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P.S. Weekly
This is the sound of the New York City school system. P.S. Weekly explores pressing issues facing students and teachers in the Big Apple. The Bell's team of high school audio producers work alongside Chalkbeat's seasoned education reporters to bring you stories, perspectives, and commentary you won't get anywhere else. Episodes air Thursday mornings.
Episodes
32 episodes
What's the Price of Success (Academy)? Former Students Open Up
As Success Academy turns 20 this year, former students of New York City’s largest charter school network share their stories in this episode of P.S. Weekly.Success Academy reshaped what free education for low-income students could look l...
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When Two Schools Become One
The nation’s largest school system is shrinking, and one way city officials are tackling the drop: ramping up school mer...
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Live from SXSW EDU: How Our Reporting is Making a Difference
This week on P.S. Weekly, we’re featuring an episode of Miseducation, a podcast about inequities in New York City schools also produced by The Bell.Several of our student reporters recorded this live conversation at SXSW EDU in Austin, T...
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Is AP Calculus Pointless? A Teacher Defends His Subject
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 ...
The Invite-Only School Admissions Test You Don’t Know About
With an acceptance rate below 10%, Hunter College High School is one of the most competitive public high schools in New York City. It’s also one of the least diverse. Hunter’s 15.3% student poverty rate was the lowest of any public ...
Exclusive Interview with Chancellor Kamar Samuels
Welcome back to P.S. Weekly, a student podcast created in collaboration between Chalkbeat and The Bell!In our first episode of Season 3, The Bell’s high s...
We're back with Season 3!
P.S. Weekly is back with Season 3! The Bell’s high school reporters have once again teamed up with Chalkbeat New York’s veteran education journalists to bring you pressing issues in New York City schools from the perspectives of stu...
Exclusive Interview with Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos
In this special back-to-school episode of P.S. Weekly, New York City schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos shared her thoughts on pressing education issues including the cellphone ban, restorative justice, mental health support for students, ...
What Do NYC Teens Think of the Mayoral Candidates?
What is happening with the youth vote during this year’s mayoral race? Are New York City’s young people tuning in? Are the candidates reaching out to young voters? And why hasn’t education been a centerpiece of the mayor’s race so far?Pr...
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Preview: Young New Yorkers and The Mayor’s Race
The race for New York City’s next mayor is in full swing, but do teens know what’s going on?Next week on P.S. Weekly, student journalists Roberto Bailey and Jojo Fofana are delving into the upcoming primary election.They’ve been d...
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Are NYC Schools Preparing Future Voters?
Why do so many young people lack the fundamentals of civics knowledge? Is the education system adequately preparing future ...
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One Student’s Struggle with “School Refusal” After COVID
It’s been five years since COVID shut down New York City schools. How are kids faring with the aftermath? How do they talk about the pandemic – or not? The fallout is often framed around “learning loss” or dips in test scores, but w...
Reduce, Reuse, Revolt: How Students Are Fighting Climate Change
What is the state of youth climate activism in New York City? The momentum of the climate protests at the start of the 2019-20 school year may have slowed since the pandemic, and many students remain apathetic, but climate anxiety c...
Stalled: Why Schools Are Restricting Bathroom Access
Cutting class. Fights. Vaping. School bathrooms have long been notorious for all sorts of illicit behavior. And in response, many schools now significantly restrict access to bathrooms or are adding surveillance tools, including vape detectors....
Can Writing Teachers Fend Off AI?
There’s no way to ignore the rise of AI in schools. Students are embracing it. Educators are battling it. Policymakers are trying to get ahead of it. There's no turning back.But are there some classes where AI just doesn't be...
Why Do Teachers Leave? We Investigate
When schools have high rates of teacher turnover, students lose connections to trusted educators, and new teachers who fill the openings are often less experienced. Producers Mateo Tang O’Reilly, from Central Park East High School, ...
When Filling Out the FAFSA Feels Dangerous
Applying to college is stressful enough. Navigating the financial aid process adds a whole new layer. And for children of immigrants, including those with undocumented parents, the process comes with even greater hurdles and anxieties.
Are NYC Schools Teaching Sex Ed? It's a Touchy Subject
Are New York City students getting the sex education they need? P.S. Weekly’s episode 2 explores the systemic shortcomings and urgent need for comprehensive — and inclusive — sex education in New York City schools.Producers Aponi Kafele,...
The Fight for Ethnic Studies in NYC Schools
Our first episode of Season 2 dives into the state of ethnic studies in New York City schools and how the Trump administration could threaten the recent expansion of Black studies, LGBTQ history, and other diverse curriculums in schools across ...
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We're Back with Season 2
P.S. Weekly Season 2 is here! The Bell’s student reporters have teamed up with Chalkbeat New York’s experienced education reporters and veteran executive producer Ave Carrillo, to bring you impactful stories from inside New York City schools.&n...
Live from SXSW EDU: Teen Journalists on NYC Admissions, Resources, and Real Change
We recorded this bonus episode live at the annual SXSW EDU conference, hosted earlier this month in Austin, Texas. P.S. Weekly’s student reporters spoke on a panel at the event, diving into the pressing inequities of New York City’s school syst...
Drama Over a School Arts Program and Who Gets to Swim?
While budget cuts threaten arts and swimming programs in NYC high schools, we talk to students and teachers who are advocating for their importance. In the first segment, hear from P.S. Weekly reporter Sanaa Stokes, as she gives us...
Student Protests, Free Speech, and NYC Public Schools
While protests over the Israel-Hamas war have gripped New York City college campuses, we look at how high schoolers have reacted — and the student freedom of speech issues being raised.P.S. Weekly reporter Dorothy Ha speaks to Orlena Fe...
Teens Want Therapy — Are They Getting It?
What happens when a teen wants therapy but their parents are unsure? Is NYC’s bold initiative to offer free virtual therapy to teens working? Tune in to find out.News Bulletin — Chalkbeat's Amy Zimmer breaks down top education stories fr...
Cafeteria Chronicles with the Critics Who Matter
In P.S. Weekly’s food episode, fourth graders visit NYC schools’ test kitchen, high schoolers rate grilled cheese sandwiches, and students dish on having microwave access. News Bulletin — Chalkbeat reporter Julian Shen-Berro brea...
