Our Class Size Working Group finally released – and how you can help get it adopted

December 12, 2023

Dear all:

1.Yesterday, the report of the Class Size Working Group was finally released – of which I was a member. It is the result of months of hard work and is chock full of detailed, equitable and actionable recommendations for how the DOE can comply with the new class size – many of them cost-free. Here is a press release with comments from many of the members. Articles about our proposals were published in Chalkbeat, Gothamist, Staten Island Advance, Daily News, and Politico (behind a paywall.)

Despite a strong consensus among the vast majority of Working Group members who supported these proposals, the media predictably focused on nine dissenters out of 48.  That there were dissenters should be no surprise, considering how they were appointed despite being associated with conservative groups that opposed to the law in the first place and had urged the Governor to repeal it, and/or work at organizations heavily funded by the Gates Foundation, which has long been a primary source of anti-class size propaganda.

We have now prepared a sample resolution for CECs or other community groups to consider, urging the Chancellor to stop delaying and making excuses for inaction, and implement these proposals –or else it is very unlikely that the DOE will make the required 40% of classes in compliance with the class size caps next year. If you’d like data specific to your district to plug into the resolution, or for us to present to your group, please let us know.

2. Here is our testimony at yesterday’s Council budget hearings. In addition to pointing out how the Mayor’s drastic education cuts would make it impossible for the city to comply with the class size law, we also included a list of revenue and savings proposals that could raise billions of dollars; some of which would go directly into the DOE budget. Take a look, and if you agree, send the link to the testimony to your State Legislators or City Councilmember, along with a personal note.

Thanks!

Leonie Haimson
Executive Director
Class Size Matters
124 Waverly Pl.
New York, NY 10011
phone: 917-435-9329
leonie@classsizematters.org
www.classsizematters.org
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Host of “Talk out of School” WBAI radio show and podcast at https://talk-out-of-school.simplecast.com/