Do you think NYC public schools will get better in the future? (New York: jobs)

[cyrusjul]

Not bad... I was expecting the worst for NYC.


NYC releases first-ever progress reports on public schools


2007-11-06

NEW YORK, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein on Monday released the first-ever progress reports on the city's public schools.

The reports give each school a letter grade, A, B, C, D, or F, based on the academic achievement and progress of students as well as the results of surveys taken by parents, students, and teachers last spring.

Of 1,224 schools that received progress reports, 279 (23%) earned an A, 461 (38%) earned a B, 312 (25%) earned a C, 99 (8%) earned a D, and 50 (4%) earned an F, which means failure.

In elementary schools, 85 percent of the grades are based on yearly math and reading tests. The rest combines attendance figures, parent feedback, and safety numbers.

In high school, the grade is mostly based on regent exams and graduation rates.

Critics say the formula relies too heavily on test scores, but Department of Education officials say the grades give parents a better idea of what is going on in schools.


NYC releases first-ever progress reports on public schools

[cyrusjul]

Here are the grades for the schools in the city and each borough...


NYC: http://www.nypost.com/seven/11052007...ess_report.htm

Manhattan: http://www.nypost.com/seven/11052007..._manhattan.htm

Brooklyn: http://www.nypost.com/seven/11052007...t_brooklyn.htm

Bronx: http://www.nypost.com/seven/11052007...port_bronx.htm

Queens: http://www.nypost.com/seven/11052007...ort_queens.htm

Staten Island: http://www.nypost.com/seven/11052007...ten_island.htm

[Hustla718]

^-those scores are way off. I see schools rated A and B I would NEVER send my child to.

Here is a great post on the subject:

Originally Posted by Calibound-Yorkiemom

I saw plenty of surprises on that list. I used to teach and NYC. I also went to school there. It seems that to me this list judging schools from where there were and where they end up than judging them based on an assessment of would you want to send your child there. Schools that are in mixed to rough nieghborhoods can receive grades of A's or B's by improving from what they were. That doesn't mean that it is a truly grade A or Grade B school. This list is very misleading. For example one of the former schools I taught at received a B grade. This school is in a roughpart of Brooklyn with low parental involvement. The building is overcrowded. Some classrooms are intrailors and former supply closets.The school teaches to the test, lacks recreational activities, & is constantly underperforming. The school does do the best with what they got but i wouldn't send my child there. Another school I taught at also got a B. Although this school may be closer to a B this school has a lot of shady practices that keeps it from being a B school. My former Elementary school got an A. I do not consider this school a grade a school. To me an A school is a school you would consider sending your child to. I would never send my child to this school.

[Alan B 718]

From what i see, the school grades are total bull.
a lion's share of the grade comes from IMPROVEMENT from a previous year. If you take a top notch school like Brooklyn tech, where say 92% of the kids ace the standardized tests, and the next year, only 91.85342% pass, they can get an F because not only did they NOT improve, they went down.

In my opinion, this is bloomberg's way of getting teachers into the crappy schools. You see, they just passed the new teachers contract that allows bonuses for "teaching". That means teachers get EXTRA $$ for getting kids to pass the test.
So you take a school that is REALLY "F" material, say 30% are passing, and now you get all these really MOTIVATED teachers that want to get paid, um i mean educate kids that will push extra hard for those kids to learn and pass the test.
Its almost a guaranteed raise/bonus for the next 5 or 6 years while the school comes up to snuff.

The funny thing is that i can totally see this working. Capitalism at its best. If NYC cant get you to teach for the love of teaching, then NYC will get you to teach for bonuses and benefits. Same thing with that "lets pay kids to pass tests" idea that bloomberg is pushing.

So look at a timeline of how things COULD work.

1. School XYZ in bed stuy is a really bad school. Kids are apathetic, teachers are scared crapless, principal is at his wits end.
   Teachers wont work there, kids wont learn there.
   only 22% of the kids are passing.
   Magically, XYZ school gets an A report because 23% passed this year.
   A few dedicated teachers join up, because hell, its an extra 10k in bonuses if the scores go up again.
   Some more gentrification takes place in the hood.
   Kids arent as bad as before because of gentrification AND teacher motivation.
   Kids have a little more pride AND they do actually learn
   Scores go up again. teachers get paid, principal gets paid, NYTIMES writes an article.
   Even more gentrification. more pride, more $$$ for the school system
   Kids realize they aren't completely useless and really start to excel.
   Teachers come from all over the world to teach in the most amazing school system that is NYC.
   Repeat ad nauseum.

One other thing NYC really has to handle is the overcrowding tho. There are just too many people for the infrastructure we have. Of course, if the school system is that good, then watch what happens to property taxes in the city.

Also, all the 5-15yr tax abatements on the new condos that were built over the last few years will be coming due and that will bring in even more revenue.

As long as gentrification continues at this rate and the realestate bubble doesnt completely blowup NYC or a new cheap drug craze doesnt take hold of the street, then i can see the public school system of NYC actually being SOMETHING in 10 years. (of course, nyc wont be the same either)

[NooYowkur81]

The grades they handed out were massively flawed and misleading. It's just a way to inflate some of the progress that has been made. It's good that progress has been made in many schools but why inflate and mislead?

[Alan B 718]

Originally Posted by Hustla718

^-those scores are way off. I see schools rated A and B I would NEVER send my child to.

i dont think bloomberg is trying to get your kid into that school yet. i think he's primarily trying to get teachers in to lift the school for a couple of years. Hand in hand with a good school, is usually good property value. Good property value =less poverty in the area. Less poverty = better schools. better schools attracts wealthier people leads to greater property value, etc, etc, etc

Gentrification at its finest.

Bloomberg is a business man, and a good one. he's applying the only thing he knows to running the city. i dont think its all that ethical when it comes to the school situation, but i think given time, it will work.

[logina1951]

NEVER! And not only inNYC - in Amerika.

[cyrusjul]

BIG APPLE SCHOOLS SCORE STRAIGHT A'S





By DAVID SEIFMAN City Hall Bureau Chief
February 15, 2008

The city's public school system made progress on all fronts last year, from higher attendance to smaller class sizes to sharp reductions in serious crime, according to figures released yesterday.

The report can now be accessed online as part of a new database called the Citywide Performance Reporting, or CPR, also unveiled yesterday.

More: BIG APPLE SCHOOLS SCORE STRAIGHT A'S - New York Post

[LIPumpkin]

I teach in an NYC school and agree with so much of what is posted here. One...the city is one large district in the eyes of the state and country and within that are HUGE disparities in relation to income, family involvement, and other resources. Additionally, in general, we are spending WAY to much on bureaucratic nonsense, which could be eliminated (ie. have you walked past a school with a "Broad Prize" banner? Those times the number of schools in NYC cancels out the prize money). Lastly, yes, if we get paid based on test results, we will teach to the test..who doesn't want to make more money if they can? However, not every child tests well, despite their intellectual ability. We are overtesting the students as it is. Education has gone a crazy way, I tell you, and I am only waiting until my poor little kindergartners are toiling away, testing, and not being children. I might have to quit that day.

ETA. I have 25 kindergartners in my class in a nice, suburban area of NYC...he can keep the crap.

[Rachael84]

I also teach Kindergarten and I have 25 in my class as well, which is the max for K. That average class size is wrong. That would mean some areas have 15 kindergarteners in a class. I don't think anywhere in the city has that. What a lie lol