| Releases
& Statements
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 11, 2007
Contact: John Collins, Press Secretary
(212) 669-4193; (917) 496-4587
Release #: 011-2007
Public
Advocate Gotbaum Questions Mayor Bloomberg, Chancellor Klein on
School Changes
MANHATTAN
– Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum today released the following
four questions for Mayor Bloomberg and Department of Education
(DOE) Chancellor Joel Klein regarding past changes to City schools:
“Many
New York City school parents are skeptical of the changes you
have made to the school system. They feel shut out of the process
and have lost trust in this leadership. Therefore, before you
rush to implement the third major restructuring of City schools,
please answer the following questions about the previous changes
you have made to the education system:
1.
“Isn’t it true that the majority of the gains in 4th
grade reading and math scores, so widely touted by this Administration,
happened between 2002 and 2003, before the DOE instituted its
changes?
2.
“Isn’t it true that the DOE awarded corporate restructuring
firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) a $15.8 million no-bid contract
after A&M “restructured” St. Louis’ schools
and left the city struggling to pay off $30 million A&M borrowed
for operating costs?
3.
“Isn’t it true that ten different deputy chancellors
have come and gone through the DOE over the past five years, including
three deputy chancellors for teaching and learning?
4.
“Isn’t it true that DOE has hired the former head
of Edison to oversee the privatization of New York City schools,
despite the fact that two independent studies have shown that
the privatization by Edison and other companies in Philadelphia
produced no significant gains in student achievement to justify
the additional $100 million cost?”
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