New York State is months from knowing whether it will win coveted Race to the Top funds, but already community groups are offering ideas for how to spend the money.
The Coalition for Educational Justice held a rally on the steps of Tweed Courthouse today calling for the federal stimulus funds to be spent on lengthening the school year and increasing the school day by 30 percent for low-performing schools. The proposal also calls for schools to place less emphasis on standardized tests and to offer more arts education and Advanced Placement courses.
Teachers union president Michael Mulgrew, who seems invigorated by UFT’s renewed war with the Department of Education, criticized the department for ending a program that had given some schools extended days. “The city does not have a plan to help these students,” he said.