Hearings and testimony on need to reform Mayoral control from Diane Ravitch, parents, and advocates

Above is a video of the City Council hearing last week on Mayoral control, also available here.  There were incisive questions from the new Education Committee Chair, Eric Dinowitz, as well as from several other council members.  Also impressive were the oral testimonies of many parents, advocates and former students about how this governance system without any checks and balances  at the local level or community input was inherently undemocratic and had led to unjust and damaging  policies.   

Dinowitz expressed skepticism of claims of learning gains under Mayoral control, given the lagging results in the NAEPs-- the only reliable data on achievement, as opposed to the state test results which are erratically designed at best.  He also pointed out how  graduation rates can be artificially inflated through the use of credit recovery and the like.  He was also critical of HMH Reading, the most commonly used of the mandated box curriculums.

He asked about the DOE contracting process, which over the last 23 years under Mayoral control hashas wasted millions of dollars on useless or corrupt products and vendors, and whether it was true that the Panel for Educational Policy's Contract committee had been dissolved -- which in the past had provided one of the few occasions where the DOE was forced to explain the rationale for proposed contracts before the PEP meeting at which they will be voted upon.  Now PEP members are briefed privately on proposed contracts, and are told they are not to reveal what they haave been told to any member of the public.

DOE officials seemed confused as initially claimed that the Contract Committee still existed, until they conceded that indeed it had been eliminated, but refused to say that they would support such a Committee being restored and mandated in  law.   

There was also some confusion as to whether PEP members were sent resolutions by DOE that CECs had passed on relevant proposals they would be voting on, such as co-locations and school closures.  It turns out they are not, though Katie Jedrelink of DOE  said that CECs could send them directly to the PEP members if they liked. I subsequently pointed out that for years, the DOE website lacked the names of many members of the PEP, and  in even more frequently their email adddresses, making it impossible for the public to contact them.  This lack of information provided for members of the school board of the nation's large school district exists no where else in the country, to my knowledge.  After years of complaining about this matter, I was informed the day before the hearings that they had finally posted all the names and the email addresses of  PEP members, though I have heard from several that it is difficult for them to access their DOE emails, for reasons I don't understand.. 

Other Council Members also asked good questions, including former Education Chair Rita Joseph, who asked them what would be done to improve parent participation, given that only 2% of parents had voted in the recent CEC elections, and also how mistakes had been made in the process, including names of candidates omitted from the voting website.  CM Carmen de la Rosa also had particularly pointed questions related to the lack of adequate space planning by the DOE to allow schools to lower class size in compliance with the state law.  

Below are five of the written testimonies, first from  NYC school historian and education advocate Diane Ravitch, followed with my testimony for Class Size Matters , then  Jonathan Greenberg of the Educational Council Consortium, Naveed Hasan, PEP member and parent leader, and Naila Rosario, President of NYC Kids PAC.

All five of us pointed out the deep inherent flaws with what is essentially dictatorial, one-man rule, and the Mayoral majority on the Panel for Education Policy should be eliminated, to make it less of a rubberstamp.   Each of us also  proposed other reforms.  Check them out! 

 

 

In my testimony, I provide a list of major, multimillion dollars examples of waste and corruption under Mayoral control -- in the text and in the Appendix. Just two days after the hearing, yet another major scandal erupted: Kevin Taylor, the head of the School Safety division was indicted for bribery along with the CEO of the SaferWatch company, who had paid Taylor as well as Terence Banks, the brother of Chancellor Banks to promote the device to DOE, although Terence Banks has not been indicted. 

 See this story here and the indictment here. 

 

Here is the written testimony of Jonathan Greenberg of the Educational Council Consortium, which represents many leaders of Community Education Councils. 

 

Following are the views of Naveed Hasan, a Manhattan parent representative on the Panel for Educational Policy.

 

Finally, last but not least, the testimony of Naila Rosario, the President of NYC Kids PAC, who points out how Mayor Mamdani has left his supporters in the lurch, by reversing his position on mayoral control, one of his central education positions, without explaining why.

Diane Ravitch's great new memoirs and book talk on Tuesday October 21!

 

 Diane Ravitch has written a tremendously enthralling  book about her life and career, entitled   An Education: How I Changed My Mind About Schools and Almost Everything Else. It’s available now for purchase at Columbia Univ Press or Amazon or at your local bookstore.

I’ll be interviewing Diane about her life and what led to the sea change in her views on Tuesday, Oct 21 2025 at 6PM at the Brooklyn Public Library at 286 Cadman Plaza West.  You can find out more and register for a free ticket here.   Buy her book now, read it and get it autographed at the event.  Diane is my hero and as she is so many parents and educators. Please join us! 

Honoring Commissioner Betty Rosa at our Skinny Award Dinner

Our Skinny Award Dinner honoring Commissioner Betty Rosa on June 18 was a tremendous success! So many of her admirers attended to enjoy the company of other education warriors, and to sing the praises of our courageous, trailblazing education leader, who has defied the Trump administration's efforts to eliminate diversity and equity from our schools. 

I'm still putting together videos and photos of the event, some are on Facebook,  but meanwhile, here is an Ode to Betty, from Fred Smith, testing expert and former DOE official, followed by comments sent by Diane Ravitch, who is recovering from surgery and radiation treatments, and finally my speech as well, in which I explain the origin of the Skinny Award name. 

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Full Disclosure from Fred Smith: With apologies to her husband David, I must confess that I have a crush on Betty Rosa. I had the good fortune of meeting her at a Skinny Award dinner in 2012.  We bonded over concerns about the state testing program. In 2010, Regent Rosa called out the program in the NY Times for generating results that were not believable and should not be released. And she stunned reporters in 2016 on the very day she became Regents Chancellor saying directly that she would have had her children sit out the exams. You could hear their jaws drop. But I digress. I offer this poem. 

Why Do We Love Betty? Let Me Count the Ways. 

She never seeks accolades, attention or glory,

Letting a lifetime of learning and leadership tell her story. 

Betty fiercely fights for children and the common weal,

Like Leonie, pursuing reforms with unflagging zeal.  

As a Regent, she served 12 long years all for free,

And deserves a prize for doing hard time in Albany. 

Facing complex issues and crises – making hard decisions

With wisdom, strength, and clear piercing vision.  

She relies on research data to provide her the light

And has a sharp analytic eye that informs her insight.  

Navigating the raging waters of Covid’s cruel years,

An epic maelstrom drowning us in oceans of tears. 

Upholding the standards of quality education;

Charting multiple pathways to graduation. 

Held may’ral control hearings at the legislature’s demand,

Then saw the pols spurn her findings. The public be damned.  

Standing firmly against defiant religionists

And those trampling on the cultures of the indigenous.  

A rare combination of toughness, know-how and grace

With a handle on budgeting and each legal case.  

Managing well-chosen staff to fulfill vital roles;

And trusting task force members to accomplish their goals.  

Brilliant at building consensus, giving credit to others,

Standing in the background has always been her druthers. 

Let me propose a toast to our queen with a touch of mirth:

Here’s to Betty from the Bronx—who remains down to earth. 

--With love, Fred 

June 18, 2025

Diane Ravitch’s statement at the Skinny awards, 2025

Dear Friends,  I am so sorry I can't be with you to celebrate our Beloved Champion, Betty Rosa. I cannot attend because I'm recuperating from the aftermath of two breast cancer surgeries and the radiation that follows. 

I want to give a special shout out to my dear friend, Leonie Haimson and her tireless work to reduce class size. No one works harder than she does to improve the lives of teachers and students. 

Thank you , Leonie, and thank you to everyone who supports Class Size Matters. I also want to pay tribute to my amazing friend Betty Rosa.

Betty has been a champion for children throughout her career, and especially now as our State Commissioner of Education. 

She stood up bravely to the Trump administration and said a loud and unequivocal NO when they ordered her to certify that New York would not condone Diversity, Equity, and inclusion policies. 

Betty said NO. Betty said the state would comply with civil rights law, and it does. 

New York State has a diverse enrollment of students. That's a fact.  New York State wants all schools to aim for equity and wants all students to be included. 

Her example inspire others, as she inspires all of us.  Betty will not be bullied by racists. I am so glad that Class Size Matters is honoring her again. 

I wish that every state had a Commissioner of Education as principled, as courageous and as fearless as our own Betty Rosa.  – Diane Ravitch 

 

 

 

 

Spending Sunday with Tim Walz on his birthday & the wonderful Network for Public Education conference

The annual conference of Network for Public Education, on whose board I sit, was held last weekend in Columbus, Ohio.  It was terrific as usual, with wonderful speeches and incisive and illuminating workshops and panel discussions on how to strengthen our public schools and protect them from the depredations of budget cuts, privatization, and censorship.

But the highlight for me and many others was Tim Walz' inspiring keynote address on Sunday afternoon, where he spoke about how we have to fight Trump's attempt to dismantle and defund our public schools. An article about his speech is here, though the article underestimates the numbers in the audience and the response: there were actually about 350 people there, including state legislators, Commissioners of Education, educators, parents, and advocates, who were ecstatic to hear him speak.

Walz was introduced by Randi Weingarten, who was introduced by Diane Ravitch.  Diane approvingly noted how earlier, Randi had been called "the most dangerous person in the world" by Mike Pompeo.

Randi said that we cannot give into the "autocrats who want to bully people into silence," and asked what does it mean when the President "wants to destroy the only federal agency devoted to education."

She noted it was Tim Walz' birthday, and after he stepped up to the dais, she presented him with a cake and we all sang him Happy Birthday.

Both Tim Walz and Randi hailed the protest rallies and marches the had occurred nationwide the day before, demanding that Trump and Musk take their "Hands Off" our democracy and our schools.  Tim Walz assured us that we aren't overreacting, since "The road to authoritarianism is littered to people saying you’re overreacting." 

He added: "People say that they’re not into politics but I say that  politics are into you. When I’m asked who’s leading the Democratic Party I say they’re in the streets like yesterday."  

Walz pointed out that the takeover of our public schools is being engineered by the oligarchs -- though "we shouldn't call them oligarchs but greedy bastards."  He also said that the middle class was built in the US by our public education system and the unions.

Of course, I did get a selfie with Walz -- and when I introduced myself, I said I was from Class Size Matters.  As a long time teacher, he immediately responded, "yes it does!"  I added that he was the best thing to come out of the 2024 election, and he replied, "You're too kind."  As opposed to so many politicians, he truly comes off as the warmest, most humble human being -- and funny besides.

Earlier that day,  I had been a presenter at a workshop on the risks of AI in the classroom, along with Cassie Creswell from Illinois Families for Public Schools, and co-chair along with me of the Parent Coalition for Student Privacy.  Concluding the workshop with eclat was the retired teacher, brilliant blogger and education guru Peter Greene.  Our presentation is below.

An appeal from Diane Ravitch

 

Dear friend – As a historian, I have studied reform in NYC and in cities across the nation. Reform usually means shaking up the system. Centralize, decentralize, recentralize. Reorganize the bureaucracy, put the mayor in control, change the decision-making structure. Hire consultants, hire data analysts, hire coaches. Or reform means outsource the schools to private entrepreneurs or more standardized testing. Yet more testing does not produce more learning or better grades. None of these so-called reforms barely move the needle, if at all. Class size reduction is a far more powerful reform than any of the above. Learning and behavior improves, especially for children with the greatest needs. With smaller classes, teachers have the time to do their jobs, and children get the support they need to thrive. And yet NYC students continue to suffer from the largest class sizes in the state. That’s why I am proud to sit on the board of Class Size Matters, a non-profit organization that is the “city’s leading proponent of smaller classes,” according to the NY Times. Leonie Haimson, its executive director, has been tirelessly committed to making sure that this issue remains in the forefront of policymakers and the public at large. In the last year, she was named by both City and State and Politics NY as one of the most powerful education leaders in the state. But she needs our help. That’s why I’m urging you to make a tax-deductible donation to Class Size Matters, for the future of NYC public schools and children. Please give if you can. Happy holidays and a wonderful New Year to you and your family, --Diane Ravitch