Last Friday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg asserted that, "double the class size with a better teacher is a good deal for students." While NYU students learn predominantly in large lectures, Bloomberg's axiom is out of touch with New York City's already overburdened K - 12 education system.
Images
Bloomberg's later comparison in the same speech between education and real estate further reveals his uninformed view on elementary education in this city. "Real estate business, there are three things that mater: location, location, location is an old joke," he said. "Well in education, it is: quality of teacher, quality of teacher, quality of teacher."
As United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew put it, "Clearly the mayor has never taught." Yet, Bloomberg cites his experience as a student in support of his sought after "ex cathedra" reforms. As he said, "I went to school in a class, five rows of eight ... Whether it's better or worse, I don't know."
Maybe if he had been in a smaller class, he would have found out by now.
Though Bloomberg's focus on the quality of teachers is admirable, it's common sense that teachers' ability to educate their students will decrease if they must spend all of their time as disciplinarians in larger and therefore more unruly classes.
Instead, the city should direct its limited resources toward enhancing the preparation teachers receive before they enter classes rather than trying to fire those with work experience. The effectiveness of school administrators should be as closely monitored as that of the teachers, as administrators no doubt affect the quality of the education that takes place in classrooms.
It is contradictory to increase classroom size while enhancing the quality of teachers. A surplus of good teachers will perform better small classrooms; we should not negate their performance as an austerity measure.
