Here are some media clips about our findings::
KIDS SKIPPING SMALL SCHOOLS; NY Post
‘Menos asientos, menos educación’; El Diario/La Prensa
Ed Dept. plans 50% slash in new seats for students; NY Daily News
For immediate release
October 29, 2008
Leonie Haimson, Class Size Matters (212-674-7320; 917-435-9329)
Richard Kessler, The Center for Arts Education (212-971-3300 ext. 303)
Patrick Sullivan, Manhattan Task Force on School Overcrowding (631-804-7217)
A new report released today by the Campaign for A Better Capital Plan, the Manhattan Taskforce on School Overcrowding, Class Size Matters, the United Federation of Teachers, and The Center for Arts Education concludes that the new five-year capital plan for schools, due to be proposed next week by the NYC Dept. of Education, should aim to eliminate existing overcrowding and reduce class size to the levels in the city’s state-mandated class size plan, be proactive in planning for growth, and create enough space for arts, science and other activities needed for a well-rounded education. Among the findings of the report, “A Better Capital Plan”:
•Based on the DOE’s own data, approximately 167,842 new school seats would be necessary to eliminate trailers and other temporary spaces, relieve overcrowding and reduce class size to the goals in the city’s state-mandated class size reduction plan. The cost of creating these seats would raise the estimated share of the city’s capital spending on schools to 20% -- still significantly below the 23% average during the period 2000-2007. The report includes a breakdown of the need for seats by school type, borough and district.
Based on the DOE’s own data, approximately 167,842 new school seats would be necessary to eliminate trailers and other temporary spaces, relieve overcrowding and reduce class size to the goals in the city’s state-mandated class size reduction plan. The cost of creating these seats would raise the estimated share of the city’s capital spending on schools to 20% -- still significantly below the 23% average during the period 2000-2007. The report includes a breakdown of the need for seats by school type, borough and district.•The capital plan should prepare for growth by incorporating a neighborhood analysis of housing starts, birth data, pre-K enrollment and other information to more accurately project future enrollment and capacity needs. Already, there are signs that enrollment citywide will not continue to decline indefinitely. Kindergarten enrollment has risen two out of the last four years, the DOE’s budget projections show no drop in the number of Kindergarten students, elementary schools grew more overcrowded last year, and City Planning predicts an increase in the number of 5-9 year olds over the next ten years.
The capital plan should prepare for growth by incorporating a neighborhood analysis of housing starts, birth data, pre-K enrollment and other information to more accurately project future enrollment and capacity needs. Already, there are signs that enrollment citywide will not continue to decline indefinitely. Kindergarten enrollment has risen two out of the last four years, the DOE’s budget projections show no drop in the number of Kindergarten students, elementary schools grew more overcrowded last year, and City Planning predicts an increase in the number of 5-9 year olds over the next ten years.•The methodology for calculating school utilization should be completely revised, by aligning it to the city’s class size goals and by more accurately assessing the need for dedicated spaces for art, science, libraries, cafeterias and gyms and special services. This will require a new reporting process that involves administrators, educators and parents at the school level.
The methodology for calculating school utilization should be completely revised, by aligning it to the city’s class size goals and by more accurately assessing the need for dedicated spaces for art, science, libraries, cafeterias and gyms and special services. This will require a new reporting process that involves administrators, educators and parents at the school level.The DOE and School Construction Authority (“SCA”) should be able to explain, in detail, how a fully funded capital plan would be able to achieve all of these objectives, phased in over a reasonable amount of time– not just as citywide or district averages, but in every neighborhood in the city.
Leonie Haimson, Executive Director of Class Size Matters said, “When the state Legislature passed a law in April 2007, obligating the city to reduce class size in all grades in return for additional state aid, the law also required that the city’s capital plan and class size reduction plan be aligned. The city has a moral and a legal obligation to speak the truth about the current level of overcrowding in our schools, and propose a capital plan that provides enough space so that our children can receive the smaller classes they need and deserve for a better chance to succeed.”
Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer said, “Having a school in their neighborhood with space for their young children is a critical factor in the decision by young families to stay here in New York. Despite the financial problems our city faces, we must commit ourselves to providing enough public school seats for our growing population.”
According to Randi Weingarten, the President of the United Federation of Teachers: “Overcrowded conditions in our schools present a huge obstacle for children and for their teachers. This report provides us with another level of detail and insight into the issue and the need for additional seats in all five boroughs. It also brings home the point that we cannot hope to meet state-mandated class size targets without building new schools. Overcoming the challenges of overcrowding will not be easy, especially in light of the budget crisis, but we owe it to the children of this city to try. There are creative ways to approach this problem, including back-loading a long-term plan. Alternately, moving forward can create a much-needed stimulus for new jobs. Working together with the state, the city, the School Construction Authority, the Department of Education and others, we can bring about the comprehensive change that is necessary to tackle this important issue."
Patrick Sullivan, Manhattan representative to the Panel on Educational Policy and co-chair of the Manhattan Taskforce on School Overcrowding said: “In his recently published letter to the president-elect, Mayor Bloomberg asserts that ‘a bold infrastructure plan will help put Americans back to work.’ Before we urge others to take action, we need to lead by example and make the most important infrastructure investment there is -- schools to educate our children. For too long school construction in New York City has taken a back seat to stadiums, office towers and endless residential development. A crisis born of poor planning is upon us. Already we see children turned away from neighborhood schools. We urge the mayor and chancellor to listen to the concerns and suggestions in this report. Only with a transparent, thorough, and open system of planning can we hope to provide the schools necessary for a sound basic education for every child. The future of our children is at stake and public school parents will hold the administration accountable.”
Richard Kessler, Executive Director of The Center for Arts Education: ““It is imperative that the city move aggressively to tackle overcrowding in public schools. School children are being denied access to art rooms, gym spaces and science labs, as these spaces are converted to general classrooms to accommodate surging student populations in some areas. We need to ensure that schools have the proper facilities – including dedicated arts spaces– as a fundamental component of a well-rounded education for all children.”
Council Member Robert Jackson, chair of the NYC Council Education Committee concludes: “I walked 150 miles and fought in court for 13 years to bring our kids smaller classes and no overcrowding, not ‘collaborative team teaching strategies.’ A Better Capital plan is full of practical assessments and suggestions that DOE and SCA need to embrace. Especially during hard times, we must base our public spending priorities on accurate information – this report tells us how.”
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For our report, A Better Capital Plan, click here:
