Comments on: Mayoral control debate heats up as deadline nears

By: Hashim Muhammad

Hashim Muhammad — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:13:34 +0000

I agree. there was some merit to the original intentions of mayoral control. However, I am seeing the downsides in my own neighborhood. The DOE sold to my district the need for a PS/IS 3 years ago and pushed a 5 story building in my 3-story residential neighborhood.

The school is now almost finished construction and due to open in september. But,not 2 months ago, 3 yrs after our senators and council signed off on the PS/IS they decided to change their minds. Without any consultation or community engagement, Tale out the K-5 segment, leave the JH (10-13) and add a transfer HS: Targeting truant and students who have dropped out ages 17-22.

How these two age groups were thought of to benefit from each other is beyond me. The comments are right…this is buisness with no thought for the welfare of our children or our community.

By: Forest Hills Mom

Forest Hills Mom — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:19:54 +0000

Amen (to Class Substance Matters’ 06.02 comment)

By: Class Substance Matters

Class Substance Matters — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:51:36 +0000

I would like to see an end to the “reign of terror” admissions policy, where no parent can be sure if their child is going to an acceptable school, long after the point where alternative plans can be made. As the mother of a sixth grader, I have not witnessed any particular advances made in curriculum or achievement under the Bloomberg regime. However, the school scoring game has offered an unusually hilarious model of applied math.

By: Parent & Educator

Parent & Educator — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:18:46 +0000

I too am appalled by the Emperor Bloomberg and his pretense of caring for those who attend public schools. He is a business man who seems to know nothing about education and clearly should NOT be in control of the education system. He makes a good show on television, but most in the education system have little hope that the education system will survive another Bloomberg regime. He seems to resent teachers and is bent on stripping them of jobs and any benefit they might have had. I am also concerned that my child will have none of the great artistic programs she now enjoys as Bloomberg strips public schools of every dollar and cons churches into endorsing him by offering them charter schools that will not serve the poor. He only wants to do this because he does not have to pay educators pensions, not because he cares about yours or my child’s education. And by the way, Bloomberg did not bring up the math scores. Teachers did.

By: Bronx mom

Bronx mom — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:57:42 +0000

I think the mayor had some good intentions that were poorly implemented, so I am not completely against mayoral control. New York districts are extraordinarily diverse so I think there definitely needs to be more (real) input from those who best know the communities that their schools serve, ranging from parents, teachers, principals to appointees on committees. I agree that the chancellor and those appointed by the mayor should definitely not have majority votes.

By: Midwood Mom

Midwood Mom — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:55:54 +0000

As a mother of 2 school-aged children as well as a public school teacher, I have seen few positives to recommend the extension of mayoral control over the schools. And to be honest, I’m sick of Emporer Bloomberg in general. The guy thinks that because he has so much money and a grating, nasal voice, he can do whatever he wants and to whomever.

By: anon

anon — Fri, 29 May 2009 21:01:26 +0000

I too, sitting here in the exact position as you, find myself wondering the same thing.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 29 May 2009 20:41:27 +0000

As i sit here, days before June, unable to tell my 5th grader where he will attend school next year as a result of the centralization of the middle school process, I wonder if the mayor has instituted some really problematic policies that are not good for students or their parents.