Friday, July 6, 2007

7Online.com: Schools Chancellor Proposes $228M for High-Needs Students - Principals to Hire at Least 1,300 New Teachers to Reduce Class Size

- Schools Chancellor Joel Klein has proposed a plan to spend $228 million in new education aid available through the state's "Contracts for Excellence" program, which holds school districts accountable for spending on programs and initiatives that increase student achievement.

The plan would allocate nearly half of its "Contracts" funding to target class size reduction, which is one of the five categories that districts can devote funds. New York City principals have indicated that next year they would use "Contracts for Excellence" funding to hire at least 1,300 new teachers, including the creation of more than 400 Collaborative Team Teaching (CTT) classrooms, in which special education and general education students are taught together by two teachers.

"The Contracts for Excellence are based on the recognition that we are accountable for delivering the best possibility for success to the students furthest from it," Klein said. "We have put this principle of accountability for educating all children at the center of our reforms."

After a long-fought battle to obtain equitable funding for New York State's high-needs school districts, the state this year appropriated substantially more education aid for high-needs districts. City schools are receiving a total of about $1 billion in new education aid from city and state sources, combined.

Of the approximately $700 million in new state aid, $228 million is subject to the "Contracts for Excellence," $334 million pays for salary and fringe benefit increases that result from collective bargaining, $104 million pays for special education programs and services, $213 million pays for school-based growth in pre-kindergarten and public charter schools and $149 million pays for operating expenses such as increased energy costs due to the growth of the school system.

As part of today's announcement, Klein proposed a targeted class size reduction plan, particularly in schools with the greatest potential to benefit. Since 2003, the DOE has redirected $350 million from central and regional budgets to the school level while giving principals increased autonomy over spending decisions. Historically, schools have used more than half of new discretionary dollars to hire additional teachers, a trend that will continue this year.

Parents and community members are invited to attend a series of public hearings in each of the five boroughs from July 9-12, 2007. A full schedule of dates and locations follows:

Bronx
Monday, July 9, 2007
6:00 p.m.
Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice
244 East 163rd Street
Bronx, NY 10451

Brooklyn
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
6:00 p.m. Brooklyn H.S. for the Arts
345 Dean Street
Brooklyn, NY 11217

Manhattan
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
6:00 p.m. Millennium High School
75 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004

Staten Island
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
6:00 p.m. Michael J. Petrides H.S.
715 Ocean Terrace
Staten Island, NY 10301

Queens
Thursday, July 12, 2007
6:00 p.m. Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Education H.S.
165-65 84th Avenue
Jamaica, NY 11432