wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Focus on technology? I work in the technology sector, and I can assure you that it's changing so quickly, the best employees will be those with a firm foundation in critical reading, math, and science. Often tremendous amounts of money are spent on alleged technological innovations, often only implemented half way, so that the money has been spent, but the technology is still inaccessible. What's the obession, for example, with the very expensive "Smart Boards"? How about having smart people sharing smart content in their respective subject areas. Students respect teachers who know what they're talking about, not those who hide behind methods or technology.

Why did Mr. Cerf not address the glaring differences in "achievement" between the NY State (not to mention bogus city) exams and the national exams? There have been NO gains!

I keep hearing Bloomberg's soundbite about how people will be moving to NYC for the great schools we'll have in another 4 years, but I haven't heard him say anything about what he plans to do to make that happen. And sure, parents shouldn't be *running* the schools, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't have *any* input.

And "Soviet-style"?? Wow, Cerf, Red-baiting on education issues. Do they still teach about McCarthyism in NYC schools?

If testing is so important, why don't the administrators take a look at how the testing culture is brewing among student teachers. We are being taught how to teach to the test. The philosophy of education is ripe with better options to excite us student teachers.

If current teachers are complaining about teaching to the test, just imagine the curriculum in a city teaching college. And, the annoying part is, there are flavors of students from around the world in this NYC school, and rarely do these students get to contribute a multi-cultural touch. It's all about learning how to read the standards.

Also, regarding merit pay: hog wash! Teachers have to do extra work, if parents are not available, for ex. in neigborhoods with more Pintos. Now, where there are Lexus' teachers have to do less work. Why shouldn't the teacher who is sweating among the Pintos get a beefier pay check (to maybe buy herself her own Lexus)?

That caller who spoke about the adminstrator who lessened the punishment to shine the schools record is not just a negative consequence of merit pay but it has the underlying energies of a LACK OF RESPECT FOR AUTHORITY. Kids today get away with disrepecting all things related to school property and that make teaching difficult. If we weren't so focused on learning about standardized ways of teaching perhaps we could have more productive schools. These kids who get in trouble have the energy of Socrates. But they are being ignored. Give them the chance to ask the questions and then we can mold future thinkers. If we just have them answer all the mundane questions on these standardized tests, then they will never learn about the thrills that education has to offer.

Despite Cerf's claims that the administration has been reducing class size, class sizes increased last year by the greatest amount in ten years. Numerous audits from the state and city comptroller reveal the misuse of hundreds of millions of dollars meant to lower class size.

Overcrowding has increased as well -- with nearly half of all students attending overcrowded schools, according to their own statistics. This is a consequence of Bloomberg's misconceived policies of starting hundreds of new schools and charter schools and shoving them into already overcrowded buildings.

The entire thrust of Cerf's remarks as regards technology is that by using computers, students' individualized learning needs will be met. Yet no amount of technology will ever be able to reach a student like an experienced teacher in a smaller class.

standardised tests are not the answer. some of us just don't test well. I was always honors tracked in school, but never better then a c student, because I couldn't "compete". I took the SATs as a 7th grader, the PSAT in 10th and the SAT again in 11th. I had every prep class and tutor money could buy. I got the same score each time, and considered "below my potential". However, I have a Master's degree a professional job, a house and a family. My test scores were horrible, but I'm made a life for myself. Standardised tests do not necessarily gauge what you learn, but if you know "how" to take a test.

It is so disheartening to listen to Chris Cerf tell the public that there is less overcrowding now than prior to Bloomberg's tenure as mayor. When our deputy chancellor misinforms the public about data and statistics when districts citywide have experienced hundreds of children on kindergarten wait lists and families have left New York City as a consequence, our Department of Education leadership is being less than candid and professional to be kind.

Can your guest speak to the effectiveness of the monetary incentives that were offered to parents?

I was a very good student, and I was always of the opinion that if a kid couldn't pass the standardized tests, they weren't going to be fit for anything later on. Passing a standardized test is really just a way of showing you can learn what's expected of you and do it successfully, and that applies eventually other things in life.

On the other hand, I was very aware of teachers that cheated in order to make sure their students passed those tests. I found that really shocking.

shouldn't parents be able to hold their principals that are teaching their kids accountable?

the problem is, Bloomberg does not allow an accountability system. Does anyone know how schools are rated? Does bloomberg ever hold these principals accountable? How can we believe the guest that everything is being done?

you saw THE WIRE.
Juking the stats Brian. It happens.

The Bloomberg administration seems to have a naive faith in the school administrators. Anyone who has had children go through elementary, middle and high schools and anyone who has taught in schools know that the problems in a school may include some teachers but a principal who "succeeds" by gaming the standardized testing system does far more damage.

Gaming, at the extreme, includes allowing teachers to teach, literally, to the Regents test when the tests arrive a few days before it is to be administered, because the principal and assistant principals get a bonus for raising the test scores.

Curious about what Bloomberg (or anyone else) would do to finally eliminate the notorious 'rubber rooms' where the school system warehouses seemingly 'unfireable' failing teachers.

OVERCROWDING. My daughter started kindergarten at PS 87 on the upper west side last month. There are now 9 kindergarten classes, and there were 5 kindergarten classes 4 years ago. There may not be room for by 3 and half year old two years from now. New residential buildings have been erected in the neighborhood, but no new schools. We have learned that Bloomberg's Board of Ed does not do any forecasting (they assumed that residents in those new buildings would send their kids to private schools). How long does it take to build new schools, considering that the World Trade Center has yet to be rebuilt?

I'd like to make a couple of comments. First, test scores. They went up every year under Bill. Bloomberg's numbers are fudged. For instance, Between 1999-2003, the Bill years, scores for 4th grade math rose 20%. However from 2003-2007 (2003 tests were given under the old BOE, not mayor control) under Mike the score rose only 3.5%. But Mike takes credit for the BOE tests to inflate his numbers. Also the BOE test was under the Fed standards, much tougher then the state tests Mike uses for his #'s. Instead of teaching to the test, so you can use the results for "your record", how can you show we are actually teaching our children?

Less than 40% of schools got an A grade last year. This year, 84% did. Huh? How did this happen? Standands were dumbed-down. 3 schools set to close last year for poor performance got A's this year. In fact every school that got an F, got an A or B this year. isn't anyone minding the store here? Oh, bloomberg won't let anyone else question his methods.

One last thing, My mom used to teach in the Bronx in the 70's, not exactly the beacon of accomplishment. However, regardless of "data", she is horrorfied with Mike's dictatorship over the schools and lack of accountability. She herself is a product of NYC public schools, but never thought such dishonesty could happen like with Mike. How is Mike going to allow for more parental involvement?

I hope you ask Mr. Cerf about the Administration's unsupportable claims that their policies advance racial equity.

The Mayor and his Chancellor argue that "education is the civil rights issue of our time," and yet under their administration

- the achievement gap has not closed either by national nor (statisticians argue) state measures
- half the schools whose funding would have been cut under their "fair student funding" initiative were on the state's failing list
- there are fewer students of color in specialized and gifted and talented programs and fewer teachers of color
- the charter schools on which they base much of their reputation educate only 10 percent of the city's overwhelmingly minority student body
- charter and small schools serve fewer students with special needs and English language learners
- successive reorganizations have deprived the city's special ed and ELL populations with needed services
- rising numbers of NYC students enter city and state colleges needing remediation
- many Black and Latino parents argue that the test-focused curriculum deprives their kids of needed skills and enrichment and prepares them for low-wage jobs rather than leadership and success

- Black and Latino communities throughout the city argue that
-- their neighborhood schools are closed without justification to make room for schools that don't serve them
-- charter schools are cannibalizing their neighborhood schools' space
-- the most motivated students in their communities have been creamed off by exclusive charter and small schools, leaving behind a majority population with has higher concentrations of challenged and challenging students, some expelled from the boutique schools to improve their profiles

How does the administration justify their claims for advancing equity in education among the majority not served by a few showcase schools?

As a pediatric occupational therapist and a parent of 3 NYC public school students, I am deeply concerned with the Bloomberg administration's mindless adherence to fads in education, such as over-reliance on standardized testing and the related flagrant disregard for meeting childrens' developmental needs. I have worked for the Department of Education for 10 years and have witnessed a steady loss of recess, gym, and "choice time" for the sake of more "learning" time. The skills that are lost or never acquired as these activities have been discontinued include spatial and social reasoning, visual perceptual and fine motor skills necessary to support written work, gross motor strength and balance necessary for sustained concentration, and overall emotional fitness.
I will vote for the candidate who promises to focus on child-centered education, so that teachers and schools can focus on producing well-rounded, healthy citizens who are prepared to effectively interact with others throughout the world, irregardless of their test scores.

Under Mayor Bloomberg, planning to redress school overcrowding remains woefully inadequate. The mayor recently stated that it takes ten to 15 years to produce schools provided in a five-year capital plan. That doesn't solve the immediate crisis of severely inadequate classroom space for city school children. Mr. Bloomberg touts his education record, but he is failing to meet public school children's most basic needs.

The NAEP scores since the administration’s policies were put in place in 2003 show flat test scores in NYC in all subjects but 4th grade math. The recent release of NAEP scores in math show flat results in that subject too statewide; suggesting that the city’s large increases in 2009 in the state math tests were highly inflated. Chris Cerf and the administration have claimed that because NYC has made greater gains than the rest of the state on the state exams, this somehow negates the results of their flat results in the NAEP. But why is doing better on an invalid exam proof of any improvements?

Indeed, given the proliferation of test prep in our schools, large cash rewards for teachers and principals for high test scores (amounting this year to $13 million!), and exams with highly repetitive questions and easier scoring, it would be expected that NYC should do better than other districts that have focused less narrowly on teaching to the test.

What are Bloomberg's plans for education? All the campaign has talked about so far is creating 100,000 seats for charter school students.

Meanwhile, there are only 25,000 seats in the five year capital plan for our regular public schools, only about 1/3 of those needed to eliminate overcrowding and reduce class size. Why the disproportionate effort to create ideal conditions for charter schools, while our regular public schools are suffering, hundreds of kids are put on waiting lists for their zoned neighborhood schools, class sizes are growing, and students are getting special services in hallways and closets?

Follow up: The campaign claims to be creating more "choices" for parents, but instead it appears that you are trying to undermine the quality of neighborhood schools -- and force parents to send their children to charter schools instead.

The Bloomberg administration has based its entire education record on dumbed down test scores. Compare the reading and math exams given twenty years ago with those given today and you would see what I mean. The scoring of these exams is also much more lenient than in the past.(I know I been in the system since the mid seventies)
No real effort has been made to distinguish the child who does not have the desire or skills to go on to college from those that do. Where are the programs to teach lifelong skills to the children who will leave the system after high school?
The system does not provide for those who enter with a language problem and yet are measured after one year by their test scores.Amazingly some of these children score 3 -4 on the state exams,but continuously fail the lab test required to get them placed in a regular English dominated classroom.
The really sad part is that under our present system the amount of time spent on preparation for the state exams exceeds all other teaching.The children's ability to think and reason really suffers.You can't blame the administrators or teachers for all this preparation. After all the whole success of the school year is based on four days of tests.how Sad!