During much of the last decade, New York City’s school system became a fervent symbol of the education reform movement. The nation’s largest school system has operated under mayoral control since 2002, when the State Legislature gave Mayor Michael Bloomberg nearly complete authority over NYC’s schools. Bloomberg made Joel Klein chancellor of city schools and together they ushered in a number of controversial changes such as appointing school board members. They also paid aggressive attention to testing, and implemented what many viewed as increased accountability of teachers.
And Bloomberg’s been a huge supporter of charter schools, which proliferated during his tenure.
Though NYC was not the first city to turn to mayoral control, the city’s model of school governance was closely watched by parents, educators, and politicians around the country – including in Rochester. Buoyed by scandalous stories about New York’s failing schools, Bloomberg’s decision-making went almost unchecked. There was the infamous rubber room, where city teachers on disciplinary leave or probation would spend their days doing nothing while still earning their salaries and benefits. And the formidable political influence of teachers unions came under greater public scrutiny.
To some degree, Bloomberg’s methods were vindicated by some increases in test scores and graduation rates. But the Bloomberg style of education reform may have been dealt a serious blow as NYC Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio chose Carmen Farina, a former teacher and principal, as the new chancellor of the city’s schools. Farina’s appointment was widely seen as a signal to the education community that the Bloomberg-era is over.
Farina reportedly influenced de Blasio and his plans to expand universal pre-K and after-school programs. And instead of giving deference to charter schools, de Blasio has indicated that the city’s charters will need to pay rent, a significant concern given the city’s pricey real estate market.
Educators and politicians around the country will be watching New York City schools closely. Critics of de Blasio were swift to denounce the Farina appointment. And there is a lot at stake for de Blasio politically, and for the nation’s education communities. If the city’s graduation rates slip backward, de Blasio’s chances of winning a second election could be jeopardized.
If test scores and grad rates increase, however, particularly under the new Common Core standards, it will inevitably lead to another national debate about improving public education.
This article appears in Jan 1-7, 2014.
Education sure is in the news a lot, both here and at the D&C. We can all feel proud because this means that our local news media is taking care of its commitment to education, right? But are we really? Perhaps we have lost something important along the way.
I have enjoyed reading old D&C newspapers from the 1920s, 30s and 40s. Education policy was an important issue then too, and these issues were fully covered, just like today.
But today something is sorely missing—news about city schools and schoolchildren and the daily activities and stories of their lives—the field trips, the major lessons, the celebrations, the hikes, the competitions, the discoveries. It was not simply that these old-time print journalists valued education: they valued children. And it wasn’t news that was buried away, either.
Perhaps if our local newspapers allocated more print space to stories about city kids, as a community we would be showing that we value their experiences and that as a community we are with them on the journey of their lives. Not just in theory—but in practice. And not just for the high achievers, but everyday kids too.
When was the last time that City Newspaper devoted many column inches to just plain stories about city kids? You have devoted volumes to stories about their troubled lives and more than enough stories about the policy fads and gimmicks promoted by the careerists and the “professionals.”
It’s called “back-to-basics” and may be worthwhile even for City Newspaper to consider.