Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott has new plans to revamp the structure of middle school education in New York City that involve creating more charter schools and phasing out the schools that fail to perform. Delivering an address at New York University’s Steinhart School of Culture, Education and Human Development on Sept. 20, Walcott said some of the areas he plans to focus on include creating new schools, turning around or phasing out poor performing schools and “channeling resources and attention to middle schools that have shown promise but need continued support to succeed.”
Walcott also has plans to create 50 new middle schools within the next two years. “It’s going to take a focus on curriculum and literacy. It’s going to take raising the bar for our teachers and helping them continue to grow as educators. And it’s going to take parents partnering with us in these efforts,” he said.