Back-to-school: NYC making progress toward smaller class sizes, but challenges remain in years ahead

Schools Chancellor David Banks says New York City is making progress toward smaller class sizes, but the next few years will be challenging.

By 2028, 25 students will be the maximum for all high school classes in the City's public school system.

A state law requires the Department of Education to reduce class sizes across the board, capping lower grades at 20 and 4th-8th grades at 23.

"It's just good practice. And the sooner we can do it, the sooner that we're going to be able to make a better outcomes for kids," teacher Jennifer Browne said.

In November, the president of the teachers union said the Department of Education was dragging its feet in reducing class sizes.

But a new amendment to the law clearly compels the DOE to hit class size targets.

"The state is sending money specifically to cover the costs of lowering the class sizes for New York City. So that language, once it went into the law and was passed, the city became more receptive to working with us," UFT President Michael Mulgrew said.

Forty percent of classrooms are now in compliance and Mulgrew is hopeful about the future, but the next few years will be challenging according to the school's chancellor.

"The way the law is actually written will require us to hire thousands more teachers and to open up thousands more classrooms, new facilities, at a pace that currently we do not have all the resources that would be needed for us to do that," Banks said.

This September 9 new schools are opening, like MS 644 in the Bronx, but finding qualified teachers may be the biggest hurdle according to Cheri Fancsali, Executive Director of the Research Alliance for New York City Schools.

"There will be a lot of new teachers coming in on alternative certification routes or teachers with little experience and you think about the implication of that will be in terms of the quality of education," Fancsali said.

A starting salary of $72,000 sweetened with smaller class sizes may help attract qualified teaching candidates.

That more personal approach inspires Browne to return to the classroom each September.

"My students have told me this. 'Ms. Browne we could not have gotten our high school diploma. We cannot be looking towards going to college if you didn't give the personal attention that you always were able to give," Browne said.

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