What do do about new Bloomberg PEP Puppet Judy Bergtraum

How sad. With that family history.

Has Bloomberg closed Murray Bergtraum yet?

How will Judy vote when he decides to close Edith Bergtraum?

Wait, wait, don't tell me.

...Diane Ravitch

She was at the last meeting and voted the Bloomberg party line. She did not speak. No questions or comments. I can't see how she was well informed enough to even vote. With the current governance model it doesn't really matter what qualifications his appointees have.  ---Non-Puppet Patrick Sullivan

And if the school boards become extinct?
"I’ll find some other way to get involved," Bergtraum promised.

NOTE: Not that she thinks it bad for school boards to become extinct.

Background: Bloomberg Puppet (and possible crook) Joe Chan Resigns from PEP

How to treat new Bloomberg PEP appointee Judy Bergtraum, a former teacher (now a lawyer) and the daughter of Murray and Edith, both teachers who had schools named after them? Some people are calling on escalated personal attacks (including home and business demos) to hold the puppets who vote whatever Bloomberg wants accountable.

Not that all reports on Judy Bergtraum are bad. Here is Leonie's report.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

News flash! The mayor appoints someone qualified to sit on the Panel for Educational Policy!

I am surprised that the DOE has not yet released any biographical information for Judy Bergtraum, the new member of the Panel for Educational Policy, whose appointment was announced several weeks ago.  She is from a well-known and educationally prominent Queens family, and until recently, was a Community Education Council member and president from District 25. 

Her mother was Edith Bergtraum, a teacher at Public School 143 in Corona for 25 years, who was also member of Community School Board District 25 in 1974 for 19 years. After her death, an elementary school in Queens (PS 165 in District 25) was renamed in Edith's memory.

Her father was Murry Bergtraum, who was a member of the NYC Board of Education from 1969-1973, first as its VP and then its president until his death in 1973.  He also has a school named after him: Murry Bergtraum HS for Business Careers in lower Manhattan, site of several loud and contentious PEP meetings.

Judy is a former teacher who became a lawyer, has worked in city government, was a school board member and then CEC member & president, and now is Deputy to the Vice Chancellor of the Office of Facilities Planning, Construction and Management at CUNY.

Unlike most of the mayoral appointees to the PEP, she has a long-standing interest and experience in public education. She appears to be the most qualified mayoral appointee to the PEP since it was established.  

A short interview with her in the Queens Tribune from several years ago is here; her professional resume is here. Her email is Judy.bergtraum@mail.cuny.edu

And this from someone who has worked with her:

What I can say about Judy Bergtraum is she is devoted to helping schools and education. As President of the Community School Board and the the appointee to the CEC she was effective and objective for the most part. I hope that on the PEP she considers things the same way as if it were D25. we worked very well together as she knew the parent factor was key to success. She is organized and is not afraid to go outside the box. Hopefully things have not changed that much.

Jane

Maybe there are miracles but if I get a chance at a PEP I think I will ask Judy directly if she has any idea what Bloomberg's minions have done to destroy the fabric of education at the school named in her dad's memory. She ought to have a chat with Chapter Leader John Elfrank. When the day comes as Diane Ravitch says above, will she vote Murry Bergtraum as a school out of existence like so many of the other large schools?

 Queens Tribune: http://www.queenstribune.com/archives/featurearchive/feature99/20/index.html

Judy on-Duty

Judy Bergtraum had very little choice but to get involved with education. It’s in her blood. "Both of my parents have had schools named after them. PS 165 in Flushing (Bergtraum’s alma mater) is called the Edith K. Bergtraum school, and there’s a high school in Manhattan named after my father," Bergtraum said.

After graduating from Forest Hills High School, Bergtraum (naturally) pursued a teaching career, instructing both regular and special education. But educators, she soon realized, were not the people making important educational decisions. Administrators were.

"I was once told by a prominent political figure that as a female, if I wanted to work in government, one way I could do it was to become an attorney. What he meant was that women, who don’t really have a leg up in government, can gain equal footing with an attorney’s title."

Now a law school graduate, Bergtraum says she has "the best of both worlds." She got that government job, serving as Deputy Commissioner for Deputy Citywide Administrative Services for the City of New York, and continues to work for children as a member of School Board District 25, for which she ran again as an incumbent on May 18.

And if the school boards become extinct?

"I’ll find some other way to get involved," Bergtraum promised. 

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