New York City Public Schools in 2023

2023 will bring uncertain times for New York City Public Schools as enrollment declines, Fair Student Funding (FSF) cuts have an adverse impact on many schools, class size legislation takes effect, and more. Meanwhile, City Council and Mayor Eric Adams have engaged in an intense budgetary battle that has already left thousands of teachers without jobs and schools facing drastic funding reductions.

Enrollment

School enrollment has been dropping steadily in Chicago since 2016, despite efforts by authorities to open schools with programs including remote learning and robotics. Although this decline hasn't stopped, experts speculate it could be related to demographic shifts; immigrants to the city have decreased while families are leaving for cheaper housing elsewhere in Illinois or even further afield.

As New York City Public Schools Chancellor David Banks seeks to rebuild enrollment, a recent analysis suggests it may not be easy. According to Stanford University's Big Local News project and a professor from its Graduate Center, nearly 230,000 students who opted out could not be explained away through rising private or homeschool enrollment or population changes, according to data analyzed.

This means some students could have simply dropped out or transferred to charter or private schools - an increasingly frequent phenomenon as enrollment in public school systems decreases. Other reasons could include being too sick or having mental health issues which prevented them from attending class regularly.

Elementary and middle school students may file for a placement exception request (PER), which allows them to transfer schools within their zoned area. This can be particularly helpful for students needing access to specific programs or having medical needs that necessitate transferring; parents can do this by meeting with their child's guidance counselor and providing documentation of this change in schools.

Funding

The state budget includes a 10% aid increase to school districts, raising their total funding to $34 billion. These additional funds will allow schools to hire teachers and support staff, expand programs for disabled students, and open additional full-day schools.

Foundation Aid will now be fully funded by the State for the first time since it was created; this investment will support low-income and BIPOC students, who may be most behind in reading and math skills.

In addition to funding foundation aid, the state also reimburses school districts for expenses such as prekindergarten programs and services from boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES). The executive budget proposal fully funds current statutory formulas that reimburse school district expenses - an investment in helping both students learn and educators teach effectively.

As with all State budgets, the City DOE's funding and spending must reflect fiscal realities. Due to collective bargaining negotiations, an anticipated fiscal cliff and other underfunded programs, collective bargaining negotiations may result in a $12.0 billion deficit in 2026's DOE budget.

At this critical juncture in City history, the City must decide how best to allocate its limited resources towards public education. Teachers and students should play an integral part in shaping its budget decisions so as to invest in schools where students will reap maximum benefit.

NYSUT supports both the Governor's Executive Budget and his campaign to fully fund Foundation Aid formula, believing this investment will help close learning gaps across New York and ensure all children can reach their full potential. We look forward to working closely with both legislature and administration on this vital initiative.

Class Size

Starting September 2023, class sizes at New York City Public Schools should decrease by 20%. According to legislation, kindergarten through third grade classes must not exceed 20 students; fourth- through eighth-grade classes 23; while high school classes 25.

The legislation will be phased in over five years and requires a 20% phase-in of the cap, gradually increasing each year until all NYC classes comply by 2027-2028. Compliance documentation will be necessary by the end of every school year.

Additionally, state and city comptrollers require schools to submit annual reports outlining how much funding is being spent on staffing and additional space, along with whether their capital spending plans provide enough space for meeting the new class size standards.

But school leaders warn that complying with the class size reduction plan could cost hundreds of millions in order to comply. They have voiced criticism of its unfunded mandate, claiming it will force them to reduce programs linked to positive results such as improved student behavior, fewer high school dropouts, and greater teacher morale.

Though class size legislation is an enormous victory for parents, teachers and school leaders, its full implementation will take several years according to NYC schools chancellor David Banks. He states that in order to meet its requirements he may need to build several schools as part of complying with them - perhaps redrawing its education budget may also be required for funding purposes.

City officials are currently convening a working group of parents and educators to oversee implementation of the law. Members should possess firsthand experience dealing with class size issues in classrooms as well as community organizations that support school reform efforts for special needs children. Selection criteria will take into account geographical representation, applicant's current or former guardianship status of a public school student as well as organizational affiliation - among other criteria.

Holidays

New York City Public Schools celebrate a number of holidays throughout the year, such as Christmas and Easter. These occasions give students and their families time to relax while also learning about other cultures.

Diwali, a five-day festival that originated in India and celebrates light over darkness, will be added to school calendars starting in 2023. Diwali typically occurs between October and November and is an increasingly popular tradition that commemorates light as victory over darkness.

Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar (D) introduced legislation that would recognize Diwali as an official holiday, calling its celebration an essential one in New York's Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist communities. Diwali holds special meaning for many in Hinduism as an important celebration.

However, this change also signifies New York City's removal of Anniversary Day or Brooklyn-Queens Day from school calendars; something which some community leaders in Queens have identified as being troubling.

Kilawan-Narine expressed her disappointment over Mayor De Blasio's decision, believing that any change should come first from changing the laws governing Brooklyn-Queens Day itself.

The mayor argues that this step is essential in sending a message of inclusion and celebrating diversity, while simultaneously engaging students to learn more about this special holiday that holds great meaning to Hindu, Sikh and Jain faiths.

Change comes after many community members pressured the city to declare Lunar New Year a holiday, something former Mayor Bill de Blasio did in 2015.

Virtual Learning

Students enrolled in New York City Public Schools can elect to participate in virtual learning opportunities as part of their coursework, providing engaging learning experiences for those unable to attend traditional classrooms and giving students more flexibility with their education while still offering high-quality instruction aligned to the Standards of Learning.

Step one of implementing an effective virtual learning program is selecting the ideal platform. These platforms should support everything from course planning and student tracking and reporting, to an extensive data dashboard for easy tracking of who's attending your class, when they joined, and for how long.

Your virtual learning experience should also include some sort of video engagement platform (VEP). A VEP will keep students engaged through features like screen sharing, chat boxes, polls, and digital whiteboards.

There are various types of virtual learning, including synchronous, asynchronous and hybrid programs. You can determine which is most suited to your needs by considering both their advantages and disadvantages.

Synchronous virtual learning refers to online lectures where instructors stream their content live over the Internet, offering a rapid way of learning materials while receiving instantaneous answers for your inquiries. This method may prove particularly effective when time-sensitive material needs to be learned quickly with immediate feedback on any issues arising during learning sessions.

Even as virtual learning grows increasingly popular, some have reservations about its efficacy for teachers and students. Technical issues related to using certain tools (for instance software failure or problems), as well as discipline issues can present difficulties; yet schools have made virtual learning a key priority, integrating virtual learning into curriculums while creating a culture of technology-supported learning environments.