The report, titled 'By Any Honest Measure: New York City's Long Record of School Failure, and the Price We Keep Paying,' paints a grim picture of the state of public education in New York City. According to the report, 409,379 public school students, 43 percent of the city's total, are in failing schools. This is particularly concerning given that New York City is the largest public school district in the United States, with far-reaching effects on the workforce, electorate, and business climate in the nation's largest city.
The report's findings are stark. Students are not showing up for school, with roughly 35 percent of all NYC students, around 300,000 children, being chronically absent in the 2023-24 school year. Many schools have extraordinarily high numbers of students refusing to take exams, which inflates their proficiency rates. The actual failure is almost certainly worse than the official numbers show. Spending is soaring, with New York City spending $40 billion on public education in 2024, $36,293 per pupil, double the national average of $17,619.
The report also highlights the issue of failing schools frequently staying that way for a long time. About a third of the 906 schools in the report have been cycling through failure designations for more than a decade, receiving additional funds and support, merging, rebranding, relabeling, but were never turned around. The financial incentives reward failure, with the deeper a school's failure, the more categorical funding it becomes eligible for.
The state legislature has outlawed describing schools as failing, instead using the term 'struggling school.' The teacher evaluation system is also flawed, with 98 percent of teachers being rated effective/highly effective and 43 percent of students attending a school where more than half of students are failing math or reading, or both. Parent surveys have focused on race rather than academics, with a city survey asking parents if race and ethnicity were 'positively represented in the curriculum.' At one failing school, 94 percent of parents answered yes to that.
The report concludes with a set of recommendations, including incentivizing excellence, ending social promotion and grade inflation, stopping the waste, and bringing the pleasure of learning back to the classroom. The report's author, Eva Moskowitz, frames charter schools as a solution, citing their better performance on standardized tests while spending less money. The report implicitly criticizes the city's socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, and his schools chancellor, Kamar Samuels, who issued a video congratulating New York public school students and families on 'another incredible year,' despite the grim reality of the city's schools.
The report's findings have significant implications for the future of public education in New York City. With the city spending twice as much as other districts, it is clear that the issue is not a lack of funding, but rather a lack of effective management and accountability. The report's recommendations, if implemented, could potentially lead to significant improvements in student outcomes and a more efficient use of resources. However, the report's findings also highlight the need for a more nuanced understanding of the complex issues facing public education in New York City, and the need for a comprehensive and multifaceted approach to addressing these challenges.
Ultimately, the report's conclusion that 'what is missing is not money. What is missing is honesty, honest measurement, honest reporting, and honest consequences when schools consistently fail' is a stark reminder of the need for transparency and accountability in public education. As the city moves forward, it is clear that a new approach is needed, one that prioritizes student outcomes, effective management, and accountability, rather than simply throwing more money at the problem.
In the context of American education, the report's findings are particularly concerning. The United States has a long history of struggling with public education, with issues ranging from funding and resource allocation to teacher quality and student achievement. The report's emphasis on the need for honest measurement and reporting is particularly relevant, as many schools and districts have been criticized for manipulating test scores and graduation rates to make their performance appear better than it actually is.
In Canada, the education system is also facing challenges, with issues such as funding, teacher shortages, and Indigenous education being major concerns. The report's findings on the need for effective management and accountability are particularly relevant, as many Canadian schools and districts are struggling to balance budgets and provide high-quality education to students.
The report's recommendations for incentivizing excellence, ending social promotion and grade inflation, and stopping waste are also relevant to the Canadian context. Many Canadian schools and districts are exploring innovative approaches to education, such as personalized learning and competency-based progression, which prioritize student outcomes and effective management.
In conclusion, the report's findings on the state of public education in New York City are a stark reminder of the need for transparency, accountability, and effective management in public education. As the city moves forward, it is clear that a new approach is needed, one that prioritizes student outcomes, effective management, and accountability, rather than simply throwing more money at the problem. The report's recommendations have significant implications for the future of public education, not just in New York City, but also in the United States and Canada, and highlight the need for a comprehensive and multifaceted approach to addressing the complex issues facing public education.