Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Forbidden Topics On NYC Public School Exams: Dinosaurs, Halloween
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Mar 26, 2012
Modified Mar 26, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Mar 26, 2012
Modified Mar 26, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Taking tests has gotten even more soul-crushingly boring for city students. The Post reports that the Department of Education has banned topics like birthdays, poverty, and dinosaurs to avoid angering specific religious groups or making students feel "uncomfortable." No word on whether entire science units on magnets have been scrapped for fear of confusing young Juggalos.
“Some of these topics may be perfectly acceptable in other contexts but do not belong in a city- or state-wide assessment,” the request states. But according to a professor at Columbia's Teachers College, “If the goal is to assess higher-order thinking skills, controversial topics, for example, ones that are the subject of political debate, are exactly what students should be reasoning about." Also, students who read more than one question about "Timmy" having a specific amount of a type of fruit are 73% more likely to gouge their eyes out with a pencil.
Also off-limits? "Creatures from outer space" (one D.C. teacher found that out the hard way), celebrities, "junk food," witches, and Halloween. So we're to believe that there is a 4th grade classroom that doesn't have a cardboard Jack-O-Lantern on the wall? Riiight. And a race of lizards that evolved into birds used to roam the earth.
Tagged
dinosaurs
juggalos
magnets
school
tests
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Brooklyn woman hit and killed by garbage truck at peak time for traffic deaths, NYPD says
At a time of year when traffic deaths rise due to reduced visibility, 30-year-old Siobhan Lynch was struck and killed just after dusk.
By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 29, 2026 at 7:54 a.m. ET
NY's housing crisis is on the ballot. Here's what the candidates say they'll do about it.
Housing costs are top of mind for many voters across New York.
By
David Brand
News
NY's housing crisis is on the ballot. Here's what the candidates say they'll do about it.
Housing costs are top of mind for many voters across New York.
By
David Brand
Brooklyn's Ocean Parkway is a haven for reckless driving. Mamdani isn't allowed to fix it.
By
Stephen Nessen
Man killed in police-involved shooting in Moonachie, NJ
By
Kaya Laterman
Queens man took girlfriend’s body to beach in a wagon, where it remained for 5 days
By
Charles Lane
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .