July 31, 2009

DOE reconsiders parent-paid teaching assistants

Written by Pamela Wheaton @ 11:21 am

After a flood of parent complaints about the Department of Education’s crackdown on parent associations independently paying for teaching aides in crowded classrooms, the DOE isĀ  reconsidering its decision and may allow the practice to go forward this year after all. The New York Times, Gothamschools, and the Daily News report that, yesterday, Chancellor Klein proposed an arrangementĀ  in which the assistants would be called “substitute aides” and paid $12.30 per hour. He made his proposal at a meeting at Tweed with parents from a dozen Manhattan schools and City Councilmembers who put together the meeting.

The arrangement is subject to the approval of the District Council 37, the union representing non-instructional school staff.

In a letter yesterday to parents at the Lower Lab School, where parents reportedly spend $250,000 per year on teaching aides, the PTA co-presidents said the plan, if finalized, “is a win-win situation for all (especially our children).”

The capitulation on the part of the DOE is bound to spark more controversy: Parents have been actively debating this issue here on the InsideSCOOP, arguing fiercely for and against the practice of parent-paid teaching aides.

1 Comment »

  1. big money makes tweed change their mind so it was not the union can not blame them look at the mame tweed the most corrupt politician ny has ever seen

    Comment by hate TWEED — July 31, 2009 @ 2:34 pm

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