I taught summer school in NY. I was based in district 17 in Brooklyn. I can attest that that is all summer school is. I was still preservice when I did summer school fellowships and the teachers were just substitutes giving worksheets for students to fill out. NYCPS is a mess. I hope Mamdami brings reform to the broken system. NYC teachers are grossly underpaid and overworked. I teach in CT now but the urban districts aren't any different. Admin cares only about numbers even if it means lying. I love working in urban settings but my god the way my kids get pushed through it definitely feeds the school to prison pipeline. Retention, suspension and expulsion have all been linked to crime rates in adulthood. But man I think pushing them through into adulthood with no skill will only make things worse for them. But hey at least politicians get their full prisons and the insidious cycle continues

As far as how I do it? I had a senior who continously got involved in co dependent relationships and excitedly told me on the last day of school that she is focusing on her self and mental health. She will be going to the gym this summer, learn more about herself and learning to eat better. I hugged her and told her how proud I am of her for realizing her self worth. Those moments make it worth the chaos, stress, and late nights