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APRIL 2004

A Retrospective View by NYC's Former
Deputy Chancellor
by Diana Lam

Experience is a powerful teacher. Public perception matters. As a public servant, I had a clear responsibility to make decisions and choices that were beyond any possible appearance of impropriety. My effort to consult and communicate prior to and throughout the process of my husband's application to work in the New York City Public Schools counts for little beside the fact that the wise course would have been for him to apply outside the city. The resulting controversy has done a disservice to the children and their families and educators who work daily on behalf of improving our students' education. I offer each one my apology.

The center of my thoughts as an educator has always been on children. A year missed can lead a child to a life of struggle. There is no time to be lost. When the sense of urgency about children's lives is at the center of the discussion, the need for change becomes evident. Change is difficult to accept and it invariably stirs controversy.

During my tenure as Deputy Chancellor for Teaching and Learning, my agenda has been about equity. I have worked to provide a set of clear expectations to the internal and external public that our students do have the capacity to learn, if they are taught well. I have focused on groups that traditionally have not had access to the rich opportunities that public education can provide. I have also advocated for building a support system for our students and teachers. I have great faith in our teachers' capacity to implement a rich curriculum with appropriate professional development. My efforts have been to focus the work on the instructional agenda because it is easy to be distracted with everything else that demands attention.

There are philosophical differences with some of the decisions made, for example, the reading program. What constitutes the core literacy curriculum is not new to New York City. In fact, the approach has been used extensively in many areas of the city including the former Districts 2 and 15. My major contribution in the area of literacy was, first, to insist that our students are capable of rigorous learning while acknowledging the importance of phonics as one of several reading components. Second, to identify several intervention programs to address the individual needs of students early on. And, thirdly, to ensure that all students are exposed to real books by investing extensively in classroom libraries.

Another issue raised as controversial is the education of the talented and gifted. My only public comment centered on being more inclusive in the admissions criteria, addressing an issue flagged by the Office of Civil Rights. At no point have I suggested that Talented and Gifted programs be dismantled. I do think they can be improved.

Reflecting back on the most positive learning experience in one's schooling can illuminate how we learn best. Many of us can recall that we learned in different ways and came to recognize there are several routes to knowledge, not a single scripted route that some promote. Our answers about how we learned best probably agree with the current understanding of how most people learn—in active, hands-on situations where what we do matters and has consequences.

The work of transforming urban public schools so that all children, including low-income and minority, achieve high academic levels is our shared mission and my life's work. In this 50th anniversary year of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, we know the journey is unfinished. There is much to be done and no time to waste.#

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