Testimonies & Comments

Transparency and Accuracy in Reporting on Class Size Matters and TCUs: Testimony before the Report & Advisory Board Review Commission (5.11.12)

  Leonie Haimson testified before the Report & Advisory Board Review Commission on May 11, 2012 about the need to continue the twice a year  class size and annual Temporary Classroom Units (TCUs) reporting. The testimony is downloadable here and below.   [scribd id=99847950 key=key-u0g278x1gneiseslv6g mode=list]

July 11, 2012 in Testimonies & Comments, Uncategorized by

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Testimony before the City Council Education Committee on the proposal to make Kindergarten mandatory and the special education initiative (6.12.12)

The following testimony on the possible impact of mandatory Kindergarten and the Special Education Initiative from Leonie Haimson, Executive Director of Class Size Matters, was presented before the City Council Education Committee on June 12, 2012. Ms. Haimson first notes the surging class sizes which would erupt from the Department of Education’s  Special Education Initiative […]

July 10, 2012 in Testimonies & Comments by

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Failed strategies for “failing schools”: Testimony before the NYS Assembly Education Committee on the NYC’s Plan for Persistently Low Achieving Schools

Here and below is our testimony before the New York State Assembly on the city’s plan to close and “turnaround” struggling schools, given April 11, 2012. Summary: these strategies will not work, do not address the critical issues, including class size, and will further destabilize and undermine the education of our neediest students.   [scribd […]

May 24, 2012 in Testimonies & Comments, Uncategorized by

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The Mayor’s unfulfilled promises to our children: testimony on the city’s five year capital plan for schools (3.26.12)

Our testimony is posted here and below.  Summary: Thousands of seats are missing from this capital plan to be able to alleviate overcrowding, eliminate trailers, and reduce class size — all of which the Mayor promised to do in earlier years but has utterly failed to achieve.   [scribd id=87885160 key=key-xjgoacyigo7vzzzt60v mode=list]

May 24, 2012 in Testimonies & Comments, Uncategorized by

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City Council hearings and CSM testimony on prelim FY13 education budget; more cuts to schools and larger class sizes next year?

Yesterday the NYC Council Education committee held preliminary hearings on the mayor’s proposed education operating budget.  Here is a good report from NY1, here is the analysis of the budget by Council staff; here is my testimony [also shown below].  The proposed operating budget for next year, despite an overall increase in spending, would cut […]

March 28, 2012 in Testimonies & Comments, Uncategorized by

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Resolutions and comments on the flaws in process & results of the DOE’s Contract for Excellence “plan”

The DOE received over 100 public comments as well as many resolutions from Community Education Councils, protesting the city’s inadequate Contracts for Excellence  and class size reduction “plan”. Resolutions were approved by CEC District 1 CEC District 3 CEC District 5 CEC District 20 CEC District 21 CEC District 22 CEC District 30 CEC District […]

December 19, 2011 in Testimonies & Comments, Uncategorized by

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Testimony on NYC DOE’s wasteful and corrupt technology contracts

This testimony is also available as a pdf here; for more on these hearings see our NYC Public School Parent Blog here. Testimony of Leonie Haimson, Executive Director of Class Size Matters Before the NYC Council Technology and Contracts Committees On the NYC Department of Education’s wasteful and corrupt technology contracts     October 31, […]

November 1, 2011 in Testimonies & Comments, Uncategorized by

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Our lawsuit vs. the DOE regarding charter co-locations

July 26.2011 Yesterday, along with the NYC Parents Union and many individual parent plaintiffs, we filed a lawsuit against DOE regarding their policy of co-locating charter schools in DOE buildings.  Our decision to sue the city was not taken likely, and was based upon two principal concerns: 1.  According to NY state law, districts are […]

July 26, 2011 in Testimonies & Comments, Uncategorized by

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Our testimony about the budget cuts and proposals where the money can be found

Check  our NYC Council testimony about the unconscionable budget cuts that the mayor has proposed, that would led to the elimination of 6,000 teaching positions and the sharpest increases in class size in over thirty years. Also check out our proposals as to where more than $1 billion in resources can be found to prevent […]

June 9, 2011 in Testimonies & Comments, Uncategorized by

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CSM testimony on discharge bill 12/25/2011

Testimony of Leonie Haimson, Executive Director of Class Size Matters Hearing on Int. 354 requiring reporting of student discharge rates and Int. 364 for reporting of student outcomes at closing schools Before the NYC Council Education Committee January 25, 2011  

April 26, 2011 in Testimonies & Comments by

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