This Week's Attitude
Teacher Accountability Essential For City School Reforms
By Neil S. Friedman

After Mayor Bloomberg gave his sixth State of the City address last week, scarce interest was given to the portion on further education overhaul, especially his announcement that the Department of Education's regional system would be eliminated and the city's 32 school districts, which they replaced four years ago, would be restored.

Regretably, more attention was paid to the mayor's announcement that city homeowners would be receiving tax cuts and his proposal to completely abolish sales tax on clothing and footwear purchases within city limits.

Those incentives are, of course, good news, and, naturally warrant instant consideration, especially when it puts more money in the pockets of New Yorkers. However, the news on further school reforms may ultimately be more significant. But almost every news outlet chose to marginally cite that segment.

In fact, the only one who made the change back to districts a big deal was State Senator Carl Kruger, who alerted the Courier with the news just before deadline last week. An excited Kruger apparently interpreted the mayor's restoration of school districts as a personal victory since he had sued the city in 2002 when the districts were effectively eliminated in favor of the regional system.

When the regions were established in 2002, the local districts were not wholly discarded, though their future roles became subservient to the region.

Nonetheless, the mayor referred to the unexpected change by claiming "we established the regional offices four years ago to stabilize a failing system" then proclaimed their job was done. Some, though, are still confused about what the responsibility of the regions are and exactly what has been achieved.

But, in due course, will returning power to the districts change anything? In the past, a handful of school districts were active - and effective - while others, including District 18, hardly made a difference, mainly due to apparent lack of interest and sparse participation.

The mayor particularly noted that principals at each school would now be empowered "to be true leaders." He explained that "great principals make great schools," but until now they have lacked the adequate authority to be effective. That essentially means principals will be responsible for teacher performances, professional development and what's best for their students.

If this reform works, principals have a tougher job ahead - as it truly should be.

With the new changes, district superintendents will now report directly to Chancellor Klein and schools will decide what's best for pupils, parents and teachers. This can only work if parents bear the responsibility of being more involved in their children's schoolwork. When problems arise, parents should notify school officials that the student requires help to maintain an acceptable grade level. On the other hand, teachers must recognize those pupils who can't keep up with the rest of the class and make every attempt to convey that dilemma to parents and principals.

With the mayor's declaration that so-called security blanket tenure for teachers after three years of service would be abolished, he places the obligation on those few teachers who have managed to maintain their status while undereducated students became someone else's problem. With the elimination of rubber stamp-tenure it should be easier to weed out ineffective teachers without union intervention.

In his education reform package, the mayor also promised to more evenly distribute school financing that has allowed veteran educators to remain in schools in more affluent neighborhoods while the newest teachers are typically assigned to lesser performing schools. As a result, it has become difficulty to retain the new crop of teachers every year. The intent, which sounds logical, presumably is to make the opportunity for learning more equitable throughout the system.

In addition to the standard three Rs, there's more - much more - required for a solid education. There's school and teacher accountability and parental responsibility. Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein continue to make vital changes, including a reasonable 7 percent raise in the new teacher contract agreed to last month, needed to improve a faulty educational system that has been neglected for too long. Now the city's teachers must bear the responsibility and be held accountable for every student that passes through their classrooms.

While some, especially the pesky teachers union, persistently criticize the education overhaul that is aimed at helping the more than one million public school students, at least the mayor has taken control of an educational system that is still in need of improvement.

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