.... More Boo Hoo as Randi Weingarten runs around the city crying about the way the Tweedles at the DOE are allocating the CFE money. Robert Jackson calls a press conference. The CFE's executive director, Geri Palast , Weingarten, and Jackson will urge state officials to reject it. if it is not revised. Palast said litigation would be a last resort. "Before we consider further court action, we must raise a ruckus here and now," she said.
Here's a way to raise a ruckus:
RESINSTATE THE DAMN MAY 9TH RALLY THAT WEINGARTEN SOLD OUT
A parent on the NYC Education News listserve wrote:
On reviving the May 9th parent rally -- I vote for rescheduling it to the Tuesday after Labor Day -- and bringing our kids with us! Having it on that day (with the attendant loss of state aid for the missing kids) might help penetrate Tweed's consciousness about adding school days without consulting with parents.
Make sure to race on over to Pissed off Mom's blog to read her take on holding a rally.
Klein and Weingarten: separated at birth
Here's the best from Weingarten:
"Ultimately, ultimately after teacher quality, lowering class size is the second most important factor in helping children."
In today's David Herzenhorn finale to the ed beat in the Times, he quotes Joel Klein: “The most important thing in education is the quality of teachers,” Mr. Klein said.
They must have the same script writer.
Next time they use the term "teacher quality" ask them how you can tell a quality teacher. Or better yet, measure one. I don't know about others, but there were days (hours, minutes) when I was a quality teacher and times when I wasn't. Mornings I was top quality. After lunch, not so much.
Better yet, I was a higher quality teacher when class sizes were lower. Weingarten is putting the cart before the horse. Or is just behind the horse's ass.
I can't tell you what makes a quality teacher. It's one of those "You know one when you see one" deals.
This review came in from a teacher of Weingarten's appearance in the Bronx the other day at the DOE "hearing" where they gave everyone 2 minutes to talk.
Whining and mewling like a 6-mo. old kitten, speaking with no gravitas, dignity, or fire. She looked like she could be stepped on. When she was told she went past her 2 min. time -- as if she were just an ordinary public citizen -- she pleaded for extra minutes and whined something like "You only told us 3 days ago."
Being derelict in her duties as President of the Union. She should have been holding a press conference in front of cameras outside to make her points of non-inclusion in the process. She should have done everything that union leaders do. But no. She just looked like she was just one person in a small- size crowd. She made less impression than the group of 15 Spanish parents who actually spoke better, all carrying identical signs to back up their leaders' points. It was impressive, and it put the union to shame.
As for bringing up teacher quality at THIS meeting. It was off-point and gratuitous.
I never understood why Randi and most of the other coalition members believed the empty promises of the Tweedies and allowed Bloom/Klein to effectively disrupt and cancel our original rally...We had the Tweedies nervous and they were on the run...Parents got little or nothing in return...Lets be honest...Our side blinked...I know many CPAC members wanted the rally to go forward, even after the UFT bailed out...A parents rally is needed now more than ever...
ReplyDeleteI totally agree David. A parent rally scares them. A teacher rally doesn't. Both together is the best.
ReplyDeleteI understand exactly why Randi did what she did. She is more with them no matter what she says. She has a similar agenda as Bloomberg-- to ne recognized nationally as a "reasonable" union leader. She never wants to be known as a traditional union leader.