promoting policy, programs, pedagogy, research and professional development that yield academic success, value native language, lead to English proficiency, and respect cultural and linguistic diversity.
  • Make Beliefs Comix — Use this site to create comic strips. Choose from a diverse cast of characters. Select objects, scenes and emotions. Use talk balloons and thought balloons. Write in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese or Latin.
  • LibriVox — LibraVox makes books in the public domain available, for free, in audio format on the internet. It is noncommercial, nonprofit and ad-free. Its catalogue is organized by author, title, genre/subject and language. Offerings include over a thousand non-English works in languages ranging from the usual western European languages to Belarusian, Bengali, Cantonese Chinese, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Yiddish.

Great outings for parents and children

There’s nothing like the ring of that last school bell. Here are some fun after-school and weekend activities for children of all ages and their parents. Each borough has its special gems, including museums, parks and zoos that welcome families and provide hands-on experiences for young New Yorkers.

Support for immigrant students

Make the Road New York builds the power of immigrant and working class communities to achieve dignity and justice. Its programs include community meals and meetings, English classes, youth programs, health access and more.

La Colmena Staten Island Community Job Center empowers day laborers, domestic workers, and other low-wage immigrant workers in Staten Island through organizing, education, culture, and economic development.