The President is expected to sign the legislation. The Federal Class Size Reduction program provides critical assistance to reduce class sizes in New York City s schools where class sizes are almost 25 percent larger than the statewide average. New York City uses federal allocations to fund salaries of 808 new teachers for children from kindergarten through third grade, which will reduce class size for approximately 90,000 students. Funding is also available for professional development and in-service training for teachers in New York City schools. This funding is a huge victory for New York City s school children who deserve a quality education.
Smaller classes mean children get more attention from their teachers.
Teachers also win with this bill, because they receive much needed support in the classroom and funding for professional development programs, said Congressman Crowley. Congressman Crowley has been a fighter for legislation to bring class sizes down and retain quality teachers in urban public schools. In July, Congressman Crowley introduced H.R. 2659, the Urban Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act of 1999 which will provide funds to urban school districts to help recruit and retain teachers. The learning centers will provide educational after school programs in the school district. This funding is crucial to after school programs for school-aged children in Queens.