City & State New York
January 9, 2017
homeless crisis, or as picayune as the fate of a one-antlered deer, there is no limit to the lengths these two will go to outdo one another. In some cases, programs or policies simply got blocked because of the two officials’ one-upmanship. While there is certainly comedy and entertainment value in some of the petty squabbles, there have also been moments when it has potentially deprived the residents of New York City and New York state needed resources.
T
HE ROOTS OF the feud go back to before Bill de Blasio was elected mayor in 2013. Things got off on the wrong foot when de Blasio kept insisting on taxing the wealthy to pay for universal pre-kindergarten, his signature campaign promise. Cuomo called the mayor before the election and assured him that he would deliver the money through the state budget or some other funding mechanism. Whatever the mayor needed from the state, Cuomo said he would secure it to help de Blasio fulfill his commitment to his supporters. The catch? De Blasio merely had to stop saying the word “tax.” Cuomo was headed into re-election mode and he didn’t need a liberal New York City mayor – already unpopular in the coveted suburbs – blowing up his spot. Cuomo was hoping to win over not just progressives from the five boroughs, but moderates who make up the city’s suburbs. In fact, Cuomo was eager to reel in Republicans and portions of the upstate electorate where Democrats usually fall short. The last thing Cuomo needed the conversation to be in 2014, when the gubernatorial election would be held, was anything resembling a new tax – particularly if there was a perception that it would be imposed on everyone in the state to pay for yet another benefit for the people of New York City. Cuomo could not allow that. He wanted the conversation to be about cutting taxes. The fact that the mayor didn’t seem to understand that made Andrew Cuomo seethe. A little more than a week after de Blasio was sworn in, he made his first official trip to Albany as mayor to hear the governor deliver his 2014 State of the State address. Cuomo surprised the audience by announcing that he would initiate a program of universal pre-kindergarten, or UPK, only it would not be limited to the city. Instead, state funds would be made available to municipalities throughout the state to set up individual programs. The governor was short on specifics, but two weeks later in his budget address Cuomo detailed his funding plan for universal pre-K: $1.5 billion over
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A SCHOOL THAT REFUSES TO GENTRIFY AITS SCHOOL THAT REFUSES GENTRIFY HOW DIVERSIT STUDENT BODY:TO TRUMP ADMINISTRATION VOUCHER ITS STUDENT BODY: HOW DIVERSITY
SCHEME -- AEXCELLENCE THREAT TO NEW YORK DRIVES DRIVES EXCELLENCE CITY CHILDREN
Michael Mulgrew, President, United Federation ByBy Michael Mulgrew, President, The United The Federation Of Teachers By Michael Mulgrew, President, United Federation of Teachers
Of Teacher
A 95% graduation rate. College acceptance letters from Columbia University, Swarthmore, Spelman, SUNY Binghamton and letters from Co Students ingraduation more than 1,200 New York City schools would face A 95% rate. College acceptance Temple. higher Abia junior class 96% of theand teens have already class sizes,where have fewer teachers lose after-school University, Swarthmore, Spelman, SUNY Binghamton taken andacademic passed and the enrichment state English Regents exam. programs if President-elect Donald
Temple. A junior class where 96% of the teens have al
Trump makes good on a campaign promise to pull billions
taken and passed the state English Regents exam. These areof not statistics fromfrom onepublic of New York City’s selective, federal dollars away schools to pay for private test-basedvouchers. high schools, or from a school in a wealthy suburb. These areThese the hard-won numbers from from Harvestone Collegiate, a York City’s sele are not statistics of New New York City public high school wedged next to a mattress While Trump has yet specify where the would in a wealthy su test-based high schools, oradministration from a school store on West 14th Street intoManhattan. find the money start ahard-won national school voucher program, These areto the numbers from
Harvest Collegia next to a ma
Republicans have previously class tried to this use apast sourceJune, that provides Harvest had its first graduating and its New York City public high school wedged New York City $500 million a year58% -- federal Title 1 funds that seniors reflected thewith city’s diversity: Hispanic, 22% store on West 14th Street in Manhattan. are designated to help students infrom poverty. African-American, 11% white, 7% Asians. Their families came every borough, and from every corner of the globe, from Albania to Brazil, India to Ireland, Mali to Vanuatu. And 64% were poor enough for theMore students tohad qualify free or reduced-price lunch. this than 700,000 students -- overwhelmingly African-American Harvest itsforfirst graduating class
past June, an
and Hispanic -- attend the 1,265 city schools where Title 1 funds help the defray the costs ofdiversity: teachers, seniors reflected Since Harvest does not screen students byShould academic abilities it city’s takes all comersFort - its 58% Hispanic, guidance counselors, aides and administrators. the Title 1 money– disappear, Brooklyn’s African-American, 11% white, 7% Asians. Their families came from firstHamilton, class arrived with Franklin a rangeD. of academic skills, from a few who in $9 ready forin every borough New Utrecht, Roosevelt and Madison high schools wouldwalked lose nearly million college-level work to others who arrived reading and writing on a 6th grade level. Yet from every corner of the globe, from Albania to Brazil, India to Ireland, Mali to Van total, while Francis Lewis, Hillcrest, Bayside and John Bowne high schools in Queens would lose a total Harvest’s classroom are heterogeneous, a mix of all abilities sitting next tofor – and learning And 64% were poor enough for the students to qualify free or reduced-price lun of more than $6 million. from -- each other.
More thanHarvest 900 elementary and middle across the city would lose funds, alumni overabilities a dozen them Since does students by academic – it takes all comers Four years later, not only didnot 95%screen ofschools that first class graduate, visiting wereof quick roughly $1 million each. colleges to first say their demanding not aof chore because “critical thinking” was now class arrived with awere range academic skills, from a few who walked in read second-nature to them, thanks to their education at Harvest.
college-level work to others who arrived reading and writing on a 6th grade level If the school system had to make up a $500 million loss of Title 1 funds, more than these schools would to – and lea
Harvest’s classroom are heterogeneous, a mix allthis sitting Neighborhoods gentrify. So do public schools, and success like gets noticed by next suffer. The damage would spread through the system, raising class sizesof even inabilities non-Title 1 schools, middle school students and families looking for the “hot”and New York City our public high from -- each other. threatening academic enrichment programs, guidance, art next and music other services children school, especially one in Manhattan. Clearly the 1,300 parents and students who came to depend on. Harvest’s recent open house recognized something special.
Four years later, not only did 95% of that first class graduate, visiting alumni were The diversion of public funds from public schools -- through charters, vouchers or both -- is a pattern
Buttorather the school’s growing reputation tip the population toward say than theirletby demanding colleges were not a student chore because “critical thinking” was already embraced high-levelfaculty members the new administration. wealthier families, Harvest’s andofleadership applied for and won a PROSE grant to second-nature to them, thanks to their education at Harvest. explore ways to preserve the school’s diversity. PROSE is a joint-venture between the Vice-President-elect Mike Pence strongly backed a voucherofprogram as governor of Indiana. The Department of Education and the United Federation Teachers that allows collaborative nominee Secretary Betsy played a leading role in undermining publiclike this gets notice Neighborhoods gentrify. SoDeVos, doorhas public schools, and success schools to for adapt someofofEducation, DOE regulations union contract provisions.
education inschool her homestudents state of Michigan. middle and families looking for the next “hot” New York City public who cam
In this case, Harvest tapped intoin a PROSE grant through the UFT, which will help broaden school, especially one Manhattan. Clearly the 1,300 parents and students student recruitment by expanding middle schools and communities from which it The trouble is their voucher and charterthe plans don’t work. Harvest’s recent open recognized something special. draws its students; and help thehouse school as it preserves seats for students who qualify for freeA lunch so the school continues to reflects thethe economic diversity of thewas city. study from the University of Notre Dame found that Indiana’s voucher program a windfall
But rather than the school’s growing tip the student population to for private schools, most oflet which attracted white students, but onreputation average the students’ performance
Harvest sees diversity as peers the engine drives its academic success, and takes great suffered compared to their in publicthat schools. wealthier families, Harvest’s faculty and leadership applied for and pride in the rigorand creativity - of its course offerings. Harvest is one of the city’s morewon a PROSE gra explore preserve a joint-venture betwee than 40 high ways schoolsto that have won the stateschool’s approval todiversity. set some ofPROSE their owniscriteria for As the Brookings Institution noted in reviewing studies of voucher programs Louisiana graduation. Its staff creates courses outside theUnited box, such as “Artist in asIndiana, Chemist,” as a and way Department of Education and the Federation of Teachers that allows collabo other jurisdictions, “In Indiana, a interests student who hadskills. entered a private school with a math score at the to engage a range of student and schools to adapt some of DOE regulations or union contract provisions. 50th percentile declined to the 44th percentile after one year... A case to use taxpayer funds to send
childrenmust of low-income to private schools is based on anmath expectation that the outcome will be Students presentparents original work in English, history, and science at the end of positive. recent findings point inTheir the other direction. ” to be 10th grade and again to graduate. theses have presented and defended a In thisThese case, Harvest tapped into a PROSE grant through the UFT,inwhich will help bro public forum, recruitment and could rangeby from a historical research paper schools or a scientific investigastudent expanding the middle and communities from wh tion, to a dissection the math in a ismusical score. Seniors complete four of these Vouchers are not theof only issue. DeVos a major contributor to Newmust York City’s Success Academy draws its students; and help the school as it preserves seats for students who qual performance-based tasks, in addition passingBut thethestate English regents Charter Schools and assessment a supporter of the charter movementto in general. charters in DeVos’s free lunch so theareschool continues to reflects economic of the city. exam. home state of Michigan a mess, with 80 percent performing worsethe than traditional publicdiversity schools. Yet DeVos -- a billionaire whose family has also opposed workers’ rights, gay marriage and has
Part of the story of Harvest’s successright-wing is its commitment to provide support that is tailored contributed heavily todiversity a variety of other causes –that has led the way in resisting any attempts to sees as additional the engine drives its academic success, and takes to Harvest each student – from sustained help for struggling students to an Open regulate or improve charter performance. pride in the rigorand creativity of its course offerings. Harvest is one of the city’s Honors program that allows students to gain additional credits in subjects in which they arethan strong.40 Here, special education students do honors andapproval college credit in heterohigh schools that havestudents won state to work set some of their own criter While public schools losereal resources and charter lose ground, All the students big winnersget in Michigan geneous classes, giving meaning to the wordoutside integration. the“Artist benefit as Chemist,” as a graduation. Its staff creates courses the box, such as have beenfrom investors for-profit charters andare private schools, including those with their own financial of learning andinwith students who different from themselves.
to engage a range offunds. student interests and skills. resources, that now get public
Harvest is not a “beat the odds school,” a misleading description that often amust combination of equity and excellence is somehow a Theimplies failed education policies of Pence and DeVos drain resources from the history, Students present original work in English, math and science at the e fluke that can’t replicated. Harvest is proof that diversity is for a traditional public be schools, while in to too many cases proving an empty promise 10th grade and again graduate. Their theses have to be presented and defended strength and an asset that can be nurtured. students and their families.
public forum, and could range from a historical research paper or a scientific inves
Given the raw of the recent Harvest a Seniors must complete four of tion, to a divisions dissection of the math inpolicies aelection, musical score. That’s why New York cannot afford to letpresidential such failed take hold here. is We model for bringing different assessment people together tasks, with theinresult that all performance-based addition New Yorkers need to come together to protect our public schools, and fight off to passing the state English re thrive. attempts to charterize, voucherize and eventually privatize our public schools. exam.
Part of the story of Harvest’s success is its commitment to provide support that is ta to each student – from sustained additional help for struggling students to an Honors program that allows students to gain additional credits in subjects in which are strong. Here, special education students do honors and college credit work in he