Parent Testimony Implores City Council to Rethink Approach to Class Size Law Implementation for High School
On Feb 29, 2024, the New York City Council Committee on Education held hearings regarding New York City’s struggle to implement the 2023-passed class size law.
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My name is Debbie Kross, and I am a parent of three students in NYC Public Schools. I am also the President of the Citywide Council on High Schools (“CCHS”) which represents over 300,000 students and their families in High Schools across the 5 boroughs. This makes the CCHS the largest Community Education Council in New York City.
We talked about “kids being kids” and enjoying all the wonderful things our public schools have to offer. I would like to talk to you about “teenagers being teenagers”.
Tonight, we heard eloquent testimonies from parents who highlighted the dangers of the Class Size mandate. On February 14, the CCHS passed a Resolution calling the State Legislature to urgently amend the Class Size Law to focus its implementation on lower grades and to later phase in High Schools. The impetus for this resolution was the CCHS’ careful analysis of data pertaining to enrollment and occupancy of high schools, as well as the ongoing dialogues the CCHS maintains with families, school administrators, and with the Office of Student Enrollment. I would like to give you just two key takeaways from this resolution.
FIRST, forcing small classes on high schools in NYC will have devastating consequences for these high schools which principals are assessing right now – by redirecting funds from special programs, electives and Advanced Placement classes towards core subjects. These special programs are why the high schools are popular and why the students are motivated and challenged in the first place… We have over 400 high schools with 700 different programs in NYC, and this Class Size mandate will destroy the unique character of each school.
SECOND, there will also be devastating consequences in terms of educational choices and quality of life for those students and their families. In highly sought-after programs, such as specialized high schools, performing arts schools, academically accelerated schools, as well as in zoned schools, enrollment will need to be drastically capped. Drastically means a reduction of 20 to 30% of the seats, possibly more in overcrowded schools, in order to comply with the mandate. And because of school overcrowding, particularly in Queens, this means increased travel time for our students. Teenagers need sleep!
The cost associated with implementing the mandate for high schools is enormous. What is particularly troublesome is that the mandate will result in a transfer of money towards schools and students who are already generally wealthier and show better performance – higher Regents’ passing grades, higher attendance, higher percentage of college attendance – and away from schools and students with higher economic need. We have heard it very clearly from the parents from East New York, Brownsville and BedStuy who testified tonight. How is this equitable?
I urge the City Council to look beyond the catch phrase that “small class size is good” and to focus on data and facts. I urge City Council to talk to the Citywide Council on High Schools, to NYCPS, and most importantly, to talk to school administrators. Dr. David Marmor, who co-chaired the Class Size Working Group, is the principal of the second largest High School in NYC, is one of these administrators, the ones who have their “boots on the ground” and understand our high schools better than anyone else.
I urge you to work with the State Legislature to amend the law before we cause irreversible damage to our public High Schools and their communities in NYC.
Thank you.