PEP POO

Parent activist Lisa Donlan leads Real Reformers at the mic at the PEP

The first of a bunch of reports - check Gotham for more links
 
How am I going to be able to manage the wealth of information related to the Cathie Black nomination for chancellor and last night's PEP meeting? The best thing about last night were the wonderful Real Reformers with their red RR capes. There was lots of press around to tape them but let's see if any of it gets on the air. Of course we have footage - lots of it.

There's a Delegate Assembly today, followed by the Gotham Schools fund raising party - they were trying to get Black to make an appearance, which I doubt. But if she was as smart as they say she is and had any clue at all she would get her ass in there and try to charm the pants off everyone. But I bet she has no clue as to what Gotham is or the importance it occupies in the local and national ed world. Which is why I sent in my hundred bucks but intend to eat at least double that amount. But if by some miracle Black were to show without paying, I'm going to take home a doggie bag.

But first I have to stop by the UFT for the DA. YAWN! I didn't even waste time and money putting together an Ed Notes. I'm only going for social reasons. I could stop by Evan and Sydney's E4E party (which conflicts with the Gotham event) with DOE officials coming to talk about how value added ratings for teachers will add 20 years to their life expectancy but you have to sign a loyalty oath swearing allegiance to merit pay and bowing down to the VA gods before you can get in. I was going to write more but I turned that story over to my pals at Gotham, who have been way too solicitous towards Evan and Sydney, who are clearly backed by the Tilson/Murdoch types of the world as they try to undermine the teachers union, which has been doing a great job of undermining itself.

Here's a report from Harold, a teacher at John Dewey HS -with the photo above -  about last night's meeting: See more photos here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=250042&id=560743400&l=7744c2afa8 

The Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) is the school board arm of the Dept of Education (DOE). Some would say a puppet school board, they serve under the Chancellor. PEP holds these public meetings throughout the year in all the 5 boroughs. Tonight was Brooklyn's turn. The meeting was held in the magnificent auditorium of Brooklyn Tech High School in Fort Green.

Tonight's meeting had a lot of controversy surrounding it. They had to deal with a resolution that dealt with Mayor Bloomberg's pick for Chancellor, Catherine Black. 

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/cathleen_p_black/index.html?inline=nyt-per 

Since Ms Black has no background or experience in Public Education, she must receive a waiver before she can take the job. 

There was a resolution on the table to allow the PEP be the sole entity that can issue such a waiver. Otherwise the mayor alone could issue the waiver. 

It was put to a vote and rather then stand up to the mayor and demand someone who is an educator to run the DOE, the PEP folded like a cheap suit and voted the resolution down giving away their power to the billionaire mayor. 

The public was invited to speak and most speakers objected to the choice of Ms. Black and complained about the state of public education under outgoing Chancellor Joel Klein.

There was a lot of frustration in the air because all the public attendees who were advocating for better schools knew their words would be forgotten by members of the PEP board as soon as they step back into their limos. 

City government in action once again. Ha!

Harold also shot a video of last week's Fight Back Friday rally at Dewey:
Fight Back Fridays Video from Nov 12th. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdfIRmRpbEM


Sol Stern has a great piece running at The City Journal. Oh what fun to see Sol, who used to support all the ed deform crap in a previous life - along with his pal Diane Ravitch - use one of the bastions of right wing NYC journalism to take down Bloomberg and the Black appointment - though Sol, can you write one piece without hocking us with your phonics?

To give the mayor his due, this description of qualifications for the chancellor’s job is consistent with everything he has said since taking over the schools in 2002. Bloomberg always insisted that the managerial and entrepreneurial skills needed to run a successful private-sector company were perfectly applicable to the task of improving the schools. And that renders moot the question of whether Black needs to know anything about education and instruction. The national adulation that Bloomberg has received (some of it self-generated) for his “breakthrough” school reforms has obviously confirmed him in this fundamental belief.
Though significant doubts have now surfaced about the extent of academic gains made by the city’s students during the Bloomberg era, there is little question that Gotham has become the nation’s most visible example of what I have previously called the “incentivist” approach to education reform. For education incentivists, what matters most is efficient management, backed by a series of internal market interventions to maximize the productivity of the workforce (that is, teachers and principals), which will produce better results (higher test scores). The issues related to instruction don’t factor in the equation. Since Bloomberg clearly remains convinced that Klein, a chancellor without a background in education, oversaw eight years of achievement gains simply by creating the proper incentives, there’s no reason for him to believe that Black ought to know, say, the difference between phonics and whole language.

And you may have hears rumors of a very public hug between Joel Klein and myself - I'm still way behind Randi in the number Klein hugs. Julie Cavanagh ran over to take over the camera and made sure to get the video. I was going to burn it but it is being processed now. More later on the reaction of my pals, who sent over hand cleaner, told me they wouldn't go near me until I took a shower and generally shunned me for the rest of the night. They're just haters.

At Randi's last Executive Board meeting in July 2009, she also spoke about how she would miss me and we shared a big hug, which George Schmidt, in town for the week, tried to capture on his camera but was a second too late. The point I tried to make to both Randi and Klein is that my opposition to them is political, not personal - though Randi always tried to paint it that way.

No to the Moskowitz Success Academy Charter Invasions

Hi all,

Tomorrow from 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm the Community Education Council for District 3 will be having a meeting to discuss the co-location of Upper West Side Success Academy, a charter school, in the Robert E. Simon School Complex. As you might have heard, UWS Success already tried to claim space in another District 3 school, P.S. 145. These efforts were unsuccessful because of organized action by the community. 

The building now targeted already houses a primary school, P.S. 165, and two middle schools, I.S. 165 Global Scholars, and Mott Hall II. Various members of the community disagree with this proposal because of the negative impact this would have on the existing schools in the building; there is simply not enough space. Another issue being discussed at this meeting is rezoning, they are proposing to cut the zone for P.S. 165, which would undoubtedly decrease enrollment, and make it easier to establish a charter in the building. 

P.S./I.S. 165 is not a failing school. It is renown for its Dual Language and Special Education programs. Community schools deserve to be promoted and deserve to flourish. The establishment of UWS in the building is not supportive to the community schools in the building.

Teachers, parents and community members have already begun to organize in response. Please see some of our efforts at: http://thecheetah165.blogspot.com .

Also, if possible, please attend the meeting in solidarity. Information on the meeting can be found here: http://www.cec3.org/ and below:

CEC3 Public Meeting

Wednesday November 17^th 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

PS 165 The Robert E. Simon School

234 W. 109^th St.

Thanks!

- Show quoted text -

Assessing Joel Klein: What Influenced Him in the Late 60's? What If He Had Remained a Teacher?

Randi and Klein operating on the school system, neither qualified

Randi and Klein "fixing" the schools. I should have included this cartoon yesterday a teacher did for me for the Spring 2003 edition of Ed Notes. Very apt in line with the Black story. Click on it to enlarge.


I'm writing this as a follow-up to my piece yesterday (Separated at Birth: Joel and Norm - I Miss Him Already) on some of the similarities in my background with Joel Klein.

I wondered what would have happened if Klein had not left teaching after only 6 months. And also about how the climate of the times and how his brief experience as a teacher may have shaped his views, particularly about the union. I want to point out right up front that I have not had the time to do any research on anything Klein may have said about those years and the political influences on him, so all this is just speculation. But I find it interesting that he seems to have said so little or anything at all.

First let's think about the climate of the times in the late 60's. Just to give you a flavor, I extracted this fragment from Democracy Now's 40 year retrospective of 1968.

May 14, 2008: 1968, 40 Years Later: Student, Worker Protests Sweep France, Leaving Indelible Mark on the Country and the World
May 1968 was a watershed month for France, when a wave of student and worker protests swept the country and changed French society forever. We speak to George Katsiaficas, author of numerous books, including The Imagination of the New Left: The Global Analysis of 1968.

April 25, 2008: Forty Years After Historic Columbia Strike, Four Leaders of 1968 Student Uprising Reflect
Forty years ago this week, hundreds of students at Columbia University started a revolt on campus. Students went on strike. They occupied five buildings, including the president’s office in Low

Klein graduated from Columbia in 1967 and I assume was at Harvard Law School in April '68, so he missed the action. (I had completed one year as a full-time grad student in June 1967 and with the threat of grad student deferments ending I went into teaching in Sept. '67. Ironically, I was in the Columbia library on that day even though I was a grad student at Brooklyn College - anyone could just walk in. It was my first year of teaching and I took the day off because I was doing a heavy duty research paper and the resource I needed was only available up there.)

What was Klein's reactions to the events at his alma mater in the spring of '68?

Just a few months later in the fall of 1968 the UFT went on the most contentious strike in history, splitting apart the historic connection between civil rights and unionism, with many liberals and radicals lining up against the UFT. What is not commonly known is that the UFT had all the teachers in the demonstration district in Ocean Hill- Brownsville go on strike in May 1968, some of the aspects of which may have been drowned out in the incredible events of those months along with the assassinations of King and Kennedy, the elections, the war, etc. Really the most incredible time. Assume Klein was busy with law school and maybe didn't follow these events in the NYC schools.

Where did Joel Klein stand on the events going on in the NYC schools? Assuming he was a liberal, was the strike a basis of his anti-unionism, or at least his antagonism to the UFT? (Remember the Woody Allen line in Sleeper about Al Shanker blowing up the world.)

I was basically unconscious at that time and joined the '68 strike because teaching still scared me and I would take any opportunity not to go into school.

Later on when I became an activist, most of the people I met were very pro-union and very pro-community - faced with the choice they broke the strike. I always maintained that they were wrong- they should have joined the strike and fought things out within the union.

The earliest opposition caucus to Unity was Teachers Action Caucus - almost everyone in TAC broke the '68 strike. (Ironically, TAC merged with another caucus in 1990 to become the current New Action and many Unity stalwarts were still outraged over the '68 strike issue when Randi brought them into the fold in 2003.)

I remember the teacher whose class I took over on Feb. 1, 1969 was a law student at Columbia (he told me he got a good draft lottery number). He had broken the '68 strike- he told me because he was afraid that by striking and breaking the law he feared it would affect his law career - I just remembered his name - I think - Clifford Aron. In retrospect, he sort of reminds me of what Klein may have been like at that time.

Klein teaches
Now jump ahead a short time. As I pointed out, with deferments being challenged, Klein may have -  as I did - jumped into the Intensive Teacher Training Program (ITTP) a little known precursor to Teach for America, where people who had no education degree were given a 6 week summer training program and sent into the schools. I got 10 NYU credits followed by 2 more in the fall of 1967 at a follow-up support course. I parlayed those free NYU credits (imagine, $75 a credit while Brooklyn College was still free) into a Reading MA a few years later.

Klein could have done the middle school math program or elementary program at NYU in the summer of 1969 - his bio states he studied education at NYU - a slight exaggeration as it was probably that same 2 credit course I took 2 years before. But it was thrown into his bio to give him some ed creds. He spent 6 months teaching 6th grade math in Queens - I'm not sure if it was middle school or elementary- and I'm not sure if it was in the spring or fall '69.

So, he came into the system a year after the strike, but the aftermath was still intense. What experiences did he have in those 6 months? I have never heard anything. Did he see teachers who he felt were incompetent and shouldn't be there? If so, did he form a permanent view of NYC teachers? Did anyone help him? What kind of administration? What about the UFT in the school? The chapter leader? A standard Unity hack? Was the union strong in the school?

[I raise this because I entered the school system with a severe anti-ed major prejudice- disdain for people who would study education - no content I figured. But while I struggled, I saw how amazing so many of these people were as teachers - they used me as an ATR- sub in one school for a year and a half so I got to see everyone teach. The guys running from the draft were the worst, I among them. But I emerged with a tremendous respect for teachers before I even decided to stay- and maybe that respect had an impact on my choice to remain.]

All these issues may have shaped a world view in just a few months (he must have gotten a good draft number and must have left in either June 1969 or Feb. 1970.)

So what if Klein never left teaching?
Would he have become active in the union? With his leadership skills, he would have been expected to become a chapter leader at some point. Maybe join Unity? Drink the Kool-aid and become a hack? We certainly know he can drink Kool-aid. Maybe rise in the union hierarchy? Maybe even become President instead of Randi? Can you imagine Klein and Randi contending for power?

Or was he outraged at the '68 strike and would he ignore the union? Maybe aim right away to become a supervisor?

Or maybe join the opposition to Unity, so dominated by the left? In other words, could Joel Klein and I have ended up in the same opposition groups in the early 70's? Nahhhh. That is as far-fetched as a media queen to replacing him as chancellor.

Separated at Birth: Joel and Norm - I Miss Him Already

Cathie Black convenes first meeting of her team

Last Update: Tues, Nov. 16, 8am
(Additions in red)


VIDEO: More PEP POO: The Big Hug

At least he talks like me.

Wow! Joel Klein really did have some ed creds - at least if you read the NYTimes article today by Javier Hernandez (how nice to have him back writing on ed issues), where he points out just how much more qualified Klein was than Cathie Black. In a matter of speaking. I mean there's really qualified and then there's veneer qualified like Joel. And then there's Cathie Black qualified - socializing with the mayor - really the only kind of qualified that counts in their rarefied atmosphere. What kind of value-added score does she get for that?

[Have you noticed the NY Times hammering her with their increasing scrutiny? - see Note below].

Klein taught full time for as long as Randi Weingarten (6 months) and she was no more qualified to lead the UFT and AFT than Joel was to lead the DOE. Ask yourself: which results are worse - the schools after 8 years of Joel or the UFT after 10 years or Randi? Let's call it a draw.

In a five-page letter to state education officials, Mr. Bloomberg mentioned Joel I. Klein’s every possible brush with education, including his time at the Justice Department, his speeches on the rights of the mentally ill, and even a plaque on his high school’s wall of fame. As Mr. Bloomberg repeats the ritual of seeking approval from the state for his chancellor-in-waiting — this time, Cathleen P. Black, the chairwoman of Hearst Magazines — his case may be even more strained.

A crucial part of Mr. Bloomberg’s case in 2002 was Mr. Klein’s “considerable experience in the education arena.” Mr. Klein, the son of a postal worker, attended public schools in Queens and taught math to sixth graders in the city.
“Collectively, this training and experience provide Mr. Klein with the extensive management, educational, administrative, business, analytic, policy and political skills essential to the chancellorship,” the waiver request said.
While Mr. Klein’s experience with New York education was slim, Ms. Black’s may be slimmer.

Not commonly known: Joel and I are twins

I think I'm going to go over to Uncle Joel and give him one big hug at what may be his final PEP meeting tomorrow night - if I can get him to look up from his Blackberry. If I run into him I would honestly tell him what I told Randi when she left: It was never personal, but political.

I know some people despise them both, but in many ways I had more of an affinity for Klein than I did for Randi (maybe because I never worked in the system for Klein other than as an F-status a few days a week). Klein and I at least came from the same place. Randi was from someplace else - I haven't figured out exactly where yet- and I'm not talking about a physical place.

Klein and I are about a year or so apart in age and had many similar experiences through our formative years. We both grew up in a lower middle class setting in neighborhoods undergoing changes. He in Long Island City, me in the East NY section of Brooklyn, a severely block busted neighborhood that went from all white and Jewish to all black and Hispanic in the blink of an eye. 

(Imagine those scary and tough teachers in PS 190, my elementary school - from 1956 when I graduated to less than 10 years later- I would bet my pension that they were shell shocked at the changes - as were the teachers at George Gershwin and Jefferson just a few years later - a real lesson to people who think the quality of the teacher is the key element in whether schools are successful - something Joel Klein never learned first hand it appears.)

Our families were probably similar - his dad was a postal worker and mine was a presser in the garment industry. (My first union experience was my dad coming home from a strike with a "picket captain" are band.)

Both of us went to neighborhood high schools (Bryant and Jefferson) and not the specialty high schools (I totally bombed on the Brooklyn Tech test and I would bet he may have too since an ambitious fellow like him would have gone to one of those schools if he could). When he talks about the transformative experience in high school I totally identify with it. I got a world class education at Jeff that totally prepared me for college - but I very luckily was placed in the college bound group of about 150 students that got very special treatment. Another lesson I learned early on - education was not equal for all. 

Of course Klein destroyed my alma mata while leaving his alone - and the replacement small schools at Jefferson have struggled mightily by all reports. 

(I did after school service credit for a great guy and great teacher in the Jeff school supply room - I think his name was Sidney Zukov- and he at times complained about his classes and how kids didn't want to learn - I told him he should teach honors classes because they were so stimulating. He gave me a look and rolled his eyes- it took me 10 years to realize that look meant those classes were doled out to favorites - I heard years later he transferred to South Shore HS when Jeff started to get real bad.)

At the college level Klein and I diverged. He got into Columbia. I never even thought of applying to anyplace by Brooklyn College, where I felt I also got a world class education. Klein went on to law school at Harvard and I went on to grad school in history at Brooklyn College, aiming for a PhD one day and writing and teaching at the college level.

But there was this pesky war going on and they removed grad school deferments and Klein and I were offered a chance to get a deferment - I think he was a year or two behind me. The offer was for elementary school or junior high math. I chose the former; Klein the latter. Neither of us had any thought of staying in teaching.

I went through hell my first year. I can't believe that Klein didn't have a similar experience - or worse - I was a big guy at least with little kids and he is a small guy with big junior high kids. I don't know about him (and would actually love to interview him one day on just that time in his life) but I had zero experience dealing with people of color and was hit by culture shock.

Now here is where we diverge. He must have gotten a good lottery draft number after 6 months of teaching. I also got a decent number but was in my third year of teaching in 1969/70, with my own 4th grade class - my first full year with a class - which I absolutely loved - and was hooked on teaching. Klein jumped out as soon as he could and went back to law school. I dropped out of the MA in history program at Brooklyn College and got an MA in reading instead. I remained in the system full-time through 2002 and part-time through 2005. Joel came back to haunt all of us in 2002.

Still, no matter how much I criticized Joel Klein, I always felt there was some common ground somewhere in his psyche - we would need a steam shovel to dig it out but something has to be lurking.

At least Joel talks like me.

As for Cathie Black, other than us being the same age, she is an alien from another galaxy.

NOTE: Black will not last long as a candidate with the NY Times clearly taking a position against her.

This Stuff is What Will Make Black Withdraw

IT'S TIME TO STOP COMPLAINING AND TAKE ACTION

More than 47 Schools Slated for Potential Closure

It’s time to stand up to the attack on public education!

Protest Michael Bloomberg and his puppet school board, the “Panel for Educational Policy.” This administration has overseen the school-closing assault and promoted other attacks on our public school system, including:

- Increasing the number of charter schools colocated with our public schools, causing increased overcrowding.
- Cutting school budgets while NOT providing the support schools need to help students.
- Promoting the use of standardized testing as the only method of evaluating students’ progress and teachers’ effectiveness.
- Threatening to publish teachers’ test scores, despite scandals exposing the tests as inaccurate and flawed.
-Increasing the number of quality teachers in the excessed ATR pool who are denied seniority rights.
-Appointing Chancellors and other high level DOE officials who are not qualified for the job.


Tired of the education deform onslaught against parents, students and teachers?

Make your voices heard! Join the Real Reformers. Protest the Panel for Education Policy. This will be the first of an ongoing series of actions to protest the disastrous educational policies that are trying to dismantle public education


Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Meet at 5:30pm
Brooklyn Technical High School
29 Fort Greene – Brooklyn, NY 11217
B, M, Q, R to Dekalb Avenue, 2, 3, 4, 5 to Nevins Street, G to Fulton Street.

It is time for school-communities city-wide to organize and mobilize! Contact GEM if you need assistance in your school. See our Advocacy Toolkits on the side panel of this site. Together we can make our voices heard and stop the destructive forces who are undermining our public education system.


A CALL TO ACTION
Come and let your voice be heard.
    No closing schools!
        Fix our schools, if needed, don't close them!
            Say NO to the privatizers
                We need a chancellor with real qualifications


****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************


Join the Real Reformers on 11/16
Don a Real Reformer SuperCape and participate in our rapsong extravaganza in front of the next PEP meeting -

No talent necessary
Capes and lyrics will be provided
We’ll meet up at 4:15 at the corner of DeKalb Ave. and South Elliot Pl. by Fort GreenePark for a mini rehearsal and then go over to Brooklyn Tech HS at 5:15 for the performance.
 Join with us and let your voice be heard


Let’s tell the Puppet PEP that we are not going to let them deform, dismantle and destroy our schools and our students’ education!
RSVP gbran289@aol.com
See our previous performance at: http://youtu.be/PMqPNCvAJZo
[Ed Note: where it will be obvious that no talent is needed]

Tuesday, November 16, 2010 Meet at 4:30pm
Brooklyn Technical High School is at 29 Fort Greene – Brooklyn, NY 11217
B, M, Q, R to Dekalb Avenue, 2, 3, 4, 5 to Nevins Street, G to Fulton Street.

____________
Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/

Video and News from press conference: Black nomination

Julie Cavanagh, you are the bomb!- Leonie Haimson



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXLLWiAfJ8c&feature=email&email=comment_received
Leonie writes:

1. Our press conference this afternoon to oppose Cathie Black’s nomination as NYC school chancellor was great; we had a turnout of about 50 parents and teachers, and reporters came from nearly all the major news stations and papers. 

Civil rights leaders Norman Siegel and Michael Meyers spoke about to how this selection by the mayor of such an unqualified individual, made in secret, violated principles of diversity and transparency and reeked of cronyism; NYC Council Education chair Robert Jackson, parent leaders Tina Schiller from Manhattan, William McDonald of Queens, Philip DePaolo of Brooklyn, and teachers Julie Cavanagh and Justin Wedes also spoke eloquently how the mayor’s choice of someone without any educational experience or credentials is a betrayal of our children.  The Siegel/Meyers letter, signed by more than 100 teachers and parents is posted here; news stories are already up at NY1, AP/Wall St. Journal, and AP photo.  Watch for us on tonight’s news, and tomorrow’s papers. Thanks to all who came!

2. If you didn’t make it to our event, you have two more chances this week to attend rallies opposing Black’s nomination :

Monday, November 15 at 10:00 AM at Brooklyn Borough Hall

Sponsored by Chris Owens, Democratic district leader.  For more info, call 718-514-4874 / chris@owensforchange.com).

Thursday, November 18, 2010 at 4:45 PM in front of Tweed, 52 Chambers Street. 

For more info, contact William McDonald at whm6363@gmail.com

3. Please be sure to sign onto our online petition, if you haven’t already, which has already generated more than ten thousand emails to Commissioner Steiner, the Regents, and state legislators at http://www.change.org/petitions/view/deny_a_waiver_to_cathleen_black_she_is_unqualified_to_become_nyc_chancellor

And then follow up with a phone call to Steiner at (518) 474-5844. 

4. And come to the PEP meeting and make your voice heard!  Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 5:30 PM at Brooklyn Tech HS; map here.  Just think, it’s one of the last chances to let Joel Klein what you think.

Related
Perdido Street School:  Why I Have Decided To Support Cathie Black For Chancellor

Like Sarah Palin, Cathie Black Apparently Never Blinked

7 and 1/2 rules for effective (female) managers from Ms Black
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsQT51QFWDk&feature=related

Seung Ok: Why Closing Schools Will Always Be Illegal

Mayor Bloomberg and Co. is again attempting to close tons of schools that the community wants open. And to that effect, they will be releasing Impact Statements as required by law. Unless those statements truly list the horrendous effects these closures will have on those students and communities, the city again will be open for a lawsuit.

When a school is closed, the students on track to graduate have the option of transferring out, which they often do. The school being phased out will be left with lower enrollment, and a high proportion of ELL, Special Education, and low achieving students - since other schools tend to reject their applications.

So that school, which needs more support, not less, will have an insufficient budget and number of qualified staff - since special education teachers are the biggest expense in a school (12 to 1 student to teacher ratio). This school will be forced to deny their students legal rights to their services. This is what's happening all across the city. The DOE is forcing schools to break the law.

Because of a smaller staff, courses will have to be dropped. This year in Maxwell HS, chemistry is no longer offered and many teachers are teaching courses out of their license.

Let's not forget the schools that will be installed into the building after the closure. The DOE allows these new schools to reject ELL and Special Education students for the first 3 years. The result on the community is clear. Other schools in the community will have their enrollment of high needs students skyrocket. This is happening to schools all over the city as well.

Those schools targeted for closure must be witness to this travesty and fight it by documenting all the negative effects closures have had on their students. Officially report services not provided to their special education students. Report the number of classes taught out of license. Report the number of ELL and Special Education Students. Document the rise of lower level students concentrating in one school. Document the rise in class size.

And this time - let's approach an organization less complicit than the UFT. In last year's lawsuit settlement, the UFT compromised on keeping schools open by still allowing new schools to co-locate in their buildings (see the case of Jamaica High School). Jamaica High School now has issues of 50 students in some classes and withering space and programs for their students.

Seung Ok

Press Conference at Tweed at 1PM Today to Oppose Black Waiver

The Black nomination is an abomination.

They're gathering at Tweed as I write this. I can't be there because I have an "Odd Couple" rehearsal soon. But some GEMers will be there to tape it. Leonie, Norman Seigel and others. We'll get reports later.


The UFT- don't get me started. Mulgrew is sitting on the fence. You know the Unity suckup line - say this while on your knees and kvetching - we may have to negotiate a contract with Black and we don't want to make her mad. I'll bet the UFT will try to take credit for Klein's leaving or being given the boot.
And of course for making the sun shine today.

Some of our friends have been critical of the waiver fight - calling it a distraction
I get it. I understand it's all about mayoral control and that fighting the Cathie Black nomination for Chancellor is a battle with a small "b". That even if we manage to defeat Bloomberg on the waiver question, he will appoint another suck-up Klein Klone. Even with credentials or a person of color, we will see no difference in policy as long as a mayor - not just this mayor but any mayor- controls the schools. I mean, if it was Eric Nadelstern I wouldn't expect his 40 years in the system to make him much better than Black once he signed onto the ed deform movement.

The reason this is worth fighting is that people seem to want to fight it. As an organizer, that is enough for me. Even if we lose, it might activate people in a way that they haven't been before (and if you think that signing the petition makes you an activist you are smoking something- show up at the PEP Tuesday night at Brooklyn Tech and become a real activist - and a Real Reformer.) Why not try to make Steiner and Tisch sweat - demo at the State Ed Dept. office anyone? I hope they give her the waiver and then try to tell teachers how much credentials they need.

But if we win - what a defeat for Bloomberg. And it's on to the BIG BATTLE over mayoral control that is coming up in 2013.

All the activist groups within the UFT (ICE, TJC, GEM, TEACHERS UNITE, NYCORE) are working together on some actions related to Black and beyond. Still in a state of flux but there is some sense of coming together on some fronts (as a pessimist I am not holding my breath) while working with parent and community activists on a bunch of stuff. Yesterday many gathered to hear the speakers from CORE in Chicago at the Teachers Unite function. Videos will be up very soon.

I like this fragment that Leonie sent:

“There's a difference between being a teacher and leading an organization that's focused on teaching,” says Becca Bracy Knight, executive director of the Broad Center. “You can have someone running a great symphony who isn't a concert violinist. It doesn't mean the violinist isn't important; it's just a different skill set.”

Leonie comment: But has there ever been an orchestra conductor who couldn’t play music?

And Paola de Kock said:

Accepting a pig in a poke because the alternative might be worse (as some seem to suggest) is not responsible citizenship. Why is the fight worth fighting no matter what the outcome? Because the issue goes beyond Cathie Black herself—she could be good, she could be bad, who knows? (though from all that’s been made public about her, the odds of her making a good chancellor are pretty long).

It’s about our petty despot simply calling one of his friends for a job on which the future of the city’s children depends.

It’s about the stunning arrogance of presenting someone with no apparent interest in education as the best qualified person to run our schools.

It’s about not even bothering to prep her before the press conference, so that she might at least pretend to have a vision beyond “100 more charter schools” and “technology” in the classroom.

It’s about peddling as self-evident the proposition that a business person supported by educators will make a great chancellor although the converse—an educator supported by business people—is at least equally plausible.

It’s about reducing education to a business dedicated to the production of a workforce instead of educated citizens who value curiosity, knowledge for its own sake, artistic expression and all that makes life worth living in addition to the technical competence required to hold down a job.

To all this we must say “no.”

Paola de Kock

Followed by Richard Barr

I've read a lot, but not every single piece that has been written on the subject since the Mayor announced his selection of Ms. Black for School's Chancellor, so forgive me if this point has already been made by someone --

It was said at the time that even though she had no background in education, she had the wonderful team of Deputy Chancellors that Joel Klein had assembled to provide her with whatever expertise she herself lacked.

Well, besides the fact that some of that team have already announced their departures since then and others will probably follow suit, the fact is that there has been an enormous exodus of career educators from the DOE since the Bloomberg-Klein regime took over. Either pushed out, or leaving of their own accord, after being sidelined or marginalized, to go elsewhere or take early retirement, they have been replaced, it seems, in the most part by people fairly new to educational administration in general and the NYC school system in particular, many of whom were trained as lawyers or M.B.A.s.

So the talent pool -- from the standpoint of longtime educators with experience on the ground in the NYC school system, who know how things work and what the issues are that should go into making appropriate decisions -- which a new and inexperienced Chancellor could draw upon for guidance and context, has probably not been as shallow as it is now at any point in our memories.

Richard Barr

Help Me, I'm Melllllting!

Today's NY Times front pager on rising sea levels should scare the hell out of anyone living in a beachfront community, like I do, or if you take the most dire projections into account, Kansas.

If you look at a map of the NY area you can see that Rockaway is the first to go. That's why I'm putting on a motor and an inner tube on my house to turn it into a power raft.

But really, not to worry. The Tea Party crew assure us that it is all propaganda and I'm sure today's article is a big lie planted by those pinko greenies.

I'm even investing in beachfront property - in Greenland. Or on the top of Mt. Everest.

Stop the Drive to Privatize! More than 8 Years of Bloomberg Arrogance and Failure Must End. Take a Stand!

Co-Posted with Concerned Advocates for Public Education

The appointment of Cathie Black as chancellor, someone with no qualifications for the job, is a critical important turning point in the history of the Bloomberg administration. Why?

It has provoked a firestorm of controversy, with the rest of the city waking up to the way in which the mayor's uses his money, power and influence to disregard the normal rules of civil conduct. This editorial in El Diario is good example of the widespread disgust.This citywide moment of clarity has occurred previously only two times before: when Bloomberg fired three members of the PEP who disagreed with him right before a critical vote, and when he announced his intention to overturn term limits.

Parents and education advocates have long known and their kids have long suffered from the way in which the mayor behaves as though the public schools are his personal fiefdom to do with whatever he wants, regardless of what research shows and how parents, educators, and the advocacy community feel. Finally, New Yorkers as a whole are realizing the damage represented by his autocratic behavior. It is a critical moment of time that we must act on immediately, by joining together to reject this appointment and the abuse of power it represents.

How?

Charlie Brown, That Evil Clown, Aka Cathy Black

From the great David Bellel - go to link and watch Charlie Brown video:
http://dbellel.blogspot.com/2010/11/charlie-brown-that-evil-clown-aka-cathy.html

Fe-fe, fi-fi, fo-fo, fum
I smell smoke from the chancellor's podium
Cathy Black Cathy Black
She's a hack, that Cathy Black
She's never ever, ever taught
Just you wait and see
She's out to destroy the D-O-E

Down on their knees
Her eyes on the prize
Bringing public employees
To the world of the privatized

Cathy Black Cathy Black
She's a hack, that Cathy Black
She's never ever, ever taught
Just you wait and see
She's out to destroy the D-O-E

Who's always dressing for the ball
Who's never viewed students in the hall
Who has the nerve to think she knows it all
For you, not her, For charter, that's who

Who walks in a classroom, cool and slow
Who says to the teacher, we'll have to let you go

Cathy Black Cathy Black
She's a hack, that Cathy Black
She's never ever, ever taught
Just you wait and see
She's out to destroy the D-O-E

50 Ways to Lose a Chancellor- “$2.99,” she repeated. “Cheaper than a hooker,”

 --We just need someone to rewrite the Paul Simon lyrics

Today's NY Times

Sex-Tip App? New Schools Chief Promotes It

By CARA BUCKLEY

When he announced that Cathleen P. Black, the chairwoman of Hearst Magazines, would become the next chancellor of New York City’s schools, Mayor Michael Bloomberg touted Ms. Black as uniquely qualified for the role.

“There is virtually nobody who knows more about the needs of the 21st century workforce for which we need to prepare our kids,” the mayor said.

It seems that Ms. Black also knows a thing or two about an altogether different kind of need.
In an Aug. 10, 2010, segment of the Diane Rehm radio show entitled “The Future of Magazines,” Ms. Black plugged Cosmopolitan Magazine’s latest iPhone App: the Sex Tip of the Day.
“Are you going to charge for that sex tip of the day?” the host, Frank Sesno, asked.
“Yeah, $2.99,” Ms. Black replied, as the host and other guests erupted into giggles. “$2.99,” she repeated. “Cheaper than a hooker,” she continued, before adding, “I didn’t say that, did I?”
The application offers a cornucopia of advice on an array of inventively, sometimes bogglingly, named sexual moves – among them, the Jet Jiggy, the Randy Raft, the Wanton Wheelbarrow and the Linguini. Each position is rated on a “Carnal Challenge” scale of one to five flames (the “Octopus,” for one, ranks five flames, and comes with words of encouragement: “Do it right and you two will look like a multilimbed lust creature”). A variety of aids are often employed, among them bathtubs, hot tubs, pools, inflatable rafts, inner tubes, balls, staircases and small boats.
Cosmopolitan, long a stalwart in the field of dishing and redishing sex advice, is just one of Hearst’s many publications. Other magazines include Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Popular Mechanics, Redbook and O, the Oprah Magazine. Ms. Black served as president of Hearst Magazines until the summer of 2010, and is now chairwoman.
Asked how many times the app has been downloaded, a spokeswoman for Hearst Magazines was mum. A spokeswoman with the city’s Department of Education said this application had no bearing on Ms. Black’s suitability to run a school district with 1.1 million children.
Ms. Black’s comments on Ms. Rehm’s show were reported this week by the television channel NY1.

Follow-Up

Dear Followers,
Lots to report on the Cathie Black situation with online petitions opposing the waiver she needs springing up and agitation over what to do about it. I'm only going to focus on one aspect in this post, starting here:

Hi SOS,
Many of you may have seen my quote in the Wall Street Journal this morning. I wanted to let you know that what I said was not accurately reported, a lot of context was left out. Second, I was not in any way speaking for S.O.S. I apologize if the article gave that impression. I respect this campaign and
mission too much to put it in jeopardy.

Sincerely,
Zakiyah 

Our buddies at CAPE (Concerned Advocates for Public Education) responded with:

Doubt It!

 In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, a member of the organization Save Our Schools is quoted in reference to  Cathleen Black, the mayor's choice to replace Joel Klein as school chancellor this January.  It seems her discussion with the reporter was not accurately reported and much of the context left out.  CAPE  supports the work of Save Our Schools (SOS), most importantly the fight against high-stakes testing.   However, we do not agree to give Ms. Black "the benefit of the doubt." The members of CAPE reject Cathleen Black as a valid or even reasonable choice for our new chancellor and in no way see her as an ally.  We have no illusions that the appointment of someone with zero experience or credentials in education is anything but another step in an agenda to undermine public education.  We demand a qualified chancellor with a record of service to public education that can be publically judged. The law requires it. And our children deserve it.
http://capeducation.blogspot.com/

Commentary
The reaction to the Wall Street Journal report that some standard opponents to BloomKlein were will to give the Cathie Black appointment a chance resulted in more than a bit of a reaction with other members of the SOS (Save Our Schools) coalition responding with some initial chagrin. People were real happy that Zikiyah Nasari assured them she was misquoted - gee, the WSJ shading a story?

Our report on CEJ, one of the leaders of the SOS coalition which includes GEM and CAPE yesterday (How far will CEJ bend?) also led to some phone calls and emails, one accusing me of helping BloomKlein by making it look like the opposition was divided.

SIDE NOTE: There's always a fine line between trying to be an activist/organizer and a semi-journalist and because I have access to lots of info I try - and not always successfully - to hold back certain things when necessary even though I am an advocate of the maximum openness possibly since the free flow of info is crucial to informing people of the full context of what is going on. On the CEJ issue, I have exercised a lot of restraint due to the respect I have for many of the people involved I have met, including Zakiyah.

Since Save Our Schools is a coalition, many of the partners had some consternation over Zakiyah Nasari's quote in the WSJ, even some outrageous charges about CEJ. Always suspicious by anything in the Journal, especially if it's written by Barbara Martinez on education - almost every article has an ideological bias - I did raise the point that this might be an intentional misquote in order to give the impression there was division in the opposition to the Black appointment in my piece yesterday. But I also was worried that CEJ might jump at a chance to get some of their program into play if an offer was made. I posted this the NYCEdNew listserve:

Some of these divisions have a historical context.
I wonder if some of the "jump to conclusions" issues emanate from the St. Vartas Church rally/protest (Feb. 28, 2007- the day Martine Guerrier was appointed to her new position)  aftermath where a May 1 rally that would have been a major event was undercut by a deal offered by BloomKlein. CEJ amongst others joined the UFT in making this deal.

Many warned that they would never adhere to what they agreed to. There is always danger in an offer by dishonest people who want to undercut any movement that is developing. I think some people may be concerned that if such an offer agreeing to parts or all of the platform is offered (always I believe with bad intent) as a way of undercutting resistance to the Black candidacy some might find it hard to refuse. These are standard bait and switch techniques we have seen used in the UFT (which led the deal with BloomKlein in 2007). I have felt that the May 1, 2007  proposed demo could have been a huge defeat for mayoral control and may have forced people to take a closer look before it was renewed and may in fact have scuttled Bloomberg's 3rd term. So my instant reaction was that Bloomberg would go back to the well and the WsJ article might be message of sorts with the quote being misused as an opening or just to divide people.

The UFT -which we know didn't really want to hold that rally (you could argue that without them it would have been scuttled anyway) could not have  made that deal alone unless other groups signed on. So this is not a black and white issue and is worth some closer examination - if anyone ever does a history of the last Bloomberg ed control years it could read like a novel. If anyone wants to take up the challenge I have almost 15 years of Ed Notes archives chronicling the Randi/Bloomberg years available.

A note: I was called by the editorial page of the WsJ and interviewed on Sept 24 when we held that rally. The questions were so tainted and loaded with intent that I had to be very careful with what I was saying and indeed worried later that I had mispoken in some way. While I speak to most reporters I'm not sure I would ever talk to the WsJ without saying everything is off the record.

 HEADING OVER TO TEACHERS UNITE/CORE MEEETING NOW. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE.

At Teachers Unite Sat. 11/13: Meet Reps from CORE in Chicago: The New Faces of Union Organizing!

Join many of the NYC progressive/real reformers on Saturday as they greet Jen Johnson and Al Ramirez from the heroic CORE who went from birth as a caucus 3 years ago to running Local 1 of the AFT. It is almost mind-blowing to think of it.

I met Al in the summer of 2009 in LA at a conference when CORE was still a molehill on the verge of growing into a mountain. CORE began in essence when Al and Jackson Potter started going to closing school hearings to video them. I also got to hang with Al in Seattle at the AFT convention in July and I'm really looking forward to seeing him tomorrow.

I also met Jen Johnson in Seattle and was very impressed - she was the CTU rep who did the negotiating with Unity on a major reso that Randi tried to suppress but they stood their ground and won some points. Here is the video of that debate with Jen speaking second after a Unity person who sounds real good but it's Unity, you know so what they say is not what you get. If you can stand her bragging about keeping schools open (GAG, GAG) watch it. If not move the slider to about the 5 minute mark to see Jen who is followed by CTU President Karen Lewis.

Ed Notes will be at the TU event covering. Hope to see you. RSVP to TU if you plan on coming:

Teachers Unite
What does teacher union organizing have to do with you?

Read about the amazing new movement happening in Chicago in this interview in Rethinking Schools, and join Teachers Unite to meet founders of Chicago's CORE (Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators)!

• November 13th
  11 a.m.
  
  Teachers College
  229 Thompson Hall
  Enter at 525 W. 120th St. btw Broadway and Amsterdam
  Bring Picture ID
  Suggested donation: $5-$10 sliding scale
  Presenters: Jen Johnson and Al Ramirez from CORE (Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators)
  
  
  What can we learn from Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators or CORE? 
  
  This new caucus won leadership of Chicago Teachers Union through grassroots organizing, and citywide mobilization. 
  
  Learn from CORE leaders some keys to their organizing success, and their vision for a new kind of teacher unionism.
  RSVP at info@teachersunite.net

How far will CEJ bend?

Last Update: Nov. 12, 12:30PM

That's the "Coalition for Educational Justice" for those not aware. CEJ is the group that got good vibes for leading the rally that closed down the Aug. 16 PEP meeting. (I'm in too much of a hurry to get you the links but you can find it by searching this blog's archives.) Now I'm getting bad CEJ vibes when I read this in the WSJ:

Cathie Black isn't expected to take the helm of the country's largest school system until next month, but the battle lines are already forming.

Ms. Black is garnering some leeway from critics of her predecessor even as she faces resistance from other key stakeholders in the city's sprawling educational bureaucracy.

Zakiyah Nasari, a parent and member of the organization Save Our Schools, says she is giving Ms. Black, the head of Hearst Magazines, the benefit of the doubt. The group—which has adamantly opposed many of the initiatives of Ms. Black's predecessor, Joel Klein—wants the Department of Education to roll back the use of state tests in school report cards and do more to help those students deemed not proficient, issues that the teachers union agrees with.

Ms. Nasari's organization, a coalition of community groups that has also fought school closures, was created after new state test scores showed that only 42% of city children are proficient in English and 54% proficient in math.

"We hope Ms. Black will be an ally to move forward and really open a dialogue and include us as key stakeholders in decisions," Ms. Nasari said. 

So, will CEJ join the growing "Stop Cathie from getting a waiver movement?" I'm doing an over under on that one. Though it is Rupert's WSJ and they have an interest in highlighting possible support for Black. Is this an attempt to create splits in the opposition to Black. Will CEJ jump?

Luis Reyes wrote to the listserve:

As a member of the SOS coalition, I know I was never asked, though the article implies that she speaks for the whole coalition. It also spells her name wrong, consistently.

NOTE: CEJ jumped back in April 2007 after the St. Vitas church outpouring of hatred toward BloomKlein (look it up in the Find box) - the only time BK blinked - but in essence CEJ and others led by Randi Sellout led them away from militant action, which after all is what the UFT does. People tell me the UFT funnels money to CEJ, a subsidiary of the Annenberg Inst. I can probably find out but I'll leave that to journalists. Muckrakers can just be lazy.

Hmmm. BloomBlack - BB or BlackBloom - BB or as one retiree emailed me "leaving the kids, teachers and schools Black and Bloom after they're gone."

On Cathie Black Out a da South Bronx

SBS predicts Murdoch/Klein (MurdKlein or MurKlein or MuKlein) love affair a month ago.

Those who write off South Bronx School blog as too rough and raunchy are missing a treat. If I tell you who turned me on to the blog you would be surprised: a well-known enormously respected figure as a defender of public education. SBS' radio show has been getting great guests - the last 2 weeks were Mona Davids and Leonie Haimson - and Diane Ravitch called in when Leonie was on. Despite all the other good stuff about her, Diane certainly supports her friends.

So while on the subway coming home tonight I got an email from that enormously respected figure who turned me on to SBS years ago who wrote:

"Did you see this?   The best thing written on the whole debacle."


Well, when I head over to SBS I often shield my eyes like you would when driving on a highway and seeing a 10 car pileup down the road. When I peeked through my fingers and hit a few links I saw the pic above. Here is the mainline post today and above it is SBS suggestions for people more qualified to be Chancellor than Cathie Black.

Amongst them:

Bill, the single cell Amoeba

My cat

My grandmother who has been dead for 23 years

Here is the main post today.

Teachers Are Not Ewoks And We Do Not Live On Coruscant

I was pulling into the parking lot at the White Castle on 149th St and Southern Blvd when I heard the news briefly over the radio. Some dude named Klein resigned a job to become Rupert Murdoch's best buddy and Mayor Bloomberg hired a black woman.

I immediately called the crack team at the SBSB cave. I relayed the information I had heard on the radio. Instantly, they fed said information into the technologically advanced SBSB computer looking for the answer to what I had just heard. After five minutes, the answer came through on the radio loud and clear. Besides, the SBSB computer spat out a card with a bunch of holes on it that no one was able to decipher. But not from the computer. Joel Klein resigned as chancellor of the NYC schools, he accepted a job as executive VP in charge of Chancellors Who Have Been Unceremoniously Asked For Their Resignations Immediately And That Have Their Best Buddies Find A Nothing Job For Them at News Corp., and some magazine chick by the name of Cathie Black of Hearst Magazines, and formerly of USA Today has become the new anointed one. Great someone who gave us the McPaper is now going to give us the McSchool

The only thing I am not surprised about is the Uncle Joel went to work for Rupert Murdoch. I was mocked by thousands last month for a post I had written concerning Ruppie and Uncle Joel. But the photo turned out to be pretty prophetic, eh?

So what to make of this? Before we start dancing around like the Ewoks, and the population on Coruscant had after Vader was killed and the Death Star exploded, know this. Mayor Palpatine is still amongst us. The Sith Lord always has an apprentice. We are not at Episode VI yet. No, we are halfway through Episode III, Revenge of the Sith. Count Dooku is gone, now Vader has taken its place. The fight must not end.

El presidente de UFT, Michale Mulgrew released this statement; “I look forward to working with Ms. Black. As a teacher, I will help in any way I can to help the children of New York.” Lame. Wrong answer. Again I turned to the Crack Team here at SBSB for them to formulate a better response than Mulgrew gave. After many hours, and several deliveries from Domino's later there was nothing. I then turned to be nine year old son, catching him during a commercial break of iCarly. In five seconds he came up with what Mulgrew should have said; "After eight years of a non educator running and ruining our schools in which there has been no positive affects on students learning, inflated graduation rates, the scapegoating of teachers, closing of schools, and several convoluted reorganizations, we call upon SED chief David Steiner to deny a waiver for Cathie Black, a woman who has had no experience whatsoever in education, to be chancellor of the NYC schools." Wow, imagine that from a nine year old.

This is not the time for us to roll out the welcome mat and bring cookies and milk. This is the time to start taking the offensive. I believe the deform movement is on the ropes. They have overreached and now the public is staring to see what they truly are. Klein was sacrificed. Mayor Mike has seen the albatross that Klein has become. How else can he be the Jewish Ross Perot in 2012 with Klein around his neck? The only thing that should be on the neck is the UFT's foot on the DOE's neck and we don't let up until we get back the right for students to be properly educated in this city and the respect each and every parent, as well as teachers deserve.

Real Reformers Will Stand Up at Tuesday's PEP

Here is a general call to come out to the PEP at Brooklyn Tech and support the Real Reformers. They might even have an extra RR red cape for you to wear.

     GEM is working to turn out folks for the PEP meeting next tuesday the 16th. We are planning on reviving the Real Reformers performance. Maybe not the whole thing, but at least the chorus. We think the capes and some singing at least will be an important presence. You are getting this email because either you were there last time or brought or sent folks (peter can you reach out the ISO folks who came)  or might want to come this time. Please let me know if you are down to join us this time. We are meeting at 4:30 on corner of Fort Greene Park and Elliott Place. 

And even if you are not going to perform, please come out, we need to start building for the huge fight to defend schools being closed.

Next Brick to Fall on Klein: Phony Grad Rates

And the audit says....

In the post mortems to Klein's demise, note how the credit for test score rises has disappeared. Not how the closing achievment gap issue also has begun to fade from the credit list. But he is still given credit for raising high school grad rates. On the Newshour yesterday someone from the Hechinger Inst (I bet they are not impartial) even said by all metrics Klein got rates up 20%.

Note how they ignore credit recovery, enormous pressure on principals to push teachers to pass kids who fog a mirror, and easier Regent tests as a way to juke the stats. And let's not forget those pushouts.

Rumors are floating around that another shoe is set to drop on Klein: these pushouts - or disappeared kids from the cohorts - a major way to juke those grad rates. Some kind of audits have been going on and the people at Tweed have been in a tizzy. I hear things are getting close to be made public. I don't know all the arcane jargon on discharge codes but some funny stuff is being uncovered and whatever they do say they uncover is just scratching the surface.

Could the imminent release of this info been the push needed to get Klein to go?

Steve Koss: The Cathleen Black story just gets weirder and weirder

LAST UPDATE: 9:30am

There's so much stuff coming in on the Cathie Black story that I can't keep up. Tony Avella, Robert Jackson and other pols are calling for a denial of the waiver she needs. Some forces in the Black community are rising up against Black. I'm assuming she will be at the PEP meeting Tuesday night at Brooklyn Tech (wow, she may have to leave Manhattan) specifically to see the Real Reformers with their red RR capes perform. Ed Notes will be there to take tape. Check the sidebar for some funny stuff and links to an online petition. Lots of these springing up. Check Leonie's NYCParent blog, Perdido, NYC Educator  and othere  on our blogroll for more.

 From Steve: 

Wow -- the latest story posted on the NY Times, titled "No Education Experience Needed to Run Schools? An Idea Is Taken to a New Level," (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/11/nyregion/11schools.html?hpw ) contains a fascinating new wrinkle on Cathleen Black's educational non-background.

Seems that her singular claim to education involvement was being on an advisory board of some sort for Harlem Village Academy. However, the Times is reporting that she not only just joined that group a few months ago and has yet to attend a meeting! Even so, guess who is chairman of that HVA Advisory Board? None other than Rupert Murdoch, Joel Klein's new boss!  The incestuousness in all this is positively stomach-turning.

So it now appears that Ms. Black's entire education background consists of having attended a mentor day in a Detroit school with Michelle Obama and having been "principal for a day" at an unidentified Bronx school.

The Times article also goes on to describe the waiver issue and Tony Avella's letter to Steiner about not granting the waiver. It als expresses concerns about Ms. Black's lack of qualifications. Three people are quoted as supporting her. Two of them are Merryl Tisch -- Chancellor of the State Board of Regents -- and Deborah Kenney -- chief executive of the HVA charter school network. The third person is nothing short of priceless -- the number one shill for big NYC corporations (as president of the Partnership for New York City, a sort of self-appointed chamber of commerce with very close ties to Bloomberg), the inimitable Kathryn Wylde.

Wow! The battle lines here could not possibly be clearer.

Steve Koss

Loretta Prisco added this:

Could it be that within the close to 100,000 professional DOE staff, hundreds more of university people in education in NYC alone, the Mayor couldn't locate one educator for Chancellor? If Klein taught classes of 32 children, he would’ve known why class size is important. If Klein taught, he would’ve known that his teaching couldn't - and shouldn't be measured by a test score. If Klein taught, he would’ve known that most beginning teachers are not as strong as when they have experience. If Klein taught, he would’ve known the importance of parent/community involvement. If Klein taught, he would’ve known the importance of having the trust and confidence of staff and parents. And so it will be with Cathleen Black – only a prettier smile and charming personality.

What is really frightening is the hold that Bloomberg will have on the media: Klein at Fox, Black from Hearst, Bloomberg from Bloomberg news. And who knows how many others are hidden away. He/she who controls the media from their Park Avenue addresses and the Sun Valley, Idaho conference of the publishing elite, controls the parameters of discussion, the public agenda, and policy making, and the ability to edit out all other opinions.

The End of a BloomKlein Era: Was He Pushed? Who Cares?

Posted to The Wave for publication, Friday. November 12, 2010
www.rockawave.com


By Norm Scott

Joel Klein is so accommodating. I was just about to sit down and write another inconsequential and undecipherable column as deadline approached when the phone rang. "Norm, it's Joel. I'm thinking of resigning. Am I too late to make your column? I'll hold off for two weeks if I missed your deadline." (That guy doesn't make a move without consulting me first.) Despite my overwhelming sadness, I told him it was fine to resign.

"What's your next move Joel? Why not try brain surgery? You know as much about that as you do about education." Joel went on and on about his options before dropping the Big One. "Rupert? Rupert who?" I said. "Oh, that Rupert. But you know nothing about business or effective management or inspiring people. I mean, Joel, you know I love ya, but frankly, in 8 years you have taken the NYC public school system down a hell hole."

"Yeah, I know. Test scores and grad rates and the achievement gap and all that crap. I hate to tell you this Joel, but it was all false by just about every piece of data we have. Ha, ha, ha, ha - I know you love it when I use the D word."

Joel hung up happy while I cried my eyes out. I must have been the only one who was sad as cell phones all over the city exploded with shouts of joy emanating from the ranks of NYC parents and teachers. He was so polarizing and despised by all, we had no better organizing force.

My biggest fears were that Bloomberg would appoint someone with heavy credentials, like a Black or a Latino/a with a PhD. An ed deformer in drag who would fool communities into thinking they were going to be represented. But not to worry. Bloomberg came through and picked a white businesswoman who ran magazines and worked for Hearst. Phew! What a relief. Cathie Black - which do you like better - BloomBlack or BlackBloom - will be just a new face with the same old agenda. Sort of an Arne Duncan, less polarizing type, which to my mind as an organizer of opposition to the ed deform agenda, is a negative.

Black has even less educational experience than Joel (he actually taught briefly in the 60's when so many men entered teaching to avoid the draft) and she also needs a waiver from the State Ed Department since she is not qualified to be left alone with a class of children. Calls have already begun to deny her a waiver. Good luck with that as Regents head Meryl Tisch and State Ed head David Steiner are in Bloomies' pocket. But go ahead and sign the petition just to make a point. [See note below]

There is lots of speculation out there about whether Joel was pushed or jumped on his own. One person wrote, The only theory I've heard so far, from a DOE employee, was he saw the thing was falling apart and got out while the money was good. But others say that even Bloomberg had enough. The NY Times said, One of the first concrete signs that Mr. Klein was not long for the job was the appointment of Sharon L. Greenberger as the Education Department’s chief operating officer in April — something that, according to the official, “was imposed over Joel’s objection.”

Leave it to Leonie Haimson to sum up Joel's eight years as quoted in the Times article:

“He is leaving us with a legacy of classroom overcrowding, communities fighting over co-located schools, kindergarten waiting lists, unreliable school grades based on bad data, substandard credit recovery programs and our children starved of art, music and science — all replaced with test prep,” said Leonie Haimson, the head of Class Size Matters, an advocacy group and a critic of Mr. Klein’s.

With the next Panel for Educational Policy meeting coming up at Brooklyn Tech on November 16, Joel's intemperate leaving leaves us with a feeling of loss since the Real Reformers (as opposed to the phony reformers Joel Klein led) planned to appear with their red capes stamped with the RR Real Reformer logo to perform their rap song, "Will the Real Reformers Please Stand Up?" Well, the show will go on with a performance scheduled in front of the entrance to Tech at 5:30.


Klein leaves school closing mayhem
Joel isn't leaving without starting the ball rolling on the crop of 47 schools on the closing list that are coming under attack. Of course we know that Beach Channel is cooked, as is Jamaica HS, whose chapter leader James Eterno is still fighting mad. He posted an excerpt from his chapter newsletter on the ICE blog. Titled "Department Of Ed Starves Jamaica And Then Sends Reviewers To Criticize Us For Being Malnourished," Eterno says, "I compare our plight to being in a prison where the warden cuts our food ration by 30% and then complains that we are too skinny." Of course the same analogy applies to Beach Channel.

I went to an early morning rally/demo at targeted John Dewey High School in Coney Island, a school once a jewel of the system that attracted students from all over the city. Dewey and the recently closed Lafayette HS bear similarities to the Far Rocakway/Beach Channel situation where one school is closed and the next school down the line becomes the target for starvation and closure, part of strategy of intentionally destroying large high schools –a falling domino effect of destruction. Expect John Adams HS in Ozone Park to be the next target. I made a short 4-minute video of the Dewey demo that in just a few days received 3000 hits. You can see a bunch of videos in addition to an advocacy toolkit for fighting back at the GEM blog. http://grassrootseducationmovement.blogspot.com/

How Odd
Well, I have become increasingly immersed in rehearsals at the Rockaway Theatre Company for my first acting performance as "Vinny the card player" in the upcoming production of "The Odd Couple." I even ride the subways muttering my lines. The other day, a young fellow sat down catty corner to me. On the surface he appeared a bit menacing so I nudged away a bit. I took out my playbook and started studying. I practically leaped out of my seat when he tapped me. "Are you in 'The Odd Couple,'" he asked? I told him I was an amateur and it was my first role. He broke out into the biggest smile, "It's 'The Odd Couple' man. That is wonderful." He seemed so happy for me. Turns out he is an actor who just moved to NY. I told him about the great work at the RTC and he should check it out. My stop came up and I had to get off but I'm sure we would have had a great chat. "Check it out. The play is at the great community theater at the RTC in Rockaway at Fort Tilden," I called as the door closed.

When Norm is not riding the subway trying out his lines on strangers, he blogs at http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/. His email is normsco@gmail.com

Addendum
Check out the NY Times article and compare what Randi has to say with what Leonie said. I feel the same frustration with the weak-kneed UFT/AFT response to ed deform as I feel with Obama's similar cowering in front of the Republicans.

NO WAIVER letter:

Dear Commissioner David M. Steiner,

Today, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced his appointment of Cathie Black to replace Joel Klein as Chancellor of New York City Schools. Ms. Black, currently executive vice president of Hearst Magazines, lacks the required educational and professional qualifications for the position of Schools Chancellor as determined by state law. As a result, she will require a waiver from your office in order to accept the appointment.

The children, parents, and educational community of New York City deserve a leader with experience in education. Ms. Black's corporate experience may well qualify her for executive positions in business, but the education of our children and the training of our teachers is not corporate business. We urge you, as an educator, to:

~Deny the necessary waiver for Ms. Black's appointment

~Reaffirm the qualification requirements for NYC Schools Chancellor

This is the link: http://www.petitiononline.com/DenyWaiv/

Jeff Kaufman Asks the Question of the day: Which News is Better?

From Brooklyn HS UFT District Rep Charlie Turner:

HS Committee meeting canceled

Ladies and Gentlemen:
By now you may have heard that Klein has resigned. What great news!
Also, the high school committee meeting has been cancelled. Have a great holiday.

Bergtraum Chapter Leader John Elfrank-Dana on Joel Klein

I wasn't going to wait for Michael Mulgrew's take on Chancellor Klein's resignation. But, chose instead to give you the heads up and quote a friend and colleague (below) in the struggle to give our students what they really need- small class sizes and social work supports adequate to meet their needs. It appears the Mayor has chosen another shoe-maker, someone with no background as an educator to succeed Klein.

I have always said Klein was just the symptom; that the problem is the concentration of power in the executive (Mayor) along with a thinly veiled agenda to privatize schools via union busting and parent disenfranchisement. As a person with 3 children in suburban schools I know there's no way BloomKlein could have gotten away with what they have thus far where my kids go to school because the parents have great political clout. Our students are the victims of the corporate-privatizers tinkering with the educational system. Our profession has paid through the nose because of concessions our union has made with these corporate bureaucrats in contract rights giveaways who want to see a swift end to us as an organized labor force with rights.

While I must say the Chancellor on a few occasions has come through for Bergtraum on some relatively small matters (your new phone system, increased Internet capacity), we have been the victims of his misguided educational policies of dumping on large schools like ours of large numbers of high need student populations without providing the necessary supports. I have personally seen Bergtraum go from one of the most desirable schools in the city to one where nobody wants to be.

No folks, the fight is not over with the exiting of Klein. His successor will have the same marching orders from the corporate elites- crush the unions and privatize the schools. I hope the UFT leadership realizes this.

John Elfrank-Dana
UFT Chapter Leader
Murry Bergtraum High School

Resigning NYC School Chancellor Joel Klein Wants To Be The Yanks 5th Starter

Resigning NYC School Chancellor Joel Klein Wants To Be The Yanks 5th Starter

Posted by Jimmie Reese at 8:49 PM

Joel Klein resigns and Cathie Black, corporate giant, inherits NYC schools; Expect turbulence ahead...

Just Discovered: Joel Klein's Prior Baseball Experience

Posted by Jimmie Reese at 9:14 PM