VPerspective

A school that does things right

by Richard Farkas

May 7, 2009 4:41 PM

But will unfair budget cuts be a setback?

It’s hard to believe that we are in the home stretch. In the upcoming weeks, principals in schools across our city will receive operating budgets for next year. While there is a collective sigh of relief that the predicted draconian classroom cuts have been avoided — thanks to your help in the passage of the federal stimulus package and the state budget — there is no doubt that, come September, our schools will still experience some degree of pain. The question as to what kind of pain and how deep it will go remains to be seen.

What is certain is that the majority of basic programs and core academic classes will survive intact. What is not certain is the exact dollar amount coming from New York City, and how the not-so-new allocation formula will impact each building.

The Department of Education is talking about a 6 percent to 8 percent budget cut per school, and speaks of slashing tutoring and after-school, enrichment and support programs to meet the funding reduction. But what will this type of thinking do to the idea of balance for students in the middle grades?

I visited a school that seems to have gotten the idea of balance right! Located in District 14’s Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, IS 318 is a school bustling with learning experiences for both special education and general education students — and not just the pure academic kind of learning. In many classrooms, traditional teaching methods are used, while allowing students the creativity to flourish.

This middle school is a place where kids love to learn. They come into school early in the morning and remain until well into the evening to do so. The school offers after-school activities that would whet any preteen’s appetite, from digital filmmaking to botany to guitar club.

Interested in sports? How about joining the football, soccer or handball team? Interested in music and art? How about participating in the school’s marching band or art club? And, of course, there’s the award-winning chess team (just back from a Tennessee championship) and award-winning robotics team. Come to school early for that special Regents class. Come to school on Saturday and participate in community-based programs and classes.

On any given day, more than half of the student population participates in these afternoon programs.

Under the educational leadership of Principal Fortunato Rubino (who taught at the school for 25 years prior to becoming principal), IS 318 maintains a level of high standards, safety and discipline for all students and staff. Collaboration and consistency are the keys to the success of this school. Teacher input is sought out, valued and respected. But ... there are clouds in the future of this A-rated school.

Rubino was very clear that even a 5 percent budget cut would cripple his after-school and enrichment programs. On the chopping block would be all of the after-school activities, enrichment programs and Regents classes the school currently offers. The academic progress the school has made — the school has just come off the Schools in Need of Improvement list — would be in jeopardy due to higher class sizes, and a reduction in academic support services. The pain inflicted by the budget ax would severely impact the life of everyone at this school.

Unfair budget cuts to our schools would be a setback. UFT President Randi Weingarten has suggested ways to deal with the budget crises, and spoke of “smart spending decisions.” To reduce spending, Weingarten recommended suspending the DOE’s data tracking program, putting a freeze on new hiring until personnel on payroll such as ATRs are placed in permanent jobs, downsizing the department’s press relations and accountability offices, placing a moratorium on establishing new and small schools, and promoting a retirement incentive.

Now that Albany has a budget, the battle will shift to New York City, where the UFT will work to protect services to children. But keep in mind, the continued success of schools like IS 318 will be in jeopardy. As Weingarten has stated, “The stakes are higher than ever with the schools, principals, teachers and students all being held more accountable, which means that the system must be provided with the resources needed to continue to lower class sizes, expand career and technical education, improve our middle schools and provide more counseling services.”

In the upcoming weeks, we must be vigilant and not allow our kids to bear the brunt of bad budget decisions.