Rebuttal to DOE’s rationale for eliminating reporting on TCUs and class size

October 11, 2012

The Report and Advisory Board Review Commission, a body with four mayoral appointees and three City Council members, is to vote October 30 on whether to eliminate 21 reporting requirements and advisory boards, including the DOE’s legally mandated reporting on class size and Temporary Classroom Units (or TCUs.)

Two laws were passed by the City Council in 2005, mandating reporting on class size and TCUs, as parents, elected officials, and other members of the public were seriously concerned that excessive class size and substandard facilities substantially disadvantaged our public school children.  Yet there was little data available to delineate the scope of the problem.  The legislation required twice yearly reporting on class size and annual reporting on TCUs.

Though these problems have not diminished, the DOE would like to radically cut back on its reporting commitments.

Our original testimony on why this reporting should be retained is available here.

The DOE’s rationale for eliminating these reporting requirements are here.

Our rebuttal to the DOE claims on TCU reporting is downloadable here and rebuttal on class size reporting here.  Both documents are below. More discussion of these issues are  here.

Rebuttal to DOE on Class Size Reporting 10.10.12

Rebuttal to DOE on TCU Report 10 9 12