Teacher Vinny Corletta's comments on how DOE's class size "plan" is so weak it cannot be even called "ineffective"

Last night's class size hearings were held for the borough of Queens.  There were many passionate cparents and teachers who spoke about the profound importance of class size to the learning opportunities for their students,  how excited they were when they first heard that the class size law had passed in June 2022, but their deep disappointment with the lack of planning by DOE so far to comply with the law, and the vagueness and inadequacy of the DOE's second year draft "plan" .  See our critique here. 

Below are the comments from Vinny Corletta, a middle school teacher.  If parents and teachers have other comments they'd  like to share, please send them to info@classsizematters.org Thanks! .

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I am so excited for this law. I think this is a chance to have an immediate impact- day 1 period 1.

I’m here to talk about the future. Because this class size law is not only about the here and now, but also the future.  Years ahead when this law reaches its final stages, when it makes the city make plans to actually focus on building schools and places for students. The plan set forth is not adequate enough for a year let alone the future. 

This law gives students and educators have the chance to form deep connections, deeper learning.

Where are the moves to put this law into action?  I  am an educator - I get rated on planning. If the DOE had spent energy to start on this plan when the law was signed instead of pushing back we would be in better shape. 

Our education system has turned so hostile to the citizens of the classroom.

That students don’t even know that educator to student is so powerful. I see Fair Student Funding but I see no plans -- I see no path. 

All the funding and space issues derive from the DOE. 

I see smaller classes in a microscopic and massive perspective. I see 23 students in my class where we learn why poetry is in our blood. Where civics is our duty. Where every student has that chance to make that one connection that can change a generation, and we talk about money and space? We speak about the DOE pushing back back against this even though improving literacy can actually happen. Not by a curriculum but by the people in the room. 

I am concerned about this plan. Because it doesn’t seem like a plan at all. This wouldn’t even be an ineffective on Danielson [NYC teacher evaluation system] --- this would be "a not observed."

I remember a few years ago a man from Brooklyn who went to school in Queens was saying if we do not educate we will incarcerate. I haven’t heard him say that in a long time. There aren’t many times where a law can make an immediate impact, but this one can. Day 1, Period 1  --- this law gives us the future we all want.