Boy, that's a mouthful.
With today's primaries promising to be somewhat important (my belief is that Obama has been damaged to such an extent, he will be hurting badly by tonight) I wanted to comment on a bunch of stuff related to the Democratic party and the splits going back 40 years to 1968.
Remember that year? Assassinations, the crazy Demo convention in Chicago, the UFT 3 month strike in Ocean-Hill Brownsville - all events that have major impact on today's events. Richard Kahlenberg's "Tough Liberal" spends a lot of time justifying Shanker's actions and blaming the New left, the New Democrats, the limousine liberals, etc for the problems the party has had.
As I read it I kept saying- this book came out at this time as justification for Hillary Clinton to be president. Do many of the attacks on Obama point back to 40 years of splits? Do the wounds of the '68 strike still play a role in the Obama-Clinton split? These are issues worth exploring and we'll take a shot at it at some point this week - if I can force myself to open up Kalhlenberg's book once again.
By the way, a review of Kahlenberg's book (funded by Eli Broad and other foundations that just love the ed reform teacher attack movment) written by Vera Pavone and myself will be published in New Politics summer edition. Interestingly, Michael Hirsh, a writer for the NY Teacher and a member of NP's board, will write a response in the following edition. Hmmm. Will Shanker/Kahlenberg come up smelling like roses? A funny thing, but the NY Teacher edition following our submission of the review had an article by Kahlenberg "explaining" Shanker's real position on charter schools.
Al had a lot of splaining to do that goes way beyond charter schools.
3 comments:
I wouldn't hold my breath for any 'splainin' from the UFT aristocracy.
You wrote, "Interestingly, Michael Hirsh, a writer for the NY Teacher and a member of NP's board, will write a response in the following edition. Hmmm. Will Shanker/Kahlenberg come up smelling like roses? A funny thing, but the NY Teacher edition following our submission of the review had an article by Kahlenberg "explaining" Shanker's real position on charter schools."
Norman, Norman, Norman, I don't know what's worse, your thinking my boy Mike Hirsch would want to perfume the Kahlenberg book in New Politics or your spelling Mike's name wrong. And believing Kahlenberg was roped in by The NY Teacher to answer an as-yet unpublished piece by you in a small, occasional magazine known only to four guys named Max is more than a tad overweening on your part. Wait until Mike's rejoinder comes out; then complain. Hey, you might even like it.
Hey Prisoner #9653 - obviously from deep in 52 Broadway and your name is obviously Max.
We do not think the NY Teacher Kahlenberg piece is more than a coincidence, but the pushing of Kahlenberg at UFT members is part of the UFT PR operation to counter what we and others might be saying that links the catastrophe that has befallen NYC teachers to policies advicated by Shanker.
They have to counteract the 5 people named Shlomo who read this blog. Was Mike Hirsch a bit purturbed when he heard we were writing a review? Is it possible there are 4 guys named Max and one gal named Randi who might notice? Will the UFT police make a note in his file?
As one UFT official told me: "Damn your blog. She keeps telling us about stuff she reads on the blogs and then we have to read your crap too."
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