Mayor de Blasio: We need Albany to extend mayoral control so we can fix our schools at the root
CHRISTIE M FARRIELLA/FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
De Blasio says that Mayoral Control makes it clear: The buck stops with him.
For too long, our schools have been divided into “good” and “bad.”
Every public school parent, myself included, knew what a bad school looked like: few resources, the best teachers didn't want to work there, and parents were shut out.
That’s why we’re reforming our schools, so all children get the education they need to succeed.
I recently met Marlon Glynn, the scholarship winner heading to college from long-struggling Boys and Girls High, who was profiled in The News’ series Sunday.
He told me what it meant to see his school re-energized, with a new principal who cares about his future. Friends who thought they wouldn't make it to graduation are catching up — and moving ahead.
These are the kinds of successes we’re driving with our $150 million Renewal Schools plan, at Marlon's school and 93 others.
We're expanding kids’ learning time at the end of the day and on weekends. We’re bringing in master teachers and learning coaches to improve instruction, and expanding professional development so teachers can better help struggling students. And we’re holding schools and teachers accountable for success by bringing in new leaders, moving out teachers who fail our kids, and tracking progress in real time.
To keep driving change, cities like ours must get their fair share of education funding from Albany
But that’s just one piece. This fall, every 4-year-old in New York City will have access to free, full-day, high-quality pre-K. We’ve doubled after-school programs for middle schoolers. And we’re launching more than 120 “community schools” that bring in social services, mental health, and medical staff to remove barriers to learning.
None of this could have happened without the accountability of Mayoral Control.
Mayoral Control makes it clear: The buck stops with me. We need Albany to extend it, and make it a permanent part of our education system.
To keep driving change, cities like ours must get their fair share of education funding from Albany so
To keep driving change, cities like ours must get their fair share of education funding from Albany