Update on the Class Size Working Group, ed tech and student privacy

Sept. 26, 2023

1.       Reminder: The Class Size Working Group will be presenting our preliminary recommendations a plan for DOE to lower class size in accordance with the new law, starting tomorrow, Wed. and Monday of next week. If you’d like to hear and/or provide feedback, please sign up now for any of three public sessions at https://learndoe.org/class_size/

Tuesday, September 26th – 5- 7:30pm online (Manhattan/Brooklyn);

Wednesday, September 27th – 5- 7:30pm online (Queens/Bronx/Staten Island) and

Monday, October 2nd – Citywide from 5- 7:30pm in person at the MLK Campus Auditorium, 122 Amsterdam Ave, Manhattan.

A summary of our proposals will be available online soon at the DOE website; and you can also email your thoughts and reactions to [email protected] no later than Wednesday, October 4th at midnight.

2.     Last night, I interviewed Johanna Garcia, co-chair of the Class Size Working Group and chief of staff for Sen. Robert Jackson on my WBAI show Talk out of School on the history and context of the class size law and the deliberations of the Class Size Working Group. As opposed to what many have supposed, this law did not come out of nowhere but was the product of years of advocacy, litigation, court decisions and research. You can listen to the show here.

3.       Last week, there were City Council hearings on the DOE’s plan to expand online learning and to use AI bots in the classroom. I testified on how this plan is likely to further jeopardize student privacy and the quality of education received by NYC students. My testimony as well as a presentation I gave to CEC 15 on the many ways in which DOE is failing to protect student data from breach and abuse is posted here.

If you would like to invite me to give a similar presentation to your CEC or Presidents Council, you can email us at [email protected] . We can also provide you with a sample resolution on this issue to consider.

Thanks, Leonie