TESTIMONY
Debbie Kross on the Impact of Mandated Small Class Sizes in NYC High Schools
4:26:09
·
3 min
Debbie Kross, a parent and president of the Citywide Council on High School, discusses the adverse effects of mandated small class sizes in New York City high schools.
- Kross warns that reducing class sizes will force high schools to cut funding from special programs, electives, and Advanced Placement classes to accommodate smaller core classes.
- She highlights potential disruptions to the unique character of NYC's 400 high schools and their 700 programs due to uniform small class sizes.
- Enforcing smaller class sizes could lead to a reduction in seats by 20-40% for popular specialized programs, affecting student enrollment and increasing commute times.
- Kross criticizes the mandate for disproportionately benefiting wealthier, higher-performing schools at the expense of those with greater needs.
- She urges the city council and state legislature to reconsider the policy based on data and consultations with educators and community stakeholders to avoid lasting damage to the public high school system.
Debbie Kross
4:26:09
Yes.
4:26:11
Hi.
4:26:11
Can you hear me?
4:26:13
Yes.
4:26:15
Okay.
4:26:15
Hi.
4:26:16
So my name is Debbie Cross.
4:26:17
I'm a parent of 3 students in New York City public schools.
4:26:21
I'm also the president the end of the Sea White Council on High School, which represents over 300,000 students and their family in high schools that are located across the 5 boroughs.
4:26:32
And as such, this makes us the largest community education council in New York City.
4:26:38
We heard about children being children and how they need to have art.
4:26:43
They need to have music.
4:26:45
I'd like to talk to you about teenagers.
4:26:48
Since that's what my grandma still focuses on.
4:26:51
On February 14, the citywide council in high school passed a resolution calling on the state legislature to urgently amend the class size law to focus the implementation of the law on lower grades and later phase in high schools.
4:27:06
The impetus for this resolution was the CCHS careful analysis of data pertaining to enrollment and occupancy in high schools as well as an ongoing dialogue that we maintain with families, with school administrators, and with the office of student enrollment.
4:27:21
I would like to give you the key takeaways, 2 of them, of this resolution.
4:27:26
First, forcing small class sizes on high school in New York City will have devastating consequences for these high schools, which principles are assessing right now by redirecting funds from special programs, electives, advanced placement classes, 2 core classes.
4:27:44
These programs that are gonna be defunded are the programs why this schools are popular in the first place, and they are the programs why students are motivated and challenged.
4:27:54
We have 400 high schools in New York City with 700 different programs.
4:27:59
The mandate to implement small class sizes in high schools is going to destroy the unique character of each of these high schools.
4:28:07
2nd, they are also devastating consequences in terms of educational choices and quality of life that are looming for families and students.
4:28:17
Why?
4:28:18
Well, in highly sought after programs such as specialized high schools, performing arts programs, academically accelerated schools, zone schools, Enrollment will need to be capped.
4:28:29
We heard that from multiple people tonight.
4:28:32
It will need to be capped, and the number of seats that are gonna be cut are somewhere between 30, 20 40% depending on the schools in order to comply with the mandate.
4:28:44
Because of school overcrowding, particularly in Queen's, this means increased travel time for students.
4:28:51
Teenagers need sleep, I have 3 of them at home.
4:28:53
I can tell you they need sleep.
4:28:56
The cost associated with implementing the mandate for high schools is enormous.
4:29:00
And what is very troublesome is that the mandate will result in a transfer of money towards schools and students who are already generally wealthier and show higher performance from schools and students with higher needs.
4:29:14
We heard that today.
4:29:16
The money is gonna come out.
4:29:17
It's gonna come out of Bronxville.
4:29:19
It's gonna
Khalek Kirkland
4:29:19
be a
Debbie Kross
4:29:19
town bedside, and East New York.
4:29:22
Thank you.
4:29:22
I'll just wrap up.
4:29:23
So I urge city council to look beyond the catchphrase that small class size is good and to focus on data.
4:29:31
I urge you to speak to us at CCHS to the DOE, NY CPS, and also to talk to administrators with boots on the ground because they know what's happening.
4:29:42
Talk to doctor Marmer, who was cochair of the class size working group.
4:29:47
He's there every day.
4:29:48
He know what's going on in his school.
4:29:50
I urge you to work with the state legislature to amend the law before we cause irreversible damages to public high schools and to their communities in New York City.
4:29:59
Thank you.
