What do you do with schools that are improperly funded, poorly supported and usually situated in our poorest communities? If you're the state, you punish them.
Exacting punitive measures on our state's most vulnerable communities and students is not a recipe for success.
New York’s receivership law perpetrates a futile test‐and‐punish system that egregiously mislabels schools, students and educators using flawed standardized tests without acknowledging the strengths and progress of students and educators in those school communities.
Receivership law requires “failing/struggling” schools to improve in two years, but does not offer meaningful resources required for long-term solutions. Instead, receivership doubles down on already inequitably funded schools, year after year, and shames them as failures.
This draconian law sustains a flawed “teach-to-the-test” system because high test scores are the only means by which instructors can ward off receivership. But establishing the state’s lowest-performing schools as “failing” will mean that, regardless of individual improvements, some schools will always be judged deficient.
Future Forward Task Force Recommendations:
Repeal the receivership law to allow schools to better meet the individual needs of students and preserve the rich learning experience for all kids.
Educators should be free to dedicate themselves to students and communities without the threat of involuntary, automatic transfers that disrupt year-to-year staff consistency and hamper strong relationships between school staff, students and families.
High stakes testing should no longer be required to be tied to individual teacher evaluation.
