Tucker: Research Confirms Bloomberg Was Right to Close NYC’s Worst Schools. Are You Listening, Mayor de Blasio?
The closure of a school can have severe consequences. It not only results in the loss of jobs for teachers, principals, and other staff members, but also erases the memories created within its walls. Communities also suffer as they lose the social value of having a school as a gathering place, a town hall, and a venue for various activities.
However, if a school is failing in its primary mission of educating children, then should it not be closed? What if the school has a high drop-out rate and consistently low grades? Wouldn’t it be better for the students if they had the opportunity to attend a better school?
Undoubtedly, the students would benefit from such a move. Therefore, instead of focusing on appeasing the adults, political and educational leaders should prioritize what is in the best interest of the children.
Numerous studies now confirm what common sense suggests: students experience academic growth when their underperforming school is closed, and they are given the opportunity to attend a high-performing school. A recent report from the Research Alliance for New York City Schools, an impartial think tank based at New York University, revealed that the policy implemented by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg to close low-performing schools in New York City had a positive impact on middle-school students who were no longer forced to attend them. (For more details, refer to Matt Barnum’s comprehensive analysis of the report’s key findings.)
The report states, "The students in the post-closure cohort observed meaningful benefits. They attended higher-performing high schools… this change in their enrollment options resulted in improved attendance, progress towards graduation, and ultimately, higher graduation rates, with a significant increase in the number of students earning a Regents diploma."
This all makes logical sense. By redirecting students to better schools before their attendance and grades suffer, they have a better chance of obtaining a diploma. One of Bloomberg’s key reforms involved replacing large failing schools with smaller, high-performing ones. Additional findings from the research support these outcomes.
Similar findings have been observed in Ohio, where the closure of failing schools led to similar positive results. A study conducted by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, an education-focused think tank, revealed that students who transitioned from failing to higher-achieving schools experienced, on average, an additional 49 days of learning in reading and 34 days in math by their third year in the new school.
Given these positive outcomes, it is imperative to continue the practice of closing failing schools. This is especially true for New York City. However, Mayor de Blasio and his schools chancellor, Carmen Farina, have indicated their willingness to invest significant time and money into turnaround efforts before considering the closure of low-performing schools.
This approach could be disastrous for students, as evidence shows that turnarounds are often ineffective. While Hollywood may romanticize success stories of schools rising from the ashes, such happy endings are few and far between in reality.
As CEO of the IDEA charter schools network, Tom Torkelson, stated, "I do not pursue turnarounds because they usually involve operating within a school system that is resistant to the radical steps we would take to get the school back on track. We address the issues with schools by changing the practices of the adults, but this is often challenging due to resistance from teacher unions, the school board, or the central office."
De Blasio’s approach means that thousands of students will continue attending failing schools that are unlikely to improve. This will waste their potential for academic achievement and leave them on a path to nowhere. These students will never be able to reclaim those crucial years.
Prior to being elected mayor, de Blasio strongly opposed school closures. As public advocate, he joined teachers’ unions and community activists who fought against the loss of schools. Given the emotional nature of the issue, their resistance was understandable.
However, this was before research revealed that students benefit when underperforming schools are closed. It would be a shame if the mayor now disregards the needs of children who are desperate for a better education in order to please politically-savvy (but often self-interested) adults.
De Blasio has always presented himself as an advocate for the vulnerable and the voiceless. Now that we know Mayor Bloomberg’s strategy for addressing failing schools was successful in providing the most vulnerable students with a better chance at obtaining a diploma, it would be a disservice if the current mayor turns his back on his predecessor’s achievements and his most powerless constituents – the children trapped in failing schools.
These children need a way out immediately.
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