NYC's mayoral control boosts education, study says

https://lnkd.in/epsu9cwY Reducing the financial barriers to becoming a teacher is a vital step toward addressing one of New York City’s most pressing educational challenges. Aspiring educators often face years of training and certification costs, only to enter classrooms where compensation lags behind the city’s cost of living. Offering tuition assistance and mentorship can help ensure that talented, committed individuals can afford to pursue teaching in the first place. But recruitment is only half the equation. To truly strengthen our schools, we must also invest in teacher retention; ensuring educators feel supported, respected, and adequately compensated once they’re in the classroom. In recent years, nearly one in four NYC teachers have left within their first two years (cited below). Sustainability, not just entry, has to guide our policies. Teachers are essential professionals shaping the future of this city. Just as we invest in healthcare workers to safeguard our physical health, we must invest in educators to safeguard our civic and social well-being. Suggested: Teacher Residencies: Supporting the Next Generation of Teachers and Students: https://lnkd.in/eDpAZPjT Recent Trends in Teacher Retention & Hiring in New York City Public Schools: https://lnkd.in/ecMgUkMh A staff report of the New York City Council Investigation Division on Teacher Attrition and Retention: https://lnkd.in/epivuUwM

Public Schools Are Paying Private School Tuition (And Most Don’t Even Know It) When I became the lead for nonpublic schools, I learned fast: Public schools are already paying for private school tuition. Each placement 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 at $33,000 per student. That’s just tuition, not other services. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 Students with disabilities were placed in nonpublic schools: • No yearly follow up • Schools lacked resources • As a quick fix for negotiation • Parents disrupted the IEP process • Class ratios were too high to manage needs The system was loose with funds & light on accountability. Too many meetings. Too much parent control. Too little teamwork for inclusion. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 When I was lead, the tensions were constant. The spending was uncontrolled. And the trust with families? Gone. I believed we could fix it. In two years, I restructured $1.2 million, no services cut. I sat in IEP meetings watching frustration build on both sides. There is a solution to every problem. I needed to find it. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 We made the IEP about the student, not the parent. By middle and high school, students finally said it: “I miss my friends. I miss real classes.” Support had turned into isolation. Nonpublic schools managed behavior, but not growth. Then MTSS changed everything. Rebuilt inclusion. We built structure. Restored family trust. Inventoried resources. MTSS turned reaction into prevention. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 • 127 students in private placements • 31 returned to their schools • 8 aides became Registered Behavior Technicians, at no cost • Behavior support was proactive, not crisis-driven • Due process declined. Trust grew. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 That model still works. Because prevention beats paperwork. Budgets are shrinking. Lawsuits are growing. Every district faces the same question: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭? The answer isn’t dependency. It’s capacity. Even with a small team, you can rebuild a system that lasts. I’ve done it. It works. #EducationReform #SpecialEducation #MTSS

A study published by the Fordham Institute and The Wallace Foundation finds that K-12 school boards often diverge from their communities: board members tend to rate their districts more favorably, oppose charter schools more than the public does, and are less demographically representative. But the study found school board-public alignment in party affiliations and political ideologies. #SchoolBoards #K12Leadership

𝐍𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭—𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. This fall, school districts across the country are grappling with a stark reality: student enrollment is down, often more than projected. While magnitude in some districts is new—in some places shockingly so (stay tuned!)—the underlying trend is not; enrollment has been in decline for some time, with projections showing further loss over the next 7-10 years (and those projections were made prior to recent changes in voucher and immigration policies!). While the wave of federal ESSER funding during the pandemic allowed many districts to delay the tough conversations and decisions that come with having fewer students, that funding is now gone. And the challenge of rightsizing is front and center.   Facing a future with fewer students and tighter budgets can feel daunting. But what if we accepted it as a challenge to create stronger, more research-aligned, and better-resourced schools that truly serve every student?   Done well, school portfolio redesign is not about shutting doors; it's about putting student experience at the center and using all available portfolio levers. It's a chance to ensure that every school has the resources to provide robust academic programs, a full slate of arts and enrichment, and the support staff that students need to thrive.   Leading this complex work requires courage, transparency, and a deep commitment to community, as captured by my colleague Angela King Smith, Ed.D King Smith in AASA, The School Superintendents Association's District Administration Magazine (link in comments).  𝐈𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧.   Is your district navigating the complexities of enrollment decline?   Education Resource Strategies can help you lead a thoughtful, strategic process that centers on student experience. Reach out to learn more.

NJ’s special education funding model in the school funding formula leaves high-need districts behind. “Some are getting less funding if they have classification rates higher than the state average,” said ELC Research Director Danielle Farrie. https://lnkd.in/ezvpkfeD

"Turnover among educators in Wisconsin public schools has declined from pandemic-era highs but remains elevated, according to a new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum." The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Kayla Huynh covers our latest findings. It's too early to tell whether the recent declines in teacher turnover indicate that the profession is on a path back toward pre-pandemic levels, or if schools are facing a new, elevated norm. Our research also included some good news for Milwaukee Public Schools. Last year marked only the second time in 16 years that MPS recorded a lower teacher turnover rate than the statewide average. https://lnkd.in/g4Ysjm-J

If you don’t name a problem, how will you solve it? Academic achievement goals are missing from many New Jersey school districts' strategic plans. In this review of 50 districts, New Jersey Policy Institute uncovered scant evidence of measurable targets and accountable methods for improving math and literacy proficiency. Strategic plans can be one of the most powerful tools districts have. When correctly implemented, they align staff and resources behind the work that matters most. Such plans elevate teacher voices, invite the community into the process, and help school boards and superintendents stay grounded in clear academic priorities. Some districts are planning for success. For example, Belvidere, Brick, Camden City, Cherry Hill, and Ramsey school districts are setting measurable and time-bound goals as well as implementing strategies to support their educators in achieving those high standards. The majority of school districts need to correct course. Learn more about this crucial oversight and the opportunity to make more of strategic plans: https://lnkd.in/eapSgCYm

🚨 New from Mark Weber 🚨 New Jersey’s school funding formula shortchanges schools serving students from low-income families, leaving 80 percent of Black and Latinx/Hispanic students in schools without adequate resources. The report finds that under the current school funding system, New Jersey’s school funding formula shortchanges schools serving students from low-income families by about $5,300 per student. When schools lack the necessary resources, students fall behind. The report recommends changing the current formula to increase the additional per-student funding for students from low-income families to fund resources such as smaller class sizes, reading specialists, after-school programs, and updated technology. “New Jersey has a constitutional obligation to provide all students with an education that prepares them to succeed,” said report author Mark Weber. “The state must act now to fulfill its constitutional mandate and ensure every student has the opportunity to thrive.” Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/eS7NBvCh

Should legacies get preference in school admissions? “Advocates who helped abolish affirmative action have set their sights on the longtime practice of giving preferences to the children of alumni... Schools that still use legacy preferences are concentrated among private universities, including all eight schools in the Ivy League. That is despite the sharp decline in the practice overall, with about 25% of schools now giving such preferences, down from half in 2015, according to a study by Education Reform Now, which advocates expanding access for underrepresented students on college campuses. Since the 2023 Supreme Court ruling, the number of schools using legacy preferences is down 18%. Students who claim legacy status and whose families are among the wealthiest 1% of Americans are about five times as likely to be admitted to an Ivy Plus college as nonlegacy peers with comparable grades and test scores whose parents didn’t attend the college, according to research from Harvard University Prof. Raj Chetty and his lab, Opportunity Insights. (Ivy Plus schools include the Ivies and other top institutions.)” – WSJ #education #admissions #university #college #legacy #wealth #preferences #merit   https://lnkd.in/gfXAHBsx