March 14, 2025 Here and below is the testimony that Michael Rance, our Research Director, gave on behalf of Class Size Matters at the preliminary budget hearing yesterday. Our testimony highlighted the many failings of DOE and the School Construction Authority in delivering a multi-year plan capable of meeting the benchmarks in the class size […]
Feb. 20, 2024 Today we provided testimony at NYC Council Education hearings, in opposition to the DOE plan to to cancel the leases of five Community Based Organizations that provide Early Education services in Brooklyn and Queens. During the hearing, the DOE officials said they intend in the future to cancel contracts with CBO providers […]
Nov. 2024 – updated Jan. 2025 We have drafted the following resolution for CECs, Community Boards and other groups to consider, urging the DOE to create and implement a actual multi-year class size plan, that would enable schools to cap enrollment at lower levels if that will be necessary for them to cap class sizes […]
September 9, 2024 Below and here is our recent testimony on Foundation Aid. We point out how over the past 24 years, the DOE has repeatedly supplanted of state aid meant for class size reduction , and caution that creating any dedicated funding stream for that purpose for NYC as part of the Foundation Aid […]
August 7, 2024 An updated version of the NYC School Capital plan for FY 2025-2029 was posted by the School Construction Authority on July 30, 2024. It contains an additional $2 billion for new capacity, as required by the state budget, and an additional 10,382 school seats, for a total of 33,417 seats. However, the […]
July 22, 2024 This morning, Class Size Matters sent the following letter to Commissioner Betty Rosa, urging her to require that NYC revise and fundamentally improve their submission to the state, and create and implement a real, multi-year class size reduction plan in compliance with the law. The letter is below and posted here; our […]
Press release here. Articles in Chalkbeat and Brooklyn Reader. June 24, 2024 This afternoon, we sent this petition to the Mayor and Chancellor, with copies to UFT and CSA, about the profound inadequacies in their draft class size “plan.” It was signed by about 570 NYC parents, educators, school staff, advocates and community leaders. If […]
The just-released DOE class size “plan” for next year fails on every account. Class size borough hearings begin this Wednesday May 22nd. Make your voices heard! Bronx – Wednesday, May 22, 2024 (6:00pm) Manhattan – Thursday, May 23, 2024 (6:00pm) Staten Island – Tuesday, May 28, 2024 (6:00pm) Queens – Wednesday, May 29, 2024 (6:00pm) […]
May 15, 2024 Here and below is the Class Size Matters testimony on the Mayor’s Executive Budget and planned cuts to schools.
Check out our critique and comments on DOE’s talking points here and below.
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 .
