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Releases & Statements
Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum today released a report card for the Department of Education’s (DOE) first year of reforms. Gotbaum graded the DOE in a number of categories, including “Streamlining Operations,” “Student Health,” and “Communication Skills.” She gave the DOE a C- for its overall performance.
“I commend the Mayor for claiming responsibility for City schools, and I strongly agree that our education system is crying out for a change,” Gotbaum said. “But a year has passed, and it’s fair to say the reforms need reforming.”
“If intentions were all that mattered, this report card might look very different, but grades are based on results. No one expects every problem to be fixed in a single year, but I’m concerned that the actions the Mayor and Chancellor have taken are pushing our schools in the wrong direction. I urge them to drop the quick-fix approach and devise a long-term strategy for reducing class size, improving student performance, and ensuring health and safety.”
Gotbaum flunked the DOE for its response to overcrowding at City schools, saying the Chancellor had not even begun to address the looming crisis. She said the DOE also failed to work productively with parents, teachers, principals, and others with a stake in the success of City schools.
“The single biggest reason the reforms aren’t working is that the Mayor and Chancellor aren’t listening to the people who understand the unique challenges facing New York City schools,” Gotbaum said.
She cited the downsizing of the special education system and the new social promotion policy as reforms that had been undertaken hastily and without adequate input from stakeholders. She pointed out that the DOE’s approach to special education has led to a massive backlog of students awaiting evaluation and services, and that the Mayor’s plan to hold back failing third graders does nothing to improve the quality of education students receive.
In addition, Gotbaum gave the DOE a C for its new school-based parent coordinators and a C+ for its handling of health issues. A survey by her office found that one-third of parent coordinators were friendly and helpful but that the other two-thirds did not answer their phones or return calls. On the health front, she commended the Mayor for making the school breakfast program universal but noted that the DOE had not done a good job of promoting it. She identified the DOE’s exclusive, no-bid contract with sugar-filled Snapple and the lack of a plan to meet State guidelines for physical education as additional signs that the DOE has not made student health a high enough priority.
Gotbaum joked that if the Mayor and Chancellor did not work hard over the summer they would have to be held back next school year.
Attached is the Public Advocate’s Report Card for the Department of Education.
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