Ed Notes Online: NYCDOE Charter Hits Keep Coming on PAVE Favoratism as DOE to Hold Hearing But Won't Tell Anyone Details

Monday, May 6, 2013

NYCDOE Charter Hits Keep Coming on PAVE Favoratism as DOE to Hold Hearing But Won't Tell Anyone Details

Please note that if you would like the specific amendment to PAVE’s charter, please file a FOIL request with the DOE’s Records Officer. .... Sonia Park, NYC DOE Charter Schools Accountability & Support, 212.374.6883

The hearing is today. Another Tweedie perpetrating another outrage unreported by the semi-useless NYC Press corps.

Remember billionaire run PAVE charter, which we give credit to for turning on the motor of activism for Julie Cavanagh? They moved out of PS 15 and got their own 34 million building. You see charters aren't supposed to have Pre-K. But if pre-k kids go to a great public school like PS 15 they won't want to leave to go to semi-dysfunctional PAVE. So PAVE is trying the oft-used ploy used by Eva's Success chain of going around the rules -- with the encouragement of the DOE which wants the competing public school to die as soon as possible so they can make the buildings available to charters. By stealing kids in pre-k, advantage charter.

Aside from the lack of transparency noted by Jim below, I thought NY state had determined it was illegal for charter schools to get state funding for preK; can someone please clarify?.. Leonie Haimson

I'm sure the DOE will bend any rules they have to and will be supported by the criminals at State Ed.

Jim Devor is on the case: Read bottom up.

Are you serious? You intend to hold a public hearing on a proposed amendment to a Charter School's Charter AND you decline to make the actual proposal public before the hearing?

AND even though I made the document request almost a week ago, you tell me to file a FOIL request less than two and 1/2 hours before the hearing begins?

AND you plan to retroactively approve the results a lottery held approximately one month ago in violation of the school's then existing Charter?

AND the Division of Early Childhood intends to approve an application by PAVE Academy for a pre-K affiliate - thereby displacing a Red Hook Seniors program - even when (by the DoE's own data) there is capacity for 750 more seats in existing Red Hook public elementary schools?

AND you really think that this blatant attempt to contravene the Charter School Act's prohibition against pre-K Charter admissions will pass legal muster?

Is Orwell's Big Brother your patron saint or just your role model?

________________________

Jim Devor; President, CEC-15     Follow me on Twitter: @JimDevor    “Who does this guy Jim Devor think he is?” -- NY Times; Nov. 23, 2012

From: Park Sonia <SPark15@schools.nyc.gov>
To: "James W. Devor, Esq.
Cc: Marlin Carrie <CMarlin@schools.nyc.gov>; Lewis Daree <DLewis14@schools.nyc.gov>; Campo Maria <MCampo3@schools.nyc.gov>
Sent: Monday, May 6, 2013 3:24 PM
Subject: RE: CSD 15 Public Hearing Notice: Charter Revision

Mr. Devor,

This is a summary of the proposed charter amendment to the PAVE Academy Charter School.

On March 25, 2013, PAVE Academy Charter School submitted a proposal to amend its charter. The school is proposing to amend its Charter in regards to its Enrollment process. Specifically, PAVE Academy administrators and trustees would enroll Kindergarten students one year and five months in advance of their first day of Kindergarten. Subsequent to Kindergarten enrollment, PAVE Academy Charter School will recommend students selected via the lottery to attend PAVE Pre-Kindergarten, a separate non-profit organization that has responded to the Office of Early Childhood’s RFP process for full day Pre-Kindergarten seats. To clarify, students who are selected in PAVE Academy Charter School’s Kindergarten lottery one year and five months in advance are not required to attend PAVE Pre-Kindergarten.

Please note that if you would like the specific amendment to PAVE’s charter, please file a FOIL request with the DOE’s Records Officer.

Best regards,

Sonia C. Park

NYC DOE Charter Schools Accountability & Support

212.374.6883

website: http://schools.nyc.gov/charters

From: James W. Devor, Esq.
Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 4:12 PM
To: Park Sonia
Cc: Cec15 D15; Dan Wiley; Campo Maria; Marlin Carrie; Barboza Meg; Sternberg Marc
Subject: Re: CSD 15 Public Hearing Notice: Charter Revision

Dear Ms. Park,

I have recently been made aware of a "public hearing" regarding a proposal to permit PAVE Academy charter school in Red Hook to hold its K admissions lottery seventeen months in advance (sic). Frankly, given our prior correspondence on the subject, I am disappointed that neither you nor anyone from your office showed me the courtesy of informing me directly about the "public hearing".

Nevertheless, in order to adequately prepare for and comment upon said proposal, demand is hereby made for copies (preferably electronic but paper will suffice) of all documents submitted to the NYC Department of Education and its various departments and offices by PAVE Academy and all of its subsidiaries and affiliates in support of its application to amend its Charter with the New York City Department of Education. Appropriate redaction of personal identifying information would be acceptable.

As you know the hearing is scheduled for next Monday. As such, time is of the essence. We are aware this is a very short deadline. The very limited time available, however, is ENTIRELY of the DoE's own making. Accordingly, we expect IMMEDIATE compliance with this demand.

Thanks in advance for your anticipated courtesy and assistance.

Very truly yours,
_____________
Jim Devor; President, CEC-15

From: Campo Maria
Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 5:33 PM
To: Tsang Helen; White Mary F.; Rosales Juan; Pankratz Connie; Wong Alice; Puglia Devon ; Marlin Carrie; Skop Anita
Cc: Orbegoso Yolanda; Cheong Yoo Jin; Barboza Meg; Lewis Daree; Cruz Jorge
Subject: CSD 15 Public Hearing Notice: Charter Revision

Hi all-

Attached is the notice for an upcoming public hearing around a charter revision for a DOE-authorized charter school:

·         PAVE Academy Charter School- CSD 15 on 5/6/13

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Maria

Maria E. Campo

Director of Oversight, Cohort 3

Charter Schools Accountability and Support

New York City Department of Education

(212) 374-5419

mcampo3@schools.nyc.gov

http://schools.nyc.gov/charters

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"A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford

What media call "philanthropy" for the public schools are actually seed monies to establish a private "market" in publicly-financed education - an enterprise worth trillions if successfully penetrated by corporate America. Cory Booker, one of the "New Black Leaders" financed by the filthy rich, is key to creating a "nationwide corporate-managed schools network paid for by public funds but run by private managers.

"Ed Reformers" want to cash in on public education and to control its content and outcome, not improve it. Provide great education? Baby boomers had as close as this country has ever gotten to it when we were growing up. The Ed Reform Movement has no interest in seeing such a well-educated, democratically astute population ever again.

http://blackagendareport.com/content/cory-booker-clear-and-present-threat-public-education

History of the UFT Pre-Weingarten Years

This award-winning series of articles by Jack Schierenbeck originally appeared in the New York Teacher in 1996 and 1997.

Naturally, from a certain point of view. But, despite certain biases, Schierenbeck, a great guy, was one of the best NY Teacher reporters so this is worth reading. Jack suffered a debilitating stroke many years ago (I used to get secret donations to ed notes from him through a 3rd source.)

This chapter looks interesting:

Class struggles: The UFT story, part 3

“The schism in the union over radical politics [is] a major reason for stalling the growth of a teacher union for decades.” Revolutionary politics and ideology take center stage, as the original Teachers Union becomes a battlefield, pitting leftist against leftist and splitting the union.

Clarence Taylor's "Reds at the Blackboard" focused on the old Teachers Union which disbanded in 1964 after suffering from anti-left attacks.

Of course for another view, check out the review at New Politics of the Kahlenberg Bio on Shanker by Vera Pavone and me: Albert Shanker: Ruthless Neocon

Effective Union Organizing

A video series put together by Jason Mann from the British Columbia Federation of Teachers about social media and how to use it for effective union organizing.

The first series was called New Media For Union Activists Roadmap and it's still available on-line at:
http://www.newmediabootcamp.ca/welcome/
I watched some of them and need to rewatch as they are loaded with information.

The second series started last week and it's called "Online Campaigning for Union Activists"

You can sign up for this free series at :
http://act.bcfed.ca/online-campaigning-for-union-activists/

You Don't Have A Choice - Join the Revolt

Ex-Harlem Success Teacher Comments on Eva the Diva

Ex-HSA Teacher has left a new comment on your post "Fear and Loathing at Evil's Harlem Success Empire ...":

I am a former Harlem Success teacher. Not many people who work/worked for her like her very much. I once made the comment that she is very nice when I first was hired. Two of her closest colleague responded immediately almost in unison, "Eve is not nice!" Over time I realized that there was a lot of political games going on. Another colleague once said to me that he was tired of "being part of a political campaign." Sending out 15,000 applications for only 400 seats in a school is reprehensible. The money that paid for those mass mailings could have paid the yearly salary of another teacher not to mention the heartache of all those parents who applied but did not get a spot. She does good work trying to give disadvantaged students a quality public school education but at a great cost to staff AND the school's educational budget! school budget.

Davis Guggenheim Compared to Riefenstahl

“Waiting for Superman" is the second most intellectually dishonest piece of documentary work I have seen. It is surpassed only by Leni Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will," the pro-Hitler propaganda classic, in that regard. Uses personal narratives of adorable children to create narrative suspense that overrides public policy discussion with pure emotion in unscrupulous attack on teachers and their unions, among others

Timothy Tyson
Professor of African American Studies and History
Duke University

How Teaching Experience Makes a Difference

Even as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Michelle Rhee and others around the nation are arguing for experienced teachers to be laid off regardless of seniority, every single study shows teaching experience matters. In fact, the only two observable factors that have been found consistently to lead to higher student achievement are class size and teacher experience, so that it’s ironic that these same individuals are trying to undermine both.
- Leonie Haimson on Parents Across America web site

Full article with charts here.

Weingarten/Gates Foundation announce drone-driven teacher evaluation

According to a press release issued by the Gates Foundation, the AFT and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, these three have entered a ground-breaking partnership to evaluate teachers utilizing the drone technology that has revolutionized warfare in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. A bird-size device floats up to 400 feet above a classroom and instantly beams live video of teachers in action to agents at desks at Teacher Quality Inspection Stations established by the AFT and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

When asked if the drones were authorized to drop bombs on teachers who exhibit inadequacy, Chester E. Finn, Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, replied, "Don't be ridiculous. Gates money puts other methods at our disposal."

Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.5-million-member American Federation of Teachers said the powerful union has signed on to the drone project...

More at Substance

The Real Reason Behind Push for Standardized Tests: It's All About the Adults

On standardized testing in our schools

A must read article about the standardized test industry.
Written by an insider who has worked as a test scorer, the article outlines a multinational industry based on an army of temporary workers paid by the piece at $0.30 to $0.70 per test, translated in the need to grade 40 tests per hour to make a $12 salary. The article goes on to show how the companies gauge the grading "results" based on the need to ensure new contracts to continue profiting off of our youth. The original article is from Monthly Review. Here it is on Schools Matter blog.

http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2010/12/on-growing-use-of-corporate-test.html

Parallels between America today and Germany in the 1920's and early 30's

"Resentment and obstruction are all the right wing in America have to peddle. Their policies are utterly discredited. Their ideology - even by its own standards - is a sham. They are so bereft of leaders, their de facto leader is a former drug addicted, thrice-divorced radio talk show host. That is literally the best they can muster. But they have built a national franchise inciting the downwardly mobile to blame the government, not the right, for their problems, exactly as Hitler did in the 1920s."

The US Is Facing a Weimar Moment

Published on Sunday, March 15, 2009 by CommonDreams.org

Chicago View of Unity/UFT on Charters

After many meetings and debates, the Chicago delegation succeeded in working with the New York United Federation of Teachers, Local 2 (UFT) to push the AFT to take stronger stands on charter school accountability and school closings — though many delegates from Chicago would have liked the language to have been even stronger.

Generally speaking, the New York delegation represented organizing charters as the best model for handling their role in reshaping unions, despite the fact that according to many reports few charter schools in New York have been organized as is the case in Chicago. This logic is the same touted by the Progressive Caucus of the AFT. The few that have been organized are a part of the UFT local though they have separate contracts negotiated with the help of UFT. The Chicago delegation reflection the mindset that allowing new charters to continue to proliferate while attempting to organize existing charters is an end game in which public schools and the union lose.

Jen Johnson, CTU, Local 1 in Substance

Ed Notes Greatest Hits: HSA Rally and Founding of GEM

SEE MY VIDEO ON HARLEM SUCCESS RALLY 2009:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEp7rg_L5JI

Angel Gonzalez and I attended that rally and used the footage to promote our conference on Mar. 28, 2009, which is where the concept of a group like GEM emerged. Until then we had basically been a committee of ICE working with the NYCORE high stakes testing group. The actions of Eva and crew helped spawn GEM. Mommie Dearest!!

I have more video somewhere. I was hoping to get Leni Riefenstahl to edit it but she died. We would have called it "Triumph of the Hedge Fund Operators."

Ed Notes Extended

Monday, May 6, 2013

NYCDOE Charter Hits Keep Coming on PAVE Favoratism as DOE to Hold Hearing But Won't Tell Anyone Details

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