Mayor Bloomberg’s victory in ending “social promotion” has earned him commentary from his critics, ranging from “Napoleonic” to “third world dictator.”
The troubles for Bloomberg started on Monday, when, in an unexpected move, he dismissed two of the eight members of the Panel for Educational Policy (appointed by him), who opposed his plan. His political ally, Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro, dismissed a third member.
The outcome is now history: Bloomberg managed to get his plan to measure third graders’ English-language and mathematics skills approved by a vote of eight to five.
Yesterday at City Hall, council members from the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus were on the attack against Bloomberg’s “political move” and the Educational Policy Panel’s decision.
“A little less than a year ago, Mayor Bloomberg promised that the community’s voices would be heard. But last night [Monday], those voices were silenced,” said Councilman Hiram Monserrat, vice president of the caucus.
According to Monserrat, 80 percent of the 15,000 students who presumably will be held back this year, “come from communities of color.”
Eleven council members gathered at City Hall yesterday accompanied by Jane Hirschman, a representative from Time Out From Testing. The group said they would not dismiss the idea of suing the city administration to repeal the decision. Adriano Espalliat also expressed his discontent: “It is extremely unfortunate that Susana Torruela-Leval, Ramona Hernandez and Joan McKeever-Thomas were suddenly dismissed because they stood by their principles and for confronting the mayor on his social promotion proposal.”
Yvette Nevarres, a teacher from Puerto Rico who has 27 children in her third grade class in the Bronx, believes that using a sole test to measure a child’s skills is “risky and unfair.”
The solution, according to Nevarres, is to reduce class size, to place two teachers in every classroom, earmark more funds for psychological help, and to include the parents in their children’s learning process.
Bloomberg reiterated his decision to push forward with his plan and discredited allegations that this would have adverse consequences for his reelection: “I am not here to launch my reelection.”
