This was buried in a lengthy piece in silive.com covering Chancellor David Banks' vision for the schools that he introduced today:
Banks also announced on Wednesday that he will eliminate the position of executive superintendents.
“The reason we are doing that is because we have not gotten the level of value added to our schools that is needed for having that position, and here’s what we’re going to do in place of that,” he said. “We are going to be bolstering the superintendent’s position.”
The DOE has also asked each district superintendent to reapply for his or her job so it can assess whether he or she is the best individual to support innovative schools and school leaders.
Will this just be the latest shifting of the bureaucracy that signifies absolutely nothing or will this be a real change?
For those interested in the Chancellor's vision, it is based on 4 pillars:
1-Reimagining the student experience
-Career pathways
-Literacy
-Civics
-Virtual learning
-Early childhood
2-Scaling, sustaining and restoring what works
3-Student wellness
4-Building partnerships with parents
There's more on the speech Banks gave from Selim Algar at the NY Post:
“But think about it, $38 billion,” he said. “I want you to keep that number in your head. We spent $38 billion every single year to get the outcomes we get. Where 65 percent of black and brown children never achieve proficiency.”
Repeating many of the same themes he introduced after his selection as schools chief, Banks laid out policies that he said would reverse DOE decay and restore parental belief.
And finally, how about this gem?
Updating the DOE’s approach will require new training for city teachers, the chancellor asserted.
“Far too many of our teachers are smart, committed, hardworking — but they have not received the level of exposure to what the world of work really looks like,” he said.
What is that supposed to mean? Teaching isn't a real job. Try teaching five or six classes a day and see how you feel.
38 comments:
It means what we all already know, neither he or Adams understands the actual core job of education: Teaching children. I'd suggest he is referring to school breaks and summer break.
I just saw him on tv. He is for extending the school day and having school on Saturdays. He said nothing about year round school. Problem is the kids who need the extra help don't seek it. Also, parents are getting frustrated with the system because of all the fluff being taught and no content. He said he wants to focus on reading. That's right. Kids need to read silently, not do turn and talk and do group activities and accountable talk. They need to get rid of Danielson and let's get back to real teaching.
I was confused by his intention to increase the number of safety agents when the mayor recently said he wants to reduce the number of safety agents.
Can someone tell me what I'm missing there? Thank you in advance.
Also, people who support more school time don't understand that we need to increase the quality, not the quantity.
There are going to be many teachers as insulted as I am over the last statement regarding "Knowing what real work is!"
How about pay for all the free labor teaching today requires of us, the second job we have at night with data entry for just about everything and the list grows every year! Especially in Special Ed! Documents and deadlines for data collection, never ending!
Chancellor Banks also said something about kids not reading and an overhaul especially in Special Ed. I wonder if he was talking about Gen Ed Inclusion Classes or District 75?
The data mining, testing, testing that is all the fad today takes time away from kids and is useless.
Today we have Principals with multiple Assistant Principals with Unit Coordinators that do all the work they use to do. They are under pressure from above to get that data so this becomes paramount above all else in schools. What are they doing with this data anyway? Algorithms for our kids? For what? Our kids are not a test score!
Perhaps kids are not learning to read because of overcrowded classrooms, lack of space and behavioral disruptions within the classrooms, especially inclusion classes. Related Services are delivered in closets and hallways.
Perhaps some children need more behavioral support in a smaller class setting so as not to get as overstimulated.
Perhaps Public Schools need more space to move around in with separate subject classrooms and shop classes. Sometimes a change in scenery enables children to refocus. There are few Science or Art rooms around in elementary and teachers travel room to room. How can our kids get the best when having to learn in this way? It's not easy to bring the full experience of education with no space to provide it.
With all due respect Chancellor Sir, we do know what real work is. Teachers rise to the occasion no matter what the challenge and deserve a little more respect.
We cannot increase quality unless teachers are able to teach.
I can't wait until he gets a hold of the DOE data that shows Principal Dwarka at Bryant High school as the worst teacher observation data in all Danielson components year after year.
How can anyone possibly explain this?
How has she been unnoticed by tweed for so long?
Hmmmmmmm......
“Far too many of our teachers are smart, committed, hardworking — but they have not received the level of exposure to what the world of work really looks like,” he said.
What is that supposed to mean? Teaching isn't a real job. Try teaching five or six classes a day and see how you feel."
That's not what he means at all. I've seen a real difference between teachers who have had other work experiences and teachers who have taught their entire lives. In my opinion there is no job that can compare to the demands that we face, nor the abuse that we are subjected to. BUT career teachers can barely compose a business like memo, the dealings with non teaching professionals, and the "wheelings and dealings" that take place in the outside world of work. Students get jobs but they are not being trained for higher level positions (of course they'd have to learn to read first).
658, I guess Adams and Banks are not always in lockstep. They publicly said different things about remote learning in January.
Good catch, James with that last Banks quote. I wonder if Banks would utter that same condescending line to other union workers?
"...but they have not received the level of exposure to what the world of work really looks like." is code for no summer vacations, working longer hours, no tenure and firing teachers at will."
Too bad David Banks doesn't know what a Potemkin Village is when he sees one. He probably doesn't know what Potemkin Village means.
NYS Senate is having public hearing Friday about Mayoral control for those interested:
https://www.nysenate.gov/calendar/public-hearings/march-04-2022/joint-public-hearing-discuss-school-governance-reform-and
When you have corrupt mayoral control for 20 years in NY city and the schools are in a much bigger mess than they were before mayoral control. The problem with NYC public schools is Mayoral control, period.
When you get rid of mayoral control, you can eliminate clowns like David Banks and Eric Adams from managing the schools into oblivion. Then the schools can the slowly regain their "vitality". People like Michael Bloomberg, Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams kill public education because they are slimy patrons of the charter school industry.
The phrase goes, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars / But in ourselves, that we are underlings.” (Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene III, L. 140-141). He is, in fact, trying to persuade Brutus to stop Caesar from becoming a monarch — an act he thinks is in the best interest of the country.
Get rid of Mayoral Control!
The next contract must stipulate the number of school days specifically we are required to work to meet federal guidelines.
Often, NYC teachers work up to 186 days compared to the 180 for the rest of the country..
What some do not realize, we pay for optional summers off by pacing our salary out over 12 months instead of 10.3 months receiving less salary during the school year than we have actually earned for work hours served.
We are not equitably paid at time in half for overtime like every other place of employment, labor unions. Why?
We are a profession dominantly composed of women.
A REAL job might have travel perks, bonuses, cars, respect, flexibility, the ability to use the toilet when u want to, a company cell phone, moving expenses paid.how about that? Plus paying u what u are worth!
My brother gets travel perks, travels free,company pays for the cars and hotels.matbe we need those things to travel the world to see how to do things better we might never return!
With all the years of DATA teachers submit, nobody noticed that many are illuterate??
Recall the balanced literacy?teaching phonics not allowed, push inventive spelling, bal blah.they pushed it and need to take responsibility.those of us with any common sense knew that direct phonics instruction was needed.they should not blame us when their shit failed, as predicted. I could not believe that professional consultants were spineless to push this bs on people.sell outs.
I am all for cutting the DOE budget. Throwing money at a problem only increases the problem. Nobody will miss or notice the elimination of the executive superintendents. I say Banks keeps going and does an honest audit of every NYC DOE school. But then again, honest and the DOE are polar opposites. I am infuriated and saddened when I see the millions wasted by my principal on the newest initiative which will quickly fall to the wayside, nepotism, "school supplies", fictitious per session hours and food.
I did not hear Banks say anything about addressing the lack of discipline in the schools. I did not hear Banks say anything about broken family structures that plaque the majority of the "struggling" students. I would have liked to hear what Banks plans to do about these issues.
All said and well done, teachers need respect and unfortunately many teachers feel unrespected within the DOE and their schools.I am sure both Adams and Banks are curious as too why so many of us young rookie teachers or veterans head for the door!Its very degrading as well as hurtful the way public school teachers are viewed.We are just the scapegoats in this long broken system. The sad part is most teachers will never last long enough to achieve credits toward a decent pension. Its truly a revolving door for people who just want a temporary job for a short period of time. Long gone are the days of old schooled teachers who truly were admired and respected!
Sounds like we few old timers in this broken system with only a year or two away from retirement, pray for a speedy exit such as an early retirement incentive. Let the teachers who want out go out with dignity. Hopefully Mr Adams will agree with an ERI policy and approve it. God only can bless our younger generation of educators coming into this broken profession who will never last long enough to even see a pension. This fact says it all!
He's going to start a fully remote virtual school for families to sign up for. I am guessing that a TON of families are going to sign up for it and it is not about covid. Many kids thrive online, kids who are bullied love it, families with older kids can learn from home and take care of little relatives. It is going to be a big deal. Can't wait to see what the application process will be for teachers who want to work at the remote school. Going to be interesting for sure!
Hey Banks, you want to tell me teaching isn’t a real job? Fine! I’ll put in less work, less effort and do no work at home anymore.
What an arrogant you know what!
He’s posturing for new contract negotiations.
“Far too many of our teachers are smart, committed, hardworking — but they have not received the level of exposure to what the world of work really looks like,” he said.
Why doesn't he look at the nauseating layers of wasted dollars that sit in office cubicles or their basement with all their grand ideas that hinder us from actually being able to teacher? Let's see him stand in front of classes for six periods in a day and try- not actually - teach students while trying to follow all of the bullshit distractions / barriers to discipline coming from the ivory tower. Far too many of our politicians and their appointees pretend to know what teaching is but they have not received the level of exposure to what their ass or their elbow is on the subject.
A new work study program will be instituted for all NYC teachers. Two days a week teachers will work in a corporation as an intern to get the understanding of the real world out there. Six month program with a diploma award saying you know how the real world works now.
Just re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Yes, and we don't get to work at home the way office workers do. Hochul said most office workers aren't even going to work the traditional 5 day work week. We don't have that luxury.
Seriously, I would not want to be a young educator coming into the system now. First off, the classroom rules are stacked against younger teachers without any classroom management skills causing young inexperienced educators to run for the door.
Second, the charter school movement and private school vouchers are eating up the public school students away from public schools. Today in NYC there are almost 200,000 kids either in charter schools or private schools. The 1.1 million students is no longer. Its more like 800,000 now and shrinking!
Third, the people running the schools are so called administrators but there are very few administrators who are good people who know how to run organizations and the managing of people required. Many of us have seen good administrators who know how to treat people and we have seen the outsiders come into the system and try to implement their bizarre way of running things but too often it fails the staff and students.
NYC public schools will probably one day become a haven for over aged under credited kids.
Liked the person who stated just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic! Its so true but yet so sad! Unfortunately its the teachers and not the Genesis and so called school chiefs who are drowning!
I would shed no tears if they closed that Klein Aristocratic Educational Palace at Tweed on Chambers Street. The city could save a fortune. Maybe convert the structure into a huge and roomy homeless shelter.
What Adams really means is for decades the DOE has allowed for curriculums that don’t prepare students for the real world but instead of coming clean on all the failures of the various mayors and chancellors he’s blaming teachers. I implement the curriculum and standards set forth by my principal who is accountable to the superintendent who is accountable to the chancellor. If it’s not good enough then why do all of the decision makers still have jobs? Hard to prepare kids for a real world job when the DOE allows them to skip school and still pass. Couldn’t make it to work or failing to meet my deadlines but still expecting to keep the job is a mindset rooted in the nyc doe. I have no confidence the doe will change. They coddle students instead of demanding they do their personal best. They choose absurd curriculum and set low standards. Easily fixed but not by these political sycophants.
Yes, I don't think Adams meant what he said as an insult to teachers. It's that what we are teaching kids is not preparing them for the work world. In my school, students are required to do an internship without an outside company. Too much curriculum is fluff and not practical in the real world. I also agree with 9:27, if we keep treating the kids like babies and keep passing them because that's all we believe they are capable of, then it will all be for naught. Kids need to see the real world where you don't get second chances, so the hypocrisy needs to end too.
Adams did not say "Teachers have not received the level of exposure to what real work looks like."
Our new Chancellor Mr. Banks did. That is what he thinks of NYC Public School Teachers.
Mayoral control must go, term limits must be implemented. This should be negotiated when Mulgrew wins again.
Game is more rigged than a carnival game. If you even last 20 year, which 90% of the tier 6 won't, millenials cant hang in this anyways. YOu get a 27% reduction in pension. YOu could be a tier 4 teacher, go 20 years and get a 13% pension it's sick and disturbing.
Here is the recording:
https://youtu.be/iNNpugd0LcA
Anyone who thinks that kids working groups daily is a good idea is insane and probably a terrible teacher. Kids need rows. They need whole class novels. It doesn’t matter if kids are not learning…if the people walk in and kids are talking in groups you’re golden.
@3:58 pm "Kids need rows". Wrong. And who are you? The arbiter of how kids learn best? You're a terrible teacher if you think there is one style of teaching that works best for all. It's not just DOE that says that students work better in groups - there have been many studies that show this. Newer studies show that students learn better through physical participation. "Whole class novels". Is ELA their only subject?
I think group work is great, but it shouldn't be the go to method for everything. Kids need to be able to do things independently. Yes, you need to learn how to work in groups, but most times in life, you need to do things yourself. The only problem is too many kids become dependent on group work. Also group work isn't done correctly many times. Many times it's one or two kids doing all the work, and the other kids just copying their work. It's also hard to do group projects that extend over several days when you are in a school with poor attendance.
This is in The Resilient Educator. There are educationally sound arguments both ways.
In teacher-centered education, students put all of their focus on the teacher. You talk, and the students exclusively listen. During activities, students work alone, and collaboration is discouraged.
Pros
When education is teacher-centered, the classroom remains orderly. Students are quiet, and you retain full control of the classroom and its activities.
Because students learn on their own, they learn independence and make their own decisions.
Because you direct all classroom activities, you don’t have to worry that students will miss an important topic.
Cons
When students work alone, they don’t learn to collaborate with other students, and their communication skills may suffer.
Teacher-centered instruction can be boring for students. Their minds may wander, and they may miss important facts.
Teacher-centered instruction doesn’t allow students to express themselves, ask questions, and direct their own learning.
Student-centered instruction
When a classroom operates with student-centered instruction, students and instructors share the focus. Instead of listening to the teacher exclusively, students and teachers interact equally. Group work is encouraged, and students learn to collaborate and communicate with one another.
Pros
Students learn important communicative and collaborative skills through group work.
Students learn to direct their own learning, ask questions, and complete tasks independently.
Students are more interested in learning activities when they can interact with one another and participate actively.
Cons
Because students are talking, classrooms may often be noisy or chaotic.
Teachers may have to attempt to manage all students’ activities at once, which can be difficult when students are working on different stages of the same project.
Because the teacher doesn’t always deliver instruction to all students at once, some students may miss important facts.
Some students prefer to work alone, so group work can become problematic.
Making a decision
In recent years, more teachers have moved toward a student-centered approach. However, some students maintain that teacher-centered education is the more effective strategy. In most cases, it is best for teachers to use a combination of approaches to ensure that all student needs are met. You know your classroom better than anyone, so decide what works best for you and your students.
9:49 - if only one or two students do the work, then only or two students get the grade. You'd have to be actively monitoring them. Also they can have group roles, or each person contribute their piece based on their individual reading. But yeah, the attendance can be an issue.
10:05- I always give out written instructions to each team, along with a rubric.
The Pro from the Resilient Educator is laughable "When education is teacher-centered, the classroom remains orderly. Students are quiet, and you retain full control of the classroom and its activities." Clearly they are not referring to a NYC Public School classroom. The students have been conditioned all the way through high school to turn the classroom into a three ring circus. It's not until at least 10th grade where many of them start to settle down.
Dwarka gets away with everything, and all type of corruption that is why the school is in a downward spiral
She targets anyone who speaks up, and the UFT looks the other way
She should have been removed years ago.
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