SchoolBook is hosting a forum on STEM education on Tuesday, May 21. Join us any way you can, in person, via our live webstream or on Twitter (hashtag #StemNYC.) To whet your appetite for the topic take a listen to our recent story about the city’s efforts to seed science, technology, engineering and math programs in the school system.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor told a large gathering of parents of English language learners to speak up and ask for help navigating the massive school system, and to remember this mantra: “I am not stupid. I am ignorant. Help me figure it out.”

For the second time in three weeks, Pearson apologized for errors made when scoring the test for admission to the city’s gifted and talented programs. The latest round of errors affects the eligibility of 146 test takers and changes the scores – but not the status – of 159 others. The deadline to apply to G&T programs has been extended, again.

After the city’s law department said the D.O.E. would replace old light fixtures containing PCBs “well before” its original deadline of 2021, frustrated parents, advocates and elected officials said they want details.

Four democratic candidates for mayor, all with overlapping views on the New York City school system, took questions from parents at P.S. 29 Thursday night. The forum, moderated by Diane Ravitch, was a chance for candidates and parents alike to voice their frustration toward the current administration’s policies.

A high school student is fighting against what some consider to be inevitable: teenage insecurity. She said she was so alarmed by the high rates of teen suicide, bullying and eating disorders among her peer group that she launched a campaign to fight the trend.

The percentage of students who qualified for the city’s gifted and talented programs increased this year, as did the number of students who scored in the 99th percentile. The Department of Education released new numbers following a scoring error by Pearson last month.

Parents of students with special needs are still feeling burned by this year’s bus strike, and by everyday issues related to school bus service. They got a chance Thursday night to raise questions on bus service and the rollout of special education reform to the schools chancellor.

Rising ninth graders tend to group themselves by academic performance on their high school applications, according to a new study. The findings also suggest that many students prefer high school close to home.

The scoring of the state tests began this week and continues next week, with a pause for the math tests Wednesday through Friday. The Department of Education said about 2,600 teachers will each score the English and math tests during the school day, with more teachers hired to score the exams after school and on weekends.