Slow learners

Just 21 of the 78 schools in Mayor de Blasio’s signature school turnaround plan have made enough academic progress to leave its umbrella — proof that, after millions of dollars and too many lost years, that Hizzoner and Chancellor Carmen Fariña haven’t managed to pull off the expensive magic they promised.

Three years ago, de Blasio launched his Renewal Schools program, stating “We will demand fast and intense improvement.”

How? With every tool in the progressive kit: tons of extra support services, nonprofit partners, new teacher training, lengthier school days and, of course, plenty of money.

Specifically, $582 million through this school year — that’s above and beyond the $20,000-plus in per-pupil funding we already lay out.

De Blasio’s strategy was advertised as the perfect counterpoint to the draconian approach of Mayor Bloomberg and his schools chancellors, who closed schools “casually” — and, de Blasio typically fails to mention, simultaneously opened hundreds of new, small, innovative schools (including charters) in their place.

Monday, Fariña announced that after three years of exhaustive interventions, just over a quarter of the Renewal Schools are fit to move on up. Their kids have made gains in English and math sufficient to qualify them for another program with another set of special services, called “Rise.” And good for them. But nine schools, which were treading water, are now shutting down outright; five are merging.

The 46 schools staying in the program have seen average gains of just 8.5 percentage points over three academic years in the share of kids passing state English exams, and just two percentage points in math. That’s neither fast nor intense.

De Blasio and Fariña say 2018, year four, will bring far bigger gains. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day, to the last syllable of recorded time.