Miseducation

P.S. Weekly: When Two Schools Become One

May 08, 2026

The nation’s largest school system is shrinking, and one way city officials are tackling the drop: ramping up school mergers. New York City schools enrolled 793,000 K-12 students this school year, down about 15% from the 2019-20 school year, according to Education Department data. The number of students who have left the system during this time is bigger than Philadelphia’s entire public school population. That has left the city’s school system with an increasing number of small schools that ...

Live from SXSW EDU: How Our Reporting is Making a Difference

April 28, 2026

The Bell’s student reporters recorded a special live episode of Miseducation at SXSW EDU in Austin, Texas on March 9, 2026. Moderated by Salma Baksh, the conversation explored how student journalists can ask hard questions, hold institutions accountable and drive change in their schools and communities.Listen as Fredlove Deshommes, Jeremiah Dickerson and Aponi Kafele discuss their reporting on the student journalism gap in New York City schools, credit recovery and school composting, respecti...

P.S. Weekly: Is AP Calculus Pointless? A Teacher Defends His Subject

April 24, 2026

To many New York City students, Advanced Placement Calculus feels impractical, full of information they won’t use in their day-to-day lives — though it’s become a status symbol for some high achievers.But reaching that status symbol has some significant consequences: AP Calculus has garnered a reputation for being a barrier to higher education. The class has become a gatekeeper, with many selective colleges requiring students to take the subject. Those who took it in high school are at an adv...