MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES STRUGGLING SCHOOLS WILL RECEIVE THEIR “FAIR STUDENT FUNDING” FOR THE FIRST TIME

De Blasio administration will boost struggling schools’ funding $34 million next year and $60 million every year after to hire guidance counselors, launch academic intervention programs, and add Advanced Placement classes

New resources to support all 130 Renewal Schools, Community Schools, and Persistently Failing Schools

  —Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced a significant investment of $60 million per year in additional funding to ensure struggling schools have the resources they need to succeed. Correcting years of inequity, this funding will raise all 130 Renewal Schools, Community Schools and Persistently Failing Schools to 100 percent of their ‘Fair Student Funding’ for the first time. That means they’ll have the resources they need ­­­­– and have long been owed – to serve English Language Learners, students with special needs, and other young people who need extra help to catch up. 

The Campaign for Fiscal Equity settlement called on the State to fully fund all public schools adequately. While that historic deficit persists – with an estimated shortfall of $2.6 billion for this year alone for New York City – the de Blasio administration is taking steps to ensure schools that have the deepest challenges aren’t held back. Schools will be able to use the new funding to hire guidance counselors, bring on teachers for special academic intervention programs serving students who have fallen behind, extend the school day, or add advanced placement classes. To qualify for funding, schools must submit detailed plans for approval that demonstrate precisely how the new funds will be spent and how they will advance key metrics like attendance, credit accumulation, test scores and on-time graduation rates. 

These new resources are above and beyond the $150 million committed in the Renewal Schools initiative and the Community School expansion, which are also increasing services at each of these schools.

“We’ve put real resources and real accountability in place to give students, teachers and communities at struggling schools a path to success. But we don’t want them fighting the decades-old headwind of underfunding at the same time. These new investments will make a real difference: more AP classes, more guidance counselors, extra tutors, and schools open longer. We have a plan for these schools’ success and we’re going to make sure they have the tools to turn around and raise student achievement,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“Lifting up our schools requires real resources – and that is what we are committed to delivering. Through this individualized approach, we’ll put more guidance counselors in schools, extend the day for our most struggling students and train teachers better so they can best teach our children. By building out the tool kit for our historically struggling schools, I know we’ll see real results as we work to improve student outcomes at every school across the city,” said Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña.

Historically, schools were provided with resources based primarily on the size of their student body. The ‘Fair Student Funding’ formula was introduced almost a decade ago by the Department of Education to reflect the diversity of New York City’s student body, which includes many students who require extra support like English Language Learners, students with special needs, and students who have fallen behind. But without the funding promised in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity settlement, most schools never got the extra resources they needed. Today’s announcement ensures all struggling schools have the full and fair resources they need.

Achieving Fair Student Funding

• The Administration is investing $33.6 million in FY16 and $59.7 million in FY17 and every year thereafter to provide additional funds for schools most in need.  

• All 130 Renewal schools, Persistently Failing schools, and Community Schools will be brought to 100 percent of their Fair Student Funding recommendation within two years. The average Renewal School will see $250,000 in additional annual funding.

• The minimum amount any school can receive will be raised from 81 percent to 82 percent of the Fair Student Funding formula. These changes will impact approximately 400 schools and 252,000 students. 

Rigorous Oversight of School Spending Plans

• Schools must provide a robust plan for strategic use of the new funding to achieve concrete gains in metrics like attendance, credit accumulation and on-time graduation.

• Plans could include hiring academic intervention services teachers to help students catch up and adding college readiness programs, guidance counselors and programming.

• Plans for uses of these additional funds will require approval from each school’s superintendent.

  

Unprecedented Support to Turn Around Struggling Schools

• By this September, all 94 Renewal Schools will be transformed into Community Schools, have an additional hour of instruction every day, increase professional development in key areas like student writing, and launch a summer learning program – all part of their comprehensive Renewal Plan with concrete targets in student achievement.

Editors Note:

I have left out the patronizing comments from Mayor deBlasio's supporters, and those who are intent on keeping their jobs in the education field. 

It is now time to end mayoral control as former Mayor Bloomberg gave us a perfect example as to why Mayoral control was a failure. Now is the time to go back to accountability which school boards gave us. To keep the integrity of school boards do not allow any hiring to be done, only advisory evaluations of school leadership. Right now there is no accountability as shown in this report by the chancellor's office, and Bill deBlasio has picked up right where Michael Bloomberg has left the school system, in a mess.