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NYC schools to open ‘literacy hubs’ for older students struggling to read
By
Jessica Gould
Published Dec 15, 2023
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By
Jessica Gould
Published Dec 15, 2023
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Top education department officials say “literacy hubs” will soon open for older students who show signs of dyslexia, offering the first glimpse at the Adams administration’s plans to help middle schoolers and high schoolers who are struggling to read.
“We’ll have intensive intervention supports,” Deputy Chancellor Carolyne Quintana said Thursday at a City Council education committee hearing on the administration’s literacy overhaul.
Last month, Gothamist highlighted the few plans in place for older kids with dyslexia and other reading challenges, despite Mayor Eric Adams' and Schools Chancellor David Banks’ promises to focus on literacy.
Education officials did not detail how the literacy hubs would work, who would staff them, or which students and schools would participate, but said more information would come in January.
The new initiative comes as Adams has ordered budget cuts throughout city government, citing the cost of the migrant crisis. The mayor announced in November that he would cut $547 million from the education department. But Banks said the cuts would not derail the city’s literacy efforts, calling it “legacy work,” but admitted that other programs were likely to be affected.
“This is our priority,” he said. “So as we are reviewing all these potential things that have to be cut, this is our No. 1 priority.”
Last spring, Banks announced plans to implement a citywide transformation in literacy instruction. Half of elementary schools are rolling out new literacy curricula this year, the other half will follow next year. The city has also launched a handful of pilot programs designed to support elementary schoolers with dyslexia.
About half of students in the third through eighth grades do not rank as proficient in reading on state tests.
But purchasing new materials and retraining teachers is a massive undertaking expected to cost $35 million a year. The administration’s dyslexia screenings and pilot programs will cost another $7 million, according to the education department.
Another 5% budget cut is likely to come this spring, and would take a significant bite out of the education department’s nearly $39 billion budget.
“It breaks my heart to cut anything, but if kids can’t read nothing else matters,” Banks said. “This is what we will fight the hardest to protect.”
At the hearing, literacy advocates and education leaders testified in support of the administration’s goals, with some parents discussing how the city has for decades failed students with dyslexia.
There were some signs of hope. Data from pilot programs for students with dyslexia in Harlem and the South Bronx showed test scores rose substantially for the small cohorts of students participating.
But there were also some concerns about the implementation of the administration’s sweeping literacy mandate.
Some teachers have told Gothamist they have not yet received sufficient training in the new lessons, while some parents have called the most widely selected curriculum "boring."
“While this initiative is an admirable idea, we are concerned that there are still many more questions than answers about this effort,” said United Federation of Teachers Vice President Mary Vaccaro, noting that with previous literacy efforts, “principals rebelled against outsiders telling them how to handle a core piece of the curriculum.”
She said the administration must continue to offer more professional development to teachers.
“Changing how we teach reading in every classroom is no small feat,” she added. “But the research tells us that we must forge ahead.”
Tagged
new york city
education
Jessica Gould
Jessica is the education reporter for WNYC and Gothamist. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Jessica reported on the shutdown and reopening of the nation’s largest school system, highlighting the unprecedented impacts on learning, health and mental health for students, staff and families. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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