De Blasio, Expanding an Education Program, Dismisses Past Approaches
“Mr. de Blasio, appearing at a school in Brooklyn, said that he would add 69 schools to the Community Schools Initiative, which provides services like counseling, dental care and vision screening in school buildings, bringing the total to 215. The program has decreased absenteeism in many schools but has not yet led to major academic gains. And then he took aim at previous administrations. “I think we were all sold a bill of goods in the past — for generations — that there was a serious effort to create equity in our school system,” Mr. de Blasio said. “There wasn’t.” The mayor said his initiatives — including expanding early childhood education and putting reading coaches in elementary schools, with the goal of having all children reading on grade level by third grade in 2026 — were finally narrowing the gaps between historically good and bad schools.”