QUESTION
Is the Mayor’s Office of Operations working with the Department of Education (DOE) and SEA on meeting new class size reduction mandates?
1:55:52
·
103 sec
The Mayor’s Office of Operations is not currently working on class size reduction strategies with the DOE but highlights an increase in teacher hiring.
- Council Member Restler notes an increase in class sizes and inquires about compliance strategies for a new class size reduction mandate.
- Dan Steinberg acknowledges a positive trend in teacher hiring for the first time in years.
- Despite an increase in student numbers, this hiring trend is seen as key to reducing class sizes.
- A meeting on class size reduction is upcoming, but the Mayor’s Office is not actively involved in the work.
- The DOE is confident in meeting state requirements for class size reduction without direct involvement from the Mayor’s Office.
Lincoln Restler
1:55:52
But I just have to say it was very notable in the PMMR to see every single grade from kindergarten through high school saw average class sizes increase year over year.
1:56:03
And at a time when we're 3 years out from a significant new mandate from taking effect, that will reduce class sizes.
1:56:13
I'm just interested is ops working with DOE and SEA on strategies to help facilitate compliance with this new requirement?
1:56:25
Is this something that is this problematic trend being considered by current leadership on, you know, not only do we need to comply with much more ambitious goals, we need figure out how to start moving things in the right direction.
Dan Steinberg
1:56:40
The the only mitigating data point I would offer is that the number of teachers did go up the cycle for the first time in a couple of years, which was a a really troubling trend coming out of the pandemic that the city had, you know, had for years had been hiring more teachers and suddenly and fewer.
1:56:55
So that that's a very important trend and a key toward getting to class sizes.
1:57:01
Obviously, the number of students went out that and and so good that, of course, and and for the
Lincoln Restler
1:57:07
first time in a while.
Dan Steinberg
1:57:08
Exactly.
1:57:09
And and following the pandemic, it's exactly what we wanna see.
1:57:13
But but but, yes, these are hot topics within city hall class sizes.
1:57:17
We actually do have a meeting.
1:57:20
Coming up on the topic, but we're not actively working on it right now as an office.
1:57:24
But but it's something that DOE feels like they have real command over.
1:57:28
They feel very confident they're gonna meet the state requirements, but but we're not directly involved in that work.