Teresa Ranieri asks for baseline funding for NYC Reads and Solves to support Portrait

Good evening.

Thank you for your time.

My name is Teresa Ranieri, and I've been an educator in New York City public school system for over 30 years.

The portrait of a graduate begins with our youngest learners in kindergarten, as they learn to think critically, communicate effectively, and use what they've learned beyond the classroom.

That's why I'm asking for the council for baseline funding for New York City and New York City Solves so that we can help create this portrait of a graduate.

We need to provide recurring funding so my children are prepared to be these young adults we heard today.

It goes beyond a curriculum.

It is teacher professional learning, time for collaboration, coaching, and implementation support.

Not only has it been successful in my school, students decode and write, but it goes beyond that with vocabulary and background knowledge.

Aligned with your portraits of a graduate, we complete inquiry and research projects, go on field trips supporting modules,

and these are the foundations for capable readers, effective communication, critical thinkers, engaged citizens that we want all of our students to become.

I've heard you say repeatedly today, and I was very happy, what support are our teachers going to have?

Teachers need continued professional learning and coaching so they can make thoughtful instructional decisions and respond to the students sitting in front of them.

Students who need additional support need access to targeted intervention and tutoring.

Family needs me.

meaningful opportunities.

We need to invest in the educators that are before all of our students, kindergarten through high school.

But my concern is this won't happen with donations if there's not baseline funding so that our kindergartners can be those that you saw today.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And just one point to make about that.

I appreciate the recognition that

You hear this committee talk a lot about training teachers, and you hear from the Affinity Network say it isn't just a couple of trainings.

It is deep, engaging work that needs to be done.

One of the elements of the $280,000 we got for the Youth Journalism Coalition, like so much other funding, it helps leverage private funding.

But you have, you know, this council is committed to investing in the things that we know work and help educate our students.

And so, you know, I won't talk more about the money, but again, I'll reiterate, this can be done internally through the DOE, through our professionals here, not through

outsized contracts.

Wood outside contractors are those, and they are mostly not-for-profit organizations, but they come in.

eight, ten times a year.

They're not a part of the community.

They don't know our children, the families, the teachers, and that speaks volumes.