This week saw a lot of education news, capped off by last night’s school closures vote. And each time we did an education show, you all had a lot to say. Lee from Astoria wrote today, “Our children are being programmed to fail.” What the PEP’s vote shows us is that once again, our kids are the biggest losers in the end -- forced to deal with the difficult task of changing schools, friends, and teachers. Maybe investing in better teachers and resources, rather than throwing children in the middle of a confusing and political process, is the answer.

Students and teachers at 23 schools returned to class today preparing for a major overhaul. At a raucous meeting last night, the Panel for Educational Policy voted to close 18 struggling schools and eliminate the middle school grades at five others. The Department of Education has closed 117 schools since Mayor Bloomberg won control of the system in 2002. The schools re-open in the same building with new teachers, sometimes as publically funded charters.

Mayor Bloomberg also said today he'd look at a new proposal by Speaker Christine Quinn that would make kindergarten mandatory for all five-year-olds. Bloomberg said, "What is clear is that our kids aren't getting as much education as they need." But the Mayor expressed concerns about the $30 million the initiative would cost taxpayers every year. What do you say?

What's your reaction to the PEP vote last night? If you work at or attend one of the closing schools, what was the atmosphere like today? Should kindergarten be mandatory for all children in New York City?

Send your thoughts using the link above.

Mr. Bloomberg doesn’t have inkling into democratic process; he is known to appoint committees who will agree with him when the City Council and the People have voted against his plan. I wouldn't put it past him that he's got an arsenal of PI's who are paid very well to cover his own illicit crimes (spreads lies to ruins careers of liu, weiner, thompson); and strokes his little christine q. He is the 1 %, while he advocates for the 1%; yet, while he is the Mayor of our City, he just doesn't understand the need to govern for the majority of the people.

Someone should investigate who he gives no bid contracts to - to report test scores in schools--his very own cronies!

Fed should put a limit on how much money a self interest (HIS OWN) can contribute instead of going after somebody like candidate LIU!!

Jamie
Manhattan

If kids are coerced by force of law to attend kindergarten, just how is this different from slavery?

Shouldn't parents have some say-so in the matter? According to Queen Grunehilda Quinn, apparently not. She sees all and knows all. The rest of us are mere peons with pea brains.

What about dumb adults? Shouldn't they be rounded up and forced to go back to school until they are "smart" by government standards?

Joe
Port Richmond, SI

Now are we to believe that Bloomberg is trying to tell us that he is taking a suggestion
from his #1 puppet Christine Quinn.

NO I DON'T AGREE WITH IT BEING MANDATORY FOR ALL CHILDREN AT THE AGE OF
FIVE YEARS OLD TO ATTEND KINDERGARTEN. FRANKLY WE ALL ARE GETTING SICK AND TIRED OF ALL YOU PEOPLE DICTATING TO US WHAT TO DO WHAT TO EAT AND HOW TO DO IT.

I HAVE NEWS FOR THIS MAYOR ABOUT TELLING HOW MUCH THINGS WILL COST SINCE IT DOESN'T COME OUT OF HIS POCKET HE JUST HOARDS IT AWAY AND SPENDS IT ON WHATEVER HE WANTS TO.

EXAMPLE: DUMB BIKE LANES AND OTHER NONSENSE THAT IS OF NO USE TO ANY OF US.

WE ALSO KNOW THAT THEY HAVE CONCERN FOR OUR WELFARE AT ALL. IT'S JUST ALL AN ACT AND THEY ARE RUNNING OUR LIVES AND THIS CITY TO APPEAL TO THEIR LIKING NO OURS THEY NEED TO KNOCK IT OFF AND THIS MS. Q IS DREAMING IF SHE THINKS THAT WE ARE GOING TO VOTE FOR HER FOR MAYOR.

FOR SURE THE DICTATOR WILL BE AN ARMCHAIR MAYOR. PERISH THE THOUGHT.
MAYBE HE WILL RULE THE CITY FROM HIS JET ARMCHAIR. COULD BE.

maxxiee
mp

THE MAYOR EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE $30 MILLION THE INITATIVE WOULD COST TAXPAYERS EVERY YEAR.

GATHER UP THE PEP, THE 5 BORO PRESIDENTS ,THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC ADVOCATE OFFICE AND ALL OF THEIR BUDGETS, AND DO AWAY WITH THESE TITULAR KNUCKLE HEADS.

THAT WOULD RESULT IN PLENTY OF MONEY SAVED, OTHERWISE PREPARE FOR A SCHOOL TAX. WAKE UP FOLKS.

JOE
BAY TERRACE

While the PEP addresses many issues that impact on quality education in our schools in the five boroughs and outer boroughs of Long Island, the issue is parent involvement. It was extremely invigorating to see many parents and teachers who are affected by these impending changes react in a way that embodies the American standard but there are many other parents who could not give a damn one way or the other. Our City, our State, and the officials we elect each term no matter the position must understand that the people they represent expect them to stand and fight for what "we" perceive as an injustice. Quality education; not institutional sabotage by either teacher or administration. Our educational system is being overrun by people outside the American venue. Our children are being programmed to fail. As such our social, political and economic struggles are being blamed on political parties on both sides of the fence and those elements that are perceived as enemies of the true "State" of what America is suppose to be. On the one hand we oppose "abortion" and on the other we want to stay and fight in Afghanistan. Let the people of our respective communities have a say in the education of their children. It is the civic duty of everyone in our City to do this regarding the school closing issue as well as other equally important issues we face on a daily basis. Active involvement creates change. Look at the religious right and their platform. Stop playing politics to suit the concerns of the elite few to satisfy the status quo. A government by the people, for the people.

Lee
Astoria, NY

I am disgusted! Once again THE BLOOMBERG wins, and gets what he wants. According to him, education should be run like a business -- really!!??

Our precious commodities are being shifted here, there and everywhere, and once again staff is led to believe that their jobs are secure, yet, unstable and unsure what is going to happen to us. I didn't go last night, but what's the sense anyway? It's a lose-lose situation~!

Vazquez
Gateway HS, Bx

I am sure there is much anxiety at these schools, as there is at Grover Cleveland, as the Mayor tries to scapegoat teachers for the failure of students to learn.Many teachers fear they will end up in the ATR pool where their talents and careers will be wasted doing substitute work.

James, Teacher of 22 years
Middle Village

Children needs to have an education or else they will grow up with no brains just like some of their parents. Some of them behave so lawless and vulgar because they don't know better. At least, let the children have a High School Education.

Ruthann
Queens

Hello?? Kids at these closed schools are not learning at grade level. And parents want to keep things as is? Sad.

Lukab
UES

I believe kindergarten is very important n should b mandatory ....even pre-k ...I had I child that attended pre-k and another that didn't...n I definitely saw the difference...the one that attended pre-k had an easier time learning while the other struggled her entire time in school...

The Mayor and his Educational Bully's are out of control. When was that last time that any DOE official came into the school to help. When you remove services for students than the hand writing is on the wall. The Mayor had destroyed the schools by removing the essential services. They never had any intention of helping the students of public schools. Their main reason for all of this is to promote Charter Schools and to Union Bust. Anything the Mayor cannot control or buy he finds a way to promote his cronies into positions of power. Yes kindergarten should be mandatory. This is disgraceful. God protect our children. This was a sham.

Robin

I have been teaching for 26 years and have taught in many different neighborhoods in NYC... I believe that Kindergarten should be mandatory BUT ONLY IF we can go back to making kindergarten about socialization and singing and being read to and learning the alphabet and group play and NOT what the mayor and his chancellors have made it. Right now kindergarten in NYC public schools is math and reading and writing and children sitting still in desks for too many hours. There is no music, no art, no fun. We are creating children that don't know how to socialize, work together, or even cut with scissors. We are robbing them of their childhood. Kindergarten should be about so much more than following a math, reading, and writing curriculum. I even believe that Pre K should be mandatory. The more children are talked to, sung to, read to, the more they learn to want to read and write and learn.

Tamara
Rego Park

What needs to be done is: Money needs to go to those schools whose students are failing the ELA and Math to have smaller class sizes .This way children who need it most , can have more assistance from the Teacher. Why don't those in "power"get it?

Also, why base all your decisions on these two tests? Isn't that quite absurd,if you really think about it?

Next -do you really think ALL students should go to college? Well,if you do , then mandatory school age should be 21,not 16, and school should be free to the public up through senior year of college.

If not, we are doing society a dis-service by not providing vocational training as a respectable and viable option.

One last thing-Why did they stop thinking about our special populations?Oh,My mistake,they just give them lip-service and NO REAL SERVICE. Otherwise ,you would know that they have different abilities and needs.Talk about differentiating instruction -what happens when it comes to the Test? It is NOT differentiated!

Tell those in charge to just wake up!They need to be closed down! Thanks for letting me say my piece!

A 25 year Veteran Teacher

That vote was democracy at its worst. The worst part is that the other schools will be hurt as well. Maybe if everyone on the panel was elected by the voters or seperate the DOE from the mayor will they help us. My teachers in my school were freaking out about the PEP since I go to a school on the list, everyone sees how unfair the system is.

Davon
Springfield Gardens

If you are trying to solve a very complicated problem, in this case failing schools, targeting only one direction, in this case the teachers, it becomes an attack on that group and it makes you wonder what the real motives are. If we want to solve the problem we can not keep ignoring the realities of the classroom. Teachers follow the DOE policies when it comes to class size, attendance, discipline, curriculum, and teaching methods, and these are failing policies. Charter schools are allowed to make their own rules and it makes you wonder why. These are only a couple of the issues that should be discussed.

Georgia
Astoria.

I agree kindergarten should be mandatory for children at 5y.o. I am a mother of a 3y.o boy who is in pre-k full time.

Jessica
Staten Island

I agree with it becoming mandatory for children to go to kindergarten with so many new and incoming immigrants.

It's saddens me to know that there is a long list of failing NYC schools. I strongly feel that the schools fail are because parents are not active and accountable for their child's education. I strongly feel that all high school student in the summer should all do a 4 week internship in a place of business.

I think that they should either intern the month of July or August. It will allow them to fully understand the work environment. It will allow them to pursue choices in there education path.

Doris
Long Island City

Kindergarten must be mandatory. My son has only been going four months and is now reading words like said, people, checkers, etc, let alone the cat and dog that he read in September by sounding out every letter v –e –r –y s –l –o –w –l –y. He learns math, science and social studies, and he does have art, music, theater and gym classes. Any child who does not attend Kindergarten and who is not home schooled will be at an extraordinary disadvantage, both educationally and emotionallyupon entering 1st grade.

I thought it was already mandatory for all children to be enrolled in school at the age of 5...Since its not, the answer is yes it should be mandatory. I am floored that Mayor Bloomberg can find money in the budget to pay an artist to paint the street at Times Square but can't imagine where to find funding for education.

Rashidah
Inwood

1. KINDERGARTEN: KINDERGARTEN OUGHT TO BEGIN EARLIER AT 4 YEARS OF AGE AND CLASS SHOULD BE FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS.

2. SCHOOL CLOSINGS: BRICK & MORTAR SHOULD NOT BE CLOSED. BUT ADMINISTRATION INCLUDING TEACHERS OUGHT BE REPLACED WHERE NEED BE. IN FINLAND AND JAPAN: LEAD IN MATH AND SCIENCE WITH LESS SCHOOL DAYS AND BETTER TEACHERS BEING PAID EXTGREMELY-WELL.

NICK, MANHATTAN