As a graduate of New York City Public Schools, Paul Newell knows the promises and challenges of America's largest education system intimately. Quality Public Schools have long been the most important rung in the ladder to the middle class. Paul Newell is committed to supporting our teachers and schools.
While Mayoral Control has gone a long way to increasing the accountability and quality of New York's public schools, there is still a long way to go. An overdependence on standardized testing is pushing out diversity and well-rounded approaches to education. Paul has worked with dozens of NYC schools to develop health and global AIDS awareness programs - and is keenly aware of how important the arts, sports and extracurricular activities are to a quality education. In our current environment, technology education is essential. That's why Paul has helped build 19 state-of-the-art school computer centers.
As your Assembly member Paul Newell will work to:
- Continue Mayoral Control of The Dept. of Education - The old Board of Education was a model of inefficient Byzantine bureaucracy. Mayoral control has not been perfect, but it is essential that New York families know who is responsible for the decisions that impact their children's education.
- Deemphasize Standardized Tests - Tests can be a valuable diagnostic tool for educators. But the overemphasis on tests as the only means of evaluation puts our public schools in danger of becoming full-time test prep institutes. The recent proposal to use test scores in determining teacher tenure is an example of this mistake. A well-rounded education in the 21st Century requires more than can be found in a standardized test.
- Support for Alternative Education - Not all children are the same. To create a successful learning environment for New York's children, a diversity of approaches is needed. A graduate of both traditional and alternative New York City public schools, Paul knows firsthand how different approaches can foster the best educational outcomes. It is important that alternative educational models, including charter schools, are given full support - so long as this is done in a way that does not draw resources off from traditional public schools.
- Fully Fund NYC Schools - Five years ago, New York's highest court ruled that NYC's children were being drastically under funded in The Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit. It is imperative that New York State fully fund those obligations to our children.
