Saturday, June 9, 2012


We have uncovered a very serious glitch in DOE system that gave priority to many children and left many out of the program. The only thing that guarantees child a placement or at their first choice is a sibling priority.

According to the application and DOE rules:
The applicant will receive priority for admission if he/she has a sibling who is currently enrolled or pre-registered and will be in grades K-5 in September 2012.


Some parents of twins took advantage of the fact there is no separate box to check twin who are applying together (obviously they are not currently enrolled), and used part B to indicate they have a brother or sister. We have the evidence, It will be unfair to the children to expose their names, so for now they remain confidential.

The DOE never contacted them to verify their enrollment status, and they got 2 spots that were their first choice! Their score are low, and yet they were given priority over 99s.

We have contacted the DOE and to clarify if twins can use Sibling Priority Box B on the application to indicate their brother or sister. The answer we got from one of the enrollment executives, absolutely NO, it is fraud to do so, and if somebody does so they will be disqualified.

Yet, those children remain enrolled at the school, and they were not disqualified.

This is how it works, once you apply online or in person, data of the sibling entered into the DOE database, and they are given the 1st priority. You don’t necessarily have to have brother or sister to cheat the system, any name will do. No verification is done before the placement, it’s left by DOE to be done at school level.

What does it mean for the rest of us? The processed is rigged and this year placement should be disqualified all together.

Our due diligence uncovered that this glitch has been around for a while, meaning there is a significant number of twins who have cheated the system.

These dishonest placements affect everyone who have apply to the G&T program: at the time of the placement the twins are taking 2 seats pushing other children – who may have scored higher- for 2nd, 3rd and sometime last choice. Those who decline the offer given to them, get out of the G&T program!  There is no going back on the list and waiting for better offer, once you decline you done.

By not disqualifying these children at point of application the DOE is affecting everybody placements.

We are forming class action and looking to hire a lawyer and to get an injunction to disqualify and redo this year process. 

Thursday, June 7, 2012

About Us

The purpose of the blog is support the community of families in New York City who straggle with the DOE and the G&T program.