The battle for smaller classes continues

Despite the crying need for smaller classes in NYC public schools, and the fact that Int. 2374 had 41 co-sponsors, the class size bill is still being blocked by Speaker Johnson and will not come to a vote this session.

When asked about this last week by NY1 reporter Jill Jorgensen, the Speaker disingenuously claimed he was still working on improving the bill, but that was clearly untrue. You can find more news about this on the blog, including video of our protests at the Speaker’s office and the rally outside City Hall.

2. But we are not giving up. As I wrote about in The Nation last week, reducing inequality in this city also depends on reducing class size. The awareness that we have a unique opportunity right now to transform our schools through smaller classes has never been greater. We will advocate for an amended bill with the new City Council, which will convene early next month with a new Speaker. We are also renewing our efforts to have legislation passed in the State Legislature to require the DOE to put in place a real class size reduction plan. But we cannot achieve this without your help.

3. Please donate to Class Size Matters, to ensure that our fight for truly equitable class sizes for NYC kids is strengthened in the months ahead. And if you’d like a briefing on this issue for your President’s Council or CEC, let me know by replying to this message.

Happy holidays, and thanks as always for your support.

Leonie Haimson
Executive Director
Class Size Matters
124 Waverly Pl.
New York, NY 10011
phone: 917-435-9329
leonie@classsizematters.org
www.classsizematters.org
Follow on twitter @leoniehaimson

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.

Time is running out on the class size bill -- & how you can help!

Where's @NYCSpeakerCoJo? 👀 Now's the time to finally lower class size! Schedule a vote on Intro 2374 and lets make history! #OurKidsNeed pic.twitter.com/p4jPJ6sjF0

— UFT Unity (@UFTUnity) November 30, 2021

 1. Only about two weeks remain before the Council adjourns and a new City Council  takes office.  Please send a letter TODAY to Council Speaker Corey Johnson by clicking here-- demanding that he schedule a vote for the class size reduction bill, Int 2347.   When Johnson was running for Speaker, he promised that if 34 Council Members signed onto a bill, he would bring that bill to a vote. Int 2347 now has 40 Council Members as co-sponsors, including the Speaker himself. NYC kids need smaller classes for a safer environment and a better chance to learn! Write him today!

2. This Thursday, Dec. 2 at 6 PM EST, Class Size Matters  and NYC Kids PAC will host an emergency briefing and strategy session on class size -- what the research shows, how NYC class sizes compare to those elsewhere in the state, and what we should do to help get this bill passed. Sign up here and we'll send you a link to the event.   Join us!

3.Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday. Because of the pandemic, we haven't been able to hold our Class Size Matters fundraiser for the last two years. No matter what happens to this particular bill, we'll continue to provide the oversight, outreach, advocacy and analysis necessary to ensure that someday soon, our students receive the smaller class sizes they deserve.  Please give as generously as you can, to help ensure that our work continues even stronger than before.  

thanks Leonie

P.S. If you buy gifts through Amazon, by ordering through Amazon Smile, Class Size Matters will receive a small percentage of the amount.

 

Urgent! Call Speaker Johnson to ask him to schedule a vote on the class size bill!

Este mensaje está en español aquí.

Leonie --

The good news is that with your help, 39 Council Members out of 49 have now signed onto Int. 2374, the bill that would require class sizes be reduced in NYC schools. This is a veto-proof majority, so that if passed, the Mayor could not block it.

The bad news is that the Mayor is trying to stop the bill from ever coming to a vote. This vote was supposed to happen Nov. 23, but has now been delayed.  

So I need your help -- please call Speaker Corey Johnson's office TODAY to urge him to schedule the class size bill for a vote. We only have a month until nearly the entire City Council turns over and we have to start from scratch.  

Here is his phone number and a suggested message, but feel free to alter it in any way you like:

Call 212-788-7210 :

I am a parent and I'm calling to urge the Speaker to schedule a vote on Intro. 2374 as soon as possible. It just isn't fair that NYC class sizes are 10-30% larger than those in the rest of the state. NYC children have waited long enough for a better chance to learn. Passing this legislation would be one of the greatest accomplishments of his time in office. My name is x, my phone no. is y., and I would appreciate a call back to find out when this vote will happen.

Then, once you've called, please fill out this form if you have time, letting us know what happened.

And please forward this message to other parents, teachers and New Yorkers who care.

Thanks Leonie

Budget hearings on March 19; and please call the Speaker!

The February 28 hearings on class size were so overcrowded that many people who came did not even get in the room or have a chance to testify. Many others were unable to attend because of other reasons. But I wanted to let you know that you will have a second chance. 

On Thursday March 19, starting at about 1 PM, the Council will be hearing public testimony on the education budget.  The hearings will take place in the Council Chambers at City Hall.  Please try to make it if you can!  If you need talking points, they are here.  If you plan to testify, make sure to fill out a slip with the attendant at the desk at the front of the room first.

In any case, for everyone who cares about this issue:  please call the Speaker’s office today, with this message:  “As a parent [or teacher, or concerned citizen], I urge the Speaker to  fight for $100 million to be targeted towards reducing class size in the public schools, and for this initiative to be included in the Council’s budget response.”

Here are the Speaker’s phone numbers:

212-788-7210  (City Hall office)

212-564-7757 (district office)

If you do call, please let us know by filling out this one-minute survey.

Finally, we have now posted several compelling short videos and links to written testimony from the Feb. 28 hearings on our website. Please take a look, especially at Regent Cashin’s lead testimony, recounting how when she was Superintendent of District 23 and lowered class size, the “whole world changed.”

But please remember to call the Speaker’s office today!

Thanks for your support,