At the PEP: Cavanagh Challenges Black on Choices She Made for Her Children/UFT's Mendel Promises Resistance/Black Incoherent on NY1

Here are two videos plus a link to Cathie Black's almost incoherent comments on NY 1. This has got to be a joke Bloomberg is playing on educators all over the nation- his message that a buffoon running the largest school in the nation is preferable to anyone with real education experience. (See my comments to Black at the PEP the other day on this issue.)

Try this one out from Too-Chattie Cathie: "We know, study after study shows the most effective people in front of our students, are the best teachers possible.” Huh? Does anyone in the press have the guts to call her on this gibberish? One comment: "As a nation we celebrate our corporate leadership. Makes you wonder! Has she uttered an original thought yet?"

Paul Moore wrote:

One of the most shocking things I have ever witnessed! The Chancellor of the nation's largest public school system cannot form a coherent sentence. This is the best you could do Bloomberg? I realize that Ms. Black can serve as a model for some of the children of New York City but what about those who go beyond 3rd grade?

I stand at the ready Mayor Bloomberg if you are now ready to consider an upgrade in communication skills at the Chancellor's post.

Professor Irwin Corey

Steve Koss said:

Ahem.

I believe Ms. Black was referring to several formal studies published over the years by successive third grade classes at P.S. 87. Those third graders did indeed discover from their research that the most effective teachers deserved to be called the best.

Ms. Black's statements on "Inside City Hall" demonstrate that she is quickly coming up to speed as regards the central issues of public school education and that she is quickly assimilating the findings of serious educational research up to at least Grade 3 level.

At least this latest assertion by Ms. Black is one that she won't have to "refudiate."

Julie Cavanagh wrote:

Ridiculous one might say. And how does Ms. Black propose we choose the best teachers and layoff the apparently less-bestest (as she might say)?  Are we to leave this decision to principals alone so that teachers who stand up for kids are fired?  Are we to base the decision on test scores, for the teachers who generate them?  Will we base these decisions on the level of one's degree?  A survey?  What will be the standard for choosing our best teachers that apparently some mysterious research shows has nothing to do with years of experience... even though any educator and most parents would tell you that experience is one of the most significant factors in student achievement.  I can't believe they let her loose to speak again.

In the video below, Julie, a NYC decade long special ed teacher, holds Cathie Black's feet to the fire on choices she made for her own children: low class size and experienced teachers. UFT Officer Michael Mendel challenges Black to restore credibility to the system and declares the UFT will fight back on school closings, etc.
The UFT endorsed our Jan. 27 rally and Michael will deliver a fiery speech.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qglFL2HGBSo




Well, heading over to our Fight Back Friday Press conference at Tweed this afternoon where will attempt to deliver an invite to Cathie to come to our Jan. 27 rally just down the block from Tweed.


Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on right for news bits.