In an effort to bolster computer skills of all students in NYC public schools the Mayor visited MS 223 in the South Bronx to show off a school with a new computer technology room. The mayor said that only 246 public schools only have the technology that MS 233 has, and when I asked him to give me a breakdown by borough of schools, the answer which I received was 'We will have to get back to you on that'. I already knew that the borough with the most technology in its public schools in the borough of Manhattan, and wanted to hear that from the mayor, but apparently he just played dumb. The photos below should tell more of the story.
Above - The sign on the door to this computer room says We do not play games - We make them'.
Below - 30 of the latest computers with large screens are in place for students in the school to use. There are also two Smart \boards in the room at either end.
Above - The mayor and Chancellor Farina enter the computer room. The mayor heads to one student, and the chancellor to another.
Below - Mayor de Blasio sits with Amaih to see what she is working on.
Above and Below - The Mayor, Chancellor, and other partners in the Computer Science for All program then went to the library to give a description of the new initiative, and then took questions from the media.
Here is part of that press conference to introduce the Computer Science for All Program.
MS 223, the Laboratory School of Finance and Technology, truly offers us a window into the future when computer science education is available to all of our students. It is said that genius can be found in every zip code, but not necessarily opportunity, and that is really at the heart of why we are here today. Computer Science for All is the largest public-private partnership of the de Blasio administration – an $81 million-dollar initiative to bring computer science education to every one of our 1.1 million students.
I am so pleased to be joined by all of our partners in this effort today. We have experts that are equipping our teachers with the knowledge they need to make this vision a reality. And our funding partners who are bringing us the resources to roll this out to every neighborhood in our city.
In today’s world, our students need to be as fluent in reading and writing computer code as they are in reading and writing the alphabet. The tech sector grew 57 percent between 2007 and 2014 in our city, nearly six times the overall city-wide employment average. And before we launched this initiative, we know that too few of our students were receiving computer science education. And yet, in spite of this phenomenal growth, our employers are starved for talent, and we all know that talent is one thing we have plenty of in this city. But talent alone with not secure these future good jobs. Our students need opportunity. Opportunity paired with skills-based learning and the support of all of the stakeholders in this room will help us guarantee New York City a 21st Century workforce.
Computer Science for All is yet another example of Mayor de Blasio’s commitment to public-private partnerships. Wedding the scale of government with the entrepreneurial spirit of the private sector helps to create opportunities for all New Yorkers. I like to call this initiative a win-win-win – a win for our students who receive new skills and learning, who have access now often to computers in their classroom; a win for our industries all throughout the city who gain a local and diverse workforce; and a win for our city as our economy soars with this new generation of leaders.
I’m so proud to be here today and to introduce our Mayor, whose vision for education in New York City looks to truly equip every student with the resources they need to be successful. Gabrielle Fialkoff, Director, Office of Strategic Partnerships.
Mayor de Blasio then went on to say what he had done with Amaih, and that over the next ten years he expected that all NYC public schools would be a part of this program expanding it from the current 246 schools.
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