Eight parents who are running to sit on local Community Education Councils are suing to stop the elections. They argue the process has not allowed them a fair chance to reach the select parents with the authority to vote for them.

In our series on charter schools we’ve examined the role of discipline. Critics say charters with strict rules unfairly push out students or fail to communicate with families well. One school in Bedford Stuyvesant lost almost one of five of its students when parents thought its detention and disciplinary rules went too far. It has since toned down its approach.

A frank assessment of the Bloomberg legacy and what awaits the next mayor were the highlights of a breakfast panel hosted by City & State and SchoolBook. You can hear it here.

A parent coordinator advises parents to temper their expectations for the upcoming parent-teacher conferences. Read her top six tips to make the most of the meetings.

Citing statistics showing students do better in school when their parents are actively engaged in their education, Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said the city will open a new Parent Academy to host training sessions at individual schools and in each of the five boroughs.

Two women whose children attend a middle school in the Bronx say they’d like more information about their children’s progress and more access to school officials.

A parent coordinator, from the South Bronx Preparatory School, said email and texts finally are taking off in her community and she hopes they’ll help her connect with more parents than ever before.

More than 2,000 parents signed up for mobile updates in the first week of the new school year. The city says it’s expanding outreach to parents as a new report shows a declining number of parents are attending conferences and workshops at their schools.