Many of the software programs being used in schools have uncertain value, and can undermine student privacy, engagement and authentic learning. I hope that this guide will help chip away at some of the massive hype that has surrounded the subject of so-called “personalized learning” in recent years. It offers questions parents should ask their […]
Feb. 28, 2018 During yesterday’s City Council hearings on Renewal schools, in response to a question from CM Alicka Samuels, Laura Feijoo of DOE underestimated the number of schools co-located with charter schools that DOE now proposes to close, merge or truncate. Of these 19 schools, 12 are co-located with charter schools, as listed below. […]
In 2017, DoE reports that class sizes have increased once again, far above 2007 levels, even though the Contracts for Excellence law passed that year required them to reduce class sizes in all grades. Check out the press release here. We filed a legal complaint with the state in July 2017, pointing this out and […]
September 21, 2017 Class Size Matters released a new report entitled Seats Gained and Lost in NYC Schools: The Untold Story. For the first time, this study reveals that more than 50,000 NYC public school seats were eliminated during the decade of 2004 to 2013. These seat losses, mostly because of lapsed building leases, the […]
Here is data on the increase in class size since 2007, including class sizes of 30 or more, and the long term trend since 1998.
The NYC Department of Education has refused to complied with the Contracts for Excellence (C4E) law requiring that they create smaller classes in all grades in our public schools. Instead class sizes are considerably larger now than when the law was passed in 2007. As of the fall 2016, classes in Kindergarten through third grade […]
Check out the presentation below that summarizes the problems with the dysfunctional school planning and siting process in NYC and the deficiencies of the Nov. 2016 capital plan.
Cross-posted on NYSAPE’s website. Below is a memo that Class Size Matters and NY State Allies for Public Education sent to Commissioner Elia and the NY Board of Regents last week, on what may seem like an arcane and technical subject but is actually critical to ensure that opt-out students aren’t counted as failing in […]
On Thursday night, I gave a presentation on the capital plan to District 6 CEC. Since many of the parents in the district at the meeting were understandably concerned about the high levels of lead reported in the water of some of their schools — including a finding of 6,620 parts per billion (ppb) […]
December 23, 2015 Last February, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I was perusing the list of DOE contracts due to be voted on that week by the Panel for Educational Policy. Among the long list of contracts, I noticed a proposed contract for equipment and internet wiring worth $1.1 billion over five years, extendable to nine […]
Sign here to urge NYC to implement a real, multi-year strategy to lower class size, as the law intends, without exempting up to half or more of all students.
Talk out of School radio show and podcast airs Sunday night at 7 PM on WBAI 99.5 FM or online at www.wbai.org when Leonie Haimson and Daniel Alicea interview guests and discuss issues affecting public schools in NYC, the state level and nationally. You can stream or subscribe to the podcast here; or at iTunes, Spotify or Google.
We held our annual Skinny award dinner Wed. June 28, 2023, honoring Rep. Jamaal Bowman, former Bronx principal and now a progressive trailblazer who is fighting in Congress to protect and improve our public schools. More photos on Facebook .
