Update: The most offensive statement in the Cuomo Commission report can be found in the section plugging for the expansion of online learning:
"The application of learning technologies has important potential benefits for enhancing family and community engagement in education. Blended course offerings including instruction on-line will provide new opportunities for family members to work directly with students receiving this instruction, and to build their own abilities as well."
Can you imagine the Commission members recommending this for suburban parents or private school parents? This is incredibly condescending, not to mention an altogether unreasonable expectation that over-worked parents should be eager to act as teachers in delivering instruction.
As one commenter to the NYC ed list serv wrote, "Thus turning parents
into replacement scabs for displaced teachers. And Randi voted for
this?"
Welcome back and Happy New Year. The first report of the Cuomo Commission on Education Reform was released today.
As expected, given the pre-established views of
the Commissioners selected by the Governor, the report makes a big push for
more full day preK, more extended school time and more online learning, higher
standards for acceptance into teacher prep programs, measuring the quality of
those programs through analyzing the student test score data of their
graduates, and a more rigorous, national certification exam, as AFT president
Randi Weingarten and Commission member has proposed.
It remains silent on the need for smaller classes, the top
priority of New York City parents and one of the few reforms proven to work through
rigorous evidence. This failing, which does not put students first, reflects how few of the Commissioners
have classroom experience or children enrolled in the city’s public schools.
More on the report at
GothamSchools here.
