A close-up look at NYC education policy, politics,and the people who have been, are now, or will be affected by these actions and programs. ATR CONNECT assists individuals who suddenly find themselves in the ATR ("Absent Teacher Reserve") pool and are the "new" rubber roomers, people who have been re-assigned from their life and career. A "Rubber Room" is not a place, but a process.
A teacher protesting COVID-19 vaccination mandates in New York City schools on August 25, 2021.
AP Photo/Mary Altaffer
A new war has started.
The Department of Education has a mandate that all unvaccinated staffers who do not have at least one shot against COVID-19 by September 27 will be removed from payroll, no exceptions - medical or religious - will be allowed.
The United Federation of Teachers is gearing up for a war with the city over the fate of more than 15,000 educators who have yet to receive the COVID-19 vaccination — with classes set to begin in days.
Teachers union chief Michael Mulgrew said Thursday that City Hall has vowed to remove all unvaccinated staffers from payroll without exception — including those with religious or medical objections.
“Our impact negotiations with the city have gone to a very bad place,” Mulgrew told reporters after a Town Hall with members. “It’s clear that the two sides are very very far apart when it comes to this vaccine mandate.”
The union said it would now seek to arbitrate the issue along with other labor groups.
The union chief said that staffers who are allergic to the jabs or have compromised immune systems should not be financially penalized.
“The city’s position is to remove them from payroll.” he said. “That is disgusting as far as I’m concerned. And it does not follow the law. The law says that these accommodations and exemptions have to be in place.”
The UFT said the city’s policy would also strip unvaccinated teachers of their health insurance.
During his meeting with members, Mulgrew focused on religious and medical accommodations.
But he later told The Post that the procedure for teachers who don’t receive either exemption but still refuse the vaccine is still being negotiated.
While he was confident that more teachers would get vaccinated ahead of the school year, which begins on Sept. 13, Mulgrew acknowledged the specter of staffing shortages — and said the city has not adequately prepared for those contingencies.
Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross-Porter reiterated this week that substitutes could be marshaled if necessary.
In backing the vaccine mandate for all public school workers, Mayor Bill de Blasio has argued that it would help to combat outbreaks and minimize school interruptions.
“We know this is going to help ensure that everyone is safe,” he said in announcing the plan.
Some union factions have demanded blanket vaccinations, arguing that those who don’t get the shot are putting their colleagues and others at risk.
DOE staffers have until September 27 to get their first shot and an agency spokesperson said that an accord is within reach.
“The health and safety of New York City children and the protection of our employees is at the core of the vaccine mandate,” said spokesperson Danielle Filson. “We will continue to negotiate with the UFT to reach a successful agreement because that is what’s best for our school communities.”
As of last week, the city said that 72 percent of city teachers and 63 percent of all school staffers are confirmed to have been vaccinated.
The city has said that the number of vaccinated teachers is likely higher than the official numbers because many have gotten the shot through private doctors or out of town.
The UFT estimated the number of jabbed educators to be 80 percent.
Mulgrew acknowledged during the Town Hall that the vaccine mandate has riven his ranks, and asked members to dial down the internal rancor — especially on social media.
“Please be respectful of each other,” he said in urging unity ahead of the new academic year.
Students, teachers, administrators and counselors listen as principal Malik Lewis (second from left) teaches them a history lesson at West Brooklyn Community High School in New York.
AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File
Many children need to have incentives to learn and achieve their personal best. For this reason, we oppose the Department of Education's suggestion that grades don't matter and “non-mastery” measures like behavior, attendance and participation should not impact grades.
If no one at a school cares whether or not students attend classes, the students will not care either. And they won't go to class. A very important part of educational practice is getting kids to class on time, and engaged in the lesson. But outcomes are important as well, not only to show colleges and universities and/or higher educational institutions that learning is important but also to demonstrate to yourself as well as the world that you can be productive. Students of any age feel better about themselves when they succeed in learning something new.
I doubt that the Department can be serious about this non-grading of attendance because the school receives Federal and State funding according to the number of seats that are filled in a class. This is "seat time". So, unless all Principals will be given license to lie about how many students are present on any given day, this new practice will not work. Then again, our belief is that principals are not transparent about student-on-student violence, so this may be just another box to tick off on a sheet.
The city Department of Education wants schools to rethink honor rolls and class rankings because they’re “detrimental” to some kids, according to a new grading guidance.
“Recognizing student excellence via honor rolls and class rank can be detrimental to learners who find it more difficult to reach academic success, often for reasons beyond their control,” the document states.
The DOE wants schools to widen recognitions to include “contributions to the school or wider community, and demonstrations of social justice and integrity.”
“Grades are not only a reflection of student performance but can be self-fulfilling prophecies,” the document states. “Influencing future student performance either directly through their psychological impact or indirectly through instructional decisions, placement in courses, and guidance in post-secondary options.”
The DOE wants more emphasis on evidence of progress and the mastery of individual “learning goals” rather than the cumulative quality of assignments and tests.
If a new exam score shows improvement, the DOE advises teachers to disregard or lessen the influence of the prior showing.
“Rather than just averaging the two assessments, replacing the score or part of the score is a more valid measurement of student achievement,” the guidance states.
The DOE said overall performance is taken into account.
“We have the highest academic standards for our kids,” said spokesperson Sarah Casasnovas. “Our grading policy mirrors pre-pandemic expectations, and as always student grades are first and foremost based on academic progress and performance.”
Parent leader Rasheedah Brown Harris applauded the approach.
“We can’t neglect that folks are going through a lot,” she said. “We’re talking about learning loss when people are trying to survive. We want to make sure that they are learning the overall concepts. We can’t get too concerned with the nitty-gritty of testing and grades.”
Deborah Alexander, of Community Education Council 30 in Queens, worried that lessening the impact of work throughout the year could de-incentivize performance.
“What are we telling them?” she asked. “That the process isn’t important as long as you get the material at the end.”
The guidance also reiterated that “non-mastery” measures like behavior, attendance and participation should not impact grades.
Given pandemic disruptions, the DOE said these categories are often impacted by personal circumstances not under the control of students.
Staffers should “minimize the effects of bias and eliminate practices that penalize students who have been marginalized based on their race, culture, language and/or ability.”
The DOE also wants teachers to cede some authority over learning goals and proficiency markers to students and parents.
Educators are advised to “invite students and families to offer meaningful input and engage in decision making about how students will learn and demonstrate proficiency on course goals and co-create learning goals with teachers.”
While she said she supported collaboration, Alexander said the DOE’s concept undermines their professional authority.
“We send our kids to schools to benefit from the value of teachers and their expertise,” she said.
Brooklyn College and CUNY Grad Center education professor David Bloomfield said he backed the spirit of the new guidance in light of ongoing coronavirus upheaval.
""fair does not mean everyone gets the same thing, fair means that everyone gets what they need to be successful," They remember this lesson all year,"
A third-grade teacher from Utah has gone viral with a simple lesson she uses in her classroom.
Aimee Scott told FOX News she decided to create the video of her "Band-Aid lesson" after meeting with several parents worried for their children at the start of the school year. The idea was to share it with other teachers so they could use it in their classrooms too.
"At the beginning of the year, parents come rushing in with their concerns about their children," Scott said. "They tell me all of the things that they are worried their children will be teased about. Type 1 diabetic children who need extra snacks to regulate their blood sugar and have beeping Dexcom monitors, students with ADHD who need flexible seating or fidget toys to help them concentrate, anxious students who need extra time on tests. The list is endless."
On the first day of school, she asks her students who has ever scraped their elbow in the class. She lets one kid tell their story of how their elbow got hurt and then calls them up and puts a bandage on their elbow.
Next, she asks who has ever bumped their head. She calls on one student to tell the story of the bumped head and then calls them to the front where she puts a bandage on . . . their elbow.
Repeat for a scraped knee.
By this time, the kids are confused. She stops the lesson and has a conversation about how she gave everyone the "exact same thing in the exact same way, it wasn't helpful to them." That "fair does not mean everyone gets the same thing, fair means that everyone gets what they need to be successful," Scott said in her TikTok video, which has been liked nearly 800,000 times.
"After this lesson, students are much more understanding when their friends with diabetes need an extra snack, when their friends with autism need noise-canceling headphones, when their friends with ADHD need a fidget spinner and they can't have one," she said.
Scott told FOX News her kids "love this lesson."
"Before I started my teaching career, another teacher told me that there would be days I would need to pretend I was an underpaid actress," she said. "I make a big deal when I give students a band-aid in the lesson, it's more engaging and fun that way. When I tell students, 'I am so sorry you bumped your head! Here's a Band-Aid for your elbow!' the whole classroom giggles.
"I love the conversations we have at the end of the lesson to talk about how fair doesn't mean we all get the same things," Scott told FOX News. "One example I give is, 'Sometimes you might see a friend using a timer to help them complete an assignment, but that stresses you out, so you don't have to use a timer.' Every time I hear, 'Why does ______ get _____ ? That's not fair!' I just need to say, 'Remember Band-Aids?' They do. They remember this lesson all year."
It's helpful for worried parents, too.
"It calms their fears about sending their children to school," she said. They know they are going to be accepted by their peers if they need something extra in the classroom. Many parents have shown their child's teacher my video to help introduce them to the class. Those [comments][ make me the happiest because that is why I created the video."
The Office of Special Investigations is a unit of the NYC DOE's Office of General Counsel where so-called "investigations" are anything but that. We have been writing about OSI for a very long time, and we have seen proof at 3020-a hearings of exactly what misconduct by this agency looks like. OSI never investigates students, only staff, educators, and parents. Online Occurrence Reports System (OORS) reports go nowhere but to the desk drawer of an administrator.
I will give you a few examples:
A teacher gives a high school girl in his physical education class a failing grade. Soon after, a complaint of sexual abuse is filed against him by this girl. The complaint is sent to first the Special Commissioner of Investigation (SCI), then SCI randomly hands the case to OSI. The OSI "investigator" comes to the school and talks with the principal, who tells this "investigator" what to find and whom to interview. The principal wants the teacher removed from the school to please the parents, and show that "perverts" are not allowed to teach. Whether there is any truth to the allegation is not considered.
The "investigator" is given a room where he/she "interviews" the students sent there by the principal. The students/staff chosen to be interviewed often write statements or sign statements written for them, substantiating whatever "crime" the principal wants to be proven. Statements that have too many details about the incident and how the teacher was not guilty of doing anything (exactly what the principal does not want in the final report substantiating the misconduct) are not put into the report, lost, or ripped up.
The "investigator" hands his/her handwritten notes to an attorney or higher up at OSI who writes the report based upon what the principal wants to prove, and the alleged 'crime' is substantiated, if that is what the principal wants or was told by the Superintendent or Chancellor's rep. that that's what they want.
Then the principal calls in the teacher who allegedly committed the 'crime' and has a disciplinary meeting. At this meeting, the principal and/or UFT Rep. may tell the teacher "this may lead to your termination" and/or "this will be a letter to file, don't worry". The teacher is led to believe that there is no need to write a rebuttal, because this is the end of it. Make note of the fact that nothing the accused teacher says is heard ("listened to" is different than "being heard"), and no amount of "I am innocent" "I did not do this" will make any difference. The accused teacher should write a detailed rebuttal and send it to everyone at the meeting by the next day, or within a few days. No one will tell you this from the UFT.
These lies told to the accused at the disciplinary meeting help the lawyer at the District to craft Technical Assistance Conference (TAC) memos, which become charges. The lawyers at the Office of Legal Services (NYC DOE Office of General Counsel) send the "Notice of Determination of Probable Cause Pursuant to Education Law 3020-a" to the principal (or, sometimes the Superintendent) to sign but not date. The principal sends the signed fraudulent notice back to the lawyer writing the charges, who dates all the papers and takes the rest of the papers (i.e. "Rights of Tenured Educators" ) off a shelf.
The teacher who was accused of wrongdoing is served the charges, re-assigned to a rubber room, and within 10 days must submit his/her request to the UFT for a 3020-a hearing or be voted out and terminated by the Panel For Educational Policy (PEP). All this occurs despite the fraudulent charging procedure without proper determination of probable cause by the PEP in an Executive Session, which is kept secret. Why? Because both the NYC DOE and the UFT have kept the fraud going for 20 years since Bloomberg put the NYC DOE under Mayoral control. If either the NYC DOE or UFT agrees that the charging process is illegally done, then what happens to all the 3020-a cases brought to a hearing in NYC? (Outside NYC, all charges have a vote on probable cause by the school board before the charges are served on the accused educator, as cited in Education Law 3020-a(2)(a)).
The lies of the charging process are held onto and pursued against the interests of the accused educator as part of the goal to get rid of tenure. Thus, the fraud of OSI doing any "real" investigations was never planned or allowed, unless the accused knows someone in the political sphere of the DOE or NYC/federal government. It's always a matter of who you know, not what you know. Under no circumstances could the NYC DOE allow charged educators to go free or be found not guilty after a complaint is made by a staff member, parent or child.
The New York City Department of Education has settled a case with four students who claim the school system failed to protect them against sexual harassment and assault, according to a settlement brief filed in the U.S. District Court of Eastern New York on Friday. Along with a $700,000 monetary settlement split amongst the plaintiffs, the education department also agreed to reform how it investigates and responds to allegations of sexual assault.
“I want justice for everybody,” said the mother of “Jane Doe,” a student with autism who alleged she was raped by a classmate in a school stairwell in the Bronx in 2018.
“Due to that traumatic event, my child suffers every day,” the mother said in an interview with WNYC/Gothamist. She added that the settlement won’t “cure” what happened to her child, but it may prevent others from suffering.
Legal Services NYC filed the suit representing four female students of color with disabilities in spring 2019. Their names have been withheld because of their ages and the nature of the incidents. At the time of the assaults, the students ranged from ages 12 to 18.
Jane Doe and another plaintiff alleged they were raped by classmates after harassment that intensified over months. Two other plaintiffs claimed they were taunted, groped and assaulted by other students.
The suit alleges that, even though the students had been repeatedly harassed by their peers leading up to the assaults, the schools did not intervene effectively, investigate adequately or notify parents in a timely manner. The education department’s “indifference and inaction” denied students their right to education under Title IX and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the lawsuit read.
The education department had already tightened some policies. In fall 2019, it rolled out new regulations expanding the definition of what constitutes sexual harassment, explaining how administrators should conduct investigations, and outlining some supports for students who come forward. The New York City Council increased funding in the Fiscal Year 2020 city budget to pay for additional Title IX liaisons tasked with overseeing investigations at the borough level. The education department also ramped up training for thousands of staff members, including school-based “Sexual Harassment Prevention Liaisons.”
The new settlement seeks to strengthen those regulations even more. They would make it easier for parents to escalate complaints. They detail the steps school staff must take to inform parents when an alleged incident occurs. They enable students to be transferred from a school because of alleged sexual harassment. And they offer more specifics on how schools should support survivors, including considering trauma when crafting a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP).
“Every student deserves to feel safe, welcomed, and affirmed in their school and there is zero tolerance for sexual and gender-based harassment of any kind at the DOE,” education department spokesperson Katie O’Hanlon said in a statement. “We have made it easier to report harassment and provided more robust trainings for staff so that the strongest safeguards are in place for all students, especially for our students with disabilities.”
Attorneys for the plaintiffs lauded the changes.
“We believe this settlement will better equip school personnel to respond to the trauma of bullying and sexual violence, and will provide critical information to students and families about their rights under the law,” said Amy Leipziger, Senior Staff Attorney at Queens Legal Services.
“These landmark policy reforms will finally force the DOE to recognize that students who experience the disabling impacts of sexual violence, bullying, and trauma are protected under federal disability law and are entitled to receive special education supports and other interventions,” said Katrina Feldkamp, a Staff Attorney at Bronx Legal Services.
The mother of “Jane Doe” said her daughter, now 17, remains traumatized.
“She has her breakdowns,” said the mother. “She can’t focus as she did before. She lost a lot of interest in a lot of things, she’s depressed, she has nightmares.”
“Money will not bring peace to our life,” she added. “We need action.”
Questions have been swirling ever since Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City’s schools would fully reopen — for all students, every day, with no remote option — for the new school year. Now some, though not all, of those questions have been answered as the city laid out more detailed reopening plans, with the first day of school set for Sept. 13.
De Blasio reiterated that he will not allow students and parents to opt-out of in-person classes, despite an increasing number of politicians calling for that move. “Think about a child who has not seen the inside of a classroom in a year and a half. That's not supposed to happen. We can't let that happen anymore,” the mayor said. The city announced earlier this week that all teachers and school staff will have to get vaccinated.
The city will doless rigorous coronavirus testing in schools than it did last year when schools used a hybrid of in-person and online classes. Only unvaccinated students — so all elementary school kids, and middle and high schoolers who choose not to get vaccinated — will be subject to testing, and 10 percent of them will be tested every other week.
As for quarantine policies, vaccinated students and staff won’t have to quarantine, but the unvaccinated will have to stay home for 10 days if someone in the class tests positive for the virus. Elementary schools — where whole classes can expect to be quarantined because students are too young to get the shot — will get live online instruction when sent home, but older grades will not.
The city will only shut down entire schools when public health officials find widespread Covid-19 transmission within the building — TBD exactly what qualifies as widespread — unlike much of last year when schools would close frequently if two virus cases were identified.
While there won’t be a remote option, the city is expanding an existing program that allows medically fragile students to apply for at-home instruction, with a longer list of medical conditions qualifying. Still, that’s only expected to cover up to 5,000 students out of roughly a million in the system. Other than that, it will be the first time all students are going to school full time in a year and a half.
No class size reduction.
'Developing students as digital citizens" = what does this mean?? Who wrote this?
No remote learning (see questions above)
From the Editor:
Parents, move your children out of the NYC public school system as quickly as possible.
$635M historic investment to jumpstart academic achievement for every student
NEW YORK – Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter today announced their academic recovery vision for New York City’s public schools and students in the wake of the pandemic. The bold, rigorous framework will guide school communities and support students during the 2021-22 school year and beyond, stressing six critical areas of focus: early literacy for all, developing students as digital citizens, preparing students to be college- and career-ready, investing in special education services, building a rigorous and inclusive universal curriculum, and investing in social emotional supports for every student. In addition, each focus area includes dedicated supports for multilingual learners and immigrant students to address their unique needs and support their academic progress and language acquisition.
“Our kids deserve the best that New York City has to offer. That’s why we’re rolling out the NYC Universal Academic Recovery Plan when schools open their doors this September,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “It’s not enough to only get our kids back in the classroom. We have got to close the COVID achievement gap. And we will do that by reaching every child and supporting them—academically, emotionally, and socially—every step of the way.”
“This historic, high-impact investment in the academic growth and success of New York City’s students will allow us to come back from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger than ever,” said Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter. “This fall, we will welcome our students back to schools that are prepared to support them academically and emotionally after all they have been through – that’s what the Universal Academic Recovery Plan is all about.”
Early Literacy for All – $49M in FY22
This administration will redouble its commitment to early literacy by investing in screening and intervention for students in Kindergarten through 2nd grade, with a singular goal of all students reading on grade level by the end of 2nd grade. To accomplish this, schools will use a universal literacy screener for all K-2 students. The screeners will identify risk for dyslexia, as well as other challenges and print-based disabilities, and schools will implement intervention plans based on the results.
The Department of Education (DOE) will support schools through the literacy intervention process by:
Targeted class size reduction achieved through hiring approximately 140 teachers in 72 higher need elementary schools.
Bringing the number of Universal Literacy reading coaches to approximately 500 to provide all early childhood and K-2 classrooms with a literacy coach, and training K-2 educators to provide literacy supports to students in need.
Training ENL, bilingual and content area teachers to track student progress and provide targeted supports for multilingual learners.
In addition to the $49M investment, the DOE is providing funds to all schools to use for targeted supports for students, such as tutoring, extended day, and enrichment activities.
Devices for Digital Citizens – $122M in FY22
The pandemic led to an unprecedented investment in technology, with over 800,000 devices purchased by the NYCDOE and schools. The Academic Recovery Plan leaves remote learning behind but builds on this technological advancement by guaranteeing all students have access to a digital device and ensuring all students become fully fluent digital citizens for the new economy. As part of this commitment, the DOE will:
Guarantee a device available for every K-12 student by delivering 175,000 more devices.
Expand access to the City’s rigorous Computer Science 4 All initiative to 400,000 students by 2024.
Train over 5,000 educators in advanced computer science.
Launch a technology capstone project for all 8th grade students to demonstrate digital literacy skills.
Preparing Students to be College- and Career-Ready – $10M in FY22
As the City recovers from the pandemic, preparing students to graduate college- and career-ready is more important than ever. The Academic Recovery Plan will ensure every student, whether heading to college or a career, is best prepared for the next step in life. It makes multiple investments that benefit every high school student, including:
Free, afterschool, personalized college counseling for every junior and senior.
Universal College Financial Aid Guidance to help navigate the application process, available in multiple languages.
48 new remote AP college-prep courses.
College Now restoration to serve 22,000 students from all high schools in dual enrollment, college-credit courses across 18 CUNY campuses.
Immigrant Ambassador Programs across 30 high schools that match immigrant DOE students with college students to foster mentorship and early college awareness.
Student Success Centers for 34 high schools to ensure post-grad plans for all students, and expanding the Postsecondary Readiness for ELLs Program (PREP), to be facilitated by a select group of school counselors and educators.
Special Education Investments – $251M in FY22
The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on our student with disabilities. The Academic Recovery Plan will make every resource available to better support students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). It extends from the DOE’s youngest learners to students preparing for graduation by:
Launching afterschool and Saturday programs for all students with IEPs to receive additional instruction and related services.
Adding 800 preschool special education seats by fall 2022.
Expanding Committees on Preschool Special Education to expedite evaluations and IEP meetings.
Providing eligible students ages 21+ with continued instruction toward receiving their diploma or other exit credential, or to receive consultation to facilitate post-secondary plans for college and career readiness.
Expanding family workshops and information sessions through our Beyond Access Series, which supports families of students with disabilities.
Universal Mosaic Curriculum – $202M in FY22
New York City will develop a rigorous, inclusive, and affirming curriculum by fall 2023 – the Universal Mosaic Curriculum. Currently, there is no single off-the-shelf curriculum academically rigorous and inclusive enough for New York City’s 1,600 schools and one million students. This curriculum will be built on Literacy for All, accelerate student learning, and free teachers from time-consuming curriculum development.
The DOE will create a comprehensive ELA and Math curriculum that engages all students and prepares them for success in school and life by:
Providing an unprecedented infusion of books into every classroom for next school year that reflect the variety of histories, languages and experiences that make up the City.
Providing schools with dedicated funding to purchase texts in home languages and build home language libraries to support multilingual learners.
Developing brand new training and support materials for the Arts, ELA, Math, Arts, and more, in partnership with New York City educators, beginning next year.
Launching new targeted professional development lessons for teachers.
Social Emotional Supports for Every Student (Funding Previously Announced)
Children in every community are carrying trauma caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and a successful academic recovery can only happen when the emotional and mental health needs of students are taken care of. As previously announced(Open external link), the DOE is significantly investing in every student by:
Hiring over 500 social workers and other mental health support staff to guarantee that every school has resources to support students who may be in crisis.
Adding over 130 new community schools to provide expanded social, emotional, academic, and extracurricular services to students in the highest need communities.
Conducting wellness checks and social-emotional learning support to identify multilingual learners and their needs, particularly in transitioning to full time in-person learning.
Using a social emotional screening tool to help identify students in need and quickly match them with services.
The academic recovery vision demonstrates the DOE’s commitment to lifting up New York City’s school communities beginning as early as September 2021, and ensuring they have the resources to recover stronger than ever from the impacts of the pandemic for years to come.
“New York City’s Academic Recovery Plan is a significant investment in the full set of tools children need to succeed. This program is made possible by the American Rescue Plan, an unprecedented commitment of federal funding to help schools reopen safely, meet students’ social, emotional and mental health needs, and address disparities in academic opportunities. The American Rescue Plan provided school districts with the flexibility to design and implement the programming that works best for them. With the Academic Recovery Plan, New York City will welcome students back this fall with a vision that will empower communities to help students thrive,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.
“Chancellor Porter and Mayor DeBlasio are showing tremendous leadership by ensuring that federal and local dollars are working to assist the tremendous investments needed in student learning. Their surgical efforts to promote best practices to support students is a shining example of how we must continue to be urgent and tactical in doing all that we can to invest in children,” said Congressman Jamaal Bowman.
“COVID-19 has placed a tremendous strain on students and educators who have faced unfathomable challenges during this public health emergency,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). “As our city reopens and prepares for the upcoming school year, it remains vital that we work to address and remove the roadblocks that students, families and teachers faced and ensure that we implement the most inclusive and accessible programs as we work to build back better and put our students on a path toward achievement and success. I commend Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Porter on today’s historic announcement and look forward to continuing my efforts at the federal level to ensure New York City students and families have the support needed during our recovery and reopening of the school year ahead.”
“As a former educator, I know the difference that investing in our schools and students can make. I’m very proud of the funding we were able to bring home to New York City through our federal covid response legislation, including the American Rescue Plan. I look forward to continuing to work with the Mayor and Chancellor Porter on bettering education for all of New York City’s students,” said Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney.
“As a parent advocate, I welcome the city’s universal academic recovery vision with great hope. It is critical for students in communities like the district I represent, who face significant educational and economic challenges, to be fully supported in their public school classrooms. Today by providing a roadmap for this $630M investment, the city is moving in the right direction. There is much more to be done with the increased state and federal funding to meet the priorities and needs of parents, teachers, and students—especially around reducing class sizes—but this plan puts us on the path to the brighter future our children deserve,” said Senator Robert Jackson.
"The Mayor and Chancellor are advancing a bold vision for NYC K-12 students, an idea made possible by our state budget finally accounting for the Campaign for Fiscal Equity ruling", said Senator Roxanne J. Persaud. "Equitable funding across our state and fair funding across our City will ensure that school children have access to strong education programs and wrap-around services in the coming year and many years after that."
"The pandemic has left an indelible mark on the education of our scholars. With remote and blended learning being a challenge for so many families in so many ways, we must make all strides necessary to regain ground that many of our students may have lost. The comprehensive wraparound services being planned under the universal academic recovery vision are not only laudable, but they are critical. Everything from providing digital toolkits and hardware to the investment of the social well-being and health of our students will have an impact and must be implemented in a manner that meets students and administrators where they are. I commend Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Porter for putting forth this initiative and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that every student in SD 14 can have full access to these resources,” said Senator Leroy Comrie.
"The transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed systemic flaws and inequities in our education system that have been present for decades. This historic investment in our schools is crucial to create an education system that is equitable and ensures that all students are college-and-career ready, regardless of their background or location. I look forward to working with Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Porter to ensure that all of our students are supported and have the resources to recover stronger than ever from the impacts of the pandemic and succeed,” said Senator Alessandra Biaggi.
"By funding our schools, reducing class sizes in elementary schools, adding literacy coaches, and investing in technology for K-12 students, we can ensure more equitable academic outcomes for young New Yorkers," said Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn. "I applaud the Mayor and Chancellor Porter for this bold seven point initiative as families plan for the transitional year ahead and reintegrate to fully in-person learning. By investing in our schools, we are investing in a more just and fair recovery for our city."
"The COVID-19 pandemic deeply impacted students in underserved communities, including my own in the Bronx, causing increased academic and mental health struggles. I thank Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Porter for their commitment to ensuring that our students receive the resources necessary to get back on track and placed on a path towards academic and career success,” said Assemblymember Kenny Burgos.
“I applaud Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Porter for focusing on improving student literacy and investing in social emotional supports for students in this post-COVID era. Reading disabilities go undiagnosed or unaddressed in most communities, but the issue is particularly profound in communities of color. Every child should be screened for dyslexia and learning disabilities because early identification will allow us to target interventions before kids fall behind to ensure successful educational outcomes and break the school-to-prison pipeline. Literacy is a matter of social justice, and access to digital support devices is also critical to successful learning in a modern era,” said Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, a former special education teacher who currently holds state bills on dyslexia and learning-related disabilities.
"The Academic Recovery Plan recognizes that our students’ mental health is as important as their physical health; that they need support well outside class hours; that early intervention will make a lifetime of difference; that digital devices have gone from a luxury to a necessity; and that we must provide our special needs students with special resources. I also applaud the critical support this plan gives to multilingual learners, which will help children from immigrant communities succeed in America. After our students endured more than a year of distance learning, today's plan will put them back on a track for success,” said Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar.
"After a difficult year-plus of remote learning, I am grateful that our young scholars will be supported with the social, emotional, and technological resources they need for a safe and productive school year in the fall. The pandemic taught us a lot of lessons, particularly as it relates to the needs of students of color. I appreciate the efforts of the Administration and the Department of Education to collaborate with the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus and educators and parents of color for the past several months to create a more diverse, responsive, and forward-thinking curriculum. These new initiatives will serve to create broader historical awareness of the contributions of people of color and provide for the culturally sensitive instruction we have advocated for over the past several years," said Council Member I. Daneek Miller, Co-Chair of the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus.
"New York City's students need all the help and investments they can get after the tough year they had learning from home and dealing with the effects of the pandemic," said Council Member Ben Kallos. "This academic recovery plan which focuses on early literacy and making kids college ready will hopefully be successful at helping students claw back some of the academic losses they faced over the last year. Thank you Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Porter for this truly impressive investment and plan to help our kids get back to learning."
"From technology access to literacy rates, the pandemic laid bare the glaring inequalities in our city’s education system. As we recover, I’ve strongly supported increased investments into our school communities and classrooms. The Academic Recovery Plan is an important step forward, and I commend the Mayor and Schools Chancellor on their work fighting for students, teachers, and families," said Council Member Keith Powers.
"If we are to build a true success path for children's future, we need to ensure that as a City we are putting in resources that reflect the diversity and needs of our communities––from tackling the digital divide to investing in mental health, and more. This academic recovery plan is a step towards educational equity so that every child, no matter their background or circumstances, has the opportunity to truly thrive," said Council Member Francisco Moya.
“I have always said that education is the most important tool we can provide for our children to succeed, and I am grateful to Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Porter for their universal academic recovery plan. I am confident that this investment in our city’s learning infrastructure will help our young people pursue their educational and career goals while receiving the extra support they need to excel. It is important that we continue to empower our young people with essential learning resources and opportunities that provide education equity to underserved students, and I am a strong supporter of initiatives that will achieve this noble goal," said Council Member Mathieu Eugene.
“I am pleased to learn of the New York City Department of Education’s proactive Universal Academic Recovery Plan to guide our school communities in the wake of the pandemic. As a former educator, I am especially pleased that this plan strategizes and builds supports to help students both communally and individually. Today, more than ever, an investment in education is of the utmost importance,” stated Council Member Alan Maisel.
"These new financial investments and bolstered curriculum will make a huge difference for New York City students of all ages and backgrounds. I look forward to working with the Mayor's Office and DOE to ensure these programs are effectively implemented and that we continue to push for additional support in and out of the classroom for our children," said Council Member Carlina Rivera.
“Thanks to the Academic Recovery Plan, our young New Yorkers will be prepared for life beyond the classroom,” said Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers. “The pandemic highlighted wide disparities in our city’s education system. By making critical investments in digital devices, literacy, health resources, and advanced programming, we can close these gaps and ensure that every child gets the education they deserve.”
"As the father of six children, I understand the need for a diversity of educational support. Our public school teachers have many skills, but advanced computer science has not been required for certification. The DOE will now certify over 5,000 educators in advanced computer science, filling a gap that the pandemic laid bare. As a longtime advocate for educational excellence, I am thrilled we are adding new college-prep courses—these should not only be available to a few schools. We have brilliant children in under-resourced neighborhoods and they deserve equal access to advanced courses. The impact of the pandemic will be felt by our students for decades to come. So it’s a proud moment that the DOE is addressing the long-term challenges of this cohort of students by hiring 500 social workers, expanding IEP support, and adding new materials to represent the diversity of ethnicities and learning styles. This recovery plan is a necessary step that our children deserve," said Council Member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr.
“We are delighted to see that the academic recovery plan will provide increased resources for multilingual learners and immigrant students, promote college and career readiness for high school students, and focus on social emotional support as students begin to recover from a public health and economic crisis. We look forward to working with the Mayor and the Department of Education to make sure that this investment supports our Asian American and immigrant students across New York City,” said Wayne Ho, President and CEO, Chinese-American Planning Council.
"Parents of CEJ have fought hard for five years to bring this to fruition but we stand on the shoulders of generations of parents, students and educators in the decades before us who have been calling for this type of curriculum. We look forward to being a part of the process with fellow parents, students, educators and community in the creation process. This unprecedented investment in Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Education (CRSE) aligned Universal Mosaic Curriculum, is particularly historic because it signifies NYC taking a stand against racism and other forms of oppression during a time when conservative, racist forces across the country are trying to write people of color out of this nation's story. NYC is leading the nation by insisting on teaching the truth," said Natasha Capers, Director of the NYC Coalition for Educational Justice.
“As a nonprofit committed to the success of New York City’s children, youth, and families, we are thrilled to see the Department of Education investing in early literacy programs, college and career preparedness, special education services, and socio-emotional supports, which will all play a crucial role in helping our communities thrive in the aftermath of the pandemic. We also applaud the Department of Education for responding to the urgent call to introduce culturally responsive curriculum to all children and youth. New York City is home to a vibrant collection of histories, languages, and experiences, and when it comes to providing students with a holistic education that prepares them for success in school and life, representation matters," said Michelle Yanche, Executive Director at Good Shepherd Services
"CACF - the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families - is committed to uplifting the needs of marginalized Asian American students in our public school system - our students with disabilities, English language learners, students living in poverty, and families who struggle with language barriers. These students and families are often rendered invisible by the model minority myth, all while the real challenges they face have overwhelmingly been exacerbated by the pandemic. We are pleased to see historic investments being made to support them and reduce longstanding inequities, including targeted funding for special education services, universal access to a digital device, culturally responsive support for multilingual learners and immigrant students, and new, inclusive curricula that reflect our students’ rich diversity and histories. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with the Mayor’s Office and Department of Education to ensure that our students are always equipped with the tools they need to learn,” said Anita Gundanna and Vanessa Leung, Co-Executive Directors of CACF.
