Compelling testimony on the need to lower class size from Regent Cashin, Diane Ravitch, Elsie McCabe Thompson and others

Oct. 28, 2021

Much of the testimony yesterday at the City Council was compelling about the importance of lowering class size and the need to pass Intro 2374 for the sake of NYC students.  Class Size Matters testimony is here. Testimony of Michael Mulgrew, UFT President, is here. An article about these hearings is here.  You can watch the entire hearing here.

If you’d like to add your voice, you can upload written testimony through Sat. on the Council website here. Please also send it to us at [email protected] so we can post it on our website.

Below are videos and written testimonies of  many parents, educators, advocates and experts, including Board of Regents member and former Superintendent Kathleen Cashin, education historian and advocate Diane Ravitch, Mission Society CEO Elsie McCabe Thompson, Curtis Young, Executive Director of Artistic Noise Curtis Young, and more.

Kathleen Cashin Testimony (10.27.21) from Class Size Matters on Vimeo.

Diane Ravitch, historian and President of the Network for Public Education

Elsie McCabe Thompson, President and CEO of the Mission Society

Curtis D. Young, Executive Director of Artistic Noise

Curtis D. Young Testimony (10.27.21) from Class Size Matters on Vimeo.

Marissa Manzanares, parent and member of Community Education Council District 14

Marissa Manzanares Testimony (10.27.21) from Class Size Matters on Vimeo.

Written testimony submitted by Wendy Lecker on behalf of the Education Law Center

Shino Tanikawa, co-chair of the Education Council Consortium

Jacqueline Shannon, Brooklyn College Professor, Chair of Early Education and Art Education Dept.

Stuart Chen-Hayes, Professor at Lehman College and interim Dept. Chair of Counseling, Leadership, Literacy, and Special Education (CLLSE)

Kemala Karmen, parent activist and co-founder of NYC Opt Out