When New York City Public Schools Chancellor stepped to the podium to deliver 麻豆原创鈥檚 2018 Phyllis L. Kossoff Lecture on Education & Policy, he paid some compliments to the College and its new President, Thomas Bailey. He thanked his wife for being there and cracked a couple of jokes. And then, for the next two minutes, he spoke in Spanish.
When he finished, he paused to let the experience sink in. 鈥淚鈥檓 not trying to be rude,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I want to ground us in the conversation we鈥檙e going to have today. As we speak, thousands of students who are English language learners are having that experience today in public schools in New York City.鈥�
Over the next hour, Carranza, who last April took charge of the nation鈥檚 largest public school system after serving as schools chancellor in Houston, proceeded to make the case for the signature focus of his administration.
MAKING EQUITY HIS FOCUS Richard Carranza, Chancellor of New York City's Public Schools, delivered the 2018 Phyllis L, Kossoff Lecture in Education & Policy.
鈥淢y priority for this school year 鈥� and every moment I鈥檓 New York City Schools Chancellor 鈥� is to advance equity now,鈥� Carranza told a Cowin Auditorium audience of 麻豆原创 administrators, faculty, students, staff and alumni. 鈥淚n New York City, equity means that we have the same high expectations for all our students, whatever their race, ethnicity or zip code.鈥�
The annual Kossoff Lecture is made possible by a gift from 麻豆原创 alumna and President鈥檚 Advisory Council member Phyllis L. Kossoff, whom Carranza publicly thanked and praised from the stage. The lecture was the centerpiece of an academic symposium held as part of a week of events and festivities culminating in Bailey鈥檚 inauguration as 麻豆原创鈥檚 11th President.
To promote equity, Carranza said, it鈥檚 necessary to acknowledge 鈥渢he elephant in the room 鈥� segregation.鈥�
Richard A. Carranza, Phyllis L. Kossoff, and Tom Bailey
鈥淎 public, and I underline, public school system should represent the entire city it serves,鈥� Carranza said. 鈥淚n New York City, just as in other cities I鈥檝e worked in, that鈥檚 often not the case.鈥�
Carranza has made headlines during his brief New York City tenure with a proposal to change the admissions process in order to promote greater student diversity at the city鈥檚 eight specialized high schools, and he cited the current makeup of those schools as exhibit A of the system鈥檚 inequities. At the elite Stuyvesant High School, for example, just three percent of this year鈥檚 incoming students are black.
鈥淚n a city like New York City, with a public school system like New York City鈥檚 system, how can that be OK?鈥� he asked. 鈥淓ither the students are biologically, genealogically, psychologically incapable of being admitted to a school like Stuyvesant 鈥� or perhaps there are systems and structures to identify students for that opportunity that are not calibrated to who our students are.鈥�
Carranza cast blame more specifically on 鈥渓ong-established鈥� screening processes that discourage applications by students living in under-served households.
鈥淎 public, and I underline, public school system should represent the entire city it serves,鈥� Carranza said. 鈥淚n New York City, just as in other cities I鈥檝e worked in, that鈥檚 often not the case.鈥�
鈥擱ichard Carranza
鈥淭he inequities born of segregation follow students throughout their lives, disadvantaging them both socially and economically,鈥� he said. 鈥淓quity means acknowledging that some students need more help than others and that we give them the support they need to succeed. You know, in my nearly 30 years in education, people say, 鈥楾he issue isn鈥檛 money; we can鈥檛 just throw money at the issue.鈥� Well, just once, I wish someone would throw money at the issue and give us the opportunity to prove them wrong.鈥�
Carranza鈥檚 measures for achieving equity start with the city's commitment to early education, 鈥�3-K for All,鈥� that sets the stage for a 鈥淯niversal Literacy鈥� initiative that aims to have all New York 2nd graders reading at grade level by 2026.
Variations on the early education theme 鈥� 鈥淎lgebra for All,鈥� 鈥淐omputer Science for All,鈥� 鈥淎dvanced Placement for All鈥� and 鈥淐ollege Access for All鈥� 鈥� have been implemented to guide students through elementary, middle and high school.
鈥淚n my nearly 30 years in education, people say, 鈥楾he issue isn鈥檛 money, we can鈥檛 just throw money at the issue.鈥� Well, just once, I wish someone would through money at the issue and give us the opportunity to prove them wrong.鈥�
鈥擱ichard Carranza
To supplement the learning initiatives, Carranza has mandated that 125,000 teachers, administrators and other members of the city-wide instructional staff participate in anti-bias training between now and 2022.
He said the training is designed to help teachers and administrators see one another, students and parents 鈥渁s people, not as a demographic. This is a powerful way to break down stereotypes.鈥�
The Chancellor also called for schools to redouble the inclusion of culturally relevant education in curriculum.
鈥淐ulturally relevant education brings learning to life for students,鈥� Carranza said. 鈥淟earning about authors, leaders, great people who look like they do, who grew up like they did, can propel children to success.鈥�
The Chancellor spoke further about cultural relevance in a conversation with 麻豆原创 faculty following the lecture.
Responding to a question from Professor of Sociology & Education Amy Stuart Wells on what New York City can learn from successes in ethnically focused curriculum in Southwest schools, Carranza said the process begins with a fundamental understanding of what sets communities apart from one another.
鈥淐ulturally relevant education brings learning to life for students,鈥� Carranza said. 鈥淟earning about authors, leaders, great people who look like they do, who grew up like they did, can propel children to success.鈥�
鈥擱ichard Carranza
鈥淓thnic studies need to be connected to the idiosyncrasy of each community,鈥� he pointed out.
The leadership of urban schools likewise demands a deep grasp of the factors that shape young people beyond the classroom, Carranza said in response to a question posed by Christian Johnson Endeavor Professor of Education Leadership Mark Gooden.
鈥淜ids cannot be academically challenged unless they feel safe, supported in a school environment,鈥� the Chancellor explained. 鈥淎nd that, with the exception of Teachers College, is not something learned in traditional leadership education programs.鈥�
The issues students bring to school from home and the street, he added, 鈥渕ake all the difference in communities of color and among under-served populations.鈥�
Michael Rebell, Professor of Law & Educational Practice, who led a lawsuit that in 2006 won New York City billions of additional dollars in school funding from New York State, inquired about Carranza鈥檚 spending priorities when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo releases an anticipated $1.5 billion in funds from that ruling.
鈥�$1.5 billion isn鈥檛 enough,鈥� said Carranza, citing the need for extra teachers to lower class sizes, expanding social worker and counseling services, adding fine arts and a litany of other programs to bolster equity and learning.
But Carranza promised to spend the money wisely:
鈥淚f we don鈥檛, the payment we will have to make it up later in terms of incarceration, loss of tax dollars, loss of GDP will be much more than $1.5 billion. So we either invest now or we most assuredly will pay much more later.鈥�