P.S. Weekly

Chalkbeat + The Bell
  • 5.0 (24)
  • News
  • Updated 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.

  1. When the School Bus Doesn’t Come: One Family’s Saga

    3d ago

    When the School Bus Doesn’t Come: One Family’s Saga

    Constant delays. No-shows. Missed class.  Roughly 145,000 New York City students, 43% of whom have disabilities, rely on yellow bus service to get to school each day. It’s a sprawling system with 9,000 routes operated by more than 50 different companies at a cost of more than $2 billion a year. But sometimes, the buses don’t arrive at all. Parents are often unable to track buses or contact busing companies, forcing many families to pay out of pocket for cabs or keep their kids home from school. P.S. Weekly producers Noa Salas Adam, a junior at Stuyvesant High School, and Katelyn Melville, a rising sophomore at City College, explore the challenges faced by students with disabilities who rely on busing, including academic setbacks, missed time with friends, and lack of access to OMNY cards to commute to jobs or after-school programs. Lucas Healy, a senior with autism at Brooklyn’s High School of Telecommunication Arts & Technology, opens up about missing class because of unreliable busing and the emotional toll it’s taken, which still affects him today. His mother, Paullette Ha-Healy, shares her experiences navigating limited options when the bus didn’t arrive, and her frustrations with the Office of Pupil Transportation overseeing the Education Department’s massive transportation system. “I didn't like it when I was left out,” Lucas said of missing class because of busing. “And because of that, I felt lonely because I wasn't there, and it's definitely not fair.” The Education Department has said some fixes are on the horizon: The city is promising upgraded software by September that will create shorter and more efficient routes. Officials pledged to release bus vendor “scorecards” in June, rating bus companies on various metrics, including driver safety and bus breakdowns. Send us Fan Mail Join us on Thursday, June 11 for P.S. Weekly Live: High School Student Reporters Take the Mic from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch. Light refreshments + prizes for K-12 attendees. Free with RSVP.  P.S. Weekly is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Reach us at PSWeekly@chalkbeat.org. P.S. Weekly is a collaboration between Chalkbeat and The Bell, made possible by generous support from The Pinkerton Foundation.

    23 min
  2. Inside One Push to Diversify NYC's Teacher Workforce

    May 29

    Inside One Push to Diversify NYC's Teacher Workforce

    New York City’s teachers don’t reflect the students they serve, but one recent public school grad is trying to do his part to shrink that gap. Students of color make up the vast majority of the nation’s largest school system, yet white educators are more than half of the teaching workforce. Better representation at the front of the classroom can affect student outcomes. Studies have shown students who have teachers of color tend to have better test scores, attendance, and graduation rates.  P.S. Weekly producers Ermione Aleah Raymond, from the Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice, and Mateo Tang O’Reilly, from Central Park East High School, compare teaching diversity within their own schools and examine how the lack of it affects their experiences as students of color.   Ermione interviews Isaiah Nicholson, a college freshman who was once in her shoes and now wants to make a dent in the data. Isaiah is a fellow in NYC Men Teach, a 10-year-old program based out of the City University of New York that aims to bring more men of color into the city’s teacher pipeline. Over the past decade, the program contributed roughly 3,200 new male teachers of color to the city’s public schools, a recent report said. Send us Fan Mail Join us on Thursday, June 11 for P.S. Weekly Live: High School Student Reporters Take the Mic from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch. Light refreshments + prizes for K-12 attendees. Free with RSVP.  P.S. Weekly is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Reach us at PSWeekly@chalkbeat.org. P.S. Weekly is a collaboration between Chalkbeat and The Bell, made possible by generous support from The Pinkerton Foundation.

    18 min
  3. Away Game: Students Who Play Sports for Other Schools

    May 21

    Away Game: Students Who Play Sports for Other Schools

    What if your high school doesn’t offer your favorite sport?  Today’s disparities in access to sports teams stem from a policy pushed by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg to replace large high schools with smaller ones. These new schools, largely serving Black and Latino students, didn't have the enrollment to field an array of teams — creating a systemic deficit that still disproportionately affects students of color. As part of a 2022 settlement of a class action lawsuit arguing that the Public Schools Athletic League, or PSAL, and the Education Department were discriminating against Black and Latino students, the city created the PSAL All-Access Program. Through “Individual Access,” students who want to play a sport their school doesn’t offer can join a nearby school’s team. Roughly 1,500 students participated on teams through the program in the 2023-24 school year, Education Department officials previously said.  Still, just 38% of Black and Latino students went to a school with 20 or more teams, compared to 61% of students who are white, Asian American, multiracial, or belong to other groups, one sports equity advocate found. P.S. Weekly producers Jasper Mallorca and Roberto Bailey discuss the landscape of high school sports access in New York City schools. Jasper interviews Noah Moore about what it’s like to be on another school’s team. Noah, a senior at Manhattan’s High School of Art and Design, played football for Stuyvesant High School. Jasper, also an Art and Design senior, ran cross country for a team based at Lab Collaborative and the Museum School. Their experiences offer a window into the city's patchwork sports-access fix — and its limitations Send us Fan Mail Join us on Thursday, June 11 for P.S. Weekly Live: High School Student Reporters Take the Mic from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch. Light refreshments + prizes for K-12 attendees. Free with RSVP.  P.S. Weekly is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Reach us at PSWeekly@chalkbeat.org. P.S. Weekly is a collaboration between Chalkbeat and The Bell, made possible by generous support from The Pinkerton Foundation.

    22 min
  4. What's the Price of Success (Academy)? Former Students Open Up

    May 14

    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 like. The network boasts above average scores on state tests and impressive college admissions statistics. Some alumni, however, wonder if the academic pressure and strict behavioral standards are worth it. Its famously test-focused approach has raised a question: How much pressure on students is too much? P.S. Weekly producers Jeremiah Dickerson, a senior at Williamsburg Charter High School, and Noa Salas Adam, a junior at Stuyvesant High School, dive into the complex world of Success Academy. Dickerson, himself a former Success Academy student, interviews another former student about what it was like to attend the school. They touch on everything from uniforms, “mouth bubbles,” and clip charts to extremely rigorous academics and the lingering emotional price tag of attending Success Academy. Send us Fan Mail Join us on Thursday, June 11 for P.S. Weekly Live: High School Student Reporters Take the Mic from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch. Light refreshments + prizes for K-12 attendees. Free with RSVP.  P.S. Weekly is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Reach us at PSWeekly@chalkbeat.org. P.S. Weekly is a collaboration between Chalkbeat and The Bell, made possible by generous support from The Pinkerton Foundation.

    20 min
  5. When Two Schools Become One

    May 7

    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 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 may be unable to provide their students with a full array of courses and resources.  Solving the enrollment puzzle is top of mind for New York City officials, especially as the city confronts its own budget problems. But merging schools is not always easy.  P.S. Weekly producers Rayleen Laloi, a junior at The Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts, also known as BILA, and Ermione Aleah Raymond, a senior at the Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice, both experienced school mergers firsthand. They explore what happens to students when two schools become one.  Rayleen talks with Osei Alfred, who attended the School for Human Rights before it became part of BILA last year. The merger changed Osei’s high school experience, for better and worse. He shares insights for schools who might be facing the same situation.  Send us Fan Mail Join us on Thursday, June 11 for P.S. Weekly Live: High School Student Reporters Take the Mic from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch. Light refreshments + prizes for K-12 attendees. Free with RSVP.  P.S. Weekly is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Reach us at PSWeekly@chalkbeat.org. P.S. Weekly is a collaboration between Chalkbeat and The Bell, made possible by generous support from The Pinkerton Foundation.

    22 min
  6. Live from SXSW EDU: How Our Reporting is Making a Difference

    Apr 30

    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, 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, respectively. Together, they reflect on what empowers them as reporters, what adults can learn from listening to students and why expanding access to journalism education is essential. Send us Fan Mail Join us on Thursday, June 11 for P.S. Weekly Live: High School Student Reporters Take the Mic from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch. Light refreshments + prizes for K-12 attendees. Free with RSVP.  P.S. Weekly is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Reach us at PSWeekly@chalkbeat.org. P.S. Weekly is a collaboration between Chalkbeat and The Bell, made possible by generous support from The Pinkerton Foundation.

    46 min
  7. Is AP Calculus Pointless? A Teacher Defends His Subject

    Apr 23

    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 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 advantage, and schools with majority Black and Latino students tend to miss out. The number of such schools offering calculus has hovered under 40% over the past decade, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.  P.S. Weekly producers Mateo Tang O’Reilly, a junior at Central Park East High School, and Jasper Mallorca, a senior at High School of Art and Design, ask: Does AP Calculus serve a purpose other than proving academic rigor to colleges? They explore the unseen value of calculus beyond the classroom.  Mateo sits down with Dash Anderson, a Brooklyn high school math teacher who shares his experience teaching calculus in a way that brings the subject to life with real-world examples, from video games to “Moana.” Send us Fan Mail Join us on Thursday, June 11 for P.S. Weekly Live: High School Student Reporters Take the Mic from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch. Light refreshments + prizes for K-12 attendees. Free with RSVP.  P.S. Weekly is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Reach us at PSWeekly@chalkbeat.org. P.S. Weekly is a collaboration between Chalkbeat and The Bell, made possible by generous support from The Pinkerton Foundation.

    24 min
  8. The Invite-Only School Admissions Test You Don’t Know About

    Apr 16

    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 high school in the city, according to public data from the 2024-25 school year. By comparison, Bronx Science and Stuyvesant, two of the city’s specialized high schools, each had about 50% of students from low-income households. The lack of socioeconomic as well as racial diversity at Hunter — which is run by CUNY’s Hunter College — doesn’t get as much attention as the demographics at Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, and other specialized high schools in the five boroughs. Like those coveted institutions, Hunter also bases admissions on a test. Except to even qualify for Hunter’s test, you have to be invited, based on state test scores.  Now, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his administration backing efforts to bolster integration in public schools, some Hunter students are fighting for change from the inside. Producers Roberto Bailey, a senior at Hunter, and Zoe George, a senior at Bard High School Early College Manhattan, know the landscape of competitive high school admissions well: They’ve experienced it.  We also hear from Hunter student and activist Kassidy Khuu about the admissions process at the Upper East Side institution, what she and others are doing to try and change it, and the underlying question of who gets access to a “gifted” education. Send us Fan Mail Join us on Thursday, June 11 for P.S. Weekly Live: High School Student Reporters Take the Mic from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch. Light refreshments + prizes for K-12 attendees. Free with RSVP.  P.S. Weekly is available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Reach us at PSWeekly@chalkbeat.org. P.S. Weekly is a collaboration between Chalkbeat and The Bell, made possible by generous support from The Pinkerton Foundation.

    24 min
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Chalkbeat + The Bell
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 P.S. Weekly
  • Show Website
    P.S. Weekly

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