January 5, 2009
Today, On Tuesday, Class Size Matters joined with the UFT, the NAACP, the Hispanic Federation, and parent leaders from the Bronx and Queens, to sue the Chancellor and the Department of Education for flouting the law and refusing to reduce class size.
Smaller classes continue to be the top priority of parents, according to the DOE's own surveys. This is no surprise, considering our students are crammed into the largest classes in the state. Despite the state mandate to reduce class size, in the last two years, class sizes have increased dramatically -- making the biggest jump in eleven years. Kindergarten class sizes are the largest they have been since the 1999-2000 school year; 1st through 3rd grades class sizes are the largest since the 2001-2002 school year.
The DOE and the Chancellor have committed fraud on NYC children by refusing to provide them with the smaller classes that the state's highest court said were necessary for them to receive their constitutional right to an adequate education. They are also violating the trust of taxpayers, by failing to use hundreds of millions of dollars for the critical purpose they were intended.
See UFT press release here:
Class Size Matters summary of the facts in the case here.
