De Blasio Unveils New Plans for Troubled Schools in New York (NY Times - 11/04/14) #Harlem, #HarlemEd, #ElBarrio EXCERPT: In the packed auditorium of an East Harlem high school, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new approach to fixing New York City’s most troubled public schools on Monday, offering them more money and staffing, extending the length of their day, and arranging for social services to be delivered to students and families on site. He described the new strategies, in a speech to a standing-room crowd of advocates and educators, as a sharp departure from his predecessor’s approach, which centered on closing large, failing schools and replacing them with smaller ones. “The previous administration had a policy that a school like this was left to fend for itself, and that’s why we’re here today, because we reject the notion of giving up on any of our schools,” Mr. de Blasio said at the Coalition School for Social Change. “We’re not giving up on them — in fact giving them what they need to succeed.” The new program will designate 94 of the city’s most troubled schools, including the Coalition School, as Renewal Schools based on a list of criteria including low four-year graduation rates for high schools and poor test scores for middle and elementary schools. Students at those schools will receive an extra hour of instructional time each day, teachers will have extra professional training, and the schools will be encouraged to offer summer school. The schools will also be given additional resources, with $150 million spread over two years, about $39 million for this school year and $111 million in the next. But the centerpiece of the proposal involves turning these institutions into so-called Community Schools, which try to address the challenges students face outside the classroom, with offerings like mental health services for those who need them or food for students who do not get enough to eat at home. While these programs are often popular with advocates, and already in use around the country for many decades, including in New York City, their performance has often been viewed as uneven. An analysis by The New York Times found that some of the community schools in Cincinnati, which is viewed as a leader in the approach, still showed dismal academic performances even after years of work and millions of dollars of investments. A New York deputy mayor, Richard R. Buery Jr., said, however, that there were examples of successful Community Schools around the country, and that they were an important part of a larger package of reforms. [CLICK BELOW TO CONTINUE READING.]
Posted on: Tue, 04 Nov 2014 14:04:43 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015