Bloomberg, Adams Announce Summer Program at NYC Charter Schools

The city’s charter schools are earmarked for a $50 million investment in summer private and philanthropic programs led by former Big Apple Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Summer Boost NYC will cover an estimated 25,000 kindergarten through eighth graders recovering from the pandemic this summer for an average of five weeks.

“What we’re talking about today is the educational equivalent of Long COVID,” said Bloomberg, who joined Mayor Eric Adams for Monday’s announcement at City Hall. “The good news is we know how to treat it – extra help and intensive instruction.”

“I see this summer as a valuable opportunity to make up lost ground. We’re not going to miss that,” he said.

Students are tested at the beginning and end of the summer to measure their progress. Program leaders expected that some charter schools would use the funds to expand their own programs, while others could integrate the model curriculum that Bloomberg Philanthropies supports.

The announcement, a homecoming for both mayors – Bloomberg more than 8 years after his mayorship ended, while Adams returned from a week-long COVID quarantine – comes after the current administration last month expanded Summer Rising, the city’s summer school model.

Mayor Eric Adams pledged to expand this program to 110,000 elementary and middle school students, a more than 10% increase, according to city officials.

Both district and charter schools have access to Summer Rising, while Summer Boost NYC is restricted to the latter children. Some charter networks have been criticized for benefiting from public money while also having access to private funding, but Adams said he will not “get involved in the conversation of separating children by the name of the school they are in.” “.

“Every young person, whether in district schools or charter schools, deserves a quality education. That’s what the administration says. That’s what this mayor is doing today,” he said.

In addition to the two summer programs for elementary and middle school students, early in his tenure Adams added places to the city’s paid job and internship program for 14- to 24-year-olds, the Summer Youth Employment Program.

“I believe year-round school — I’ve made that clear,” Adams said. “Our kids need a structured education year-round to catch up and excel.”

Hizzoner has previously touted expanding summer programs for youth in response to rising crime as temperatures soar this summer. In just the past few weeks, schools have had to respond to a slew of security concerns, from lockdowns following the Brooklyn subway shooting to an intruder slashing a Bronx school security agent.

“During the summer months, crime increases,” he said. “Our goal is to house our children in safe spaces so we can reduce violence and get children in safe environments so they can continue to grow, learn and thrive during the summer months.”