An Appeal from Diane Ravitch

December 29, 2021

Dear friend –

As a historian, I have studied reform in NYC and in cities across the nation.

Reform usually means shaking up the system. Centralize, decentralize, recentralize. Reorganize the bureaucracy, put the mayor in control, change the decision-making structure. Hire consultants, hire data analysts, hire coaches.

Or reform means outsource the schools to private entrepreneurs or more standardized testing.

Yet more testing does not produce more learning or better grades. None of these so-called reforms barely move the needle, if at all.

Class size reduction is a far more powerful reform than any of the above. Learning and behavior improves, especially for children with the greatest needs. With smaller classes, teachers have the time to do their jobs, and children get the support they need to thrive.

And yet NYC students continue to suffer from the largest class sizes in the state.

That’s why I am proud to sit on the board of Class Size Matters, a non-profit organization that is the “city’s leading proponent of smaller classes,” according to the NY Times.

Leonie Haimson, its executive director, has been tirelessly committed to making sure that this issue remains in the forefront of policymakers and the public at large. In the last year, she was named by both City and State and Politics NY as one of the most powerful education leaders in the state. But she needs our help.

That’s why I’m urging you to make a tax-deductible donation to Class Size Matters, for the future of NYC public schools and children. Please give if you can.

Happy holidays and a wonderful New Year to you and your family,

–Diane Ravitch