We are a group of committed public school parents, children's advocates, journalists and teachers dedicated to improving public education in New York City. We visit schools, speak with parents and teachers, and comb the media to present an independent and authoritative view of New York City schools. We provide a forum for parents, teachers and administrators to share what they know best about the city's schools. By helping parents navigate the bureaucracy, and by encouraging them to lobby for improvements in their neighborhood schools, we seek to increase support for public education and to make the public school system more accessible to parents, and more accountable to students.

We are a program of Advocates for Children of New York, a non-profit organization that provides a full range of educational support, legal, and advocacy services for parents, young people, and professionals.

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Our Team

Pamela Wheaton project director, visits and reviews schools for Insideschools and offers advice to parents on school choice. She collaborated with Clara Hemphill on New York City's Best Public Elementary Schools: A Parents' Guide and New York City's Best Public High Schools. Ms. Wheaton was a producer of PBS television programs and a reporter and editor at the Buenos Aires Herald. Her two daughters graduated from New York City public schools.

Catherine Man visits and reviews schools for Insideschools, and coordinates website development. She attended New York City public schools and graduated from Barnard College.

Judy Baum visits and reviews schools for Insideschools, and answers readers' questions for Insideschools' Ask Judy section. She served for 20 years as director of information services for the Public Education Association, where she counseled thousands of parents on how to find good schools. Her children, now grown, attended New York City public schools.

Vanessa Witenko visits and reviews schools for Insideschools, and writes articles for our bi-weekly news alert. She previously worked as a public school teacher in the Czech Republic, and graduated from Baruch College, C.U.N.Y.

Philissa Cramer visits and reviews schools for Insideschools, and updates other information on the site. She graduated in 2005 from Brown University, where she edited the campus newspaper and studied the history and policy of education.

Clara Hemphill, founder and former project director, visits and reviews schools, writes articles for Insideschools, and serves as editor. She is author of New York City's Best Public Elementary Schools: a Parents' Guide, Public Middle Schools: New York City's Best, and New York City's Best Public High Schools. Ms. Hemphill was an editorial writer and reporter for New York Newsday, where she shared the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting. Her children attend public schools in Manhattan.

Jacquie Wayans visits and review schools for Insideschools, and offers workshops and advice for parents on school choice. She collaborated with Clara Hemphill on New York City's Best Public High Schools. Her three children attend public schools.

Laura Zingmond visits and reviews schools for Insideschools.  An attorney and native New Yorker, Laura's two children are the fourth generation in their family to be educated in the New York City public schools.

Helen Zelon visits and reviews schools for Insideschools. She writes about education and city life for New York and other publications, has taught writing and drama at Sing-Sing prison, and is the proud parent of three New York City public school students.

Our Sponsors

Insideschools is supported by private foundations and individual contributors. We wish to thank the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, IBM Corporation, the David C. Klein, Jr. Foundation, the Vivendi Universal Foundation, the Starr Foundation, Verizon, J.P.Morgan Chase, Washington Mutual, and the Durst Family Foundation, without whom this work would not be possible. We also wish to thank Citi Relocation for sponsoring a link to Insideschools from their website and the more than 100 individual donors who contributed to us. Advocates for Children is a non-profit organization. Insideschools receives no funding from the Department of Education.

Copyright information

Copyright in the text materials contained in this website is owned by Advocates for Children, except where noted. ©2000 Advocates for Children. The text materials contained in this website may be used, downloaded, reproduced or reprinted, provided that this copyright notice appears in all copies and provided that such use, download, reproduction or reprint is for non-commercial or personal use only. The text materials contained in this web site may not be modified in any way.