NYC DOE Saves 7 Of 33 Schools From Complete Overhaul
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New York City has given a reprieve to seven of the 33 schools slated to be closed and then reopened with dozens of new teachers.
The Department of Education said Monday that it would keep the seven schools open and go ahead with plans to close the other 26.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in January that he would overhaul the 33 schools under the so-called turnaround model. Under that model, a school is closed and then reopened with a new name and 50 percent new staff.
The seven schools that will remain open had all received A's and B's on the city's own report cards.
Public Advocate Bill De Blasio issued a statement, applauding the DOE's decision to keep the seven schools open.
"It was a terrible mistake for the city to consider closing them down and firing the very people responsible for progress," De Blasio said. "Just as it has with these seven schools, the Department of Education must reassess the 26 remaining on its list to ensure that all options short of closure have been exhausted."
United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew said the idea that A and B schools deserved to be closed made a mockery of the system.
(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
