New York Times taking questions on after-school programs

Lucy Friedman, president of The After-School Corporation (TASC), which advocates for and supports after-school programs in New York and beyond, will take your questions at the Times.

So far, commenters have asked for her opinion on federal education priorities under Obama, whether there are programs that support parents as well as children, what the economic downturn means for TASC, and what role after-school programs can play at “failing” schools:

As part of No Child Left Behind, children at some “failing” schools are eligible for free after-school tutoring at places like Sylvan Learning Center. We see, however, dramatic underutilization of these services — only ~3% of eligible children enroll. Are educational after-school programs a solution to failing schools? If so, what will it take to get more children to participate?

About our First Person series:

First Person is where Chalkbeat features personal essays by educators, students, parents, and others trying to improve public education. Read our submission guidelines here.