The 74 Million – Mareesa Nicosia
“American middle schools were once described by the education policymaker Cheri Yecke as “where academic achievement goes to die.” In New York City on Thursday, a group of about 100 residents and advocates who appeared to agree with Yecke’s assessment rallied at City Hall, demanding that Mayor Bill de Blasio make middle school improvement a priority, specifically in eight low-performing districts they dubbed “middle school deserts.” The rally was organized by StudentsFirstNY, the pro-charter-school organization that advocates loosening teacher tenure protections, among other policies, and has been highly critical of de Blasio.”(more)