Latest news with #MelissaAviles-Ramos
New York Post
25-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
OF COURSE ‘restorative justice' in schools doesn't work — and now the proof is in
Surprise, surprise: School 'meditation rooms' and 'harm-reduction circles,' a new study shows, don't cure juvenile delinquents but instead undermine teachers' authority and lead to more chaotic classrooms. Gee, who would've thunk it? Actually, the study — by the Manhattan Institute — confirms what we've long known about then-Mayor Bill de Blasio's push for 'restorative justice' in the name of racial equity: It was always doomed to fail. Restorative justice calls for schools to provide students and staff the opportunity to talk through conflicts instead of punishing kids with meaningful measures like suspensions. Yet the data shows that, despite an outlay of $100 million since it became the prevailing practice, incidents requiring the NYPD's school safety division more than doubled — from 1,200 in the first quarter of 2016 to 4,120 in the first quarter of 2025. The report also found that putting troubled students in 'meditation rooms' instead of suspending or kicking them out of class doesn't solve any problems, as violent incidents continued to rise and absenteeism jumped 35%. The study cites several instances of students not being punished or held accountable for deplorable behavior and violent acts. Though students at Origins High School who had subjected a Jewish teacher to Nazi salutes and threats were sent to a 'meditation room,' the harassment did not stop. This spring, an 8-year-old stabbed a staff member with a pencil and threatened classmates at Staten Island's PS 8. Parents derided the school's response — a meditation room and calls home — as entirely inadequate. A Center for Court Innovation in Brooklyn found no statistically significant benefits in schools that implemented restorative-justice practices compared to those that used a traditional disciplinary approach. The Department of Education claims suspensions have plummeted 48% over the past 10 years, resulting in 'keeping more children in class and engaged.' Duh: If your policy is to suspend fewer kids, as restorative-justice calls for, it's no shock that fewer kids get suspended. Even Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos admits the approach isn't cutting it: 'The work is far from done,' she conceded Wednesday. Yet she vowed, 'It's not leaving New York City public schools.' That's unforgivable: The study's bottom line clearly found restorative justice fuels disorder, a lack of accountability and possibly an increase in chronic absenteeism. The disruptions that prevent well-behaved kids from learning alone should be enough to ditch this policy, not to mention the violence and absenteeism that comes from it. Mayor Eric Adams, as a former cop, should know that kids who don't pay meaningful consequences for misbehavior will simply continue misbehaving. Some good news: An April 2025 executive order from Donald Trump puts the kibosh on using race as a factor in discipline, which may help push schools to return to traditional responses to misconduct and a restoration of order in classrooms. But until New York City's policy changes, the chaos will continue — and learning will suffer.
Time of India
24-07-2025
- Time of India
NYC public schools' $25M bet on reducing screen time — what challenges lie ahead?
NYC enforces citywide phone ban in public schools to reduce distractions. (AI Image) New York City public schools are set to implement a stricter policy limiting the use of personal internet-enabled devices during school hours, with a budget of $25 million allocated to support this change. The updated policy prohibits students from using cellphones, tablets, smartwatches, and similar devices while at school, aiming to reduce distractions and improve the learning environment. Announced by Mayor Eric Adams and Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, the policy will apply to all 1,600 public schools across the five boroughs. The new rules follow a state law restricting cellphone use and come after months of consultation with families, educators, and community groups, as reported by the WABC. Stricter device restrictions to be enforced citywide Under the updated policy, students can bring devices to school but must switch them off and keep them stored during the school day. Devices may be used when travelling to and from school, but use on school premises will be banned except under specific conditions. The city will provide secure storage options for students to safely store their devices during school hours. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dolly Parton's No-Makeup Photos Will Make You Speechless The Noodle Box Undo Mayor Adams, as quoted by the WABC, said, 'Our kids are in school to learn, but, too often, cell phones are used in manners that are distracting, degrading, and dangerous to our young people.' He added that the policy represents 'the next step in ensuring students are given the best shot to succeed in school.' To ensure families can communicate with students during emergencies, schools are required to establish at least one method for contact, as reported by the WABC. The policy includes exemptions for students who require devices for medical reasons, caregiving responsibilities, language translation, or as part of their special education plan. Funding to support implementation and challenges ahead The city has budgeted $25 million to facilitate the rollout of the new policy, which includes funding for secure storage infrastructure and communication systems between families and schools. The state has also allocated $4.3 million to assist with implementation efforts. Public schools face the task of adapting to this new policy across a diverse range of settings, with officials preparing for the logistical challenges involved. The policy aims to reduce distractions and protect students' mental health, aligning with goals set out by city officials, as reported by the WABC. The effectiveness of the policy will be observed throughout the upcoming school year, with officials emphasising the importance of the initiative in helping students focus and reach their academic potential. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Monroe University Confers Degrees on 2,785 Students Representing 65 Countries at Annual Commencement
Bronx County District Attorney Darcel Clark and New York City Public Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos Deliver Commencement Addresses BRONX, N.Y., June 12, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Monroe University, a national leader in educating first-generation and international students, held its 92nd Annual Commencement today at Radio City Music Hall in midtown Manhattan. Degrees were conferred on 2,785 students from around the world during the day's warm, joyful celebration of the Class of 2025. This year's Commencement was particularly special as it marked the first one held at the iconic venue since Monroe's elevation to university status last summer. President Marc Jerome reflected on the institution's historic achievement during his uplifting, celebratory remarks. Two separate ceremonies were held to accommodate the families and friends of the students earning Associate, Bachelor's, or Master's degrees or professional and advanced certificates. Graduates participating in the morning ceremony completed programs of study in Monroe's School of Business and Accounting, School of Criminal and Social Justice, School of Information Technology, and School of Nursing. The Grand Marshal was Cicely Spann, a valued member of staff for 30 years who currently works within the Office of Loan Management. Bronx County District Attorney Darcel Clark gave the keynote address. Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson shared a warm congratulatory message with the graduates and their families. The afternoon ceremony conferred degrees on graduate students from Monroe's King Graduate School, as well as undergraduate students from the School of Allied Health Professions, School of Education, and School of Hospitality Management and the Culinary Institute of New York. Maria Vega, a member of the Student Financial Services team who has also served Monroe students for 30 years, led the processional as Grand Marshal. New York City Public Schools Chancellor and former Monroe University Vice President Melissa Aviles-Ramos delivered the keynote address. NYC Council Member Pierina Sanchez gave congratulatory remarks. Graduates in the Class of 2025 represented 65 countries. In addition to students from the U.S. and its territories, the next largest contingents were from, in order: India, Saint Lucia, China, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Bangladesh. The University conferred 596 Master's degrees; 1,081 Bachelor's degrees; and 1,051 Associate degrees this year, as well as awarded 57 professional and advanced certificates. The University's three-semester academic calendar enables Monroe students to earn 45 or more college credits per year (compared to the 30 credits college students typically earn per year at other institutions). That means that many of the graduates this year earned their Bachelor's degree in three years or their Associate degree in less than two years. ABOUT MONROE UNIVERSITY Founded in 1933, Monroe University is a recognized leader in urban and international education. The University is proud of its innovative programs to increase college access, affordability, and completion outcomes, especially among first-generation students, and for the national recognition it receives for its strong impact on graduates' social mobility. Programs are offered through Schools of Allied Health Professions, Business and Accounting, Criminal and Social Justice, Education, Hospitality Management and the Culinary Institute of New York, Information Technology, and Nursing, as well as through its King Graduate School. Liberal arts and continuing education programs are also available. For more information and admissions criteria, please visit Media Contact Jacqueline Ruegger, Monroe University, 914-740-6455, jruegger@ Twitter View original content: SOURCE Monroe University
New York Post
31-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
NYC teachers getting anti-Israel literature in DOE schools
Hateful anti-Israel propaganda has slipped into city Department of Education literature and schools at least five times in the past two months, The Post has learned. In the latest instance, faculty members at a large Brooklyn elementary/middle school received an email Monday with the subject line: 'How Much Jewish Wealth From The Black Slave Trade Was Used To Help Create Israel?' Among a dozen links to inflammatory texts, the email includes several articles branding Jews as former slave owners; a piece by Nation of Islam minister Louis Farrakahn claiming 'Jewish behavior has ill-affected Black people and others;' and a Palestinian children's workbook decrying 'bullies called Zionists.' 4 Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos has vowed to crack down on dissemination of 'politically one-sided materials deeply offensive to the Jewish community.' Andrew Schwartz / 'It's clearly an attack,' a Jewish teacher who received the diatribe in her DOE email told The Post. The incident is evidence of rising antisemitism in NYC schools and other educational institutions since the Israeli-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, 2023, experts say. The emails came from think.285@ an encrypted account hiding the sender's identity. The teacher asked that she and her 'amazing' school, which she described as close-knit and harmonious, not be named. 'There was never an issue with antisemitism — not once,' she told The Post, adding she wears a Star of David at work. 'It wouldn't be fair to drop such a stain on the school. I would put my last penny on the fact that I don't think it's a person from the school' who sent the offensive missive. 4 The links to antisemitic literature in an email sent to Brooklyn teachers include a Palestinian children's handbook that refers to 'bullies called Zionists.' Obtained by the New York Post Like many other NYC schools, the Brooklyn school posts its teachers' DOE email addresses on a public website. Two assistant principals were 'horrified' by the cyber stealth, but the teacher has not discussed the emails with the principal — who did not address them with staff. It's the latest in a series of anti-Israel attacks popping up in DOE communications. In early April, schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos apologized after a 17-page 'Stop Gaza Genocide Toolkit' was linked in a newsletter sent to teachers and parents. 4 Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos apologized in early April after a 17-page 'Stop Gaza Genocide Toolkit' was linked in a newsletter sent to teachers and parents. Weeks later, a 'Teacher Career Pathways' newsletter for master teachers in the city's 1,800 schools called for student voices to be heard on the 'genocide in Gaza.' In a DOE crackdown on 'politically one-sided materials that are deeply offensive to the Jewish community' being disseminated, Aviles-Ramos halted the release of mass communications sent to educators, students and parents without her approval. At the same time, an anti-Israel group, the Labor for Palestine Network, sent an email blast to city teachers on their DOE accounts calling for a May Day strike and other 'civil disobedience' to protest the Gaza war. The DOE said it would investigate. Last month, a flyer distributed in several Manhattan schools urged teachers voting in their union elections to back a campaign to divest pension funds from Israel. 4 Elias Rodriguez, 31 of Chicago, is charged in the May 21 murders of two Israeli embassy workers in Washington, D.C. Katie Kalisher via Storyful The flyers came after the cold-blooded murder of two young Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C. by a gunman who yelled, 'Free Palestine.' The United Federation of Teachers disavowed the flyers. The DOE said it removed them from schools. Karen Feldman, a middle-school teacher and Holocaust educator studying the rise of antisemitism in NYC public schools, said the mounting incidents 'point to a systemic issue.' 'We must all demand stronger oversight and safeguards to ensure public institutions do not become platforms for hate,' she said. Asked whether the Brooklyn school had reported the emails, a DOE spokeswoman said, 'We are investigating this matter and will address it as appropriate with disciplinary action, community engagement, and educational intervention.' Officials said the DOE has identified who sent previous anti-Israel emails, but would not elaborate on 'personnel matters.'
New York Post
10-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
UFT 'stunt' violates school rules as NYC mayoral hopefuls vie for endorsement
NYC mayoral candidates likely violated long-standing rules forbidding the use of school visits for political purposes to participate in an endorsement 'stunt' by the powerful teachers' union, The Post has learned. With the blessing of schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, the United Federation of Teachers announced in March that candidates must spend a full day teaching in a NYC public school to be considered for its endorsement. 'To be eligible for the UFT endorsement, you will need to spend at least seven (7) periods in a public-school classroom, helping the teacher and paraprofessional with lessons, classroom management, and whatever needs to be done to keep the students engaged,' read an invitation to candidates from Vanecia Wilson, director of the UFT's Political Action Department. Advertisement 8 The UFT enforced a new requirement for endorsement in the NYC mayoral race this year: each candidate had to teach for a day in a city public school. Jack Forbes / NY Post Design 'If you choose not to participate, we will not consider you for mayor,' read the invite that went to 12 Democratic, GOP and independent candidates. 'Mayoral candidates have traditionally promised to listen to educators and to base their education policies on the recommendations of the people doing the work,' UFT President Michael Mulgrew said in a press release. 'Then they get in City Hall and all that goes out the window . . . If you want our endorsement you have to understand the work we do.' Advertisement The UFT picked the schools where the candidates would teach, and put a union staffer in the classroom 'to facilitate' if necessary. Aviles-Ramos 'signed off' on the plans, and the press was banned. 8 City schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos signed off on the union requirement, according to an emailed invitation. Gabriella Bass The Post confirmed that at least four mayoral candidates — former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, state Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-Queens), Comptroller Brad Lander and former Comptroller Scott Stringer — all taught for a day last month. Lander said he taught third-graders what a comptroller does and served as a judge on a mock 'Shark Tank' competition at PS 96 in East Harlem. Advertisement Ramos visited PS 224 in East New York where she prepped students for state math exams, participated in an exercise about Earth Day and spoke with teachers about chronic absenteeism. 8 Former NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, at a town hall this month, spent a day at PS/IS 30 in Sunset Park in April. Kevin C Downs forThe New York Post 8 NYC Comptroller Brad Lander taught 3rd graders at PS 96 to meet the UFT's requirement. Robert Miller Stringer went to PS/IS 30 in Sunset Park and helped a class of English language learners with math drills. Advertisement State Sen. Zelnor Myrie (D-Brooklyn) is 'scheduled to teach soon, and [is] looking forward to it,' a spokeswoman said. In a 'Good Day New York' interview Tuesday, Mulgrew said Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D-Queens) and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-Queens) also taught in schools for a day. Mulgrew, who was seen Friday in Lower Manhattan chanting alongside Cuomo at a rally for gun safety, said the UFT endorsement will come in June. 8 UFT President Michael Mulgrew appeared on 'Good Day New York' for Teacher Appreciation Day on Tuesday. FOX 5 At least one candidate refused the offer because it appears to blatantly violate Chancellor's Regulation D-130, which restricts political activities in school buildings. 'While I think I am the best candidate to support our courageous public school teachers, I cannot agree with the UFT's process for making its endorsement,' Jim Walden, a lawyer running a longshot independent campaign, told The Post. 'Chancellor's Regulation D-130 makes clear that public schools should not be used for political purposes. The endorsement process is, by definition, political,' he said. 'I hope the UFT will grant me an exemption from this requirement. If not, I will not be seeking its endorsement.' 8 Independent candidate and former federal prosecutor Jim Walden hopes the UFT will grant him an exemption. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement The regulation, which applies to DOE employees, states that candidates can visit schools if approved by the principal, but that 'schools must request and seek to ensure that such visits are not to be used as vehicles for personal political purposes.' The rules also prohibit any person, group, or committee to use any school during school or business hours 'on behalf of, or for the benefit of any elected official, candidate, candidates, slate of candidates or political organization/committee.' David Bloomfield, an education law professor at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center, said mayoral candidates should have done their due diligence before agreeing to the UFT's 'quid pro quo.' 'Woe betide the poor principals who gave in to this stunt, which appears to violate one or more protocols of D-130,' Bloomfield said. Advertisement 8 David Bloomfield is an education law professor at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center. 'Teachers, too, need to beware of actions that can be construed as campaigning for their classroom visitor,' he added. Investor Whitney Tilson, seeking the Democratic nomination, said he would guest teach but isn't seeking the UFT's endorsement, according to Chalkbeat. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa said he would take part, though it's not clear if he did or is scheduled to do so. The DOE acknowledged that candidates are not permitted to visit schools as a condition for political endorsement by any group, but said regulations carve out 'allowable conditions' for visits. Spokespersons for the DOE and City Hall refused to specify the conditions. Advertisement 8 Mayor Adams made a mental health announcement in a Lower Manhattan subway station this week. Paul Martinka The UFT insisted the regulations were followed. 'Providing anyone who wants to be New York City's next mayor an opportunity to see what goes on in our classrooms is a net benefit for our students, educators and for public education,' Mulgrew said in a statement provided to The Post. A veteran teacher blasted the move. Advertisement 'I would not judge a mayor on classroom skills,' said Arthur Goldstein, a part-time ESL teacher at Francis Lewis HS in Queens who retired after 39 years in the DOE. 'And I'm sorry, but one day in a classroom with big shots standing around does not make you understand what teaching entails.'
