By Hunter Walker 2/02/12 6:33pm

Schoolhouse Rock

Dennis Walcott (Photo: Getty)

Dennis Walcott Doesn’t ‘Buy Into’ Criticism of School Closures

Mayor Bloomberg’s education policies have come under fire in recent weeks due to the closing of several city schools. After the mayor’s preliminary budget presentation today, Department of Education Chancellor Dennis Walcott defended mayoral control of city schools and said he doesn’t “buy into” criticism the city hasn’t been transparent enough about school closures.

“Mayoral control has worked, it’s worked well, and we are continuing to improve and refine it to make sure it’s even better,” Mr. Walcott told Politicker.  Read More

By Hunter Walker 12/29/11 3:42pm

Schoolhouse Rock

Scott Stringer (Photo: Facebook)

Manhattan BP Scott Stringer: 'The Incompetence of The Department of Education is Simply Staggering'

Manhattan Borough President and possible 2013 mayoral candidate Scott Stringer blasted the New York City Department of Education at a press conference today following the publication of a New York Times report documenting the DOE’s failure to claim millions of dollars in federal Medicaid reimbursements for services provided to students with special needs from 2006 to 2010. Mr. Stringer called for hearings investigating the missed reimbursements, which he described as a missed opportunity to curb school budget cuts and evidence of widespread problems at the DOE.

“This calls out for state and city hearings immediately, there’s no time to waste. This agency has been going down this perilous path for many years, but nobody could have imagined that, when it came for reimbursement, they would fail so miserably. I am shocked and I am outraged,” Mr. Stringer said.  Read More

By Hunter Walker 11/18/11 2:29pm

Educational Experiences

Mayor Bloomberg (Getty)

Mayor Bloomberg Readies for 'Outrageous' School Bus Strike

Mayor Bloomberg briefed reporters this afternoon on a potential school bus strike that would affect over 152,000 city students. Workers from Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1181, which includes 75% of the city’s school bus drivers, are warning of an immediate potential strike if the city doesn’t agree to their contract negotiation demands. At the press briefing, Mayor Bloomberg outlined steps the city will take if bus drivers walk off their job and Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott called the strike “shameful.” Read More

By David Freedlander 11/08/11 6:23pm

education

Pupils During Class

Carnal Knowledge: New Mandatory Sex Ed Classes Have Some Hot And Bothered

You remember what it was like, sitting in a special classroom, maybe one with couches instead of desks. The boys typically congregated to one side and the girls to the other. And the teacher—not your regular teacher—went around the room and made everyone say the words “penis” and “vagina” without laughing, while your best friend sat across from you flicking his tongue between two of his fingers.

Yes, that adolescent rite of passage known as the school-sanctioned sex ed class will arrive in New York City schools next year, albeit with stakes far more serious than misspelling “fallopian”: it comes accompanied by the kind of media maelstrom reminiscent of the culture wars of 20 years ago. (Jocelyn Elders, is that you?) Read More

By Hunter Walker 10/25/11 12:03pm

Dangerous Minds

New York City Department of Education Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott (Getty)

Schools Chancellor Walcott And Former Assemblyman Spar Over Sex Ed Program

A group being led by former State Assemblyman Michael Benjamin says a new sex ed program mandated by Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City Department of Education involves field trips to abortion clinics and visits to “a sexually-explicit website.” City school officials tell the Observer there isn’t any specific sex ed curriculum and deny the site in question appears in their recommended materials. Read More

By David Freedlander 8/08/11 2:03pm

education

Bloomberg, Walcott Tout 'Continued Progress' On State Tests for City Students

Test scores for New York City students in Grades 3-8 rose slightly in results released today, even as the rest of the  state posted slight declines.

“All of our students, teachers and principals should be very proud of their progress and the fact that we continue to raise achievement levels and outpace the rest of the state,” said Mayor Michael  Bloomberg in a statement. “But as much progress as we have made, we know we have much more work to do. We are fully committed to ensuring that all of our students are prepared for a successful future.” Read More