Mamdani’s (Proposed) Education Transition Team

It’s traditional for newly elected mayors to appoint transition teams to coordinate the transfer from one administration to the next. De Blasio set up a tent on Chambers Street and invited community input. I attended the education event, community activists espousing their thoughts, more “show and tell”,” de Blasio actually interviewed  chancellor candidates in the backroom of a restaurant near his house in total secrecy and hired Carmen Farina, a friend who undid many constructive reforms.

With the current mayoral  control sun setting at the end of June the state legislature/governor must extend/amend the current law.

In my view the soon to be mayor-elect should ask a team of “the best and the brightest” to recommend a reimagined school system.

My recommendations,

Shael Polakow Suransky, President of the Bank Street College of Education and formerly a deputy chancellor and architect of the Affinity District model, see a detailed review by the late Norm Fruchter here.

Eric Nadelstern, former deputy chancellor who advocated moving as much decision-making as possible to the local level – see description here.

 Mark Dunetz, President of New Visions for Public School, a highly effective school support organization 

Kim Sweet, served as executive director of Advocates for Children, an organization that helps economically disadvantaged families — including immigrants and caregivers of children with disabilities — navigate the school system’s labyrinthine bureaucracy.

Ashleigh Thompson,   University Education Dean of CUNY

Lara Evangelista, Executive Director of the Internationals Network of Schools, leads a network of secondary schools for new immigrants, with a proven record of achievement.

Dia  Bryant, former leader of Ed Trust NY and member of the NYSUT Blue Ribbon Commission on Graduation Measures    

 Kathleen Cashin, former superintendent of District 23, Regional Superintendent and member of the Board of Regents 

Tatanya Kleyn, Professor of Education at CCNY and leading national expert on teaching migrant children 

Sterling Roberson, former Vice President of Career and Technology Education at the UFT and currently leading national spokesperson for CTE education 

Mary Vaccaro, Vice President for Educational Issues at the UFT 

NeQuan McLean, President of CEC 16

and key electeds,

John Liu, chairman of NYS Senate Committee on NYC Education 

Michael Benedetto, chairman of NYS Assembly Education Committee

Rita Joseph, chair of New York City Council Education Committee 

For the last dozen years the Department of Education has been meandering, one magic bullet after another, all duds, unless change is accepted by teachers and parents it is destined for the dustbin of failed reforms, Tinkering Towards Utopia (1995) reminds us,

Policy talk has alternated between lamentation and overconfidence. The authors suggest that reformers today need to focus on ways to help teachers improve instruction from the inside out instead of decreeing change by remote control, and that reformers must also keep in mind the democratic purposes that guide public education.

The next mayor can select a friend and move on, as de Blasio and Adams did, or call on the key practitioners who have been successful. albeit struggling against the “magic bullet”  leadership who see a one-day positive press release as their goal.  

This is not a philosophical exercise, I am suggesting that the window is open to craft legislation that drives policy from the classrooms and the living rooms, a Department of Education applauded by parents and teachers.