Angry parents are accusing the de Blasio administration of robbing instructional time from their kids in order to cram in more training time for teachers as part of the school day.
A provision in the new teachers-union contract eliminates 150 minutes of additional weekly “small group” instruction for struggling students and instead dedicates most of the time to teacher training and the rest to “parent engagement” or “other professional work.”
The “extended day” program was announced with much fanfare by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2005 — in exchange for giving teachers a 14.25 percent raise over 52 months in a contract with the United Federation of Teachers. It added 37.5 minutes of instruction for four days a week or Saturday instruction.
“I’m very disappointed. No one during contract negotiations was representing the students,” said Staten Island dad Sam Pirozzolo.
Pirozzolo’s son, Franklin, a fifth-grader at PS 69, took the extra classes.
“I know the extended day worked. It worked for our son,” said Pirozzolo, who serves on District 31’s Community Education Council.
Parents and education advocates acknowledged that more training to better prepare teachers — and more allotted time for parent visits — are good things. But they said de Blasio should have pushed the teachers union to agree to lengthen the school day or year to make more time for teacher training in exchange for raises, instead of swiping time from kids.
The new UFT pact with the city provides 18 percent raises over nine years, when factoring in retroactive raises — but no time was added to the school day.
“How can they take away additional learning time when so many kids can’t read and write? Why must the children suffer? The mayor is clearly putting the teachers first, not the children,” said Mona Davids, of the New York City Parents Union. “Teachers can’t get training on their own time? Teachers have the summer off!” she said.
Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña’s office defended the new schedule.
“In order to reach all learners, teachers have to be highly trained in the art and craft of teaching. The professional development time we have agreed to here is essential,” said Fariña spokeswoman Devora Kaye.