Class size rally urging Speaker Corey Johnson to bring Int. 2374 to a vote; though he apparently will not allow this to occur

See also my new opinion piece in the Nation:   To Reduce Inequality in Our Education System, Reduce Class Sizes

On Thursday, December 9 there was parents, teachers, and elected officials rallied outside City Hall, to beg City Council Speaker Corey Johnson to bring the class size bill, Int 2374, to a vote.  Among the speakers who spoke passionately spoke about the need to lower class size and to finally bring equity to NYC children were UFT President Michael Mulgrew, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, parent leader and PEP member Tom Shepherd, and Council Members Mark Levine, Eric Dinowitz and Council Member-to-be Rita Joseph, the latter three all former classroom teachers. I wish you could hear hat they said but sadly, no one apparently taped them.

But despite the disingenuous claims of the Speaker on NY1 that  "they're in the process of making changes to [the bill] to make it feasible" and that “We’re trying to figure out the right, responsible and enforceable way to get that done,” Johnson has inexplicably turned his back on this critical reform,  and apparently will not allow a vote on the bill during this session, which means we will have to start from scratch with a new Council and a new Speaker in January. 

Below are some news stories on the rally and our effort. Also below is my impromptu response to a question from a reporter who asked about the new Adams administration's apparent intent to blame teachers for the low levels of achievement in our schools, and fire them to get improvements.  This was tried during the Bloomberg administration and in fact, nationwide over the last decade through the combined efforts of Bill Gates and Arne Duncan, and miserably failed.  Thanks to Kathy Park Price for taping this on her phone.

Twenty thousand parents beg Bloomberg: restore the cuts!

Yesterday was a great event,  organized by AQE and CEJ, with over 20,000 signatures from parents, scrolling down the steps of City Hall, 5,000 feet long. 

How can Bloomberg ignore our pleas to restore these devastating cuts to our schools? Does he really want to go down in history as the mayor who put kids last? He claims to care about parent choice when it comes to charters,  but then ignores the DOE's own surveys that show that the top priority of parents is for smaller classes, and instead threatens to impose the largest increases in class size in over thirty years.

 Is he acting in the interest of 1.1 million school children; or does he care more about protecting the wallets of NYC's estimated 700,000 millionaires? Watch the NY1 report!

A tale of two cities; Cathie Black, are you ready for some real live public school parents?

"I feel fantastic," said Black in the Upper East Side. "I just went to a couple of parties and people said, "How wonderful. Thank you for doing this for the city.' And I feel great."


Wonder how many of these partygoers in her social set send their own kids to NYC public schools?

Meanwhile, public school parents throughout the city continue to be outraged. See today's Times blog, where parent Nicole Bush asks her about privatization and overcrowding at this morning's photo op in the Bronx. Of course, Black has no response. This is what's called learning on the job.

Isn't it time we had an educator, for a change?

Wow! It sure has been an interesting couple of days. Lots of news and commentary on Klein's resignation and the Mayor's appointment of Cathie Black to replace him. On the disappointing Klein legacy, I was quoted in the AP, the Times, NY1, am NY, Education Week, NBC News, and elsewhere.

I was personally attacked by the NY Post, and by Joel Klein on NY1 last night. When confronted with my quote from the Times, Klein called me a "propagandist" with an "agenda" (see video clip, starting at 2:30 minutes in.) Yes, I do have an agenda: for smaller classes and better schools for our kids.

There has also been much controversy and criticism of the mayor's appointment of Cathie Black, a publishing executive to succeed Klein. See the front page of the Daily News (below), this Times story and and these articles on our blog. Parents and elected officials alike have pointed out that Ms. Black sent her own children to private schools and has no education background, except for serving on the advisory board of a charter school.

Given her lack of education experience and qualifications, Ms. Black needs a waiver from the State Commissioner to be appointed chancellor.

Please sign the NYC Kids PAC petition, to urge the Commissioner to deny her a waiver. As soon as you sign it, the petition automatically sends an email in your name to the Commissioner Steiner, to the Board of Regents, and your state legislators,. Even if you have signed other petitions, please sign this one now, since it has an immediate impact.

The mayor would never dare appoint a magazine executive to head the police or fire departments. Leading the largest school system in the country needs just as much expertise, if not more. Only an educator is likely to recognize the necessary elements of a quality education, and how to work effectively with parents, teachers, and members of the community to create them. No matter what skills Ms. Black may have as a corporate manager, she simply has no idea what our children really need to succeed. We have had nine long years of a non-educator; it is time for a change.

Please also forward the petition link to your friends, and post it on your Facebook page. Here's hoping for better days!

Haimson, Jackson Featured in NY1 Guest Editorials

NY1 asked a number of prominent New Yorkers to comment on mayoral control and Mike Bloomberg's management of the public schools. Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters is below.



Also check out NYC Council Education Chair Robert Jackson and parent leader Muba Yarofulani.