The toilets might not always work, scissors may be in short supply, and the occasional mice may run through the cafeteria, but despite its heavy satire, there’s something truly magical about the world created by the TV sitcom Abbott Elementary. America has fallen in love with the deeply caring, resourceful, and committed educators and staff of this fictitious Philadelphia public school.
Perhaps that’s why it has felt especially heartbreaking to see the ways in which Abbott Elementary has vilified public charter schools this season—forcing a false choice between traditional and charter public schools and reinforcing misperceptions about a public school model serving 3.7 million students nationwide.
Spoiler alert – the storyline for season two pits Legendary Schools, a local public charter network, against Abbott—with problematic asides about public charter schools peppered throughout the season. Characters say that public charter schools see “scores not students,” hurt teachers, and even quip that the head of Legendary should be “somewhere shutting down an orphanage.”
These comments undermine the choices of parents and families and perpetuate stereotypes about public charter schools that fuel distrust and division.
For more than two decades, parents–particularly Black and Latino parents and those from lower-income backgrounds—have demanded more public school options so that they have the opportunity to choose the best environment for their individual children. The privilege of having options has long existed for more affluent families who have the necessary resources to exercise public school choice by relocating to a different zip code. To say the least, other parents and families want that same level of choice when deciding upon their own children’s educational and social needs.
In my family like most, education was always a priority. My parents emphasized time and again that a strong education opened doors and opportunities, and I was fortunate enough to be able to choose a public high school that best met my academic needs—paving the way for me to get two masters degrees, including one in education. But too many families, particularly those in historically-marginalized communities, have been denied this chance.
Thankfully, in New York and in other parts of the country, public charter schools have started to change that narrative and that’s why parents are clamoring for more of them. In New York City, 141,000 students attend public charter schools—more than 80% of whom are considered economically disadvantaged. Recent polling from Morning Consult and my organization, Democrats for Education Reform NY, found that 64% of parents support raising the arbitrary cap so that they can create more public charter school seats in the city.
Most importantly, New York’s public charter schools have been effective in helping to raise student achievement. New York City’s public charters must adhere to strict State authorization standards, or they risk being closed. In fact, 2022 test scores show that students attending public charter schools continue to outperform state averages in math and reading.
Recently, our organization joined with over 500 parents, school leaders, students, and advocates to rally at City Hall in support of more high quality charter schools for New York students. The event reflected how instrumental public charter schools have been in building fruitful futures for New York students and families, and how their successes have inspired elected officials.
When public schools are pitted against one another—even in fiction—our students are always the losers. I applaud Abbott for celebrating excellent educators as the everyday heroes that they are, but I hope the writers can find a new antagonist that won’t stigmatize real world students and families.
Jacquelyn Martell is the Executive Director for DFER New York.
NEW YORK, N.Y. (Jan. 29, 2023) — A new poll released by Democrats for Education Reform New York (DFER NY) conducted by Morning Consult found New York City Democratic voters have a favorable view of public charter schools and strongly support raising the arbitrary cap on the number of public charters in the state by a wide margin. The poll found New Yorkers have a favorable view of charter schools by a 19-percentage point margin (46% favorable to 27% unfavorable) with all registered voters and by an even wider broader support among New Yorkers identifying as Democrats (49%-25%).
The results are comparable when asked about raising the charter cap. When asked:
“Do you support or oppose New York state increasing the cap on the number of public charter schools allowed to open in New York City?,”
51% of Democratic respondents support raising the cap, compared to 27% opposing it
That’s a 24 point margin.
53%, a majority of Hispanic New Yorkers (+27) and 48% of Black New Yorkers also support a cap raise (+25)
64% of respondents who identify as Parents (+41) support a cap raise, as well.
Support for public charter schools in the poll continued to grow among Democratic voters (342 of the 600 voters) surveyed as they received more details and information about charters.
After messaging, 59% of Democratic voters had a favorable impression of public charter schools (+10 since initially asking), to 58% for Hispanic voters, 61% for Black voters and 70% for Parents.
After messaging, both positive and negative about charters. Support, among Democrats, for raising the cap increased to 56% (+5 from the initial ask), to 56% for Hispanic voters, and 61% for Black voters.
After messaging, both positive and negative about charters. Support, among Parents, for raising the cap increased to 68% (+4 from the initial ask)
“New Yorkers always want more choices, and this poll shows that includes more high quality choices in the public school system. For too long, families in some of the poorest communities have been denied the opportunity to select the best school for their families. Public charter schools ensure every family has high-quality options, and we look forward to working with leaders in Albany to lift the cap on public charters,” said DFER NY Executive Director Jacquelyn Martell.
“For far too many families in Brooklyn, they lack a quality public school to send their children. These results prove more New Yorkers want more choices and that includes public charter schools. We need to raise the cap to empower New York families,” said Brooklyn Assemblymember Brian Cunningham.
“The results from this poll mirror what I am hearing from the parents and families in my district: they want more choices and more high-quality public schools. That’s why I support having conversations on how we can bridge the gap and provide our students with a competitive education,” said Bronx Assemblymember George Alvarez.
You can view the full poll here. Crosstabs are available upon request.
Methodology
This poll was conducted by Morning Consult between January 23-January 24, 2023, among a sample of 600 New York City Voters, 342 of whom identified as Democrats. The interviews were conducted online and weighted to gender, age, race, and education. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of +/-4% percentage points. The margin of error for Democrats is +/-5% percentage points.
In 2022 DFER spent $6.1 million to help elect 125 Democratic leaders, including six US Senators, 23 U.S. Representatives, Governors in Colorado, New York, and Connecticut, Mayor Bowser in Washington D.C., and legislative champions in 15 legislative bodies across the country.
Additionally, eight alumni of our Leaders of Color program proudly ran in the midterm elections in Louisiana, New York, and Washington, D.C, with six candidates claiming victory. Taken together, these newly elected leaders join 17 Leaders of Color who have been elected or appointed across program sites this year!
See a full summary of all DFER and ERNA-supported wins here.
Launched DFER Texas
In August, we proudly launched our newest state chapter in the Lone Star State. Last month, DFER Texas and its aligned PAC, Legacy 44 (L44), successfully won three of the four general electionraces for the Texas House, in addition to successful victories by L44 supported primary candidates in safe Democratic districts. The 2022 investments made by DFER and L44 have helped solidify and expand the bloc of pro-education reform Democrats at the Texas Capitol as we approach the next legislative session.
Protected Public School Choice
DFER co-led an effort to protect $440 million in federal funding for public charter schools serving 3.4 million students nationwide. Specifically, when anti-charter forces proposed a $40 million cut to CSP during the Appropriations process, DFER met with and mobilized key Members to restore funding to the full $440 million including influential Members on both the House Appropriations Committee, and the House and Senate Education Committees. Similarly, during the regulatory fight over proposed rules that would restrict charter access to federal funds, we met and appealed to multiple senior Biden Administration officials directly. This group effort convinced the USDOE to roll back the most harmful rules and to respond in a way that, while not optimal, is workable to ensure that high-quality charters continue to access federal funds. Furthermore, we’ve laid the groundwork to protect an additional $440 million in federal funds for next year’s (FY23) budget. DFER partner chapters in Colorado, Washington, D.C., and Connecticut all secured wins to make funding for public charter more equitable, and our teams in Massachusetts, and Louisiana defeated anti-charter legislation.
ARP Advocacy: Reports & Resources
Leveraging a report focused on understanding how states are allocating educational funds earmarked by the American Rescue Plan (ARP), ERN’s national team worked with representatives in five states to strengthen their ARP plans to better serve students. In the analysis, states were assigned a “traffic light” rating in five categories along with a composite rating. Only seven states earned the highest “green” rating, and a whopping 19 state plans were designated a concerning “red light.”
To help navigate important federal COVID relief funds—designated by ARP—ERN put together a curated toolkit, to highlight and streamline a selection of resources from a host of organizations, including ERN, that help state-level officials, families, communities, schools, and district leaders better understand how ARP education funds are being allocated. You can download the ARP Resource Document, or explore the toolkit for more information on ERN’s involvement and more.
Addressed Literacy Gaps
Following on ERN Connecticut‘s landmark “Right to Read” legislation last year, the team worked to ensure a strong ally was appointed as Director of the state’s new Center for Literacy Research and Reading Success, the hub of this statewide literacy effort. Implementation has now begun in earnest, with the release of a state-approved list of early literacy curricula, from which every public school district must choose next year. Earlier this month, Director Amy Dowell appeared on a panel on the Science of Reading with Emily Hanford, Dr. Kymyona Burk, and other leading experts.
Earlier this year, ERN D.C. successfully advocated for the passage of the “Structured Literacy Training Action Plan” into law. This legislation requires structured literacy training for D.C. Public School teachers, provides a $2,000 stipend for those who complete the training, and creates a task force to expand training and support to public charter schools. ERN D.C. also partnered with Decoding Dyslexia D.C. to hold a two-day Right to Read Literacy Conference with 17 speakers, including D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, State Superintendent Dr. Christina Grant, and Ward 2 Representative Allister Chang. As a result of the literacy conference, ERN D.C. and partners proposed several recommendations for improving literacy in the District of Columbia.
Maintained Statewide, Annual Assessments
ERN’s federal policy team led a coalition of civil rights and reform advocates that successfully lobbied the US Department of Education to prevent the issuance of blanket assessment waivers to states. In our states, ERN Colorado worked to ensure schools and districts could access necessary supports and interventions based on post-pandemic summative assessments; DFER affiliate ERN Massachusetts successfully lobbied the state’s Education Committee to reject all anti-accountability bills; and DFER affiliate ERN Louisiana fought to prevent a potential waiving of statewide graduation requirements.
To combat the misinformation that abounds when it comes to annual, summative assessments, ERN also created the Essential Assessment Toolkit: a go-to guide for families, advocates, district and school leaders, and State Education Agencies. The resources created were intended to support critical conversations on why students take an annual, summative assessment, why this assessment matters, and how districts and states can improve their assessment systems to better support student achievement.
Fought for Fairer College Admissions
In March, ERN National and our New York chapter joined New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assemblywoman Latrice Walker to introduce The Fair College Admissions Act (Senate Bill S8498), which is aimed at banning legacy preference and the binding early college admission policies that discriminate against racial minority, working class, and low-income students. ERN and Leaders of Color co-hosted a press conference with Senator Gounardes and Assemblywoman Walker to discuss the bill and its impact on improving access and equity in higher education, during which several Leaders of Color fellow and alumni spoke.
ERN Connecticut supported the introduction of a bill that would put an end to the practice of using legacy preferences during the college admissions process in their state. ERN CT also advanced a bill to end the withholding of college transcripts from students with debts. Last year, ERN Colorado helped make its state the first in the nation to ban legacy preference in higher education.
In addition, ERN released a series of three issue briefs identifying areas (Early Decision, Legacy Admissions, Transparency & Accountability) of the admissions process at selective colleges and universities that demand reform. Admissions reform to expand access and opportunity for underrepresented students and to increase diversity on campuses is long overdue, but it has become imperative in light of the likelihood that United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) will strike down the use of race-conscious admissions policies in its current term. The reports received coverage in USA Today, Forbes, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, NPR and Education Dive, among others.
Following the SCOTUS hearings on affirmative action, ERN hosted a debrief on the hearing, with record-setting attendance. The conversation was moderated by The Chronicle of Higher Education reporter Eric Hoover, and featured:
Marie Bigham, Founder and Executive Director, ACCEPT,
Art Coleman, Managing Partner and Co-Founder, EducationCounsel,
Genzie Bonadies Torres, Associate Director for the Educational Opportunities Project, Lawyers, Committee for Human Rights under Civil Law,
Michaele Turnage Young, Senior Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and
James Murphy, Senior Policy Analyst, Education Reform Now.
Advocated for Resource Equity
One big highlight of ERN’s work to address resource equity comes from ERN D.C. who successfully advocated for the passage of three pivotal bills:
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson included two new concentration at-risk weights in the per student funding formula for a total of $10.4 million in recurring funding for D.C. Public Schools and public charter schools that serve high populations of students furthest from opportunity.
ERN D.C. successfully advocated for the passage of the “Uniform Per Student Funding Formula Adequacy Study” into law, which studies the costs and expenses associated with operating D.C. Public Schools, and public charter schools, included and excluded from the per student funding formula.
ERN D.C. advocated for ways to retain educators in the District. This work culminated in the passage of the Educators Housing Incentive Amendment Act of 2022, which expands a current homeowner financial assistance program to educators.
Hosted 7th Philos Conference
Last month, over 180 policymakers, advocates, donors, and reporters attended ERN’s seventh Philos Conference in Washington, D.C. This year’s theme, “Leading Forward: From Crisis to Opportunity,” challenged attendees to take action to turn the crisis of the pandemic and the longtime crisis of inequity in our education system into opportunity for students.
Honorees included:
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser
National Urban League President Marc Morial
National Parents Union Founder and President Keri Rodrigues
U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres, and
Massachusetts Representative Chynah Tyler.
Panelists included U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, CNN Senior Political Analyst Ron Brownstein, DGA Executive Director Noam Lee, New York City Public Schools Chancellor David Banks, D.C. Superintendent Dr. Christina Grant, and CT Senator Patricia Billie Miller.
Above (left to right): Politico Reporter Juan Perez, Jr., CNN Senior Political Analyst Ron Brownstein, DGA Executive Director Noam Lee, Impact Research Principal Molly Murphy, and Voto Latino Vice President Kenny Sandoval. Below (Clockwise from top left):New York City Public Schools Chancellor David Banks, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, Washington, D.C., State Superintendent Dr. Christina Grant, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley.
Leaders of Color
To date, Education Reform Now’s Leaders of Color program has grown to include:
210 alumni of the program
82 leaders in non-elected positions of influence
26 Fellows appointed to community / non-profit boards
34 Fellows involved in active advocacy campaigns
6 Fellows who have founded own non-profits
Leaders of Color 2022 Advocacy Highlights:
Leaders of Color D.C.: Charter parent and Leaders of Color D.C. alumna LaJoy Johnson-Law worked in collaboration with Vice President Harris to expand broadband access to over 11.5 million low-income households.
Leaders of Color Louisiana: Alumni led a successful initiative for a new property tax measure that will fund pre-K at $20 million over the next five years and create more than 1,000 early childhood seats for children from low-income families.
Leaders of Color New York: Alumna Natasha Cherry-Perez led a project to inform, train, and support over 400 parents who are a part of the New York State Charter Parent Council to meet with and promote charters to elected officials across the state; testify at City Council and State hearings; and send close to 30 letters to NYS Regents (and counting) in support of charters. Additionally, Cherry-Perez’s group registered 140 voters.
Leaders of Color Memphis: Among many achievements, alums Sheleah Harris and Frank Johnson both fought for public school choice by voting against the closure of four charter schools in Memphis, keeping the schools open.
NEW YORK, N.Y. (Nov. 2, 2021)—Democrats for Education Reform New York (DFER NY) released the following statement congratulating Eric Adams on winning the 2021 New York City Mayoral Election. Adams will be the second Black mayor in the history of the nation’s largest city and will run the largest school district in the country.
“We congratulate Eric Adams on his resounding victory in the New York City mayoral election and look forward to working together with him and the chancellor he appoints to prioritize educational equity and a relentless commitment to results for the city’s more than 1.1 million public school students,” said DFER National President Shavar Jeffries.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred one of the greatest education challenges of our time, exacerbating already yawning opportunity gaps and risking generational harm for historically underserved students. This moment requires both a bold investment in resources and innovative approaches that will catalyze transformational change.
We are pleased that Adams’ vision for education acknowledges the critical need of the moment and includes new ideas for utilizing the lessons of remote learning to expand digital access and options for students. In a welcomed departure from his predecessor, Adams has made clear that he will support all high-quality public schools, seek more customized approaches to meeting students’ needs in and outside school, and expand rigorous curriculum for students of color and students from low-income communities.
To make bigger and bolder progress, we urge the Adams administration to ensure that these customized approaches are targeted, grounded in evidence-based strategies, and incorporate systemic changes to literacy instruction based on proven methods. We also encourage him to pursue pipeline programs to improve teacher preparation and diversify the teaching workforce, which we know have a tremendous impact on student achievement.
When it comes to our children’s futures we must act with urgency, and DFER NY is ready to be a resource and partner for Mayor Adams and his chancellor in building a brighter, more equitable future for every New York City student.”
ERNA NY Poll Shows Andrew Yang Leading in NYC Mayoral Race
COVID-19 Response & Relief a Top Priority for New Yorkers
NEW YORK, N.Y. (Dec. 21, 2020)—Education Reform Now Advocacy New York (ERNA NY), a partner organization of Democrats for Education Reform New York (DFER NY), released a poll today revealing that Andrew Yang and Eric Adams have emerged as top contenders for the 2021 mayoral race, with 4 in 10 New Yorkers still undecided.
The poll found that responding to COVID-19 was the preeminent concern (18%) for voters when choosing a mayoral candidate, with nearly half of respondents (48%)—and 51% of parents— also saying NYC Public Schools did not provide the necessary resources for students to succeed during the pandemic and two-thirds (63%) reporting there was not enough assistance with childcare. A whopping 77% of survey respondents also said the next Mayor of New York City should make bridging the digital divide for students a top priority.
“Until we address the digital divide, too many of our students will be left behind” said DFER NY State Director Crisanta Duran. “Our next mayor should absolutely make digital learning a priority, but we also need to take more immediate steps to provide our students with broadband access, like passing the E-LEARN Act.”
Also of note, 75% of respondents support changing New York’s current funding model so the students most in need have increased funding to achieve greater equity in education.
“The COVID-19 crisis has greatly exacerbated inequity in our city, especially for our students,” said Duran. “We urge our next mayor to take bold action to address educational inequity so that every child has the chance for a brighter future.”
The breakdown of first-choice support for 2021 Democratic mayoral candidates is as follows:
Andrew Yang 17%
Eric Adams 16%
Maya Wiley 7%
Christine Quinn 6%
Dianne Morales 5%
Scott Stringer 5%
Raymond McGuire 4%
Someone else/not sure 40%
Favorability of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio hovers at 39%, with 56% of likely Democratic voters holding an unfavorable view. In contrast, 76% of likely Democratic voters hold a favorable view of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, with only 22% disapproving.
The New York City Democratic Primary for the Mayoral election will be held on June 22, 2021.
Public Policy Polling surveyed 755 likely Democratic primary voters in New York City from December 16-17, 2020. The margin of error is +/- 3.6%. You can view the results here. This is the first release in a series examining support for issues impacting education reform in New York City.
About Education Reform Now Advocacy New York Education Reform Now Advocacy New York is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that believes deeply in the power of communities and leaders to drive innovation in public education, and works to ensure that all children have access to a world-class education. ERNA is a partner of Democrats for Education Reform New York (DFER NY), a political action committee that seeks to elect leaders who will support policies that benefit all students—particularly Black and Latino students.
NEW YORK, NY (Sept. 1, 2020) — Democrats for Education Reform-New York (DFER-NY) Director Crisanta Duran released the below statement following today’s decision to delay the start of the school year:
“We applaud the decision to delay the reopening of New York City schools and make the health and wellbeing of students and educators a top priority. This additional time will allow educators and administrators to be better prepared to provide a safe learning environment and high-quality instruction for all students—whether that’s in-person or online.”
If you’ve been watching the news recently it’s hard to escape a growing number of complaints from Americans who are uncomfortable with blacks sharing spaces traditionally reserved for whites. In the last weeks we’ve seen two black men forcibly removed from a Starbucks, a black woman reported for being in her dorm at Yale, a black family reported for legally barbequing at a park, and a black man reported for “breaking into” his own apartment on the UWS when he was actually just moving in.
The parallels from these stories to a recent outcry from parents on the UWS are no coincidence. When a plan was introduced at a community meeting in April with an aim to integrate some of the higher-performing middle schools that have mostly white student populations, some parents argued that their children had earned spots at those schools over underperforming students of color who did not deserve to be there.
Sixty-four years after the civil rights catalyst case, Brown v. Board of Education was decided, public schools are still experiencing de facto segregation. In New York City, a student’s ability to read and do math on grade level is still largely correlated to race and income. High-performing schools have majority white and Asian student populations while lower-performing schools are almost exclusively black and Latino. It’s a data point we’ve heard for decades and it’s been the subject of conversations about the achievement gap, resource inequality, and housing segregation.
Many liberals and progressives scream that if there were only more money for poor kids, things would be better; that if we just increased funds for schools that the gaps would close. But this is the hard, unacknowledged truth in the conversation about school segregation – some wealthy white parents would rather keep the system of separate but “equal” alive. Fund poor schools so they don’t have to take spots reserved for my kids. If this sounds harsh, you should hear what UWS parents actually said at the town hall.
Data has shown us over and over again that poverty does not determine academic destiny, but people peddle this myth full-time to abscond themselves of the responsibility to educate black and Latino children. The excuses are endless: how can kids who grow up experiencing the challenges of poverty be expected to perform at the same levels? How can we hold teachers accountable for educating kids who don’t have home support systems? Yet proof points of poor, black children succeeding exist all over this city, state, and country that go unacknowledged because of the truths they reveal- that it is possible and that we have to make some hard changes in policy to achieve equity.
It’s a present-day ugly truth; one that’s very hard to acknowledge for our society. Separate but equal was struck down by the Supreme Court for a reason; it’s unfair and it’s never equal. Black families are exercising school choice at the highest rate ever in NYC. They’re opting into schools outside of their neighborhoods and seeking options for their children in neighborhoods with high-performing schools largely reserved for white students. They’re sending their kids to charter schools that have shown that high academic performance and poverty can go hand in hand.
It’s been sixty-four years since Brown v. Board and black families belong at high-performing schools. They belong at Starbucks, at parks, in Ivy League dorms, and expensive apartment buildings. Our kids and our communities deserve true progress.
Johnson thanks Gov. Cuomo for pushing for key reforms and calls budget opening salvo in push to keep education reform front and center during 2016 election cycle
New York, NY — The Chair of Democrats for Education Reform New York, former New York State Senator Craig Johnson, issued the following statement on the New York State budget compromise:
“Gov. Cuomo said from the outset that this year’s budget needed to focus on New York’s students–and he has delivered a budget that puts in place key reforms to improve our students’ access to the high-quality schools they deserve.
“This budget sets the stage for what is possible not only in New York, but in states around the country as more Democrats are willing to stand up for the sensible changes we know will strengthen schools for millions of children nationwide.
“So now what? We push to ensure the details are implemented properly, and not lost in the regulations that the New York Department of Education writes. We push to ensure that budgets around the country take a similar approach: keep investing in what is working and get rid of what’s not. And we consider this just the opening salvo in the battle to ensure that sensible, proven education reforms are not undermined by powerful special interests as we enter the 2016 presidential campaign.
“In short: Thank you Gov. Cuomo. Now back to work.”
The Obama administration on Friday will announce plans to develop ratings of teacher preparation programs to try to make them more accountable for their graduates’ future performance in the classroom.
Teachers have long complained that training programs often do not adequately prepare candidates for the challenges of teaching children with varying needs and abilities. Prospective teachers, in turn, have no common way of evaluating the quality of thousands of programs across the country, whether they are in colleges of education or based in alternative groups like Teach for America.
Both sides of the education reform debate took a hit in Tuesday’s primary.
The city’s mighty teachers union belly-flopped in its $2.3 million effort to elect a mayor.
But the union’s foes are left with the unwelcome prospect of a Mayor de Blasio.
Former city Controller Bill Thompson refuses to leave the race without an official tally, and teachers union President Michael Mulgrew is still standing by his side.
