The de Blasio administration Monday selected 62 public schools to become incubators of innovation — but 10 others didn’t make the grade because teachers wouldn’t go along.
The so-called “Progressive Redesign Opportunity Schools for Excellence” program will offer staggered school days, alter class sizes and allow more focused small-group instruction for struggling students.
The schools are designed to operate much like independently run charter schools, which are free of union constraints and tenure and typically have a longer school days and their own curriculum and discipline code.
But the reforms implemented by the Progress schools are modest and limited compared to charters, education advocates said
“The lack of detail makes us wonder if this is just meant to distract us from the fact that the teachers’ contract puts too many restrictions on how schools are run,” said Jenny Sedlis of Students First NY.
In all, 107 schools submitted proposals. Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina and the United Federation of Teachers union approved 72 for the upcoming school year. But the number was whittled down to 62 when teachers at 10 schools scuttled the innovation plan.
Under the union contract, 65 percent of staffers must approve a school program that deviates from union regulations.
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