Randi, Cami and Newark: Anyone for a Quisling Reference?

These two have a long history together. The dynamic works like this: Randi gives Cami whatever she wants, then complains about Cami exercising the freedoms that Randi has given her. It's sort of like the dynamic Randi is alleged to have with everyone else, except the 'gives', and later the 'complaints', are more pronounced and eye catching than anywhere else....she's not just given the keys to a reformer, Randi has given the keys to a loser reformer. ... JG on MORE Discussion list

This is so much shit it is not funny. They make veteran teachers' lives a living hell. They transfer us, give us lousy evaluations and refuse to listen to a word we say. The administrators in my two most recent schools all parrot the same crap about Common Core. It is like talking to the wall. The newbies live in fear.... Newark veteran teacher

I reported on the attempt to destroy pub ed in Newark and the resistance the other day Klein Klone Kami Gets Pushback Over Attack on Publ... 

So Randi actually has the nerve to make these comments after helping force a contract down the throats of the Newark teachers. My anon friend quoted above despises Randi.

Weingarten cited what she called “grievance upon grievance” lodged by union members who say the district has not lived up to its pledges, which included additional support and coaching of lower-performing teachers. Of Anderson, Weingarten said she has “turned her back and stopped listening to teachers’ voices. . . . She has said tough luck, and if you can’t do it, you’ll be fired.”

Worst Person in the World

DUHHH, Randi! You mean you couldn't trust a snake like Cami Anderson? City after city falls to the idiocy of a union leadership falling into the trap of ed deform. Randi could make the same statement and just change the name of the city and the slug in charge.

A comment on one of the listserves made this point: "Quisling Rat Weingarten who snared Newark teachers with her dirty deal with Christie and Cami Anderson whines about the trap she helped set."

RBE at Perdido Street did a hit on Randi's bullshit today:

Weingarten is so full of crap every time she opens her mouth in criticism of Bloomberg. She was integral to the Bloomberg Reform Agenda when she was leading the UFT and later when she moved over to the AFT... she got teacher raises for her "collaboration" with Bloomberg. But the salary increases teachers received for conceding on seniority and other givebacks has in the end turned into blood money....the Newark contract that sold out teachers was pushed by Weingarten and hailed as a new model for teacher contracts......Calling Randi Weingarten Out On Her Bloomberg Criticism

The Star-Ledger of course jumps to the whistle of ed deform like a dog but here is a one response.

What the newspaper calls “sensible and bold reforms” amount to the elimination of neighborhood schools in much of the city, a transfer of assets to corporate-backed charters, and the destruction of much of the city’s history and culture–Weequahic High, one of New Jersey’s most historic high schools,  should be on the National Registry, not on the auction block, nor on the table for a “redesign” that will close it.

"Shrieking" People of Color Demanding Autonomy, and Other Threats to America

When black people in Newark start getting a little too "uppity," it's time to fluff up the pillows on our local punditocracy's fainting coach. Quickly, someone catch the editorialists at the Star-Ledger - and bring the smelling salts!

- See more at: http://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/2013/12/shrieking-people-of-color-demanding.html#sthash.feG2RheP.dpuf

"Shrieking" People of Color Demanding Autonomy, and Other Threats to America

- See more at: http://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/#sthash.GjnMggqH.dpuf

Jersey Jazzman  takes 2 bites of the apple:

Two Newarks - So the big plan to "save" Newark's schools, One Newark, was announced this week, and - surprise! - the big winners are the charter schools: As part of a co... 

"Shrieking" People of Color Demanding Autonomy, and Other Threats to America - When black people in Newark start getting a little too "uppity," it's time to fluff up the pillows on our local punditocracy's fainting coach. 

Here is the essence of the union sellout - dirty money.

The agreement between the district and the Newark Teachers Union included the state’s first large-scale use of performance bonuses for teachers found to be performing at a high level. It also included extensive provisions for teachers to take part in peer evaluations and the reviews of the final job ratings.

....a good reason why teachers are so mistrustful of the latest force tube feeding of ed deform pablum by the unions: the evaluation system and the common core. If Bill Gates said every teacher would improve if they ate a spoonful of shit every morning Randi would be handing out spoons.

Anderson largely stayed out of the fray yesterday, leaving her spokesman to issue a statement criticizing the rally as a whole…In a phone interview, state Education Commissioner Chris Cerf was less reluctant to engage, and he strongly contested Weingarten’s specific claims.

Chris Cerf in drag

He said an additional $50 million was spent to meet the agreement’s promises to teachers and other staff.
“I can assure you that the contract has been fully and honorably implemented,” Cerf said. “I am absolutely confident that all the components of the contract have occurred exactly as they were agreed upon.”

 Cerf added that the city teachers union subsequently blocked the district from gaining federal Race to the Top money for new technology and programming, because they union claimed it has not been kept apprised of the application. “What Randi seems to have forgotten is this contract brought $50 million more into the pockets of Newark teachers, http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/13/12/09/new-era-of-cooperation-in-newark-school-gives-way-to-animosity/

So Cerf makes the point about Randi's dirty money -- she sold the $50 million in exchange for getting screwed.

Here are some comments on the MORE Discussion list:

I'll start with a clarifier; Anderson has never ever listened to teachers' voices and Randi knows this well.  Cami was the d79 sup and never ever listened to teachers back then (who consistently said that college prep shouldn't be the focus of the district). She also worked closely with Randi and Marc Korashan to close d79 schools quicker, and without public input, than any other type of school back (in 2007). These two have a long history together. The dynamic works like this: Randi gives Cami whatever she wants, then complains about Cami exercising the freedoms that Randi has given her. It's sort of like the dynamic Randi is alleged to have with everyone else, except the 'gives', and later the 'complaints', are more pronounced and eye catching than anywhere else. And through this, Cami has never ever once demonstrated a noteworthy success. So she's not just given the keys to a reformer, Randi has given the keys to a loser reformer. From an arguments perspective, both Randi AND the reformers are weakest when the topic turns to Newark..... John G.

I'm less interested in responding to the central problems of this issue, though there are many, but to the constant refrain by our union leaders that they are "shocked, shocked," to find that some agreement, some contract, some evaluation system, some merit pay system, some "anything" they've negotiated has not implemented, funded or administered in the way that "it was intended." If our union's leaders enter into these agreements, over and over and over again, and the results are not 'managed" as they were intended, then the other side of the table should be ASSUMED to be acting in bad faith and the folks on this side of the table should be ASSUMED to be imbeciles.  Members who continue to elect such union leaders should be ASSUMED to be unconscious or willfully negligent.    .... HL