City Teachers Cram In New Learning Methods Before School Year's Start

By: Lindsey Christ

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Students got an extra day of summer vacation on Wednesday so their teachers could learn about some new national teaching standards that will affect every single classroom in every single grade. NY1's Education reporter Lindsey Christ filed the following report.

The school system is no stranger to policy changes, but the newest one cuts to the core. Teachers are beginning to roll out a new system that will change what students are actually taught, in every subject, in every grade.

"This is a big deal. This is a really big deal. This really sets the tone and sets the foundation for student learning," said Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott.

Called the Common Core Standards, it sets new benchmarks for what students need to know at every stage of their education.

"It's going to change everything that kids and teachers do in our schools," said Department of Education Chief Academic Officer Shael Polakow-Suransky.

For the first time, the standards are national. New York is one of 48 states adopting them by 2014.

City teachers spent Wednesday training, and each teacher is supposed to spend at least a few weeks this year using them.

"I think it's a great thing, I think it's a great new approach. It's the Board of Ed's 'aha' moment," said P.S. 124 teacher Jessica Regevik.

Now, reading and writing assignments will focus more on science and history and less on fiction and students' own personal feelings and experience.

"When they get to middle school and high school, if they haven't been exposed to science and history, than they can't read those kind of academic texts. And kids actually love that stuff," said Polakow-Suransky.

With mathematics, students will learn just a few skills each year but spend a lot of time on them.

"What happens when you go to too many topics at once, is kids only get like three weeks on fractions and then they don't learn it," said Polakow-Suransky.

While many of the teachers are optimistic about the Common Core Standards, some said they have seen new programs come and go from the central office and they are now always skeptical about how long any new big change will last.

"I think oftentimes we're told to do things and there is very little support. So I have a little trepidation," said P.S. 124 teacher Julie Abodeely. "But I am very much looking forward to what these Common Core Standards can do for our students."

The chancellor said he is committed to making it work.

"We're really focusing on all the parts of the school community, making sure we're all on the same page," said Walcott.

It is a different page from where they were before.