Our Platform
College-Ready Community Schools for All: Quality Schools, Strong Neighborhoods, Bright Futures!
In neighborhoods across NYC, parents share the hope that their children will graduate high school and go to college. But the realization of that dream varies dramatically. While 80% of children living in Tribeca graduate with the knowledge and skills they need for college, only 8% of students in Mott Haven do. These disparities are unacceptable. To prepare many more students for college and career success, the next Mayor needs a pre-k to 12th grade plan that combines academic rigor and high expectations with comprehensive supports and the creative, motivating experiences that excite students about their future. All students deserve the kind of high quality education that the best schools offer – without having to leave their neighborhood.
1. Focus on Teaching and Learning
- Redesign the school day and add time for quality programs at low-performing schools
- Provide challenging, high-quality curriculum, including Regents courses available to all middle grade students, college-level courses for all high school students & quality career and technical courses
- Increase access to quality early childhood education in high-needs neighborhoods
- Less teaching to the test and more intellectual challenge through hands-on problem solving, critical analysis, activities that engage and motivate, and opportunities to apply skills to real world issues
- Visual and performing arts, physical education, and other enrichment courses several times a week
- Launch Summer Academies to reduce skills loss over the summer and ease difficult transition years
- Small group and individual tutoring to accelerate struggling students and prepare them for college
- Increase teaching quality through common planning time, new teacher mentoring, school-based professional development, lead teachers, and incentives to attract and retain expert teachers.
- Link teachers and principals with high-performing schools serving similar student populations
2. Build a College-Going Culture in All Schools
- Organize college and career fairs, trips, mentors and guest speakers about the college experience for students and families, starting in elementary school and accelerating through middle and high school
- Hire high school and college counselors in middle and high schools who focus on planning, preparing and completing effective applications to college-preparatory high schools and to college
- Provide college and career orientation courses and workshops to students and families in all middle and high schools to clearly understand pathways to college and graduation
3. Provide Strong, Comprehensive Supports for Every Child
- Turn existing schools into community schools that partner with local organizations to provide families with health care, recreation, cultural activities, adult education, internships and more
- Organize an Early Warning System that concentrates resources in critical years like the 9th grade, identifies struggling students immediately, and intervenes swiftly though comprehensive services
- Significantly increase the number of counselors and social workers to support emotional growth
4. Put the Parents Back in Public Education
- Strengthen the home-school connection through initiatives such as Parent-Teacher Home Visits and more frequent, quality parent-teacher conferences that inform parents about curriculum
- Provide high-quality translation and interpretation services at all school functions and events
- Include and support traditional and independent parent groups in decisions about budget and policy