The fight for smaller classes in NYC with UFT President Michael Mulgrew

Check out our latest  #TalkOutofSchool podcast with UFT President Michael Mulgrew and teachers Emily James & Tricia Arnold, who explained why they are fighting for smaller classes for NYC schools and what you can do to help. 

 

Resources:

Intro 2374 - The City Council class size reduction bill

How parents can help get this passed - Sign the UFT petition and check out Class Size Matters campaign

Gothamist's investigation of defective Intellipure air purifiers and higher Covid rates in schools without mechanical ventilation systems.

Chalkbeat NY - Settlement to give Black and Latino students more access to NYC high school sports teams

Get vaccinated and get your booster - School vaccination sites and schedules and city-run sites.

 

Latest "Talk out of school" podcast with cybersecurity expert Doug Levin and NYS Senate Brad Hoylman

Check out the latest "Talk out of School" podcast, starting with my update on NYC education news, including Sunday's vote of no confidence in the Mayor by the CSA, the school administrator’s union, the restart of in-person learning for elementary school students on Tuesday, and the fact that the city's COVID positivity rate had risen above 3% on Tuesday, which if it continues for seven days would  cause another system wide school shutdown.   (Luckily, on Thursday, the city's positivity rate fell to 1.59%, and the seven day average remains low at 1.52%.)

After this brief news recap, I spoke with Doug Levin, President of the K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center, about the increased number of data breaches, ransomware, and other cyberattacks on school systems in NY and throughout the country as more instruction has moved online, posing a serious threat to the operation of districts and the privacy of students and staff.  

Finally, I interviewed NY State Senator Brad Hoylman about his views on a range of education issues, including unaddressed dyslexia including in the case of his daughter,  his various bills to raise taxes on the wealthy to allow for more school funding and prevent additional budget cuts, his legislative proposal to improve charter school accountability, and rising discontent with Mayoral control.  You can subscribe to the weekly podcast here.

Links and Resources

• K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center and a district self-assessment tool
• NY State Senator Brad Hoylman website
• Revenue bills introduced in the Legislature sponsored by Sen. Hoylman: a pied-a-terre tax on non-primary residences valued at $5m or more, a repeal of tax breaks for yachts and private jets, authorizing New York City to be able to impose a tax on vacant commercial storefronts, and close the carried interest loophole. Sen. Hoylman is also a co-sponsor of a bill by Senator Robert Jackson to enact an ultra-millionaires tax and direct the proceeds to school funding through Foundation Aid.  
• His bill to strengthen charter school accountability is here.

"Talk out of School" podcast on Outdoor Learning with Liat Olenick and John Allgood

In my latest podcast, I spoke to Liat Olenick and John Allgood, both NYC teachers who have led students in outdoor learning, who explained how this would be a great option for schools to adopt next year, both for health and safety reasons and for its educational benefits.

They also discussed issues related to school funding inequities, the need for higher taxes on the ultra-wealthy, the importance of smaller classes, and the inadequacy of the Common Core standards, especially for younger learners.

Resources

Teachers' plea for outdoor learning -  NY Daily News by Liat Olenick, Darcy Whittemore and Heather Costanza

Schools Beat Earlier Plagues With Outdoor Classes. We Should Too   New York Times by Ginia Bellafante

Petition for Outdoor Schooling Now!

Contact your legislators now – schools desperately need funding to reopen safely next fall!  Action Alert from Class Size Matters

Latest podcast of "Talk out of School": My Interview with Chancellor Betty Rosa

Check out the latest "Talk out of School" podcast of my interview with NY Regents Chancellor Betty Rosa on today's "Talk Out of School" on the Regents task force on reopening schools, the search for a new NYSED Commissioner, the process of reviewing the Regents HS exit exams, the need to revisit the state  3-8th grade exams as well, and more.  The interview already made the LoHud news here.

You can apply for the job of NY State Education Commissioner here.  I think this is the most important quality among those listed, sadly lacking in most of our previous Commissioners:
"Ability to collaborate effectively, communicate openly, and listen carefully."

Episode Summary

My Interview with AFT President Randi Weingarten

This morning on my WBAI radio show, "Talk out of School",  I spoke to Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, about what’s happening to schools, teachers and families during the coronavirus crisis, and Randi’s proposal that students should be engaging in completing a meaningful “capstone” project.

A link to her essay describing her idea in more detail is below. 

We also discussed the threat to schools from looming budget cuts, the risk to student privacy by the rapid adoption of unvetted ed tech programs, the Governor’s elimination of spring break in New York state, and more.  You can download the episode here.

Some of the resources that we mentioned are below.

AFT links:
Randi Weingarten’s essay,  On how teachers and students should cap this unprecedented school year
Share My Lesson with teacher resources.
Colorín Colorado! A bilingual site for educators and families of English language learners

Privacy links:
The Educator Toolkit for Student and Teacher Privacy – written by the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy and Badass Teachers Association (with support from the AFT )
The ACLU recommendations on what should be demanded of ed tech companies at this critical time
Advice to parents from the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy on maximizing privacy and minimizing screen time
A model privacy-protective Google contract negotiated by  NYS administrators  that other districts could adopt

Special guest on Wednesday's "Talk out of School" - Randi Weingarten of the AFT

Join us on Wednesday from 10-11AM on WBAI 99.5 FM or at WBAI.org for "Talk out of School" when I'll interview Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers,  about what schools should and should not be trying to do during the time of coronavirus, and how to prevent remote instruction from overstretching and over stressing the capabilities of teachers and families.  Also, how the crisis threatens to lead to more education cuts, to further undermine student privacy and more.  

Please also call in with your questions at 212-209-2877.

Listen to the latest episode of "Talk out of School," where we discuss state education funding, school closures due to COVID-19, and the pitfalls of ed tech

 

Listen to the latest episode of Talk out of School here. 

Leonie Haimson first talks with Jasmine Gripper of the Alliance for Quality Education about what's happening with the education budget negotiations in Albany and how people can help ensure that NYC schools get their fair share of state funding, despite the coronavirus pandemic. Then she and NYC Council Education Chair Mark Treyger discuss the next steps for NYC schools in light of the public health emergency with COVID-19. Finally, Leonie talks with prominent ed tech critic Audrey Watters about the pitfalls and risks of online learning now that schools in NYC and throughout the country are moving to online learning models.

To listen to previous episodes and subscribe to future content, visit here, or go to wherever you get your podcasts.

Talk out of School is back! Please tune in next Wednesday to hear from Diane Ravitch on the resistance to corporate education reform

Update:  My interview with Diane Ravitch on Dec. 4 was postponed to next week, Dec. 11 - pre-empted by the impeachment hearings. 

After an extended hiatus, the "Talk out of School" radio show I host on alternate weeks with Carol Burris has resumed on WBAI radio.

On Wednesday, it featured a fascinating interview with Naftuli Moster, the founder of YAFFED, about his efforts to ensure that ultra-Orthodox Jewish youth receive their legally-mandated right to an adequate education. You can listen to it here.

Earlier shows can be streamed here.

Next Wed. at 10, on WBAI 99.5. or online at www.wbai.org, my guest will be none other than Diane Ravitch, talking about the Presidential politics and her new book, "Slaying Goliath" about the resistance to privatization and corporate reform.   Hope you'll tune in! -- Leonie Haimson