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**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
December 10, 2007
Contact: Sarah Krauss
212.669.4691; 917.541.0936
Public Advocate Gotbaum Statement from Education Committee Hearing on Progress Reports
“Thank you, Chair Jackson, for holding this important hearing today. The new progress reports we are here to discuss have been controversial, and quite frankly, I am concerned about the impact these reports will have on individual schools and the entire school system.
The administration claims that with these progress reports, ‘parents no longer have to navigate a maze of statistics,' but the truth is that parents can't rely on these progress reports to help them identify good schools. Some schools where many kids do not pass standardized tests received A's and B's while other good schools received D's and F's. And, of course, as always, they have left out district 75 schools.
Last week the DOE identified ten schools that it will be closing down due to poor performance, in part based on the progress report scores. This list is expected to grow to between 14 and 20 this year. In fact, over the weekend, 3 more closures were announced. The reaction of many parents has been surprise and concern. Surprise is the key word. If these parents were surprised at the news, it means they were not consulted beforehand. The closing of your child’s school should not come as a surprise.
The Department of Education has once again announced major changes without consulting stakeholders, most notably the parents and students who will be affected by the school closings. These closings have a destabilizing effect on the community. The DOE shouldn't make these decisions without input from parents and the larger community and they shouldn't announce the closing via flyers stuffed into kids' backpacks. They should hold public meetings in each of the schools they are considering closing, discuss their plans with parents, and listen to what the parents and students want for their schools.
As a matter of fact, that's what the LAW pretty much says - consult stakeholders before you make changes. The law's (2590-h) exact language grants the chancellor the power to:
Establish, control and operate new schools or programs…or…discontinue any such schools and programs as he or she may determine; provided however, that the chancellor shall consult with the affected Community District Education Council before substantially expanding or reducing such an existing school or program within a community district;
Clearly, this has not happened in this case. And the truth is, I can't think of an example where it has happened.
The DOE said that schools would be given a chance to address weaknesses, and their progress would be evaluated over the course of several years. And yet, only a month has passed since these reports were issued. By closing these schools, the DOE has effectively denied them the opportunity to develop an action plan to make improvements. The DOE seems more willing to take punitive action rather than work with schools to help make things better.”
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