Friday, September 08, 2017

MAYORAL CANDIDATE ALBANESE CITES PARENT GROUP GIVING DE BLASIO POOR GRADES

Parent activist Leonie Haimson sent out this email on mayoral candidate Sal Albanese pouncing on Mayor Bill de Blasio's education record in the Democratic primary debate the other night.

From Leonie:

Check out the question about class size and overcrowding at about 30 minutes in during last night’s Mayoral debate between Bill de Blasio and Sal Albanese:


Question: Mr. Albanese, the city’s Kids PAC, yesterday gave the current administration grade of “F” for class side and overcrowding, say more than half a million children are affected. What would you do to relieve this today right now?

Sal Albanese: Great question, the tragic number is 63%, 63% of kids graduated from high school cannot do college work. The politically massaged numbers where Bill has shown some increase in math and reading scores, of course leaving out the fact that the poor performing schools are doing worse under his watch.

As a former public school teacher, what I would do is direct resources to reduce class size. That, teachers will tell you that is the best way to get optimum educational outcomes and reduce focus on standardized testing, we are teaching to the test, the kids are coming into the buildings and not passionate about education, they are test takers, I want to move away from that.

I want to produce kids that are innovators, independent thinkers, none of that is happening right now. and those parents yesterday were great because they gave bill the grade he deserved when it comes to public education, an “F.”  He spent millions on renewal schools with terrible results.

Question: Mr. Mayor? almost half of the schools, kids are overcrowded. how do you fix that?

Bill de Blasio:  I will answer after answering this point, the facts are wrong, once again. Listen, that answer you heard a moment ago denigrates the efforts of our educators, we have the highest graduation rate in the history of New York City, test scores have gone up four years in a row, educators are doing extra ordinary things to reach children.

We know we have a lot more work to do, pre-K will be a huge part, 3-K is behind it, a focus on getting all kids on reading level by third grade, something that has never been done before in the history of the city is where we are put investments. To not recognize that steady progress really is disrespectful to our educators and our parents who are working so hard to support their kids.

To the class size issue, we have added a huge amount of additional money, billions of dollars to increase the amount of construction of new school buildings and to expand buildings that we have already with annexes and other facilities, pre-K centers, so we can additionally reach kids in neighborhoods that are overcrowded..

This is another one that will be a long battle because, in fact, in some neighborhoods, the number of school kids ballooned in recent years, we have a lot more to do to catch up. we are steadily investing in addressing overcrowding and making our schools better for our kids….

Then at about 37 minutes in, Albanese said he would legalize marijuana and tax it to pay for smaller classes:

Albanese: I have a very firm opinion that we need to legalize marijuana, as other states are doing it. …there would be places where you can buy marijuana for recreational use, and use the tax money to improve our schools, to make our city, reduce class size.

For those who want to examine the de Blasio education report card Albanese referred to, check it out.


The only ones who have anything to do with the schools who would disagree with these low grades are probably the UFT's leaders and maybe some school administrators.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, we do such a good job? Why suck a lousy contract then? Why such mistreatment? How does my current school have an 80 % grad rate and an 11% college ready rate?

Anonymous said...

Albanese wants to legalize marijuana and tax it to raise money for schools. He was a school teacher for 11 years. Those 2 things alone are cause for me to want to vote for him!

Anonymous said...

Great, then we'll have more potheads and would need to smell more of it in the schools. No thank you. Find another way to raise money for schools.

Anonymous said...

Like what? Raising income or property taxes? I am not a fan of weed but have no problem with other people smoking it. I also got no problem with it being taxed to raise money if it is going to reduce my overcrowded classes.

Anonymous said...

STONER DiBLAHsio is lying again. He begins with the usual BULLSHIT politician answer
"we've accomplished so much, yet there is so much more to do" This POTHEAD, who by the way erected a fence around Gracie Mansion to hide his dysfunctional habit, has his head up his ass again, as usual. The city is FLUSH with cash, yet he starves the schools. Class size has NEVER been higher, and if we had a real union, not this FAKE one that is in bed with the city, this issue would be exposed for all parents of NYC students to see.

Anonymous said...

Everyone knows that class sizes in NYC is the biggest in NYS. Buuuuuutttt, no parents care! DOE is a babysitting service for most parents and that is the way it has always been looked at. Bottom line-Parents don't complain means that nothing will change. This ain't Larchmont!

Anonymous said...

There's a mismanagement of funds and too many administrators. This could resolve the issue. Eliminate the small schools unless they are top notch schools. Bring back one principal for a building and department heads. Principals should have at least 15 years experience and respected. There are far too many morans as administrators. There are far too many consultants.