5 education issues to watch as NYC students head back to school

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Julian Shen-Berro, Chalkbeat

Sep 3, 2024 at 2:50pm EDT

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More than 900,000 New York City public school students will return to the classroom on Thursday, ushering in a new academic year.

It marks the start of a school year that will bring a slate of new initiatives and challenges to the nation’s largest school system, including the rollout of new curriculums and a possible citywide cell phone ban. It will also bring a shift in how students commute: Instead of MetroCards, they’ll get OMNY cards they can use any day, any time, all year long.

Meanwhile, students and families will feel the lingering effects of major struggles from recent school years.

Elementary school teachers and students will continue to adjust to the city’s literacy curriculum mandate. Schools will still grapple with how best to meet the needs of the thousands of asylum-seeking and other migrant students who have entered the school system. And tensions fueled by the Israel-Hamas war could persist in school communities this year.

Plus, several looming elections — both local and national — could mean a school year where students are especially politically engaged.

Here’s a look at five major education issues that may come into play this school year:

Curriculum changes continue in NYC classrooms

This school year will, for the first time, see every local school district adopt new elementary literacy curriculums under the city’s mandate — the signature education initiative of schools Chancellor David Banks.

That mandate started last year, with nearly half of the city’s districts required to select one of three pre-approved curriculums. The curriculum overhaul came as Banks sought to improve the city’s literacy rates, though already some school communities have pushed back on the mandate, and at least one school won a waiver out of it.

Last month, as state test results showed a dip in English scores among the city’s 3-8 grade students, education officials acknowledged that the new curriculums may have negatively affected test scores, with teachers still getting used to unfamiliar materials. However, experts told Chalkbeat that aggregate test scores should be interpreted with caution, as many other variables besides the curriculum changes could push scores up or down.

Separately, the city is looking to overhaul math curriculum in middle schools, while expanding its mandate for ninth grade algebra.

This school year will also see the citywide rollout of a new K-12 Black Studies curriculum. Banks has also said that additional curriculums are being developed for the city’s Hidden Voices initiative — which seeks to teach New York City students about individuals from diverse backgrounds — including stories about Muslim and Jewish figures who have played significant roles in history.

Status of NYC school cell phone ban remains unclear

Near the end of last school year, momentum for a systemwide school cell phone ban picked up steam — with Banks expressing support and promising a policy update would arrive during the summer.

But that prospect became less certain last week after Mayor Eric Adams said the city was “not there yet.”

“There will be some action in the upcoming school year, but the extent of a full ban, we’re not there yet. We want to make sure we have parents on board,” Adams said.

“The previous administration attempted to do this, and they had to roll back,” he added, referencing a previous cellphone ban instituted by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, then overturned by his successor, former Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I don’t want to go backwards after we make a determination.”

With just days remaining until students return to the classroom, Banks said an update would be made “very shortly.”

“Cellphones, in my opinion, have no place in our schools,” he said during an appearance on ABC7. “There may not be a full-on mandate just yet, but over the next couple of days, we’re absolutely going to have something to say about cellphones in schools.”

In July, Chalkbeat reported that the city’s Education Department was considering a ban that would go into effect in February. Under that policy, schools would have to come up with their own plan for keeping phones out of students’ hands during the school day.

Many schools already have bans — with some collecting phones at the start of the day and others requiring students to place them in locked pouches. Still, many educators have been hopeful that a citywide policy could help offer clearer and more consistent enforcement.

Enrollment shifts continue to pose challenges in NYC

New York City schools and educators continue to face challenges as a result of citywide enrollment shifts. Though enrollment ticked up last year for the first time in eight years, the city’s student population remains well below pre-pandemic norms, with just over 912,000 students in the system from pre-K to 12th grade during the 2023-24 school year.

Whether the upward trajectory persists this year is an open question – one with major implications for the city’s schools. Funding from the state is based on student headcount, and at individual schools, budgets are linked to student populations. Enrollment shifts in the coming years will play a key role in a number of critical policy questions, including how the city complies with the state class size law and whether officials will be forced to merge or close more small schools.

Student demographics have also seen notable shifts in recent years. The number of English language learners, for example, jumped from 135,000 in the 2022-23 school year to more than 148,000 last year — a change with major implications, as schools have scrambled to hire more bilingual staff.

Presidential, mayoral, and education council elections loom

In November, voters across the nation will cast their ballots for the next U.S. president, choosing between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. It’s an election that has garnered serious interest among young people, with nearly 60% of people nationwide aged 18-34 reporting they were “extremely likely to vote,” according to a 2023 poll by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University.

In New York City, the election may drive youth engagement in politics, particularly as older high school students prepare to vote for the first time. It may also serve as a tool for grounding lessons about civic engagement in classrooms across the city.

Meanwhile, here in New York City, several local elections could have an impact on the city’s school system.

Later this school year, elections will be held for two-year seats on the city’s Community Education Councils — parent-led boards that have the power to approve or reject school rezoning plans, pass resolutions about various school-related issues, and work with district superintendents.

And with the city’s mayoral election set to take place next year in November, challengers to Adams are gearing up for the Democratic primary in June. Already, several notable figures have thrown their hats into the ring, including city Comptroller Brad Lander, a frequent critic of Adams.

Educators, students experiment with artificial intelligence

It’s been well over a year since the tech group OpenAI introduced ChatGPT to the public, and in the time since, it and a slew of other chatbots have offered new ways to generate writing and content using artificial intelligence.

Already, some students at New York City high schools are reporting widespread use of AI-powered chatbots among their peers, while nationwide 44% of teenagers reported they were likely to use AI-powered tools to complete their schoolwork for them.

Across the country, schools have grappled with how to respond to the new technology, with some large districts creating their own AI-powered tools at times to mixed results.

In New York City, the public school system initially blocked ChatGPT on school devices and networks, citing “negative impacts on student learning, and concerns regarding the safety and accuracy of content.” But a few months later, the Education Department reversed course, with Banks proclaiming the city’s schools were “determined to embrace its potential.”

It remains to be seen what citywide policies or partnerships will be adopted regarding artificial intelligence. But already, local teachers have begun experimenting with the tools, including those geared toward developing lesson plans or assisting with grading.

Meanwhile, the American Federation of Teachers has released a set of “guardrails” and other resources intended to help educators safely navigate the new technology. The organization emphasized that safety and privacy should be prioritized any time AI-powered tools are used.

Teachers: We want to hear from you about how you’re using AI-powered tools in the classroom.

Julian Shen-Berro is a reporter covering New York City. Contact him at jshen-berro@chalkbeat.org.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.