Michael Elsen-Rooney, Chalkbeat, Author at THE CITY

The exterior of Newcomers High School in Queens shows a wide staircase, ornate doorway and brick facade. There are blooming flowers in front.

Students at NYC’s Largest School for ‘Newcomers’ Push for Name Change

by Michael Elsen-Rooney, Chalkbeat Dec. 5, 2023, 5:03 p.m.Dec. 5, 2023, 5:03 p.m.

The name of New York City’s largest public school for immigrant students succinctly describes who it serves: Newcomers High School. The school, located near a cluster of newly opened homeless shelters in Long Island City, Queens, has lived up to its name, enrolling perhaps more migrant students over the past two school years than any […]

Education

As Shelter Limit for Migrant Families Nears, NYC Schools Try to Prepare

by Michael Elsen-Rooney, Chalkbeat Nov. 29, 2023, 8:32 p.m.Nov. 29, 2023, 8:33 p.m.

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters. New York City schools have started preparing for a massive reshuffling of students as early as next month, as thousands of migrant families face a new limit on shelter stays, education officials said during a Wednesday City Council hearing. Approximately 2,700 families have received […]

A migrant couple waits in line outside the Roosevelt Hotel shelter.

Migrant Crisis

City Will Send Migrant Families to Flood-Prone, Far-Off Tents

by Gwynne Hogan and Michael Elsen-Rooney, Chalkbeat Oct. 16, 2023, 10:11 p.m.Oct. 16, 2023, 10:12 p.m.

This article is part of an ongoing collaboration between Chalkbeat and THE CITY. Mayor Eric Adams announced two striking policy shifts for migrant families with children on Monday afternoon, in his latest attempt to get people to leave city shelters and discourage new arrivals from coming into them. City Hall said it would begin distributing notices to families […]

City Department of Education, David Banks, Eric Adams

Eric Adams Ordered NYC Schools to Shelter in Place Due To Flooding. No One Told Principals.

by Michael Elsen-Rooney, Chalkbeat, Amy Zimmer, Chalkbeat and Alex Zimmerman, Chalkbeat Oct. 2, 2023, 8:43 p.m.Oct. 3, 2023, 8:33 a.m.

The first time many school administrators heard about a shelter-in-place directive was when a top Education Department official emailed at 1:56 p.m.to tell them it “has been lifted.”