Test scores, teaching methods, early childhood education, funding, remediation, recruitment and retention — all have a role to play in closing the achievement gap. But what about school buildings?

"Many people who talk about closing the gap don't even think about facilities," said Molly Hunter, director of the National Access Network at Teachers College, Columbia University. The network promotes educational opportunities for children, especially those from low-income families and those of color. Hunter was among the panelists discussing public school facilities at NYSUT's symposium on ending the achievement gap.

When faced with crunches, "schools defer maintenance," Hunter told one participant whose school in western New York has problems with cleanliness, mold and a falling ceiling.

"In our music room, every time it rains, we bring in garbage pails," said David Cates of the Buffalo Educators Support Team.

Sub-standard building conditions affect students, teachers and School-Related Professionals alike. Wendy Hord, NYSUT's health and safety specialist, said janitors have one of the highest rates of occupational asthma.

These conditions affect "morale and your students' ability to learn," said panelist Fred Koelbel, president of the New York State Association of Superintendents of Buildings and Grounds.

It's more difficult to improve school environments when tighter budgets are being blamed for a lack of proper maintenance, Koelbel said. He noted that 112 out of 120 districts surveyed recently reported that maintenance funding and staff were both being cut at a time when the amount of square footage to maintain is increasing.

Green leaning

The state Dormitory Authority stands ready to help K-12 schools with building construction and financing, according to the authority's Ira Bethea, and is "100 percent committed" to building with green initiatives.

The president of the state Energy Research and Development Authority, Paul Tonko, told the NYSUT symposium his agency has many free services available to educators, administrators, and school architects and engineers. These range from simple tools to online courses on high-performance design. NYSERDA has outfitted 50 schools with photovoltaic equipment and worked with teachers to integrate solar technology into their curriculum.

For all schools, he said, any look at energy begins with a school audit, which NYSERDA can provide. Schools, Tonko stressed, need to address wise use of water, efficiency in transportation, use of more day lighting, recycling and use of recycled materials, and how to maintain toxic-free environments.

"The entire educational community deserves to breathe cleaner air," he said.

— Liza Frenette