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"Mayor de Blasio admitted last night that the City is force-placing excessed teachers. We know that teaching vacancies are predominantly in low income communities of color. It is a failed policy to put the unwanted teachers in the highest need classrooms. Mayor de Blasio is sorely mistaken about the goal -- it's not to reduce the size of the Absent Teacher Reserve (ATR) pool, it's to ensure quality teachers for all students, something his policies are constantly failing to do. Students in these communities deserve quality teachers who have been placed because of their talent, not simply because they're available," said StudentsFirstNY Executive Director Jenny Sedlis.

CONTACT:

Michael Nitzky

"The de Blasio administration is making a mockery out of what used to be a useful accountability measure. The redesigned School Quality Reports give high marks to schools with pass rates in the single digits because the administration would rather give parents a falsely rosy picture than admit schools are not performing. Parents in the lowest performing schools deserve to know the truth rather than be put through the de Blasio spin machine," said StudentsFirstNY Executive Director Jenny Sedlis.

"We're incredibly proud that our hometown hero and friend John King has been tapped for Acting U.S. Secretary of Education. John King will bring an intellectual rigor, exceedingly high standards, and a clear vision for improving schools for all children. John King is driven by a deep conviction that children from any background can succeed and we're confident he will fight for all students across this nation," said StudentsFirstNY's Executive Director Jenny Sedlis.

CONTACT:

Michael Nitzky

656-565-8184

"Everyone can agree that New York needs clear benchmarks for what students are expected to learn each year. The Common Core learning standards were carefully constructed by educators to tell parents whether their children are on track for college and the workforce. While most of New York's parents and educators embraced these new benchmarks, some had real concerns and others' were fueled by a cynical misinformation campaign. We welcome Governor Cuomo's Task Force so we can get to the heart of those concerns, finding solutions for the legitimate ones and dispelling the myths behind the others. It is time for the education discussion in New York to be driven by fact and not fiction. We're confident that the Governor's Task Force will resolve key issues and keep New York on a path of high standards," said StudentsFirstNY's Executive Director Jenny Sedlis.

CONTACT:

Michael Nitzky

656-565-8184

Parent Empowerment: StudentsFirstNY Alerts Parents at 100 Poorest Performing Schools

New York, NY –StudentsFirstNY announced today the completion of a massive citywide grassroots effort across New York City’s 100 lowest performing schools. The goal: alert parents in each of the 100 poorest performing schools in New York City as measured by proficiency on the New York state math and ELA tests. All of these schools had proficiency rates below 10%, meaning that at least nine out of ten students failed to pass the tests.

"Everyone wants to get to a place where teacher evaluations are fair and credible. Today's actions will hopefully restore confidence in the process. This new evaluation system will help ensure parents and educators have accurate information on teacher effectiveness," said StudentsFirstNY Executive Director Jenny Sedlis. 

CONTACT:

Michael Nitzky

656-565-8184

"Mayor de Blasio is beginning to realize what parents and children in struggling schools have long known: New York City schools are in crisis.  Too many children are trapped in failing schools and too few students are being prepared for college and career. The mayor's new plans are a start, but there are glaring omissions: he needs to pay more than lip service to teacher quality and the expansion of school choice. Until there's a great teacher in every classroom and quality school options for every child, parents won't be satisfied," said StudentsFirstNY Executive Director Jenny Sedlis.

CONTACT:

Michael Nitzky

656-565-8184

Brooklyn, NY – Parents in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, gathered today to celebrate recent improvements at Walt Whitman Library. The recent improvements capped a months-long grassroots campaign in the neighborhood to push for expanded programming and greater community involvement. Nearly 2,000 Fort Greene parents shared in the effort to improve the library.