Following the introduction of legislation to extend mayoral accountability for two years with the reduction of class sizes, New York City Mayor Adams today released the following statement:
"While we believe all parties are operating in good faith, we also believe the legislation as currently written is not the best we can do for New York City students, and we look forward to addressing these concerns in the coming days. For example, while my administration strongly supports lower class sizes, unless there is guaranteed funding attached to those mandates we will see cuts elsewhere in the system that would harm our most vulnerable students in our highest need communities — including the loss of counselor positions, social workers, art programs, school trips, after-school tutoring, dyslexia screenings, and paraprofessionals. There must also be a mechanism for altering or delaying the plan to reduce class sizes if the mandate is shown to severely adversely impact racial equity and the city’s fiscal health.
"As we finalize a potentially historic agreement for public schools, I expect the Legislature to follow through on its promise to improve the educational outcomes of students of color and to help the struggling families who need Albany to make responsible, equitable decisions on behalf of our children, now more than ever. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this done."
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