Oddly, Governor Cuomo pontificates about what schoolchildren need, but refuses to do any homework himself. Were he doing homework, he'd know there is no research to suggest his latest miracle drug, a longer school day, would improve education. Were he doing homework, he'd know that class size is what parents want. He'd also know there's plenty of research to suggest reasonable class sizes actually help children.
The notion that a kid who hates school and cuts class will be turned around by more of it is absurd. And please, don't tell me about charters. The chances this kid has parents proactive enough to apply to one, let alone participate as required, are abysmal.
Last year, my beginning English class hit 34 and was split into two. Kids I'd had to keep quiet, in the smaller classes, were finally able to talk as much as they wished. In a language class, that's a great thing. This year, since there was another section, my beginning English class hit 34 and stayed there. It's a lot harder to reach the kids who most need my help while keeping the classroom a reasonable place to learn.
Beyond that, it's incredible that Governor Cuomo can just come out and say he wants more with no particulars whatsoever. If there is to be an extended day, it ought to be for the enrichment of kids who will want and/ or love it. You need help with trigonometry? We can help you after school. You want to learn how to play the guitar? We'll teach you. You want to learn how to play the accordion? Sorry, that's beyond the pale and no one is gonna help you do that.
In any case, education is about quality, not quantity. Governor Cuomo needs to educate himself before presuming to lecture others. He should find out what works before advocating passionately for things like junk science evaluation schemes. He should learn how important class sizes are before talking about how long the day is. It's kind of strange that a guy who's always complaining about how awful schools are would advocate more of the same. It's even more amazing that a guy who claims to advocate for children takes 250 million away from them because the city and union can't agree on a junk science evaluation system.
I'm just a lowly teacher, but even I saw how well Rahm Emannuel's push for a longer school day worked out. Rahm knew nothing, hardly the POV for someone who wishes to lecture on education. If Governor Cuomo wishes to advocate for a longer school day, it behooves him to offer specifics on how and why he will make it a better school day.
And if he can't do that, it behooves him to stop talking, at least until he has the remotest notion of what, if anything, it is he's talking about.
A politician stop talking? Only long enough to cash a check. Politician know what they are talking about? Please, that has as good a chance of happening as Eva Moskowitz providing a good quality education for all. Or Mayor Napoleon ever just going away.
ReplyDeleteAnytime I think of Cuomo I think of his Hurricane Sandy news conferences when he often uttered the phrase, "I know, I get it!" when questioned by the media. He comes off as a "how dare you question me", "I know what's right for everyone" kind of guy. Seems many politicians from Bloomberg to Obama do that a lot nowadays while totally ignoring the input and wishes of the public.
ReplyDeleteI agree, but you'd think the guy would make a better case for himself. I know I could and would, even for this. There's a laziness here that borders on unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteAfter I quit/resigned/escaped with some of my sanity intact from my regular public school job, I've subbed. I've subbed at private schools where the largest class size I've come across is 16. It's amazing every time I sub how I get to TEACH. That is, I am able to deliver a lesson, oversee an activity, etc. I get a sense of the kids, I can tell who is struggling and who needs to be challenged. I can leave notes for the teacher that really sum up exactly what went on in that class period.
ReplyDeleteAnd every time now it still feels incredible. There are kids in these classes that have diagnoses (or would if they were in public school) and there are disruptive kids. But management and teaching are so much easier with 12-16 kids. Things move faster, yet can be more in-depth.
I know there are lots of other differences between these public and private schools (my child attends the former), but as far as I can tell the very biggest and most important thing your money buys you is the attention that small class sizes offer. Teachers really do know their students. They have time to ponder troublesome areas and come up with thoughtful plans to address them. It's not perfect, of course, but just the numbers make everything smoother and calmer.
Agree, agree, agree!!!!
ReplyDeleteI was bothered when Brian Lehrer today repeated the "research shows" mantra about a longer day while basically ignoring the great points made by a teacher from Yonkers about all the cuts in services and high class sizes and how ridiculous the Coumo idea is. But he's basically a Rahm.
ReplyDeleteHey, what have you got against the accordion? Seriously, much of what the "reformers" push has no basis in research. They just have the force of money and influential and publicly prominent people repeating their nonsense.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, thanks AG. I think everything Gov C does is linked with his 2016 Presidential run. I just blogged about it "Gov Cuomo Needs A Longer School Day" http://yomizblog.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=641&action=edit&message=6&postpost=v2.
ReplyDeleteI added your article for my readers.
I'm writing a book, "Yo Miz" about my experiences last year, rotating (ATR) through 25 Manhattan public high schools. Like you, I draw much of my material from inside the classroom. Wouldn't it be wonderful if folks who create education policy actually spent time in our classrooms?
Love your snappy writing style:)
Thanks for the kind words. Your link doesn't seem to work for me, but I found your blog and added it to the blogroll.
ReplyDeleteI was actually thinking of writing "banjo" but chose accordion instead. Apologies to my friend Caroline, who loves her accordion.
ReplyDeleteQ: What do you call a beautiful woman on a banjo player's arm?
A: A tattoo.
Another unfunded mandate that does not help and nobody wants.
ReplyDeleteAgree, agree, agree!
ReplyDeleteI’ve taught art to 14 kids and to 28. The difference is night and day. I was an artist in residence so worked out with the teachers how to split the class. I’m a professional artist and I loved, loved, loved teaching, loved my students and I’m not hogwashing to say they loved me - plus I taught them a friggin’ lot!
But I decided not to become a professional teacher because then I’d have full classes (and I’d have to teach their crappy curriculum) and I knew from experience - sometimes I had to take the whole class - that it would be agony. Not because I didn’t want to have to work harder or something these ignorant reformers would say, but because it truly hurts, when you care, not to be able to teach - to find, learn, know each child’s specialness and help them to see it and to believe it’s really there and that it matters.
There were kids - mostly boys - who felt like s*** (pardon) about themselves - like such total failures and losers they’d basically given up - who would, after a few months, or even just weeks, come out of their hard, protective shells. Who’s faces would slowly open, even against all their fear of being vulnerable, who would slowly, slowly believe me - so cautiously believe that what they’d made was a wonder - really something new under the sun and a gift. And I could voice for them, because I knew them so well, what emotional obstacles they’d fought and what frustrations they’d dealt with to be able to make something strong and honest. And they knew I wasn’t blowing smoke because they knew I never lied because they knew me. They trusted me. No way this happens in a class of 28-34 (like my own kids have now).
Sorry to go on, but that kind of teaching is spiritual. Thinking about it again - though I haven’t done it for a few years - gives me the ecstasies.
PS. I went to both public and private so I know the difference from the student perspective and my sons went to both public and private so I know the difference from the parent perspective. Teacher, student, parent. What perspective do the reformers have? Where on god’s green earth is their humility?
It's a bit of an overreach to say that no research suggests a longer schoolday helps children. From what I understand, an unstructured and poorly planned schoolday extension doesn't help, but that there are models out there that take a comprehensive and conscientious approach to using school time better while lengthening the day. An example: Expanded Schools (http://www.expandedschools.org/)
ReplyDeleteThough it doesn't appear that Cuomo has made a comprehensive or conscientious approach.