Two easy ways to fight for smaller classes for your kids!

Aug. 25, 2021

Dear all – I hope you and your family are enjoying the last few weeks of summer.

1. The bill that would require smaller classes that was introduced by CM Mark Treyger nearly a month ago. Int 2374-2021,  has 15 co-sponsors:

1. Corey D. Johnson, Robert E. Cornegy, Jr., Eric Dinowitz, Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Daniel Dromm , Stephen T. Levin, Darma V. Diaz, Alicka Ampry-Samuel , Karen Koslowitz, Carlina Rivera , Margaret S. Chin, Francisco P. Moya, Carlos Menchaca, Adrienne E. Adams, Antonio Reynoso

That means there are 35 Council members who haven’t sign on.  If your Council Member isn’t on the list above, please give them a call today, and urge them to do so.  You can find out their names and contact info by plugging in your address and borough here

2. The DOE’s Contract for Excellence plan, intended by state law to provide true equity to NYC children including smaller classes, miserably fails to achieve these goals.

The DOE has included no more funding in the plan than it did in 2009, though our schools are receiving $532M more this year in Foundation Aid, the plan allows DOE to use state funds to fill in for city budget cuts contrary to law’s explicit prohibition of supplanting, the DOE has not allocated a penny specifically to lower class size, and for principals who choose to use some of these funds to hire more teachers for smaller classes, the DOE is making them pay 40% more for these teachers, including for their pension and benefits, which otherwise the city covers the cost for centrally.  Yet more of our serious concerns about the inadequacy of this plan and the faulty public process are expressed in a memo we sent last month  with AQE and the Ed Law Center to the State Ed Commissioner.

Please send your own C4E comments to DOE by clicking here [add link];  the message will be automatically copied to your legislators and the State Ed Commissioner.  Tell them that this proposed plan is NOT acceptable to you and does not begin to provide equity to NYC children.  Or you can send in your own email to ContractsForExcellence@schools.nyc.gov The comment period ends Sept. 3.

Thanks,  Leonie