Is Murray Bergtraum Principal a "Closer?"

Most of you have heard about the so-called student riot at Murray Bergtraum last week when the principal ordered the bathrooms shut. A contact there told me the day the new principal, Andrea Lewis, arrived last summer, she was a "closer" – a principal intentionally sent into a school (to supposedly save it) but with so little skill at relating to people in the school community that they would become so alienated they would amenable to the inevitable announcement that the school would be closed.

The poster principal for this strategy was Jolanta Rohloff who was sent to the troubled Lafayette HS as the ultimate closer. I knew someone at the Leadership Academy, that failed Eli Broad supported principal training center that requires candidates to kill a pet dog before being allowed to run a school, who was with Rohloff and when her appointment came they howled with laughter because she had proven to be so inept. (A friend who got a transfer there went in to meet Rohloff the first day and Rohloff attacked her for getting a UFT transfer without every seeing her teach and then proceded to start U-rating her the second week of September, eventually driving her out of the school and almost ruining her career.)

I heard from a former teacher at Lehman HS a year and a half ago that the new 25,000 dollar bonus baby principal was also sent in to be a closer - and last week Lehman appeared on an endangered school list, in addition to all the cheating scandals.

See: 3rd negative study on NYC Leadership academy

So when Bergtraum students organized a protest - we are not calling this a riot but organized chaos- attention was focused on a principal who did not seem to have a clue on how to run a large high school.

In a post on the NYC Parent blog The underlying causes of rioting at Bergtraum HS,
Leonie Haimson wrote

On Thursday, December 9, students rioted in the halls of Murry Bergtraum High School in lower Manhattan. The latest straw that broke the camel’s back was the announcement of the new “executive” principal, Andrea Lewis, who received a $25,000 bonus to run the school, that none of the students could use the bathrooms for an entire day – a punishment for a fight that had broken out between a couple of students the day before.

Her announcement led to rioting in the halls. More on this at GothamSchools, which broke the story, here and here; and NY 1 has video.

But as John Elfrank-Dana, the UFT chapter leader points out below, in a missive to fellow faculty members, the anger that erupted last week was also the result of deeper issues -- the awareness on the part of students that they are receiving a “junk education.” Indeed, Bergtraum is another NYC high school in which rampant overcrowding, large class sizes, fraudulent credit recovery, and other learning conditions have worsened considerably as a result of the wrongheaded policies and educational and neglect of this administration.

John sent both Leonie and I this email. It is so powerful that it bears being sent around the ed world, as much for the way that John is standing up for both students and teachers as for what he has to say. What is clear to me - if the teachers could join the students in their activities after being treated the way Andrea Lewis, the closer - maybe Bloomberg should make her Chancellor since he is looking for a closer - they would.

Subject: So Much Junk... So Many Suits - A debrief of Last Two Days...

Many of our students chose to vent their outrage on Thursday in the form of running wild through the halls. A very dangerous situation. Hundreds participated. The principal's announcement of curtailment of bathroom access no doubt precipitated this action. Try and spin it how you like; that's the overwhelming consensus.

However, it seems to me that was just the last straw, i.e. that the revolt wouldn't have happed if it were not for a deep seated resentment brewing in the students. That resentment stems from the fact that they know they are getting junk education. They understand that they aren't getting their needs met by this system. That they need smaller class sizes, more family and guidance support, a genuine curriculum and not some cookie cutter/corporate template imposed upon them like Kaplan. They know that elsewhere in this city and country there are schools with class sizes of 12 or so, with students using the latest in computer technology to engage in enrichment activities not meaningless drill exercises and credit recovery fraud. Where teachers, who are not over-stressed and threatened by U ratings on a daily basis, are patiently providing needed individual attention to their needs. You won't find Class.com in the affluent suburbs; those parents would be outraged. They know all this, but they don't know they know it. As Palo Freire, the education theoretician, said that education is making the subjective objective. Not quite objective yet, the junk education is what the students would understand is the source of their rage.

The principal's curtailment of bathroom privileges was perceived by them as a slap in the face, adding insult to injury. It was, I believe, perceived by the students as punitive in nature and not to protect them. It was also ill conceived to create a demand overload situation for the nurse's office; which has many other vital services to provide students. While the principal does damage control with focus groups of students there's also the concern expressed by some of you that maybe she's on a fishing expedition to find evidence for blaming the teachers for the incident. If you hear of any such notion from students that this is the agenda of these meetings, do not discuss it with them or probe. Just let me know what you heard. As in my class yesterday we had a special lesson on student rights and responsibilities as well as creative and constructive ways to redress grievances. This should be the focus of moving ahead with our students.

Yesterday morning we saw a major operation of support by the UFT. Some of you met Michael Mulgrew and myself in the hallway. He brought with him a delegation of union personnel who are committed to providing the necessary means for protecting the students and staff. He sat at one end of the table, flanked by me and UFT reps, while at the other was the head of security for the entire DoE system. Present also was Glen Rasmussen, our main security liaison with the DoE and about 5 other suits from the DoE and our Network Support Group, and, of course, the principal. The discussion centered on the plans for the day and the short-term road ahead. It was understood that other volatile eruptions were likely if we didn't take appropriate action. We will meet throughout the week, myself, the administration, special reps from the UFT and DoE security to monitor and put together a more concrete plan to secure the school. Any suggestions and/or information you can share would be greatly appreciated.

At the morning meeting the head of DoE security commented that there was significant improvement in the school's security numbers (incident reports) compared to last year. Whoa! I thought, would my members really think that things have dramatically improved?! Therefore, at the end of the afternoon meeting I had to call out the "elephant in the room" that no one is talking about. I said that "morale in this school is at an all time low!" That we won't get as full support from the staff if they continue to feel harassed and intimidated by the spike in U-ratings. That many teachers fear that there will be retaliation for reporting disciplinary problems. It's because they feel the administration is out to get them. Against this backdrop the security situation in the building cannot improve.

I referred to the beginning of the school year that when, after he called for support for a classroom situation, the same teacher was told (within ear shot of his students at least) by the principal who came that he's getting a U for not having a lesson plan (forget the fact that he did, in the form of the NY lab book, but was too frazzled to point that out). That got around to the faculty the message: You ask for help with discipline and it will be held against you.

Second, that just yesterday during a class a girl's cell phone was stolen, the likely perp was asking to go to the bathroom, and the teacher, thinking on her feet, denied him. An SSA and Dean were called. The dean was reluctant to have the boy in question's bag searched by the SSA but chose instead to chastise the girl for bringing her phone to school and was going to leave it at that. Fortunately, the victim herself then went into the boy's bag and produced her phone. When the teacher went up to the dean's office to report it, another dean told her there was no need to as it was resolved. Mr. Rasmussen stated that's a Level IV infraction and should have produced an occurrence report. I will follow up. But, I am afraid this kind of thing goes on in the school on a daily basis. While I am confident MOST of our deans don't sweep things under the rug, I have to assess if we benefit at all from those who assist in keeping the school's crime numbers down.

No doubt you will hear the response: "They're gonna close the school! So, see no evil, hear no evil, say no evil!" However, they will close the school whenever they want for whatever reason they want. We could improve the stats (either by intimidation to pass 80 percent or more and/or scrubbing Regents exams scores and bogus credit recovery) or in a real way.

The DoE has closed improving school for real estate to open charter schools. All we can do is do the right thing by the school community; stand up for what is right and decent for our students and staff and be public about it. Our staff must be treated like professionals with fairness and respect, parents need to be parents and provided school support. Last and not least, the students must be given what they deserve; a quality education. Without this, we will measure success though quietly putting out fires and suppressing reports of incidents in the school while cooking the books on student achievement. Such a fraud produces a house of cards. And when that house of junk blows over, all suits in the DoE's army may not be able to erect it again.

In solidarity, John

--
John Elfrank-Dana
UFT Chapter Leader
Murry Bergtraum High School
www.Elfrank.com/UFT

I sent Leonie's and John's comments out to listserves and here are some responses which you can read below the fold. But first I wanted to mention some...

Personals
How amazing to read this link I picked up at Gotham  - An assistant principal at Grover Cleveland HS in Queens is bringing geocaching to his students. (Times) -  just a day after being introduced to this very gentleman by a very good friend of mine when they both came to see my performance at this past Saturday's "Odd Couple."

And thanks to the well wishes for my dad after the bleeding/emergency room visit Friday night - and by the way - the people in the ER were great. (I Need a Vacation). Today's visit to the dentist went well and he has his uppers with the lowers coming in a few weeks. No Peter Luger steak for him 'till then.

And finally, kudos to the principal who reads this blog and gave such a great welcome to the young lady friend of my cousin who I recommended for a job- and actually found a way to offer her some hope in a very tough market.

These Truths Are Self-Evident

There was an interesting discussion on Brian Lehrer on NPR the other day with Eric Snyder, the parent who filed the first lawsuit on the Cathie Black nomination. Snyder was challenged by Lehrer that Snyder  was interested in his own children who have a parent for a lawyer. What about the poor children of color who perhaps don't have the advantages and need the structure and standardized tests?

Snyder was eloquent in his reply. It wasn't about his kids, who would thrive under any system. Poor kids would suffer more from being branded by a test score and the kind of narrow education it takes to get there. Right on Eric. I hope to thank him for that personally if I go to Albany on Dec. 23 when the court case is heard.

People ask me how I know market based ed deforms won't work - even though it will take a generation of ruined children - and ruined teachers I might add - for us to find out - and when we do, that information will be suppressed by Gates and his clones.

I don't need no stinkin research to tell me. My instincts as a teacher who worked closely with children and as a human being tell me. I think of the way my principal tried to stop the teachers from taking trips until all the tests were completed - I continued to defy her for 5 years until she made teaching a self-contained class so distasteful I became a cluster. About 4 years ago a former student from the late 70's got in touch. She told me she used to take her own kids to the very same Central Park playgrounds I took her class to. When they asked why they didn't just go to Brooklyn playgrounds she told them, "You don't know how much those trips meant to me." Years later they told her how tired they were of hearing about "Mr. Scott's trips."

I thought about how kids from wealthy private schools - and I got to know lots of teachers from these schools from various computer user groups - has such a totally different education than the kids in the poorest areas. How the NYC museums were often filled with them while poor kids remained trapped in their neighborhoods.

I heard the same comments almost word for word from my principal in the early 80's and Joel Klein over the last 8 years: Kids need skills before they can absorb content. Of course I take the view that content will drive skills. I think of the time my kids found a book on a trip with sexual content - it was a much higher level than they were reading at. Somehow they got the comprehension. I would use anything that interested them if I could get away with it to get them to see reading as useful.


An excellent piece by Steve Nelson, head of the private Manhattan Calhoun School, has been floating around. I remember we used to meet at that school with the LOGO users group in the late 80's. One time the host teacher had to leave and she was the last one in the building other than us and a bunch of kids working on a project. She told us just to leave when we were done and they would lock up. I was astounded.

Excerpts from Steve Nelson's The Disservice of a 'Rigorous' Education

Tests, standards, accountability, economic competitiveness, managers, vouchers, data, metrics... does anyone actually care about children?

While multi-billionaires like Michael Bloomberg, Bill Gates and Eli Broad talk about tough management and data-driven reform, real children languish in abject poverty. That's unfair enough, but then we also rob them of their childhoods. Everything is about money, even their small lives. Social scientists talk about poor kids' education as an "investment" and act as though the worth of children is in their development as resources for the competitive marketplace.

Jean De La Bruyère, a 17th century French moralist and philosopher, once wrote: "Children have neither a past nor a future. Thus they enjoy the present -- which seldom happens to us." In the South Bronx or in Grosse Pointe, children are too often deprived of the present. At each end of the economic spectrum, we are pressing children harder and harder in the service of a "rigorous" education. It is not mere semantic coincidence that the word "rigor" is most often paired with the word "mortis."

As De La Bruyère wrote, the present seldom happens to us. But the present is all that children have.

It's heartbreaking to hear administrators and politicians talk about children as raw material to be crafted into productive cogs in the global economy.

Read it all: http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_atrocities.php?id=4072
Yes, I am a proud teacher who worried about the present my students, many of whom did not have the best lives, had to deal with. I know I would be vilified today but I tried my best to make the year they spent with me the happiest year in school they could have. Naturally part of their present was getting them promoted (yes, Bloomberg. we did NOT have social promotion) so I did what I felt I had to do to get them test-ready - within reason. Funny, but when test time came and we did do some prep for a few weeks, it was the most miserable time of the school year.

Susan Ohanian commented:

I don't know anything about the Calhoun School of which Steve Nelson is the head. But I like their mission and philosophy, which you can read at the bottom of this piece. It's nice to know that there are some rich people who want their children to have a progressive, non-competitive education.

Steve Nelson for Chancellor: Hear, Hear!

Updated: Exclusive video: Lawsuit to Deny Black as Chancellor - in 5 parts

Updated: Sun. Dec. 12, 12PM.

This is well worth watching as parents slam the Black appointment - see espcially John Battis' comment about Bloomberg's "Cathie Black is the closer" statement and how Mariano Rivera would be a better choice.

Deny Waiver Law Suit Press Conference: Dec. 9, 2010
(Suit will be heard in Albany on Dec. 23)

Part 1: Mona Davids, Norman Siegel and Herb Teitelbaum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_PrJBagCWc

Part 2:  Hakim Jeffries, Lydia Bellahcene, John Battis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Tjt8a8kBU

Part 3: Shino Tanikawa, Chris Owens

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfMX1zAJcKI

Part 4: Noah Gotbaum, Patricia Connelly, Norman Siegel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UhfRNmlNoY

Part 5: Wrapup
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF4TQIZHBjY

Attorney: Cathie Black will never get to serve as NYC education chief

Renowned civil liberties attorney Norman Siegel tells examiner.com that Chancellor-designee Cathleen P. Blackshould savor her time visiting New York City public schools, because she’ll never get to run them.

Siegel filed a legal challenge in State Supreme Court yesterday afternoon, arguing that Education Commissioner David M. Steiner’s waiver to allow Black, who prior to her appointment had never set foot in a school was “arbitrary and capricious.”  Siegel said that the judge scheduled a hearing for December 23rd –

Full story at:

http://www.examiner.com/government-in-new-york/attorney-cathie-black-will-never-get-to-serve-as-nyc-education-chief
 

Another story here.

I Need a Vacation

I wanted to share my schedule last week. I have to check my Blackberry as memory is fading fast.

Sunday, Dec. 5
10AM-11:30PM: Acting class at the Rockaway Theatre Company
Race home for a bite and head back at 12:45 to prep for my third Odd Couple performance at 2pm.
Show ends at 4:30. They tell us it was the best one so far and also my best. Survived another one.
Watch zombie stuff on AMC all evening, followed by Rohmer's "My Night at Maud's."

Monday, Dec. 6
Hot yoga, 9-10:30AM.
Spend rest of day and eve recovering.
Eat and drink while wife heads to city for lit course at NYU.
Evening - watch Jets get killed. Impact more intensive than hot yoga.

Tuesday, Dec. 7
AM:  go to gym, walk on treadmill for an hour
GEM meeting at 5. Get in early at 4. leave at 7:15
Forget to wish one of my best friends a Happy Birthday.

Weds, Dec. 8
2:30 Meeting with former 6th grade student from class of '74 who is out of prison for a year - after 27 years for murder. Says he is clean and out of trouble. Keep fingers crossed. He's 50 years old. Oy!
3:30 Meet up with someone connected with the Joel Klein admin - social meeting but we chat about lots of great stuff. We probably agree on 80%.
5PM Attend Teachers Unite event on UFT. Lots to talk about here but in a follow-up post.
7:30- Brushup rehearsal for Odd Couple. Enticement: Director Mike Wotypra brings sandwiches and cheese fries from Roll and Rooster.

Thurs, Dec. 9
10:30 AM - Tape Press conf on Black lawsuit in State Senate Conf room at 250 Broadway (Hope to get to J&R after but it goes on too long.) Took subway.
1:30 - get home and start processing tape, eat lunch and leave at 2:20
3:30 - 5 - Attend chapter meeting at Lehman HS with other GEMers. Fairly new CL has invited us and officials from UFT. School is on danger list. Great discussion and though I am critical of UFT we all leave as friends.
6PM - conf call for robotics - ooops. missed it.
7pm - drink so much wine, fall asleep till 12am.
12-3am- work on announcement for GEM to attend PEP. Don't finish. People will be mad.

Friday, Dec. 10
9am Pick up almost 93 year old dad to take to dentist - today is the day to pull most of his teeth for dentures. I'm worried about complications - I have a performance of Odd Couple in eve and if something goes wrong ....and so it does.

11:45 - still waiting over an hour late. Finally- meet oral surgeon. 11 upper teeth have to come out. At first not sure if he will take all - but then dad won't get a denture. Decides to go for it.
2PM. Dad still bleeding They put on denture and tell him not to take it off for 24 hours - pressure will stop bleeding.
3PM - still bleeding. I go back to dentist to ask what to do - they give me gauze - take out denture and tell him to press down hard.
Woman from next door stays with him and I go home.
5PM - still bleeding. Call emergency dentist number. Head honcho calls back from Puerto Rico - great.
Worst case - take him to Maimonides. I have to leave for theater and wife is out playing marjong. Finally reach her - she comes home and will monitor.
(Finally remember to call and leave my friend a HappyB message)
7-10:30 - act in play without trying to be distracted. Text wife between acts. She doesn't know how to text - calls - she is in emergency room with dad- they are having trouble stopping bleeding.
11:30PM - still bleeding. Wife has gone beyond call of duty. I head over to take her place.
1:30am - they send him home - 95% of bleeding is stopped.
He has no problems with any of this. Can I get a "calm" transplant?
Home by 2:30am

Sat. Dec. 11
7-8AM _ get ready to leave for film shoot.
Dentist calls again from Puerto Rico - Check in with dad -  all seems well. He can't wait for his new teeth so I can take him to Peter Luger for a celebratory steak. I think it will be a few months.
9AM - 2:30PM Meet Julie C, Brian Jones and Darren in Williamsburg for Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman film shoot. Fabulous day at various locations - then back to Darren's place to download video to his computer - we head out to eat pizza.
3:30 - home, nap, ready for bunch of company going to see Odd Couple tonight, process more Press conf video.
5:30-6 - head over to theater with my friend Mark and my cousin Danny to set up camera for Mark to tape tonight's show. Cousin Shari and Mark's wife Peggy are also coming. They all go off to dinner while I eat a crummy sandwich as I prepare for the show. This acting business is hard work.
7:45 - sold out house - 250 seats.
Meet Mark to review film procedures and head backstage to keep practicing lines - which I flub in line reads with other actors.
8:15-11 - Survive another show. Only flubbed once (or twice - who's counting?)
Pack up camera. Find out the Dec. 7 Birthday gal, one of my oldest friends who I met as a new teacher at my school in 1979 when she was 24, came to the show with her boyfriend who is an Assist principal at one of the DOE target schools - first time I met him as her BF (though we once were at a meeting together re: robotics.) Pleasant surprise to see her.

Sunday, Dec. 12
8AM Keep processing press conf video, work on PEP announcement leaflet for GEM - they are going to kill me.
10AM - Skip acting class. Maybe make it to gym.
11:45PM - oh well, skip gym. Wife calling me for breakfast. I owe her BIG for Friday.
Twenty four year old cousin Rachel is bringing her new boyfriend to the show this afternoon, then out to dinner with them. And the Priscos are coming too see the show too.
Better start practicing lines.

12PM - ell wife to book trip to Florida.

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

Black and Bloom: Norm in The Wave, Dec. 10, 2010

by Norm Scott

I can fill an entire edition of The Wave with new chancellor Cathie Black related stories and in fact my blog has been overflowing, along with the blogs of NYC teachers. So the process of choosing what to share for my twice monthly column is almost painful. I've been attending rallies and meetings of parent and teacher groups. A Brooklyn parent has filed a lawsuit over State Ed commissioner David Steinberg's granting her a waiver ­– no one in the know is buying "Black's deputy is an educator line." As we hit deadline we have an exclusive report that activist lawyer Norman Siegel will file another lawsuit. I will be covering the press conference for The Wave and should have a report next week.

Cathie Black's placement on the board of Harlem Village Academy as a way to get her ed creds- despite the fact that she didn't attend any meetings, has focused attention on this scandalous school and its relation to the BloomKlein corrupt running of the NYCDOE. This school has been lauded nationally. So naturally school founder Deborah Kenney takes home $450,000 for managing 450 students. HVA loses 32% of their students between 6th and 8th grades and there is vast teacher turnover. Bloomberg has called the school a national "poster child" for school reform. Conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch gave $5 million. The charter school scam in full flower.

The average class size at Kent boarding school, the school Black sent her own kids to is 12. It is ironic that Bill Gates and other ed deformers attack teacher longevity and credentials and among Black's first statements in public she complains about LIFO - Last in first out for teachers who might be laid off. Yet Kent advertizes: "Many of our faculty have advanced degrees and our average tenure is more than a dozen years."

My pal NYC Educator manages to say in a few words what takes me a book:

Well, Cathie Black's been let out of her cage after a good two weeks of Sarah Palinizing and what insights has she gleaned in the hour or two she spent in public schools?  Looks like she's fixing to fire teachers.  There's no better way, apparently, to help city children than by firing their teachers.  Arne Duncan and Bill Gates have determined larger class sizes are the way to go, and Cathie is gonna help them get their wish....she wants to get rid of last in first out. Since she's already determined to fire people, why not go after the older and higher-paid teachers? That would put a bigger dent in the bottom line. And then she wouldn't have to bother with any of that nasty due process in that inconvenient tenure law. Oh, she wants to get rid of that, too. Perish forbid any American worker should have job security. Cathie Black agrees with everything Joel Klein did.  That's fine with me.  Let her go after teachers for nonsense. There's a reason teachers need tenure, and that's to protect us from demagogues like Cathie Black, who get into education for two weeks and have the audacity to behave as though they're experts. I wouldn't want her teaching my kid.  Fortunately, she isn't licensed to teach, and they aren't yet handing out waivers for that.

I'll leave the Black story for this edition of School Scope but I hope you get a chance to read my "exclusive" interview with Black in the Nov. 19th edition of my blog.

Beach Channel and other schools are on the closing block again

Howie Schwach has been on this story so all I'll add is this Dec. 6 report from parent activist and class size reduction activist Leonie Haimson:

Today, in justifying the eleven school closings, with more to come, Deputy Chancellor Marc Sternberg made the following statement: “Year after year, even as we provided extra help and support, these schools simply have not gotten the job done for children." Did they ever try systematically reducing class size? No. Most of these students at these schools continue to suffer from overly large classes that far exceed the state average of twenty students per class, as well as the goals in the city’s mandated class size reduction plan. In fact, class sizes have risen sharply in most of the schools slated for closure. For example, check out the increases in class size [INCLUDE GRAPH] at Beach Channel High school, one of the schools on today’s list of closures, which have occurred despite a promise from the DOE to make specific reductions at this school in return for hundreds of millions of dollars in Contract For Excellence funds. As Sternberg said, “…we cannot afford to let schools continue to fail students when we know we can do better.” Most parents and teachers would agree. The Department of Education’s stubborn refusal to follow the law and to allow the students at these schools to have their best chance to succeed is unconscionable, and set up these schools for failure.

Let's remind everyone that the UFT helped sell Beach Channel down the river through its deal with Klein to allow a new school to open and help drain the freshman class.

Survival, Rockaway Style: Debuting in The Odd Couple

I've got an idea for a new reality TV show. Throw 8 people onto an island- or a peninsula  - and they must survive by putting on a performance of Neal Simon's "The Odd Couple." Even better, toss in one 65 year old guy who has never performed before amidst a sea of veteran actors and see how long he can go before you have to call 911. Well, I did survive my acting debut playing Vinnie the card player, the whining, hen-pecked husband – true typecasting other than the part that Vinnie always wins at poker – last Friday night at the Rockaway Theatre Company production of "The Odd Couple". Lucky for me that in this version of Survival an actor doesn't get voted off the island after each performance. "You mean I have to come back tomorrow and do it again," I asked? Well, three performances down and six to go. Would I do it again? Ask me after the closing performance on Dec. 19.

I could do an entire column - and may just do so when the run of the play is over - on this experience, one of the most challenging I have undertaken. "Norm, you were a teacher/performer for so many years and you have spoken in public so often," people tell me. "So what's the big deal?" Appearing on stage and being responsible to the other actors to know your lines and respond on cue is one awesome responsibility. The fact that I have watched in wonder while video taping every show at the RTC over the last 4 years and have seen production after production worthy of Broadway was more than intimidating. I have watched my fellow actors on stage in various roles over the years and despite being a newbie they made me feel right at home. The directors Michael Wotypra (who I've known for years as a fellow teacher activist) and Peggy Page have been fabulous to work with, as have all the other behind the scenes people like the wonderful stage manager Nora Coughlin and her assistant Jodee Timpone ((both NYC teachers in real life). Wasn't it just a few months ago that I saw Jodee do an amazing job as the lead actress in "Cactus Flower?" Now she is serving me coffee back stage. The theater world can certainly turn reality upside down.

When Norm is not being Odd, he blogs at http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com

Unity Caucus Insights/How Unity Caucus Prepares for Delegate Assemblies

Updated: Sat, Dec. 11, 8AM
Here are some interesting insights by 2 former Unity Caucus members. Signs of cracks in the machine? I'm not betting on that yet.

The Unity Leadership put out a message regarding school closings that says we are watching closely. We will go to court. We will help schools that want help. Holy Crud. Of course that is all you can do . You don't have a clear and concise blueprint of how our schools should operate. You supported and helped shape Mayoral Control and now are invested in making sure the law is followed. They can close down every school, pump up the ATR pool until it reaches heaven and create an untenable situation down the road where you will have to sell out the ATRS, and you sit with your hands tied because you are following the very law you helped to create. Great job. 
 --- Posted on ICE mail by John Powers, a former Unity Caucus member

Hi,
Just catching up on my email and I read the piece about the two Michael's*.  Do you know about the Speaker's Bureau?  They hold a meeting usually the day before the DA to go over questions for the President and any resolutions.  The president has a map of where people will sit to call on.  They do it for everything.  They used to meet at a junior high on 21st or the china chalet but last year they were starting to have conference calls. - Another former Unity Caucus member

*A Tale of Two Michaels: UFT and Mayor Bloomberg - Who is more undemocratic?

was written by Seung Ok - We are waging a two front battle against major powers - the millions of our own union leadership and the billionaire mayor.  


_____________

Below is the full piece by Brooklyn Chapter Leader John Powers, a former member of Unity Caucus. Powers joined Unity in the summer of 2009 with the intention of trying to create debate on crucial issues within the caucus but when the union supported teacher evaluation measures he withdrew as a delegate to the AFT convention in Seattle (I'm sorry he did as we could have used some more people on the inside - who secretly were slipping me info) in June 2010, effectively ending his association with Unity.

The number one concern that the Unity leadership has is not Cathie Black (and the ATR, seniority situation), but Andrew Cuomo and his desire to hold a NY State Constitutional Convention. The language in our NYS Constitution protects city/state pensions from being changed or "diminished" in any way.

This is the great sleeping giant that will activate workers across the state. What is Unity's plan? Labor's plan? Will they lack the courage and leadership to mount a fight against this great austerity measure? Do they have the imagination, creativity and talent to create a united front that puts forth a clear and concise message that will resonate with citizens across the state? Will they engage in the necessary planning and training of its members to mobilize in ways that might "paralyze" the state? Or will they rely strictly on massaging politicians who may ultimately turn their backs on us. Abandon us? 

I am so worried about how Labor will respond, especially Unity. Our leadership has failed over the last fifteen years I have been teaching to put forth a serious educational worker campaign with a clear message that states what we stand for and what we believe K-12 education should encompass in all of its complexities. The Unity leadership is all over the place constantly defending itself from attacks, making compromises and appeasing individuals, agencies and organizations who hold our work in little regard and seek to pulverize us. 

Remember that absurd cartoon commercial last year about high stakes tests and ed jargon. Wow. That really hit it out of the park. One million bucks on a cartoon that apparently "tested well" with some audiences. What about us? The DOE runs multi-colored propaganda ads on subway cars and shoots "missiles" at us daily via corporate controlled newspapers and magazines. And what does the Unity leadership do: creates a "fluffy" one million dollar cartoon. Who signed off on that one? 

We are such a talented, dynamic force of 80,000 teachers. So many untapped resources and the Unity leadership still operates under a perverted form of "democratic centralism" that insulates them from engaging in dialogs and debates with their own party members as well as the masses of rank and filers who could help them. Their hubris and lack of imagination and openness is a threat to the long-term viability of the UFT as a union.

One way the leadership seeks to divide and conquer their party members and other rank and filers is through "red fear." They paint dissenters or critics as being extreme leftists whose ideas will destroy the union. Here is where it gets tricky. Even if one were to agree that some dissenters / critics appear to hold more "extreme" views than others (funny aren't the ed deformers the real extremists?), this practice makes Unity members docile and hostile to even entertaining relatively traditional modes of unionism that includes various types of mobilizations. 

For instance, we have principals and schools that operate under a climate of fear and intimidation. Why doesn't the Unity leadership help these schools hold small demos that focus on embarrassing the principal and educating the parents of school children who attend? You don't need lawyers and courts for this type of action. You don't even need large numbers of people. Hell, bring in the retirees. Have them stand hand in hand with teachers at affected schools, especially the younger teachers (BTW: Wait until the retirees figure out what's going on with Cuomo and our pensions. The pension "language" I referred to before would not only affect present employees but all retirees too. Are there any retirees out there who are reading this? Create a flier regarding our pensions and Cuomo and pay a visit to the next UFT Retiree Chapter meeting. I'd go but I believe they are held during work hours. Now there is a target group. Boy oh boy, our retirees are an untapped resource. Who is reaching out to them? Who is asking them to come speak at meetings, especially meetings with young teachers. Any CLs out there? Bring a retiree in to talk to young teachers about the importance of unionism, benefits, pensions, seniority, and providing for your family. Ask retirees to canvas schools who need our support. Have them distribute literature that explains the state of our union. Our pensions. ATR's. Seniority. Collect signatures. Put email addresses of names collected on ice-mail and other list serves (with their permission).

Heck, hit the colleges too. Hit all the CUNY ed departments. Private universities. We need the newbies and the newbies need us.   

There is so much to be upset about regarding the "deformers" and the Unity leadership, but I'm hopeful that we are reaching a point where we will have to be heard.

And Unity Leadership: Stop Trying to Dumb Us Down. Stop Trying to Divide and Conquer UFTers. Get a Plan. Create a Strong Positive Message and Get It Out There.

Little Surprise: The Unity Leadership today put out a message regarding school closings that says we are watching closely. We will go to court. We will help schools that want help. Holy Crud. Of course that is all you can do . You don't have a clear and concise blueprint of how our schools should operate. You supported and helped shape Mayoral Control and now are invested in making sure the law is followed. They can close down every school, pump up the ATR pool until it reaches heaven and create an untenable situation down the road where you will have to sell out the ATRS, and you sit with your hands tied because you are following the very law you helped to create. Great job. 

That's one heck of a job. 

In Solidarity,

John Powers

P.S. Has anyone seen the potential new NYS performance standards for students? After reading them, you will probably need a toilet quickly. If I can get an electronic copy I will send it out. It represents the final nail in the coffin of absolute and total regimentation of teaching and learning. It is spreadsheet fascism at its worst. But more importantly, look for the Unity leadership to highlight these performance standards and talk about how disgusting they are while focusing almost exclusively on how our work day does not permit time to do the activities indicated in the performance standards. Although this is true, it is also true that this will leave the door open for a compromise/appeasement agreement where the Unity leadership will approve some or all of the inanities as long as we are compensated for it and given time to do it. What they should do is???????? You guessed it, advocate for what real teaching and learning encompasses. Wait until you read this draft of performance standards.

-----

Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/
Here is an article related to the NEA and AFT cooperation in the onslaught on teachers:

Report: Many officials willing to replace half of staff to turn around schools

Calls from Parent Activists to Shut Down Ross Global Charter School - Sign the Petition

CEC One Parent Leader Lisa Donlan:

It is sad to hear all these Ross Global Charter School parents say they love their school and want to keep it open, even though the school has off the charts leadership (7 principals in 5 years) and teacher instability, student attrition (over 20%/year self reported) and was ranked 1,140 out 1,140 NYC public schools per the progress reports.

The entire premise of charter school is they have 5 years to get it right or they must be closed down.

RGA has NOT outperformed schools in their peer group/with similar demographics, and in 5 years has not been able to overcome systemic management and pedagogical issues.

How ironic would it be if a lousy charter school were to have its charter renewed while the DoE is trying to close down 25 of its own schools- several of which are new small schools?

And for the record-

District One offers all students/parents plenty of educational choices.
Our district is all choice- no zoned schools.
District One has two elementary schools ( one a K -8th ) that offer Mandarin.
District One has always offered small class size- even though it is getting harder and harder to maintain them, with the budget cuts these days.
District One schools offer the type of enrichment and support families are looking for.
District One is full of small collaborative learning communities.

And District One schools will open their doors to these kids and families, welcoming them into our school community.

NY Charter Parent Association Leader Mona Davids:

RGA is outraged that DoE had them participate in the hearing when they'd already decided to shut it down.  Amazing how they forgot Courtney Ross' robo-call where DoE and Courtney were colluding on not allowing the public to speak.

What a joke of a charter school.  NYCPA says SHUT IT DOWN!!   SHUT IT DOWN!!   SHUT IT DOWN!!

Please sign NYCPA's petition demanding this failing, bad, charter school be shut down at:  http://www.change.org/nycharterparents/petitions/view/do_not_renew_ross_global_academys_charter_-_it_is_a_failing_bad_charter_school

Here's the latest RGA lying email to their parents [Ed Note - I will spare you the pain].  If they cared about parents and students, they wouldn't have had the extremely high student attrition rates and teacher turnover.  AND, Courtney Ross wouldn't have told parents if you don't like how we run RGA, get out.

DOE is not taking away their right to choose a "Ross Education".  DOE is finally cleaning up it's act and doing it's job as an authorizer.

 MORE BACKGROUND ON ROSS GLOBAL

Ross Global Charter to be Closed Along with 11 Public Schools

ATRs and Seniority: An Historical Perspective

I was asked to give a presentation at yesterday's GEM (Grassroots Education Movement) meeting yesterday on ATRs and Seniority: Historical Perspective

Too bad I didn't see Jamaica HS teacher Marc Epsteins must read piece at Huffington:
Cathie Black's Tenure Trap

I just could have read it out loud.

I used the very excellent ATR Q&A put together by Julie W. that she posted on the ICE blog as a reference. No one knows more about this issue than Julie.

Here are some of my notes - which I will expand into prose later if I have time.

ATRs and class size- a direct relationship - why not just give them regular jobs - but we know ATRs have a political purpose - a wedge against teacher seniority and LIFO.

Seniority pre BloomKlein

Excessing and layoffs by license - could bump others but generally with scarcity of teachers not an issue.

Early 70's signs of tightening up - surplus social St teachers in HS
1975 crunch - only mass layoff in history - 13-15,000 - order of seniority and massive excessing and bumping of teachers - my school a little more senior than neighbors - 13 people.
Next 10 years - not many hired other than special ed which went from 0 to 60.

Seniority transfers allowed- 5-700 a year took advantage
Public - big advantage for teacher but reality - 5 choices - given one, principals covered up, if refused couldn't reapply for 2 yrs. Most took to be closer to home - also to move from very difficult schools to middle class schools where despite princ opposition - exp in tougher schools often gave them advantage in discipline
Needed princ to sign off if want to leave - most did - if not like - good ridance. If like

Klein- 2002, Aug
Dual attack on Sen Trans from almost first days:
Loss of senior teachers from poor schools drained them of exp, good tchrs
Senior trnsf forced principals to accept bad senior tchrs.

Klein made these contradictory points all over - city council
Randi followed - no defense - UFT not only didn't call them on this but agreed there needed to be changes.

It was clear there needed to be some reforms and here is a major one:
SBO - School Based Options: 400 schools out of 1200: Teachers/union and princ outside contract - interv transfers and didn't have to take them.This gave teachers in schools where the principal didn't totally control things to have a say in which teacher transferees were coming into the school.

UFT Agreed to cut number of seniority trans - 2003 contract (I believe)

LIMITS ON SCHOOL CLOSINGS DUE TO THESE RULES - HAD TO PLACE EVERYONE BY SEN RULES

2005 Contract: End seniority, create ATR
Open market - princ couldn't stop you from leaving but also didn't have to accept you - if excessed or school closed - had to get job on own. No more placement

Had to get own school

2005 Accel school closings because it allowed Klein to not worry about having to place the teachers in a way that can cause bumping.

Life as an ATR
Not equal rights for after school jobs, and other rights.
sub out of lo

Fair School Funding
Charged school for cost of teachers - incentive to get rid of higher priced teachers
Debate often framed as newbie vs senior but more insideous:
COST EFFECTIVENESS - 10 yr/22 yr diff in salary vs. experience benefit.

Have to pay ATRs - Investment by Bloomberg - view to ultim not have to pay -
Part of Cathie Black Mission. Use budget crisis and public pressure.

Nov. 2008: ATR Rally at Tweed
UFT side agreement day before, wine and cheese party
Tale of 2 rallies
Central will pick up salary if ATR hired -
ATR vilified and tainted.
Agree expired Dec. 1 2010.

Current attack:
No LIFO for layoffs, no tenure
Open season on ATR agreement.

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

Michelle Rhee Forms Student First Organization

Ding dong the wicked witch ain't dead

Why Michelle Rhee Isn't Done With School Reform - Newsweek

Click for Background article on ed notes:


Two things appall me about Rhee's speech. One - that she admits to putting masking tape on the kids' mouths to prevent them from speaking. Teachers are being brought up on charges these days when they do that.- Under Assault

Average class size at Kent boarding school where Cathie Black sent her children: 12 students per class

Many of our faculty have advanced degrees and our average tenure is more than a dozen years.

None of those “enthusiastic newbies” that Cathie Black extols in her attack on teacher seniority, you will see.

http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/16

For over 100 years, KENT has followed our school motto: Simplicity of Life, Directness of Purpose and Self-Reliance. Located in the Northwest corner of Connecticut in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains along the banks of the Housatonic River, KENT is rich in tradition and innovation. Founded by an Episcopal monk, we maintain our affiliation with the church while developing to address the changing world our graduates enter. 560 girls and boys excel in our rigorous academic environment with the help of knowledgeable, supportive teachers. Many of our faculty have advanced degrees and our average tenure is more than a dozen years. Students prepare for the world’s top colleges and universities with an extensive liberal arts curriculum and competitive art, music and athletic programs. We study in 25 AP subjects, rare courses like Mandarin Chinese, Irish Drama, Genetics & Biotechnology, our new Pre-Engineering program and our extensive club and extracurricular offerings. A KENT student’s days are filled with opportunities to learn and grow, both inside and outside of the classroom. We come from 30 states and 43 countries. Most students live on campus. Our faculty largely live here, too and together build our active, engaging campus community seven days a week. In fact, service to the community is a significant part of life at KENT. Kent School is a Community of Achievement with a Culture of Performance that gives our students Momentum for Life.

More School Closings Announced

Gotham Schools report:

http://gothamschools.org/2010/12/07/city-adds-14-schools-to-planned-closure-list-bringing-total-to-26/

Citing improvements the schools have made over the past year, the city is sparing four of the 19 schools the city proposed closing last year: the Choir Academy of Harlem, W.H. Maxwell Career and Technical Education High School, the Middle School for Academic and Social Excellence and the Business, Computer Applications and Entrepreneurship High School.

The city is proposing that most of the schools on its list stop admitting new classes next year and phase out over time. For two schools, KAPPA II and the Academy for Collaborative Education, the city plans to shutter all grades at once at the end of this year.

City officials culled the final list of 25 district schools to close from a larger list of 55 schools that they targeted for possible closure earlier in the fall. Of the 30 schools on that list that were spared today, 14 may still undergo one of two federally-approved strategies for school improvement.

One of those scenarios, known as the “turnaround” model, requires that the schools’ principals be replaced and its staff and teachers re-apply for their jobs; only half may be re-hired. The other model, known as “transformation,” relies on replacing the principal, bringing in outside support services and experimenting with new teacher training and school schedules.

The city and union are currently in talks over which schools might use each model.
Here is the final list of schools the city wants to close. The schools highlighted below were announced today.

Schools in Trouble Starved While UFT Fiddles

Someone must ask the leadership of the UFT, with all its resources, why Leonie Haimson, a one woman wrecking crew when it comes to Tweed chicanery, has to be the one to put a report like the one below together that exposes how Beach Channel HS (the local school in my neighborhood) had rising class sizes while targeted by the DOE for closure. Remember how the UFT law suit kept BCHS open for an extra year but then the UFT made a deal with the DOE that allowed them to insert a new school in the building in an effort to starve the incoming freshman class - with the other high school (Far Rockaway) having been closed already the kids who aren't accepted to any Rockaway schools must head to places like John Adams in Ozone Park, the next target in the domino chain.

So Seung Ok is right on when he says in this piece we posted A Tale of Two Michaels: UFT and Mayor Bloomberg - Who is more undemocratic?:

No wonder teachers are losing the battle for public opinion. We are waging a two front battle against major powers - the millions of our own union leadership and the billionaire mayor. 

Parent activist Paola da Kock commented on the NYCEdNews Listserve:

Six of these schools opened under Bloomberg.  As might be expected, “the city said it was holding newer schools just as accountable as older ones” instead of acknowledging its reform strategy is a failure.  But where’s the UFT, the organization best placed to stop the madness?  It’s “nothing more than a joke,” quips Mulgrew, “the tea cup ride at Disney.”  Does Mulgrew have a plan besides laughing at this “joke”?  As Norm reported, he does: “If we find any substantial violations of the statute that covers school closings, the DOE can expect to see us in court.”  Look what that did for Beach Channel High School, one of the 19 schools “saved” by the UFT lawsuit last February, which will now be closed.

Paola de Kock

Queens HS parent leader Monica Ayuso said:

There is something more sinister going on a Beach Channel. The building was under major construction work. Therefore, closing the school was always the plan.

Lisa Donlan, followed by Dee Alpert chipped in:

What does the CFE organization say about this? Can the IBO or Comptroller tell us where that money went if it wasn't used to reduce class size? Isn't this the equivalent to the misuse of funds? Don't folks do hard time for less? - Lisa

What is needed is a series of good forensic audits to see how funds were actually expended - as opposed to how they were reported as having been expended.  IBO doesn't do this kind of audit work.  CFE could probably try to get some forensic audits as part of its status in the litigation, but ... .  Ditto for the UFT, which is actually litigating how the NYCDOE actually spent class size reduction funds at this time.

The UFT's new papers in its suit to stop release of teachers' value added reports are interesting in terms of looking at the class size reduction money issue.  It would appear that information principals report to Tweed re a bunch of relevant things - including who is teaching which class - is wildly inaccurate and, of course, unaudited and unverified.  It's hard to see how other teacher assignment/class size data they report would be any more reliable.  It is, of course, interesting that the NYCDOE did not require that principals have teachers check data submitted about them for accuracy.  Principals are, in the wonderful world of Tweed, not only captains of their ships, but also sole creators (or concoctors) of virtually all information regarding their ships' staffs and passengers.  - Dee

The reason that principals are so all-powerful is that the UFT was a co-conspirator with the DOE leaving the union at the school level on a respirator.

The response of the UFT to the closing of schools, if any, is beyond in adequate as they trumpet their phony "victory" last year - which helped Mulgrew gain his 91% victory in the union elections.

As Leonie points out below, the extra help and support has nothing to do with the classroom. Send in another coordinator or teacher trainer - I'd like to see these expert try to teach the large classes for a few weeks and check the results.

Leonie on the NYC Public School Parent blog:

The DOE set the closing schools up for failure

Today, in justifying the eleven school closings, with more to come, Deputy Chancellor Marc Sternberg made the following statement: “Year after year, even as we provided extra help and support, these schools simply have not gotten the job done for children."

Did they ever try systematically reducing class size? No.

Most of these students at these schools continue to suffer from overly large classes that far exceed the state average of twenty students per class, as well as the goals in the city’s mandated class size reduction plan. In fact, class sizes have risen sharply in most of the schools slated for closure.

For example, check out the increases in class size at Beach Channel High school, one of the schools on today’s list of closures, which have occurred despite a promise from the DOE to make specific reductions at this school in return for hundreds of millions of dollars in Contract For Excellence funds.

As Sternberg said, “…we cannot afford to let schools continue to fail students when we know we can do better.”

Most parents and teachers would agree. The Department of Education’s stubborn refusal to follow the law and to allow the students at these schools to have their best chance to succeed is unconscionable, and set up these schools for failure.

Detroit Union Election - Is Randi guy in trouble? 38% to Steve Conn 30% - Note GEM banner

Detroit Federation of Teachers Schedules Runoff Election For January

http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=1814&section=Article


Rich Gibson - December 05, 2010
In a key US school election, members of the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) gave only 38 percent of their votes to incumbent Keith Johnson, key negotiator of what may be the worst school contract in US history, and 30 percent to long-time Detroit Cass Tech radical teacher and union activist Steve Conn of the By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) group.


Detroit teacher Steve Conn (above center) spoke to the Peace and Justice Caucus of the American Federation of Teachers on July 10, 2010 (above) during the AFT convention. Conn is now in a runoff against incumbent Detroit Federation of Teachers President Keith Johnson. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.There were a total of 4,237 votes cast; 240 votes were voided. Two other candidates, Greg Johnson and Mr Victor, who insiders say will shift their support to Conn, split the remainder of votes. The United For Teachers Rights Caucus, led by Keith Johnson, won all the executive board seats including three vice-presidential spots. In the DFT, candidates must win 50 percent plus one votes. A runoff election is scheduled for January. DFT officials were not available for further comment on Sunday (December 5, 2010). More details are expected by Monday afternoon.

It is only speculation to take a stab at who might win the runoff. While insurgent candidates won with CORE in Chicago, as Substance readers well know, the winner of the District of Columbia election, while opposing the old guard, can hardly be called someone who is promising significant change inside the union or out.

In Baltimore, the traditionally hide-bound American Federation of Teachers had to make the rank and file vote twice in order to ram through a concessionary pact. In the broad sense, there are cracks in the sclerotic AFT empire.

Even so, Steve Conn has never gotten more than 30 percent of a DFT vote, having run repeatedly over more than a decade. He was the rank and filer who, a decade ago, called on assembled DFT member to march to one side of an auditorium or another, backing a strike or not. The mass moved to strike — and did so, heroically.

Johnson and the UTR caucus go back twenty years and more to the days of [long-time DFT President] Mary Ellen Riordan. More than any other local DFT official, Johnson is responsible for the grotesque concessions package DFT ratified earlier in the year, giving up in every conceivable area of bargaining — massive wage and benefit cuts, loss of seniority, merit pay, the union split by school workers in "priority" schools and "neighborhood" schools.

Johnson joined district boss, Bob Bobb, a Broad Foundation puppet, with AFT's president, Randi Weingarten, in convincing the rank and file Detroit members that the sellout was the only alternative, resistance futile. Substance covered that debacle in detail, here: http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=1063&section=Article

Race will play a role in the runoff, as it always does in Detroit. Johnson is black in a 90 percent black city. Conn is white. Conn's record of fighting racism may or may not win him balancing votes.

The Conn caucus members say they will be joined by members of Greg Johnson's and Mr Victor's caucus in campaigning against incumbent Keith Johnson in the next two weeks.

Incumbent Johnson's caucus recently released a statement on the DFT web site complaining about the horrors that describe life in Detroit Public Schools, conditions that they themselves created. The statement is linked in an earlier Substance article, here: http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=1801&section=Article

Whether the majority of school workers, who ratified the recent contract, see Johnson as safer, as job protection, or the more radical Conn, as a better alternative is, at this moment, guesswork.

What is clear, however, is that in the context of an international war of the rich on the poor, everywhere, U.S.school workers and the schools themselves, students, are the next in line for an even harsher concerted attack from elites: an assault not only on wages, but ideas, a key product of capitalist schooling in America. If teachers can be convinced there is no alternative to retreats (which have never historically saved jobs), then what of the students they teach?

So far, if the recent NEA and AFT conventions are any indication (and they are), school workers have been willing to accept the promise of endless war, and to make concessions, taking leadership from Quislings like Weingarten, Keith Johnson, and the National Education Associations $450,000 a year president Dennis Van Roekel, all urging educators off the picket lines and into voting booths — the latest ruse being Obama.

That may not play well the next time around. The Keith Johnson/Steve Conn runoff may give us clues of things to come.

Rgibson@pipeline.com

Ross Global Charter to be Closed Along with 11 Public Schools

Here is the list announced today with more to come tomorrow. Beach Channel knew it was a fait accompli.

Ed Notes had a detailed report on Ross Global Charter which is such a bad school it couldn't be protected due to the relationship between Courtney Ross and Joel Klein's wife - maybe the real reason he is leaving - so he doesn't have to face his wife and Courtney.  

SEE ADDED MATERIAL BELOW THE FOLD

Story at Gotham Schools.

Here is the background with some an interesting robocall from Ross to the parents when the DOE tipped hre off that some activists (Lisa Donlan) might attend a meeting so Ross packed it.

DOE Warns Courtney Ross at Ross Gobal Charter: The Real Reformers are Coming, The Real Reformers are Coming

Courtney Sales Ross' Robocall Warning of Anti-Charter School Attendees at Meeting. Ross' charter school was tossed out of Tweed and many consider it in the running for one of the worst schools in NYC with countless principals and other problems. There are stories that Ross is a pal of Joel Klein's wife. He authorized the opening of the school and it has been protected despite the poor results.

Ross is the widow of deceased Time-Warner head Steve Ross, whose bio I read and was a fascinating figure (grew up around Newkirk Ave in Brooklyn- look what his inheritance has unleashed on the world.)

Read Lisa Donlan's account of the meeting as it scrolls over Ross' call to parents to come out. 

Here is the you tube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CJTnWjv_cc

Also see at Norms Notes 

Council for District One On Ross Global Academy charter school DoE authorized charter renewal hearing

More on Ross Global at Norms Notes - and check comments too for a laugh.

Parsing Mulgrew on tenure, teacher effectiveness, teacher evaluation, value-added: What he should be saying, but won't

Just heard Mulgrew on Brian Lehrer in relation to Cathie Black's positions opposing tenure and last in first out (LIFO) for layoffs. Talk of teacher effectiveness and cost effectiveness.

Not the latter is a newer wrinkle of the ed deformers - the argument that given 2 roughly equal teachers it is more cost effective to get rid of the one who makes more money. They can even argue that if a teacher who makes 100G is superb, it is still more cost effectie to keep two 3rd year teachers making 60G.

Now if you are running a business that idea looks good. But is it really cost effective over the long term when you are dealing with an entire profession that would react poorly - even the younger teachers who hope to put in a long career and one day get paid accordingly? Other than real newbies who have no plans to stay - think Teach for America - the shock troops of the ed deform movement - the degrading aspect of this attack undermines the profession and weakens teacher effectiveness over the long run. I would bet most teachers from 3rd year on would be absolutely opposed to weakening of tenure and the end of seniority for layoffs - which are a pretty rare affair. Many teachers I know starting around 1969-70 were excessed at least once - and in '75 we had massive layoffs by seniority and call-backs by the same means - an orderly system instead of the chaos the ed deformers are calling for.

Of course we heard none of this argument by Mulgrew who instead talked about the fact that tenure is due process not life-time jobs and that if there are ineffective teachers the principals should have gotten rid of them before it was time for layoffs. Good points for him - he even talked about how tenure is not a contract provision but state law long superceding the lifetime of the union. (By the way - tenure as people talk about it as a lifetime job is more aligned with college teaching though even that is based on some due process system). He also talked about the fair funding formula - the tactic tha charges principals for the costs of the teachers instead of lumping all salaries into a central fund - and how it encourages principals to get rid of of more expensive teachers. So not terrible even though he could have been much stronger - but as we know- the UFT is partway on the ed deform bandwagon - or wants it to appear that way.

When Brian brought up the release of individual teacher evaluations, Mulgrew was weak I thought in not arguing how they should never be released for all sorts of reasons that have been argued. Instead he attacked the accuracy of the value-added results at this point and seemed to argue that when they were accurate it would be OK to release them.

I think there have been enough arguments about VA and the narrow tests they are based on. We think there is a lot more to a teacher than can be expressed in a number. The union should be making that case instead of bragging how they are willing to cooperate in their own members' demise.

For the kind of defense we would like to hear from out union - but never will read this at Modern School:

Value Added & Performance Pay Scams Weaken Teacher Pay and Autonomy

Stephen Krashen, from Schools Matter, has an excellent posting on the idiocy of Value Added teacher assessments and performance pay: Seniority and Teacher Layoffs: A Red Herring

Like so much of Ed Deform: It's all about money. Senior teachers are higher on the pay scale and cost districts more money than younger inexperienced teachers. Krashen argues that this is the only rational argument for dumping experience over youth since veteran teachers generally do a better job. They have more years of on the job practice. They have more experience from workshops, professional development, and collaboration with peers.

However, there is one more reason to dump older teachers: Control

Experienced teachers are less likely to go along with every hare-brained ed deform plan concocted by their administrators. This is one reason why charter schools like KIPP are able to get their teachers to work weekends and summers and be on call well into the night. 

Retired UFT Bronx HS District Rep Lynne Winderbaum on the NYCEDNews Listserve said:

Of all the words used to describe Cathie Black, "parrot" may be a new one. But it seems that after her listening tour of Tweed, she has now come out repeating the tired old propaganda that has been adopted by the Department of Education for the last nine years.

This morning at 6:15 AM on NPR Cathie Black announced that she "has a problem with the practice of granting 25-year-olds tenure, insuring them a job for the rest of their lives for just showing up to work everyday".   Also, she "has a problem with laying off the 'last in' first".  She stated that she could never run a company successfully if these practices existed and that these practices would never be accepted in business.

Frightening to see that her ignorance regarding these issues had been replaced by the misrepresentations she is being taught. First of all, there is no practice of granting 25-year olds tenure. Anyone of that age who does achieve tenure has already served three years in a classroom and has been trained during that probationary period to work on techniques and strategies to improve their pedagogy. At any time during the three year period, if the teacher does not show improvement or an aptitude for the job, he or she can be summarily fired--no questions asked. It is called a "discontinuance of probation" and it is used frequently. After three years, if the teacher has been satisfactory rated, only then is tenure granted. And if an administrator has any doubts about granting tenure, there is the option to extend probation for an additional year...no questions asked. 

Cathie Black is also showing her ignorance of the fact that tenure is not a "job for the rest of their lives for just showing up to work everyday." Tenured teachers can be fired under the terms of state education law Section 3020a. That's all tenure gets them: a due process proceeding. It does not mean a job for life. It is just a guarantee of a fair hearing, with evidence presented and with representation. Private sector workers would love to have such security, but apparently a successful business cannot incorporate fairness according to Black. A tenured teacher cannot be summarily fired for any reason as a probationary teacher can. That's all tenure means. And if Cathie Black is unquestioningly passing along the false myths that we expect of a person who simply repeats what she hears without any independent research, we should fear what lies ahead in her decision making process.

May I add that without tenure, teachers risk discrimination, being punished for their political leanings, and they will rightly fear exposing wrongdoing or questioning violations such as failure to follow special ed or ELL laws, for example. It is just protection Cathie, not a lifetime guarantee. Get out of your cocoon.

"Last in, first out" was never a policy that was debated until the wholesale closing of schools left many veteran teachers without jobs. Before that, the only teachers in excess were those with one or two years experience. Suddenly there were hundreds of employees who had given their lives to the children of New York City, twenty or thirty years in many cases, who had no place to work, through no fault of their own. They were also the most highly paid. So, despite the fact that many are fine teachers, Tweed looked for a way to paint them all with a negative brush and build a pr position around firing them. Black says the practice would never be accepted in business where the model is to have the power to hire and fire at will. But first she must make a convincing argument that the basis of retaining teachers will never be favoritism or silence about problems at schools. Seniority is a fair way to fight favoritism and nepotism. Do away with seniority and tenure and watch what is unleashed in our workforce. After her week of listening to folks downtown, the breadth of her understanding of the issues may be a mile wide but it is a quarter inch thick.

That does not bode well for anyone in the school system.

Cathie Black, Bill Gates and the Ed Deformer Assault on Class Size

I didn't see the quote myself but there were reports that Cathie Black said that teacher quality was more important than class size. Of course that would be her position since disparaging class size as a factor is a basic belief of ed deform – not really a belief since ed deformers full well know about the impact of class size since they either went to schools themselves with low class sizes (Black, Gates) and/or send/sent their own kids to private schools with low class size.

But ed deformers must focus their attention on the teacher not the conditions in their assault on the profession and the unions.

The Dec. 4 edition of the NY Times had an article about how Bill Gates is funding new teacher evaluation projects supposedly intended to find the best teachers and practices, often by video taping lessons.

This really is a must read article because of what Gates won't fund as part of these studies.

First of all, a lesson doesn't exist outside of the results. My old principal Benjamin Bromberg who came up through the ranks of teaching used to say "Nothing learned, nothing taught." Thus, if you teach a lesson on the Pythagorean theorem you need some mechanism to see if the kids got it. And then a follow-up method of seeing if they still get it a week later, a month later and at the end of the year. And maybe next year too.

Second, can you place the blame solely on the teacher for those kids who do not get it? Did some not do any work at home to practice? What about the level of the kids coming in? What if a bunch had never learned or understood basic times tables? Can they really understand the theorem unless a good base has been laid?

And then comes the big enchilada - what is the impact on the lesson of the number of kids in the class?

So to do the full research, let's see the same teacher, same lesson, done in classes of widely varying class size with follow-ups to see which kids learned it and which didn't and the staying power of the lesson.

But Gates won't fund that as the results would show that the basis of the ed deform movement has no legs.

Afterburn
I know many excellent private school teachers who shudder at the thought of teaching in public schools and one of the main reasons are the high class sizes. Some think it is the kids they would have to teach that keep them away but they say they could teach anyone of the class size was reasonable.

I laughed at the idea of videotaping lessons since I was part of a similar project at PS 16 in my 3rd year of teaching - the spring of 1970. They set up a camera and videotape machine. The idea was that I would stay after school and watch the lesson with the idea of categorizing each question I asked the kids looking for the percentage of questions that just asked for facts vs those that made them think. It was time consuming but valuable. I wasn't uptight at them looking at my lessons - I trusted they wanted to help me be a better teacher. Not like today when they are interested in dumping people.

A Tale of Two Michaels: UFT and Mayor Bloomberg - Who is more undemocratic?

We are waging a two front battle against major powers - the millions of our own union leadership and the billionaire mayor.   

NYC Teacher Seung Ok on NYCEDNEWS listserve:

The NY Post, no friend to the teacher's union, has the following to say about the public relationship between the Mayor and the UFT president, Michael Mulgrew:

"Even though they're often in adversarial positions, Mulgrew has a good relationship with the mayor and the two men rarely clash in public."

"Loeser said the only time Bloomberg spoke to Mulgrew about Black was right before the appointment, when the mayor pointed out that Mulgrew had met her once before.

Mulgrew declined comment.

"Michael Mulgrew and Mayor Bloomberg have private conversations. We do not comment on what might or might not have been said in private conversations that might or might not have happened," a UFT spokesman said."

So the biggest enemy known to public education in New York, and to veteran teachers advocating for what's best for their students has a friend in Michael Mulgrew. No wonder teachers are losing the battle for public opinion. We are waging a two front battle against major powers - the millions of our own union leadership and the billionaire mayor.

On closer inspection the two Michaels seem to have more in common than not. Both run their organizations with the guise of democratic proceedings. It was not democratic for Bloomberg to bribe and coerce his way into a third term.

For those who are unfamiliar with UFT proceedings, let me say that watching it live as a delegate - I imagined this is how so-called democracy is run in countries such as Afghanistan, Russia, and Nigeria.

The UFT has about 3000 delegates, 2200 of whom, can not fit into the small meeting space at 52 Broadway. This is done so that any vote taking place is always dominated by union personnel and Unity party loyalists. They meet for two hours each month and the majority of the time, Mulgrew uses up in the President's speech - which is as long winded as a Sunday sermon. Apparently Mulgrew saves his vehemence against the mayor in these closed meetings.

After that, comes the ceremonial guest speakers, awards, and placards of appreciation to some organization or people (usually a tug-at-the-heart cause that not even the political opposition can help but clap for). In the one year I was attending meetings, these ceremonies included: UFT sending 1000 dollars to the Honduran Teachers Union, the factory strikers at Stella Dora, the NAACP anniversary, a teacher who finally won a grievance for a medical transfer, etc.

Then, finally, when about 20 minutes are left - the floor opens up to the motions that have been already set forth by the Executive Board (sort of like the Senate of the UFT). Good luck trying to get a motion brought forth from the rank and file - because in order for it to be put into next month's New Motions list, it has to be voted on by a majority of those 800 (mostly Unity brethren) sitting at that assembly.

And good luck ever getting to the microphone, because there microphones set up in the aisles. Specifically breaking UFT union and Rules of Order procedure, Michael Mulgrew hand picks who gets to receive roving microphones handed out by, you guessed it, Unity union workers. And they have the ability to shut off any one of those microphones whenever Mulgrew deems it necessary. In most other unions, microphones are set up in each aisle, and the president must address the first member that asks for the floor.

Even if, after all these roadblocks, a member manages to get in a motion to be heard and voted on at that meeting (requiring 2/3 vote), there are further undemocratic hurdles to overcome. Let me give a specific example of an instance where these abuses had important implications.

In the last mayoral election, a member stated a motion for the UFT to support Bill Thompson for mayor. The whole floor was enthused, as evidence by the unanimous clapping in the room - a rare instance of the majority and minority in agreement. After a period of debate, a member asked for the motion to come to a vote.

Again breaking UFT and Rules of Order procedure - Mulgrew stepped into the debate (which is not allowed by the president) and basically took the floor from that member's motion right for a vote. He proceeded to continue the debate by calling on his cabinet to argue against voting for Thompson. After the Unity loyalists basically got the message that Mulgrew wasn't pleased - the eventual vote was unanimous against supporting Bill Thompson.

Now remember the results. Thompson lost by only 5 %. Had only 3 % of the votes shifted, or had not even shown up to vote for the Mayor, public education would be safer today. Had the UFT, sent out its people, like they did for Tony Avella, and mobilized it's full voting membership - we would not be dealing with Mayor Bloomberg.

The main error that both Michaels perpetrate is the notion that they know more than the democratic voice of the populace. And in a little defense of the two Michaels, the problem goes beyond the egos of these two men - but the very system that allows men like this to come into power. It's a problem that democracy has faced since its infancy.

Remember that when the constitution was ratified, only 10 to 16 % of the population (white men with property) were allowed to vote. It's an endless struggle between the interests of the rich and the interests of the majority. Let us remember that this vision of an equitable and free public education is only 60 years old. Like a new democracy, it has to be fought for and nothing is assured. True public education was born of struggle, and nothing short of struggle will keep its ideals alive.

Seung Ok
- Teacher

UFT Failed Policy on School Closings: Ignores School Closings Based on Political and Ideological Grounds

Gotham schools Reports Backroom Dealings Between DOE and UFT on School Closings
Longtime Outcomes: DOE: 90-120+, UFT: 0

This story is so typical - if true, which I believe it is - of how the UFT has dealt with school closings.
It should be pointed out that the DOE has closed over 90 schools with barely a whimper from the UFT. But the announcement last December that they would close 19 schools, just as Mulgrew's first UFT election campaign was getting started forced the UFT to act - bringing out people to the Jan. 26 PEP meeting and filing a law suit - not a law suit based on the premises I will lay out in the following paragraphs that closings are based on ideology and politics, not educational grounds, but on procedural grounds, something the DOE is correcting this year. So the schools were kept open another year and despite the fact that the DOE did everything it could to keep students from going there the UFT made a deal to allow them to insert new schools to further undermine them. This year they are again a target.

UFT Wiki-leaks
So this item in the Gotham piece caused me to take notice:

“I think they’re making a real attempt to avoid what led us to win that suit against them,” said the [UFT] official. “I don’t think it’s any glasnost, there’s no kumbaya here. But they’re making an effort to avoid getting sued.”

So the UFT is leaking that the DOE is afraid of another law suit - over what - procedures that they are following to the T? This leak is for the members who are agitating within their schools and communities - "SHHHH! We may be able to make a deal for you if you are quiet." And desperate schools may just do it. I was at the Dewey rally on Friday and saw some signs (which I may be misinterpreting) that there might be a behind the scene buzz emanating from the union that a deal could be made by the UFT and DOE to save the school - for now. I bet they are telling that to all the schools. Just like they probably told to the staffs of the now closed over 90 schools.

One GEMer said:

That is why I think having Fight Back rallies and Demo's might actually make a difference.  If the DOE sees that a school community is going to fight, they might think twice about closing it or even using the turn-around model.  My understanding is that the Federal government only allows a certain percent of schools to be transformed.  I believe that is 17 out of the 55/60. Interesting that they do not seem to be using the "conversion to charter" model.  It is one of the 4 choices.  Perhaps this is because "charter" school operators do not want to take on such a "hard" job as "fixing" a struggling high school.  Remember Jeffrey Canada's Harlem Children Zone Charter School "fired" a whole 9th grade class instead of having them move on to high school. Have any of the schools on the list been contacted by the UFT to have input into the negotiations?

Note that Randi Weingarten and the AFT have not made a peep against the federal turn around mandates that forces locals to do their bidding. Well, you know, they wouldn't want to be branded by the ed deformers as a union unwilling to go along.

I have been a critic of the UFT/AFT policy on school closings since BloomKlein took over, claiming much of the policy is based on politics and ideology rather than on educational grounds. And on the use of numbers, at times cooked (see Jamaica HS) rather than looking at the real situation within the school. The idea is that the only way to get around seniority and tenure rules is to use these closings or turn around models to dump out the teachers and start new schools with many newbies who cost less and are often more compliant.

By that I mean they can wring more "productivity" out of newbies who won't complain if prep periods or lunch periods go missing or people have to stay in school until 6PM to get their work done. I mean, why pay people per session for extra work if you can get it for free? We hear that charter school teachers work 30% more. That is the ed deform model.

And let's not forget that these teachers get so much lower pay as newbies they can hire more of them.

[As a sidelight - note the latest ed deform attack is on the salary structure itself that is based on number of years and qualifications. Their ideal: all teachers start out with the same base salary no matter how many years and get bonuses each year based on the kids' performance on standardized tests. How about a gym or art or music teacher you ask? Get your kids to run a 4-minute mile, produce a Picasso or write a symphony and you'll be rich.]

The ed deformers have come up with this policy nationally to enforce their ideology, part of which holds that small schools only are the way and that large comprehensive high schools must go. That these large schools are often bastions of strong union support is a factor.

Tweed has used various techiniques to make large schools disappear. Using a geographical method, first in the Bronx, then in Brooklyn and now in Queens, the DOE has created a domino effect by keeping the most at risk kids out of their cherished small schools and forcing crowds of them into the next school down the line. Examples: Far Rockaway/Beach Channel - and next John Adams. Lane/Jefferson/Canarsie/South Shore - next Sheepshead Bay. Lafayette - John Dewey. I don't know the Bronx geography well enough to map it but I hear Lehman HS is a big target now.

But the UFT refuses to act as if this is true. They refuse to try to organize the threatened schools as a united force, giving behind the scenes advice to each school individually. The outcomes have been disaster for the schools.

This comment came in from another GEMer:

Has there been any rank-and-file involvement as our leadership helps decide which schools stay and which get thrown on the trash heap? Note also the new emphasis on the more draconian "turnaround" rather than just "transformation."  Funny that the CSA is publicly protesting that this would be extracontractual, but no peep from the UFT about all their members in a school being forced to reapply for their jobs (and only half being able to be rehired).

Yes, pretty funny that the union for supervisors comes off as being more supportive of their members than the UFT is.

Full Gotham story below the fold