Tuesday, May 31, 2022

AGREEMENT IN ALBANY TO EXTEND MAYORAL CONTROL IN EXCHANGE FOR LOWER CLASS SIZES

This is from Senator on John Liu on Twitter:


We understand it is a two-year extension. This is from Chalkbeat's Reema Amin and reporter Zack Fink on Twitter:


We read most of the text of the companion lower class size bill. It is actual class sizes of 20 for K-3, 23 for 4-8, and 25 for the high schools except for music and physical education which would be 40. The class size plan has to be for now and must be fully implemented by 2027. You can read some of the bill text yourself if you are looking for loopholes.

In  a city school district in a city having a population of

    29  one million or more inhabitants such contract shall also include a plan,

    30  which shall be developed in collaboration with the collective bargaining

    31  units representing teachers and the principals and signed off on by  the

    32  chancellor  and the presidents of each bargaining unit, to reduce [aver-

    33  age] actual class sizes, [as defined by the  commissioner,  within  five

    34  years  for the following grade ranges: (A) pre-kindergarten-third grade]

    35  beginning September two  thousand  twenty-two  and  to  be  achieved  by

    36  September  two thousand twenty-seven for all classes, with the exception

    37  of physical education and performing groups, as follows: (1)  kindergar-

    38  ten-third  grade  to  have no more than twenty students per class; [(B)]

    39  (2) fourth-eighth grade to have no more than twenty-three  students  per

    40  class;  and  [(C)]  (3)  high  school  to  have no more than twenty-five

    41  students per class. [Such]  Physical  education  and  performing  groups

    42  shall  have  no  more  than forty students per class at all levels. Each

    43  year of the plan, an additional twenty percent of the classrooms in  the

    44  city  school  district, excluding special education classes, shall be in

    45  compliance with the  class  size  targets  such  that  the  city  school

    46  district  is  in  full  compliance  by two thousand twenty-seven and all

    47  classes should maintain the target class size. The class size  reduction

    48  plan  shall  prioritize  schools serving populations with higher poverty

    49  levels.

    50    (B) The class size reduction plan shall include [class size  reduction

    51  for  low  performing and overcrowded schools and also] any exemptions to

    52  the class size targets. These exemptions shall be limited to: (1) space;

    53  (2) over-enrolled students; (3) license area shortages; and  (4)  severe

    54  economic distress. Any such exemptions shall be approved by the chancel-

    55  lor  and  the presidents of the collective bargaining units representing

    56  the teachers and the principals as part  of  the  class  size  reduction

        A. 10498                            5

 

     1  plan.    Should  the  chancellor  and  the  presidents of the collective

     2  bargaining units representing the teachers and the principals be  unable

     3  to  reach agreement on the exemptions after thirty days, the issue shall

     4  be  determined  by  an  arbitrator.  In addition, any exemption based on

     5  available space shall include a  reference  to  the  capital  budget  to

     6  demonstrate  that  the  budget  is  aligned with resolving the exemption

     7  status. Exempted classes, for the years in which they  are  exempt,  and

     8  special  education  classes  shall  not  count toward the twenty percent

     9  target.

    10    (C) The class size reduction plan shall also include the methods to be

    11  used to achieve [such] the class  [sizes]  size  targets,  such  as  the

    12  creation  or  construction  of more classrooms and school buildings, the

    13  placement of more than one teacher in a classroom or methods  to  other-

    14  wise  reduce  the  student  to  teacher  ratio[; provided, however, that

    15  notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the  contrary,  the  sole

    16  and  exclusive  remedy for a violation of the requirements of this para-

    17  graph shall be pursuant to a petition to the commissioner under subdivi-

    18  sion seven of section three hundred ten of this title, and the  decision

    19  of  the  commissioner on such petition shall be final and unreviewable],

    20  but only as a temporary measure until more classrooms are made available

    21  in conformance with the plan. For elective and  specialty  classes,  the

    22  collective  bargaining  unit  representing  teachers may negotiate class

    23  sizes higher than the targets if such increase is approved by a majority

    24  of the staff in the school.


30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Total Bullshit. Fake News!

The democrat politicians will never ever give up on mayoral control
which has been a failed policy for improving educational outcomes again and again. The democrats are racists posing as anti-racists.

Also, they have a track record of not honoring their responsibility
to lower class size. In the past, NY state democrats violated the
CFE ruling , (Campaign for Fiscal Equity ruling) and did not pay for smaller class sizes after 2008.

This is a total fraud by NY state and NY city. Do not expect any follow up on smaller class size. They won't pay for it. Total bullshit.

Anonymous said...

NY state still owes 3.5 billion dollars of CFE money.
The agreement is totally fake. NY democrats are racist hypocrites, period.

Anonymous said...

The criminal mismanagement, cronyism and corrupt contracts will continue. The children of NY city will continue to be cheated.

Anonymous said...

Soooooo, what are the class size caps going to be? Will this kick in September?

Anonymous said...

They extended mayoral control for another 2 years in exchange for smaller class sizes in 5 years? What does one thing have to do with the other? Can someone explain?

Anonymous said...

Sounds like more of the same! Been there and did that. (SPACE) Exemptions and excuses will continue so as to continue status quo. We are trying BUT... no space, overpopulated... etc..etc...
Our schools need real space! How about space to have special needs kids in full size classrooms or cluster rooms where kids can receive the full experience of science labs, cooking or art classes instead of hybrid models inside half classrooms with traveling teachers.

Anonymous said...

This is total bullshit. 2027? I'll be retired then. What a scam.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm.. how much square footage of space is designated to children within classrooms?
Gen. Ed Elementary ?
D75 Special needs kids?

There is a number!

Anonymous said...

I'll tell ya' what's gonna happen. Class sizes will be with 50 kids in one room BUT with 2 teachers. Trust me, that's how they are gonna do it.

Anonymous said...

I can see the smaller class size is going to be a scheduling and logistics nightmare. What teachers don’t realize is smaller classes mean more classes. More classes need more rooms. So many schools are squeezed into one school. Get ready to see high schools with 10,11,12,13 periods. Also are they going to be able to afford all the extra teachers. I also like how the doe gets 5 years to implement something while teachers are lucky to get 2 days to implement something.

Anonymous said...

More racist educational funding. More criminal mismanagement of NY city schools. Nothing has changed.

Anonymous said...

What is the penalty for not complying with the smaller class size agreement? Who wants to bet nothing changes and there is no penalty.

Anonymous said...

If you think there’s ever to be smaller class size—-then I have a bridge to sell you.

Anonymous said...

NY state does not plan to fund smaller class sizes. They will not be forced to comply with the "agreement". It is a fake agreement.
NY state did not comply with the CFE ruling. NY state legislators
frequently end up in prison.

The schools will produce fake graduation statistics, fake diplomas , fake Regents results and it will all be done for their political expediency.

NY state education is fake.

Anonymous said...

This mayoral control transaction creates another reputational stain for the NY state legislature.

Anonymous said...

Those of us who have decades in the system know that declarations of emergency and waivers are how the doe will get away with NEVER lowering class size. Then after overusing their declarations and waivers we will get a remedy that falls way too short… such as what 6:48 pm said. Until the majority of parents demand change, nothing will change in nyc schools. Parental apathy is what’s really wrong in education. Fix that and other things fall into place.

Anonymous said...

It's rare that a piece of legislation combines all the possible worst outcomes, but Senator Liu & the legislative leadership have accomplished it. Adding more members to the PEP will make those 'til 2 AM meetings become 'til 4 AM meetings while keeping the Mayor's absolute majority to ram through any nonsense on their agendas of the week. It gives a small group of "activist" parents the illusion that they have input and ignores the need for school administrators-the ones charged with executing PEP and other policies-to have a say. Adding the Comptroller's office to the PEP is the only positive part of this bill-albeit as a non-voting member. Annual "elections" for the impotent parent "leaders" adds a new layer of nonsense to the mix.


The class size bill has exemptions wide enough to drive a truck through and is all about perception-not reality. High schools over 100% capacity already on multi-sessions will have to further extend their days which kills extracurricular activities for kids. The obvious solution coming soon is to build more annexes and schools-

The famously corrupt SCA must be doing a dance.

Anonymous said...

Looks like they have five years to do this...if so, total joke!

Anonymous said...

@4:59 is correct. The dems do not even want to give mandate control, they will never relinquish mayoral control. This city is turning to Chicago and Curtis Silwa was the bad one here? I want a black or spanish republican to take it over. Then you can be the true racists many of you are, only republicans blacks dont matter like Clarence Thomas.

Anonymous said...

Does this mean now that the DOE will toss all the Success Academies that squish into our buildings? I mean we have Success schools crammed into buildings. So to truly implement this new strategy they will have to give Eva Moskowitch a call to inform her that her schools need space. Oh wait....no worries....Mike Bloomberg already gave Success Academies 200 million dollar donation so I guess Success will be building new schools. We can all thank btw our esteemed former GOv Cuomo who sold out to the charters.

Anonymous said...

849 said please please please give me a figurehead to hide my racism behind. right wing identity politics at play once again.

Anonymous said...

They had to give Adams a taste of at least 2 year Mayoral control (he may have played the race card—if it was denied)—since his predecessors were given the opportunity—even though education has gone in the wrong direction.
When the 2 years are up—the same scenario will play out again and Adams will get another 2 years of control. In all probability, if schools have improved—he will take the credit and things get worse—he will blame the teachers.

Anonymous said...

But Adams is a democrat…. And black. No way a black democrat is playing politics at black and brown kids’ expense. It just can’t be. He could only be more credible if he had 2 X chromosomes and a vagina. Leave this man alone, bigots.

Anonymous said...

I think with a huge number of families exiting the city we will be lucky to have smaller classes: it will preserve the #of teaching hours. Will need to "spread" kids who stayed,so tchrs are still employed.
We are the ones who caused this...too much compliance.

Anonymous said...

And they will give desk jobs with hefty salaries till retirement to the admins who will arrange such fraud for them (ref. Maspeth). Business as usual.

Anonymous said...

12:25
Actually, you seem to know more abput asking for a figurehead.

Anonymous said...

Wow,608.
There could have been no more covert racist statement than yours.
Really?

Anonymous said...

If you attack Adams you do so because he is black and you’re a bigot. You can’t handle a black man in charge, racist. Leave this black man alone!

Anonymous said...

1057. said, no you are! at least try to be sensible. put in minimal effort, that's all.

Anonymous said...

Institutional racism at its worst. Wouldn't find class sizes of 32 in any white suburb. Just like you won't find 90 year old dilapidated buildings with trailers as overflow for over capacity. So next time you hear these leftist politicians spout equity, point to NYC schools and call them out for the phony bastards they are.