On Demand
Mayoral Control of Schools
Monday, July 20, 2009
Patricia Connelly, a South Brooklyn parent and member of the Parent Commission on School Governance and Mayoral Control argues mayoral control should be replaced by a truly independent and accountable school board. Marcus Winters, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, argues in favor of mayoral control.
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It is a voting rightds issue. Evry other district in New York State allows its citizens to elect a Board of Education. Under Bloomberg's Mayoral Control Law, no one can even sit on his bogus "Panel for Educational Policy" without his consent. They can be booted off at any moment. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was enacted to prevent just sucha scenerio where mostly Black and Latino voters are disenfranchised.
Local control yes, national standards yes.
No mayoral control, but accountibility. If your kid does poorly on the national [yes National, like France with its bac], you can take your kid out and take the FEDeral money.
Yes education funding should be FEDeral, not local.
Only a fraction of the simple arithmetic, algebra and statistics that kids
should learn every year has been tested, Jennings found,looking back to 2006, when the state rejiggered the test.
Nearly identical questions have even appeared each year, Jennings found.
In 2009, at least 14 of the 30 multiple choice questions on the
seventh-grade exam, for example, had appeared in similar form in
previous years, she said. Only 54.7% of the specific math skills the state
requires seventh-graders to learn were ever tested in the four years the exam has been given.
The test scores are the educational equivalent of Moody’s AAA ratings of Bear Stearns & Lehman Brothers. They are statistics on steroids.
Also:
This is a gender issue. Instead of 3 men in a room, there are now 5 men in the room, debating an issue which largely affects families where the mother is the most involved and experienced judge of what is happening in the schools, and in many families is the only parent.
The campaign against mayoral control is being led by women, who should be listened to. It is no coincidence that the legislator who has put forth the most comprehensive and progressive bill to redirect the NYC school system is Senator Shirley Huntley. Not just a woman, she has a background in education, as does her chief of staff, another woman, who is a former high school principal.
Why does the state legislature have any say at all over the New York City public schools? Does that make any sense to anybody?
Here's a solution: New York City should secede from the state, become the 51st state. The city has nothing in common with Buffalo, Poughkeepsie, or the vast farm lands upstate, yet the legislators from those place have control over much of what is done -- or not done -- in the city. Does that make any sense?
If Bloomberg wants teaches and principals to run schools, then let's have a board of teachers and principals.
But that's not want Bloomberg wants. *HE* wants to run the schools -- turn them into an extension of Ray Kelly's police state, institute mindless testing testing testing, despite all evidence that testing works *against* good education.
We the Parents have our children in the schools. We have a *right* to a say, and a *duty* to be involved.
Bloomberg forgets -- yet again -- that he works for us.
if parents want to help, they should make sure their kids are doing homework and generally getting good grades
There used to be local control of NYC schools once.
Local politicians exploited this by hiring their friends and relatives to obtain lots of contracts for fraudulent or non-existent goods and services for schools, in exchange for kickbacks.
This is why we switched to mayoral control.
A little thought from the grammar squad, quietly suffering through the mayor's misused and mangled language . . .
The word he wants (the adjective describing a crazy person) is "meshugah."
The noun for a crazy person is "meshugenah." (Like, perhaps, a mayor who wants to control the lives of a million schoolchildren on his own?)
A correction over the yiddish term "mishuggener."
Meshuga is Hebrew for "crazy." Meshuggener" is yiddish for one who is crazy, or a crazy person.
So one may be "meshuga" or crazy, and thus be properly called a meshugganer or crazy person.
We can also say an idea is crazy, or "meshuga" but NOT "meshugganer." To summarize, a meshugganer (a crazy person) can have an idea that is meshuga (crazy.) He is meshuga if he has a crazy idea. But the idea itself is not "meshugganer." The idea may be meshuga but he is the meshugganer.
Trainning Parents is just another way to spend money on breakfasts, calming constituents who are also parents who spend more time complaining than with their children and less updated history books and art programs. If a parent wants to be involved, they only have to reach out to their parent coordinators, do a little research and leave the money alone to be used. Joining the PTA has always been free. This whole conversation is a distraction from real issues and used as leverage by parents and politicians for money.
This is not really about control of the schools, where teachers and principals work. This is about control of the system (i.e. the central offices), or at least input into the system.
Mayor Bloomberg's DOE is not run by teachers and principals. Klein does not have that kind of experience, and his senior staff similarly lacks that kind of experience.
So, Bloomberg might want to claim that this is about educators vs. parents, but it is really about non-educator bureaucrats vs. educators vs. parents. Traditionally, parents elect a board or mayor, who selects professional educators to supervise and run a system, and professional educators run the schools. A problem with Mayoral control is that parents select a mayor for many reasons, so it becomes especially important that there be democratic oversight and input into a mayoral control education system. But this mayor has fought that at every step, and in addition to the lack of educators at the top of the DOE.
How is it that the NY State Legislature determines who controls local schools? Do legislators representing NYC have the same influence over upstate schools? I've only lived here 7 years now, curious as to how this came to pass.
I hope to be a parent one day and have a part in my child’s education, but the pro parent involvement side seems to want to dictate, with taxpayer dollars, how schools are run. These parents see the school as theirs and not a part of the larger community. For there to be a public education system, it really does take a village. Everyone benefits from public education and the vast majority of people in the village supporting it do not have children in it. We all must have someone we can hold accountable with our dollars and future, not just parents preferences.
As a parent of a NYC public school child, I'm weary of having hyperinvolved, at times misguided parents insinuating themselves into the educational system of NYC. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I think parental input is important, while the direction of our educational system should be guided by elected and accountable officials.
HJS, your post at #6 is the best way parents can help their children and the public school system. If more did, NYC would have a graduation rate above the 50s.
all of my friends who have gone into the program to become teachers (Teach New York?? Teaching Fellows??) when they didn't study it in college...all of them have been horribly disallusion by the inability to get ANY PARENTS at any grade level to engage with them. They even go outside to see students coming into school and there are, even with the little children, no parents available. they were desperate to engage parents and none were available or able. AND many don't even attend ( can't attend) the parent teacher conferences. just ask these people and you will see that this is such a bad stalling point for the "control" issue. It drove these teachers out of the system, ultimately.
I've been hearing about this issue for a while...and I still don't fully understand WHAT sort of Control Parents want?What is Parental Control? Personally, I feel parents should have input and be an integral part of their children's education...But I don't feel they should be in control of the school systems.. I feel Teachers and Principles should be more incontrol.. they have training and expertise that most parents don't have. Its like saying nurses and doctors shouldn't be incharge of a hospital.. the patients should be in control? Parent's like Patients should be an integral part... but shouldn't be incharge....
i wholeheartedly agree with maria from the upper east side and kay from nyc. i have two children go through the nyc public school system in three different schools, elementary, middle and high school. i believe it is the teachers and principals that are in the best position to make school policy, sure with input from the parents to some extent, but not some of the interference from over zealous type A parents i have witnessed. These parents model conflict to the children not compromise or a way forward.
I am a parent of 4 public school children in 3 different schools. I have a been a public school parent for ten years, and I remember the good old days. I say let's go back. School was better before the dictatorship of Bloomberg. Give me school board elections and let's abandon faith in a benevolent king.
This lady is making a ridiculous statement. The mayor isn't playing nice and is a bad example to the kids? That statement is totally meshuganah!!
T
As with anything, some parents are probably reasonable and would be an asset; others are idiots and would make a mess. The way it was before with community boards. In NYC, we haven't had a blow-up over science education as in other parts of the country -- we might feel differently if we had. Educators should have a paramount say in education. Why the NY State legislature has a say is something I do not understand.
This makes no sense to me. Why should the dept of education be run any different than the sanitation, fire, police, health, etc departments? Why should "parents" have some sort of direct involvement in education policy?
NYC parents should have the same involvement as parents in others school districts/ boards across the country: a decision-making role in determining education plans and school budgeting priorities.
Parents don't want to run the schools, we want meaningful input.
This lady is making a ridiculous statement. The mayor isn't playing nice and is a bad example to the kids? That statement is totally meshuganah!!
Parents need to take care of their own kids, because I know many very bad parents who just love to complain when their kids get bad grades. Yet they do nothing to encourage or aid their kids.
Parents are not players in the system! If you want to be a player, become a part of the system and become a teacher, principal, etc. Not a temporary participant that when you're child graduates you leave. Work within the system, for your children, without taking money from others' children!
why was the old school board elections always in the middle of no where (summer?) instead of with the rest of the elections in november.
The position Ms. Connelly and others take about parental involvement in running schools--as opposed to contributing in an advisory capacity--bespeaks the lack of respect people have for the teaching profession. No one would argue that patients must be part of running hospitals or claimants of running the courts. That claimants and patients should be consulted in order to improve services, is encouraged but not that they have the expertise or can be trained in the kind of expertise it takes to run those institutions. People think they can do what teachers and principals do.
lady . . . are you crazy? for me to bust my . .. working on fundraising for my child's school, only for it to go to some other school?
Dear Brian,
Important Correction....too delicious not to miss.
Yiddish.
You confused Yenta with Kibbitz.
Yenta can also be used to describe a man who behaves like an old woman.
YENTA
* (Yiddish) a vulgar shrew; a shallow coarse termagant
* (Yiddish) a woman who talks too much; a gossip unable to keep a secret; a woman who spreads rumors and scandal
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
* a gossiping, complaining, argumentative woman. Not your popularity contest winner.
amusingstories.net/Dictionary_Shmictionary.htm
KIBBITZ
* kibitz: make unwanted and intrusive comments
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
* Alternative spelling of kibitz
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kibbitz
Parents should not have any control of schools since their loyalty is not to the school but to their individual child.
The control of schools should be a devolve one
1. The State should control the curriculum with no involvement of the legislature, but appointed members from every count based on population who will allocate each school’s budget.
2. The cities or counties should control the school infrastructure.
3. Each school should be controlled by a board of governors 8 elected every 2 years by parents. This board should be headed by the school principle and it should have at least 4 teaches.
Otherwise this current fight will go on in one form or another.
I'm in agreement w/hjs, Kay and #15. Half the battle of getting kids to learn is dealing w/their poor behavior and attitude (a factor that is primarily influenced and controlled by parents). Let's bring back personal responsibility into our society and stop creating more and more layers of bureaucracy to solve problems we create for ourselves. If these proponents of more parental inclusion are so interested in the kids of their communities, then let them be involved on a voluntary basis WITHOUT pay. Sounds to me as if they're trying to capitalize on some skill set they developed through working w/the schools (maybe when their kids were in the school system).
Couldn't help transmitting this 'experience'. My 4 farm-raised children attended a central school district school in the 50s-60s. My response to their complaints about teachers was that those teachers already had made their record, you are now making yours!!! Two of my children now have PhDs, another a lawyer and another with diverse MA's and professional activities!!!!! Another time/another place but I hope the message is clear: Children have to learn how to adjust/cope with both positive and negative learning/teaching experiences!!!!
Re Parent Involvement
Parents do not get involved because they are not permitted to do anything but raise pocket change for the schools through bake sales. Give them a real role and watch what happens.
Parents need training to play a knowledgeable and responsible role. That is what a publicly funded Independent Parent Organization would do. Hundreds of millions of dollars are available through Title 1 Federal money dedicated to parent involvement. The DOE spends $30-50 million on parent coordinators, and more still on the Office of Family Engagement & Advocacy. Yet many, and perhaps most, schools in this city do not have a functioning Parent Association.
Use that money to let parents organize their own structure of leaders which can employ organizers who do not have to fear for their jobs from a principal or OFEA.
There are tens of thousands of parents available in a system containing hundreds of thousands of families, many with great knowledge and experience, and others who can be trained as leaders to help teach parents:
1) How to navigate the system to get their due
2) What education should be provided to students --- that education is more than test prep --- so that in legally mandated School Leadership Teams they can partner with teachers and principals in shaping the curricula and culture of their school
3) What policy frameworks beyond that of the classroom & school determine the outcomes for their kids - the need for smaller classes, experienced teachers, diverse curricula
Put this into place & parents will become partners both in their schools and as citizens: participating in the development of their children as life long learners and leaders, while also cultivating the engagement of these parents as informed shapers of democratic public policy.
Parents aren't asking to run the schools, but we do want input into our children's educations without being vilified or taken for granted.
We want real input - not phantom advisory as has been the case under Bloomberg/Klein - into who is selected as our Principals, and whether our schools are shut down, changed or relocated. We want our parents and parent elected bodies to have access and information on our school budgets and test scores without being shut down by the DOE or barred from entering the schools they represent as has frequently happened. On a broader policy level why can't there be reasoned discussion and debate - in which parents participate either directly or via our elected Community Education Council, School Leadership Team and/or Parent Association representatives - regarding the role and level of testing in our system, the role of charter schools, how much of our overall budget goes into our school system, and in fact how our system is to be governed? Are these questions only to be decided by our elected officials and the DOE, few of whom have children in the system and fewer still who are educators?
Parents are and have been speaking out consistently and forcefully - not against the current governance structure - but rather about the way it is being executed, the lack of checks and balances, and being told and forced by the current one-man system to stay out of our schools and kids' educations except at home.
Thankfully, the Senate is doing it's bit to try to institutionalize some voice for us parents. But their job - and ours - has become so difficult given the Mayor's influence, power, money, and brinksmanship.
I know many parents who have taken an interest in their schools and have learned how to be heard. All it takes is an interest and some old fashioned ingenuity.
I found it interesting that Ms. Connelly couldn't give you a direct answer as to what this proposed academy would do.
Just as in the days when we had strong boards run by local politicians the money will probably be used as a slush fund.
Politicians like John Sampson want to have a bit of pocket change they can dip into.
I completely agree with the post#34 an educator should be the head of DOE not a prosecutor nor a businessman how do they know better than teachers, parents and principals whats best for our children as for the post about lack of parental involvement too many parents want to be involved but are struggling to keep a place to live and food, etc for their families or lack the language skills to communicate
Parents want the chancellor to adhere to city and state laws, a chancellor who has an education background, fixed terms, an education commission to create an education constitution, stop using substandard tests and use NAEP and parent academy to help advocate resources and for their children.
In essence, parents want to be partners with educators, administrators, elected officials, community members, etc.
Why are schools in Long Island and upstate New York successful? Community Board members, parents, superintendents, educators, administrators, elected officials, community members, etc.
Who will speak for the English Language Learners who are failing?
Who will find programs and setting that will meet the needs of all special needs children?
Who will address students who were retained multiple times?
Who will ensure equity education for every child in every school?
Why can't charter schools accept special needs students? Are they worried about their test scores?
These quandaries were addressed by Jonathan Kozol, Diane Ravitch, Horace Mann, John Dewey, Marva Collins, James Comer, Jane Addams, Rosenwald Schools and countless other experts in the field of education.
Please peruse these experts instead of business men who wants to privatize public schools.
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