tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post5812989521387412835..comments2024-03-26T11:07:03.496-04:00Comments on Ed Notes Online: The Next Education Secretary: Another Horror Story?ed notes onlinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15018047869059226777noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-20192786707878865612008-10-24T11:24:00.000-04:002008-10-24T11:24:00.000-04:00Hello All,Ayers was an arrogant fool back in the d...Hello All,<BR/><BR/>Ayers was an arrogant fool back in the day, and he's an arrogant fool now.<BR/><BR/>In the '60's Weatherman, of which Ayers was a founder, was roundly criticized for their dogmatism, arrogance and idiocy. As Kirkpatrick Sale wrote in his history of SDS, it was common among Weatherman's critics to turn the source of their name (from Bob Dylan's "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing,") against them by saying,"You don't need a rectal thermometer to know who the assholes are." True then and now.<BR/><BR/>Just as Weatherman represented the dissolution and demise of the New Left, Ayers work for small schools has shown an incredible naivete, having been hijacked by the corporate ed reform movement to destroy neighborhood schools and neutralize/weaken and ultimately destroy teacher unions. I met him at my school about 8 years ago and found that arrogance and sense of privilege - his father was the Chairman of Chicago's electric utility - intact. It seems to me that he has used his work in education to rehabilitate himself. However, no matter what the Right may think, the Left should disregard him.<BR/><BR/>Best,<BR/>Michael FiorilloAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-27623379479340008072008-10-24T10:52:00.000-04:002008-10-24T10:52:00.000-04:00Now that I think of it Fred, where does Ayres stan...Now that I think of it Fred, where does Ayres stand on the Daly/Vallas Chicago reform model? Any criticism on its anti-union nature?ed notes onlinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15018047869059226777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-80709656384186237872008-10-24T10:43:00.000-04:002008-10-24T10:43:00.000-04:00FredPoint well taken. Just my prejudices from 1968...Fred<BR/>Point well taken. Just my prejudices from 1968 about progressive people I've come across who use the ed reform movement to bash teachers and unions. Not that they don't need some bashing at times. I'll amend it since your opinion matters here.ed notes onlinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15018047869059226777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33431390.post-32071157201672307022008-10-24T10:25:00.000-04:002008-10-24T10:25:00.000-04:00An unfortunate moment to brand Bill Ayers as "prob...An unfortunate moment to brand Bill Ayers as "probably" an anti-union lefty. I think I have a little knowledge in this area, as both a local union president and a friend of Bill for nearly 40 years. He's simply no such thing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com