NYC Unveils Post-COVID 'Academic Recovery Plan'

NEW YORK CITY — An expansive new, $635 million academic recovery plan promises significant changes for New York City public school students.

Reduced class sizes, nine million more books in libraries, digital devices for every student, a universal new curriculum — all that and more is in the plan outlined by Mayor Bill de Blasio and a cavalcade of high-profile officials Thursday.

De Blasio framed it as way to help students catch up after the coronavirus crisis falling behind, as well as a new foundation for public education in the city.

"Universal academic recovery — that is the vision,” de Blasio said. “Reach every single child. We’re going to jumpstart each child’s educational comeback.”

The plan takes starts September for the next academic school year — the first time all students are expected to be in classrooms after more than a year of mixed- or fully-remote learning because of coronavirus concerns — but won't be fully put in place until 2023.

De Blasio said the plan has five planks:

• Literacy for all
• A “universal mosaic curriculum”
• Devices for digital citizens
• Special education investments
• College and career readiness

Literacy will form the plan's backbone, said schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter.

She said officials hope to get all students reading on grade level by the third grade. To do so, schools will reduce class sizes, establish universal literacy screens to identify students who have problems, including dyslexia, she said.

Schools will bring on 500 reading coaches to help those students, she said.

“This is going to be the year of the literacy blitz,” she said.

Not only that, schools' libraries will swell with nine million more books, de Blasio said.

The literacy push will dovetail with a new development for the city's schools — a universal mosaic curriculum.

"It's unlike anything else in this country," de Blasio said. "It is about New York City, made in New York City, for New York City, because we need a curriculum that works for our kids and our educators. That allows our children to learn in a way relevant to their lives. So, the input of actual New York educators will be the foundation of this new curriculum."

Details were sparse during the announcement on the curriculum, but officials said it would include an infusion of "culturally-responsive" books in every classrooms, new support materials and targeted professional development.

Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, said it will help address a long-standing problem for city educators.

Teachers have "scrambled" for decades to find relevant materials for students coming from all the diverse backgrounds in New York City, he said.

"What we're saying here is that the school system is taking on the role in the responsibility of bringing all these materials together, that represent all of the different children and populations and cultures that we teach and making them available," he said.

The plan also calls to guarantee digital devices for all students and will deliver 175,000 more to students, officials said.

About 800 more special education pre-K seats will open in September 2022, officials said. And schools will launch special education-focused afterschool and Saturday programs.

Schools will provide free afterschool college counseling, financial aid help in multiple languages, add 48 new virtual AP courses, restore the College Now program for 22,000 students and put Student Success Centers in 34 high schools, officials said.

Funding for the plan came was secured with federal stimulus money and help by New York City lawmakers Rep. Adriano Espaillat and Rep. Jamaal Bowman, who both attended the announcement.

City Council Member Mark Treyger noted the plan comes on top of a $600 million restoration of state fair student funding.

"This is a plan that truly advances equity,” he said.

Watch the presentation here:

This year, @NYCSchools did the impossible and opened the largest school system in America to keep our kids safe during the #COVID19 pandemic. This fall, they're going to go even further.
Introducing the NYC Universal Academic Recovery Plan. https://t.co/beSxUrpDi4
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) July 8, 2021