Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

New York City’s mayor mandates computer science curriculum for public schools

By

Computer Music
If New York’s Silicon Alley is to compete with California’s Silicon Valley, the Big Apple is going to have to find a way to nurture talent and instill interest in technology from a young age. And now, thanks to New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio’s new computer science mandate, the battle between the two coasts may have just swung a bit in the east’s favor.

On Wednesday, Mayor De Blasio announced that all city public schools will have to offer computer science to all their students within the next decade, and while it will not be a graduation requirement for high schoolers, the change marks a distinct effort to expand computer literacy and further opportunities for New York youth with an increasingly important skill set.

Recommended Videos

The move comes as part of a broader education plan, which the mayor announced in a comprehensive speech Wednesday evening. Computer science and programming, though, is certainly a major focus for the politician, who noted that, “A computer science education is literacy for the 21st century. When you do find students in computer class, they’re learning word processing or typing when they should be learning how to code.”

Related

The expansion of computer science classes will be no small undertaking — over the next 10 years, the city plans to spend $81 million to help train a sufficient number of teachers to actually offer the curriculum. As of today, fewer than 10 percent of schools in the city offer any sort of computer science course, and only 1 percent of students manage to graduate having taken such a class.

But with growing concerns over the lack of diversity in the tech industry, particularly when it comes to engineering and programming roles, the need for greater access to these skills is becoming more and more pronounced. Parents certainly seem to be on board with the changes, with parents like Jennifer Rivera telling local CBS2 News, “I do think it’s very important for the kids. [My son] wants to be a scientist when he gets older, so it’ll be awesome for him.”

Another parent, Yakema Brisman, told the news station, “For my kids and considering the changing times, I want them to be able to keep up with it and do it safely.”

So while it may have just been reading, writing, and arithmetic when we were in school, children of the 21st century are receiving an education that is including literacy in a brand new subject — computers.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Lulu Chang
Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Trying to buy a GPU in 2023 almost makes me miss the shortage
Two AMD Radeon RX 7000 graphics cards on a pink surface.

The days of the GPU shortage are long over, but somehow, buying a GPU is harder than ever -- and that sentiment has very little to do with stock levels. It's just that there are no obvious candidates when shopping anymore.

In a generation where no single GPU stands out as the single best graphics card, it's hard to jump on board with the latest from AMD and Nvidia. I don't want to see another GPU shortage, but the state of the graphics card market is far from where it should be.
This generation is all over the place

Read more
HP printers are heavily discounted in Best Buy’s flash sale
The HP - OfficeJet Pro 8034e Wireless All-In-One Inkjet Printer on a desk with a smartphone.

There’s good news in store if you’re looking to land a new printer at a discount this weekend. Best Buy is having a 48-hour flash sale on HP printers, with several that can compete with the best printers seeing some good prices. HP is almost always one of the best laptop brands, and it’s one of the same when it comes to printers. So if you’re looking for a new home or office printer, read onward on how to save on an HP printer at Best Buy.
HP DeskJet 2755e — $60, was $85

The HP DeskJet 2755e is a good entry-level printer. It’s got you covered if your printing needs are pretty basic, or if you don’t need to print in mass. This is a color InkJet printer, which makes it good for almost all uses. It can also make copies and scan in color, and it has mobile and wireless printing functionality. You can get set up quickly and easily with the HP Smart app that guides you through the setup process, and you can also use this app to print, scan and copy documents from your phone.

Read more
This tiny ThinkPad can’t quite keep up with the MacBook Air M2
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3 rear view showing lid and logo.

While the laptop industry continues to move toward 14-inch laptops and larger, the 13-inch laptop remains an important category. One of the best is the Apple MacBook Air M2, with an extremely thin and well-built chassis, great performance, and incredibly long battery life.

Lenovo has recently introduced the third generation of its ThinkPad X1 Nano, one of the lightest laptops we've tested and a good performer as well. It's stiff competition, but which of these two diminutive laptops stands apart?
Specs and configurations

Read more