Richard Carranza is bungling the ABCs of his job
On top of all his other issues, schools Chancellor Richard Carranza is dropping the ball on the basics, from addressing hazardous conditions at a school for special-needs kids to coming up with a strategy on failing schools.
To his credit, Carranza pulled the plug on the Renewal fiasco soon after taking over. That “school turnaround” program burned three-quarters of a billion dollars in four years, while achieving less than the Bloomberg-era policies it replaced.
But months later, with the new school year starting soon, leaders across the system have no clue what the replacement policy is, Chalkbeat reports. There’s a name, (Comprehensive School Support), but no details on what help a low-performing school can look for.
Part of the problem: One official Carranza hired to oversee school improvement quit recently after The Post raised questions about his hiring and track record.
Teachers College expert Priscilla Wohlstetter points to another issue, telling Chalkbeat: “If they offer specific benchmarks, they’re going to be held accountable for it,” but: “They’re not ready for that.” How bold.
Meanwhile, Carranza is scrambling in the wake of The Post exposé of his inaction on the deplorable conditions at PS 9 in Maspeth, a school for disabled kids.
Classrooms are falling apart, with cracked plaster and peeling paint everywhere. A makeshift gym shares space with the cafeteria, boys and girls take turns using the bathrooms and truck-exhaust fumes permeate the air. All this, after the city supposedly spent $14 million on upgrades.
Last year, Carranza answered City Councilman Robert Holden’s complaint on PS 9: “We treat everyone the same.” And he never answered Holden’s May 1, 2018, letter on the issue — until learning Friday night that The Post was on the story, when his office finally reached out to the councilman.
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Plainly, the chancellor needs to focus less on hiring cronies, attacking good schools that work and obsessing about race, and devote more time to the ABCs of his job.
