THREE DAYS TO BETTER SCHOOLS: WEINER OUTLINES HIS PLANS TO IMPROVE NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS

DAY 3: PRINCIPLES FOR A BETTER PUBLIC SCHOOL CURRICULUM

NO MORE GIMMICKS: BACK TO BASICS IN THE CLASSROOM, NO MORE “SARDINE SCHOOLS”

New York City – Today, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Queens & Brooklyn) unveiled his principles for a better public school curriculum—four reforms he will implement as Mayor to better prepare kids for good jobs and good careers.

Today and for past two days, Weiner has stood in front of the Tweed Courthouse and detailed his plans to improve New York City’s public schools.

A Focus on the Basics – As Mayor, Weiner will develop a “citywide knowledge curriculum” consisting of the basic facts that every student needs to know to go on to college or succeed in a career.  Whether it is history, English, geography or biology, under the Weiner plan, every school curriculum will be designed to impart a canon of fundamental knowledge that is consistent from school to school.

No More “Sardine Schools” -- Last year the Mayor began opening so-called “theme based” high schools, and he plans to open more this Fall.  Many of them are shoehorned into larger, already overcrowded schools, and others don’t provide the diversity of educational options available at more traditional schools.  As Mayor, Weiner will put a moratorium on the creation of these schools until scientific studies prove their value.

Proven Curricula in Our Class Rooms -- When Mayor Bloomberg tried to impose an unproven curriculum on our public schools, the federal government threatened to pull a portion of the City’s education funding.  And he never bothered to really consult teachers or principals before doing it. Under Mayor Weiner, education experts will identify a handful of proven curricula, and let teachers and principals decide which are the best fit for their schools and students.

Expanded Technical and Vocational Training – Not every kid is best served by a traditional learning environment. Some of New York’s most productive citizens are graduates of technical and vocational high schools.  As Mayor, Weiner will expand the number of technical and vocational high schools, and partner with unions to provide real world skills training.

“It’s time to stop experimenting with our kid’s education,” said Rep. Weiner.  “No more gimmicks.  As Mayor, I’ll implement a public school curriculum that gets back to basics so that our kids can learn and our teachers can teach.”

Weiner was joined by his mother Fran, a 31 year veteran public school teacher.