12-thousand more students will have to spend part of their summer in school.
Dennis Walcott, NYC Schools Chancellor explains the benefits,
"I'd rather have more students in summer school to get the foundation for learning to prepare for September than missing students who then need that foundation and unfortunately will not get it over the summer."
Standards were raised by the state education department last year, requiring higher scores to pass the state math and English language arts tests. The increase in summer enrollment will reportedly cost the city 4 million dollars. Queens City council member Daniel Dromm is a former school teacher.
"One wonders if the educational programs that the chancellor has implemented are actually working. The increase in summer school shows that they're not."
Mayor Bloomberg explains both sides, "Summer school, in some sense it says we did not do enough during the year, in some senses we're giving the kids another opportunity for more help, which is what we should do. And we will find a way to pay for it."
Some Jackson Heights parents see a positive side to summer school.
"I think it's good. I think they should spend more time in school because a lot of these kids don't really know what's going on and I believe it's got to do with the parenting."
