Overview:
The school system fails students by prioritizing rigid academics, excessive screen time, and tests over developmental needs, play, and teacher input, urging reforms that center children’s growth and well-being.
I have worked for the New York City Department of Education since 2005. I began as a teaching assistant while in high school, became a teaching scholar in college, substitute taught for six years, and have now taught full-time as a special education teacher for the past eleven years. Through all these roles, one truth has remained constant: our school system is broken.
I became a teacher to help children. I love working with them, and they respond positively because I put their needs first. But our system does not prioritize students or what they truly need to learn and grow. If we are serious about improving outcomes, policymakers and district leaders must confront this reality.
Over the years, the system has changed. Some changes are positive: we are more inclusive, recognize a wider range of disabilities, and have laws protecting students’ rights. Yet the negative changes outweigh the positive. Student absenteeism is at an all-time high. Many students are not reaching grade-level expectations in reading or math. Teachers are overworked, under-supported, and micromanaged. Why is this happening?
One major reason is that we fail to recognize children’s developmental needs. Anyone who studies childhood development can see the mismatch between how young children learn and how our schools operate. A five-year-old should not be sitting at a desk for five hours a day working on reading or math. Children under seven learn best throughplay, movement, exploration, and conversation. Studies show that play-based instruction strengthens language development, executive functioning, and social-emotional growth. When academic instruction becomes overly formal too early, it can undermine engagement and long-term achievement rather than accelerate it.
Why aren’t vocabulary, early literacy, shapes, and number sense embedded in purposeful play? Why do early childhood classrooms look more like test-prep centers than learning labs? In 2023, New York City reportedly invested $35 million in curriculum training and implementation. Imagine if even a portion of that funding had been directed toward developmentally appropriate, play-based models.
We should also look outward. Countries with strong academic performance and high student well-being prioritize outdoor learning, later formal academics, and teacher autonomy. For example, Finland starts formal schooling at age seven, emphasizes play and outdoor learning in the early years, and gives teachers significant autonomy (practices linked to both strong academic outcomes and student well-being). We can adapt what works without abandoning rigor.
Another systemic flaw is the exclusion of teachers from meaningful decision-making. Educators are on the front lines. We see what students need: movement breaks, hands-on lessons, and social-emotional support. Yet policies are often shaped by individuals far removed from daily classroom realities, particularly special education settings. If we want improvement, we must trust teachers as professionals. Most of us did not choose this profession for the salary; we chose it for the children.
Technology is another area where balance has been lost. Sitting a child on a device for hours each day is not helpful. In recentbudget negotiations, the City allocated $5 million for digital learning resources, including online programs and software. Technology must be limited and purposeful. Between assessments, online programs, and district mandates, children are on screens for much of the school day. Research shows that children who spend two to three or more hours on screens daily are at greater risk for behavioral problems, developmental delays, and weaker language outcomes than those with less than one hour.
Nearly all assessments are now digital. In the past three weeks alone, I administered two MAP assessments, one Datamate assessment, and one mock state test. Each took roughly two days to complete. That is eight days of lost instructional time in just three weeks. How is this serving our students?
If we truly want change, we must take concrete steps. Limit redundant and developmentally inappropriate assessments in the early grades. Require protected blocks of play-based and outdoor learning in Pre-K through Grade 2. Establish teacher input at the district level so classroom educators help shape policy decisions. Create clear, age-appropriate guidelines for daily screen use in elementary schools.
I write this in hope of change. Policymakers and district leaders in New York City must begin prioritizing students. Children deserve a curriculum that fits their developmental needs, schools that keep them healthy, engaged, and safe, and less screen time and more play time.
It’s time for policymakers and district leaders to stop forcing children to fit the system and start building a system that truly fits the children.
