IPA Forum: Governance of the New York City Public Schools
by Lauren Larson
In an effort to explore ideas about improvements in New York City's public schools, Dall W. Forsythe, Chair of the IPA Board of Trustees, convened a forum to discuss governance issues in the school system. Participants included representatives of city and state government, non-profit organizations, and business, as well as educators and researchers. Annmarie H. Walsh, IPA Trustee and Gulick Scholar in Residence, moderated the discussion in which the linkage between administrative reorganization and school performance was explored.
Hubert Jones, Chairman of former Boston Mayor Flynn's Special Committee on School Reform, provided a comparison for discussing the New York City system by sharing the mixed results from Boston's 1991 school reforms. Boston replaced its elected school committee with one directly appointed by the Mayor. The appointed committee has yielded many positive results: accountability has been achieved; operational deficits and patronage have been eliminated; and a deliberate policy-oriented, problem-solving approach has been adopted. On the negative side, however, is what Jones considers to be the bottom line -- educational outcomes in Boston have not improved. Some also argue that the appointed committee has reduced voter participation among those who had been active in school committee elections, particularly minority communities. A referendum this year will determine whether the 1991 reforms will continue. Recent polls show that many Boston voters favor a return to an elected school board.
Leonard Hellenbrand, former Director of the Office of Budget Operations and Review, New York City Board of Education, discussed the importance of establishing a New York City school board with greater independence. Hellenbrand attributes the widespread dissatisfaction with the current governance system to the Board of Education, an institution with the inability to exercise judgment outside of the political arena. The school board holds only the appearance of independence. Because it is financially dependent upon the city government, the school board must fight a political battle to secure the school system's share of resources, thereby undermining its ability to make policy based on educational criteria. Changes should be made to enable the Board of Education to maintain an independent position and speak out on behalf of the disenfranchised population it serves.
Joseph Viteritti, Research Professor of Public Administration at New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, emphasized the need for both simpler accountability to the public and experiments with reform initiatives. Viteritti recommends replacing the Board of Education with a Commissioner appointed by the Mayor. This change would hold the school system directly accountable to the public through the Mayor. Creating a simpler line of accountability, however, is not enough. School reform proposals in NYC are not directed at those children who are least advantaged. Across the country, ambitious school reform is part of the national agenda, but New York City is not part of this movement. In an effort to address its failed system, New York should experiment with reforms such as charter schools, privatization, and school choice.
A lively discussion followed these presentations. The point was made that although the New York City school system suffers from a diseconomy of scale, decentralization efforts have limits. The Board of Education's difficulty with the closing of "failed schools" is partly attributable to the objections of local residents with vested interests in keeping their schools open. Another point emphasized that schools should be accountable to parents, giving parents a clear path into decision-making. This accountability, however, must be coupled with schools' increased authority to shape educational outcomes. It was argued that governance is cyclical, changing periodically to shake up vested interests. Participants in the forum agreed that a shake up is urgently required in the New York City school system, because those children with the greatest need are not getting a quality education.
From IPA Report, Spring 1996
Lauren Larson is a member of the IPA Senior Staff and Editor of the IPA Report.