Why NYC Schools Are Failing So Miserably

Those of us New Yorkers old enough to have creased faces and achy joints can remember when the New York City School System was tops, not only nationally, but worldwide. It seemed to mechanically punch out hordes of kids who ended up walking away with loads of Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes. Its graduates zoomed to the top of every single profession; medical, scientific, military, scholastic, business, law and every other category that signaled success as a result of a superior education and a desire to learn. And most of these shining stars of exceptionalism came from lower class, reporting that immigrant families for whom education was looked up to as the key to a fruitful, successful future.

Those were the “good ol’ days.” No more. Now, the public schools in the five boroughs resemble, educationally, the squalor of the streets of San Francisco. In one word, they suck. It’s been reported, with figures from pre-Covid days, when city schools were operating full time, with no Zoom learning, that the graduation rate was 77%. What happened to the other 23%? Where did they end up? And to make it worse, only 63% of those who were awarded diplomas, 57% did actually go to college although admittedly, educationally unprepared. The sad news is that a whopping 37% of them dropped out after one semester. And these frightening numbers were pre-Covid! What private business could continue operating punching out so many “defective” products? And take it to a higher level, who in his/her right mind would say that the Board of Education was running a successful school system?

Surely not us, nor anyone who understood that, according to figures the Citizens Budget Commission handed out, the City’s Department of Education shells out more than $37,000 per year to “educate” a student and that figure is expected to rise to $41,000 (if we’re lucky)  by 2026. A whopping figure! And the system is losing kids like crazy. Back in 2016 there were more than 1 million students in the public school system. Now there are just about 900,000 suffering in our classrooms. Unless changes are made, their futures are dim. So let’s discuss the issues.

We checked with the Private School Review and they claim that the average private non-sectarian school fees average $20,000 and similar high schools cost $25,000 per student. Their kids flourish and their graduates go to college successfully at a rate of 92%. Why the big difference in all of the related figures? Simply put…the public schools are public and are run by politicians who don’t even do well in that area. The teaching staff is 100% union and we’ve got to throw in the family and its responsibility to encourage the kids therein to emphasize learning and success. In NYC the supervisors are mainly appointed by taking an basic exam and then from its large pool of those who pass, sad to say, in our opinion, appointed based on politics and race. Exceptionalism in teaching and leadership abilities are secondary. The union, largely political in nature, is mainly interested in their members’ salary, benefits and super-high retirement pensions. Inferior or outright incompetent teachers are impossible to fire. Some even are hoarded into “rubber rooms’” with pay, away from students. The union rules. And the union ruins.

We’ll also hold the feet of public school parents to the fire. It’s a sure bet that most students of two parent families do better than those from broken homes. Why not offer some guidance to families of failing students to aid them in understanding the educational and emotional needs of their kids? Treat them as part of the schools’ problem with sincere counseling and assistance. Teach them how to help their kids with homework and studies. Since they’re part of the problem, a well worth expenditure.

If we have nearly a million young people depending on a school system for which their families pay taxes, they deserve the best. Any private corporation, concerned about its business, its success and its reputation would go to any length to improve its product. Failing this, they would cease to exist and disappear to the advantage of its competitors. Why don’t our Board of Education leaders take on the mindset of business executives to punch out successful, outstanding products? A question for them to answer at your local school district hearings. Let them know how you feel.