Sy Fliegel & Joel Klein in Conversation at our Forum

STC had the pleasure of hosting Sy Fliegel & Joel Klein in conversation at our Forum last May in Newark. In their candid and inspiring talk, they tackled the big issues facing education and reform in the US. Shortly after this conversation, Joel Klein retired from his position as Chancellor of NYC Pulic Schools, and he had a few insights into his position, such as: "I've taken a lot of punches in this job. It kills me to see all these kids who are capable of so much more... it isn't about me. If I leave tomorrow, I promise my income will go up my multiples. Indeed it came down by multiples when I took this job and I've been here 8 years without a raise so that says something about my judgment. It's not about me." "What's the most important lesson I've learned in these 8 years? The school system doesn't want to change. It wants more money, but it doesn't want to change." "If we've got principals who don't know how to pick their AP's (assistant principals), we have to fire those principals." During the talk, Joel Klein, former New York City Schools Chancellor, discussed NYC's ARIS technology (Achievement Reporting and Innovation System) and how it provides teachers with immense amounts of data on each child in the system, allowing the teachers to be more effective. Sixty percent of NYC teachers are now collaborating through this database. NYC has also launched a horizontal platform that allows teachers to form their own wikis and use technology to better collaborate. Sy Fliegel, President of the Center for Educational Innovation -- Public Education Association (CEI-PEA), discusses some areas for improvement within New York City's education system, including his thoughts on providing equity. Don't miss this very important conversation concerning education today, not only in NYC, but in the entire US.