June 12, 2012
Contact:
Mona Davids, NYC Parents Union (917) 340-8987
New York City Parents Union Press Conference On The Roll Out Of The NYC Department of Education's Special Education Reforms
WHO: Parents, Advocates and Elected Officials
WHAT: Press conference demanding the NYC Department of Education delay the roll out of their special education reforms until they release all the results of Phase 1; answer questions raised by parents, advocates and the media; provide training to general and special education teachers; and guarantee parents their children will receive all of their mandated classes, services and supports at their neighborhood schools.
WHEN: June 12, 2012
TIME: 12:00PM
WHERE: City Hall
Our press conference is immediately followed by the City Council's hearing on the special education reforms.
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Tuesday, June 12th - 5 PM Rally for the Turnaround Schools Stand in solidarity with the teachers, students and communities of the 24 turnaround schools at this protest against the City’s outrageous closing of these 2 dozen public schools. Rally to be held at Tweed.
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Please join us June 12 for the fourth annual "Skinny" awards!
More and more of what’s happening in
NYC, from the expansion of charter schools and high-stakes testing, to the new
teacher evaluation system and the Common Core standards, are coming down on us
from the NY State Education Dept. and the Board of Regents.
Please join us in honoring two
women, both former NYC superintendents and now Regents members, working to see
our children do not suffer from the negative impacts of these policies, that the
quality of our public schools is strengthened rather than undermined, and that
the parents’ voice is heard in Albany.
Leonie Haimson, Diane Ravitch, Patrick Sullivan, Monica
Major & Emily Horowitz
invite
you to
the fourth
annual “Skinny” Awards
When:
Tuesday, June 12 at 6:00 PM
Where:
Bistro Lamazou
344 3rd Avenue (betw.
25th & 26th St.)
New York, NY 10010
A
fundraiser for Class Size Matters
Please
join us for a special evening where we will honor two celebrated educators who
give us the real “skinny” on NYC schools, and stand up for parents, smaller
classes and our children’s right to receive a quality education
Dr. Kathleen M. Cashin
Brooklyn
member of the NYS Board of Regents
Dr.
Betty A. Rosa
Bronx
member of the NYS Board of Regents
A rare
opportunity to enjoy a three course dinner with wine, while celebrating two
heroes, battling to defend our public schools.
Tickets:
$150 - Patron
$75 –
Supporter
To
reserve your seat or to contribute, please click here or
send a tax-deductible check to:
Class Size Matters, 124 Waverly Pl., NY NY 10011
A
spokeswoman for the labor board said both the Chicago Teachers Union
and CPS had filed documents with the board in recent days, but she
declined to make them available without a Freedom of Information Act
request. Law firms for the parties involved did not respond to requests
to release additional documents.
Early
Wednesday morning, Lewis went to King High School to cast her ballot.
Lewis, who taught at King before taking the helm of the CTU, was greeted
with hugs from students, teachers and even the police officer stationed
at the school.
Every week I promise myself I would do a wrap-up so I can review where I was the last week so it doesn't all slip away and point to upcoming events the following week. Every week that project slips away. Here is an attempt. Wait--- what was I going to do again?
But first, here are links to the Ed Notes posts from the past week. Note this June 1 report on Anna Phillips' going away party:
Did I break that story, given that people seem surprised at Winerip's final ed column in the Times today slamming the Florida/Jeb Bush testing regime?
Monday, Monday, June 4. Hmmmm. Nothing in my calendar from last week.A visit to my dad's apartment to clean it out -- followed by a coughing fit and what seems like swollen glands.
Tuesday:
Lunch with former student who tells me she is 47. The last time I saw her she was 16 and in high school. She looks the same. I don't. Quite a 2 hour conversation about the past. Maybe this is part of the face of accountability – meeting a former student from your 6th grade class and having her tell you she saw her first play because you took the class and she has been a theater goer ever since, making sure her own kids get to share that experience. And my principal used to tell me I took too many trips and the scores would suffer.
Then it was off to visit a former colleague, an 82 year old who fell in her apartment, broke her hip and lay there for 5 days before being found. She looked so good, but she always looked 20 years younger. I remember someone had found out how long she was teaching and all the young guys gathered around in wonder at her age. Hot, hot, hot, and still hot at 82 with a broken hip.
And finally the FAIRTEST event which I wrote about here where I posted videos (and revealed that I gave Weingarten a hug-- I am a serial hugger.) What I didn't reveal was the nice comments from Diane Ravitch about the movie and her thanking me for my role in that.
After the event I went out with Fred Smith who has done such great work with Change the Stakes and Rosalie Friend and another local SOS activist along with an SOS visitor from Denver named Kemble Stokes who took a batch of copies back with her. (I got a great email from her tonight.)
Did I miss the Venus transit of the sun? I'll catch it next time in 2117. I also missed the shuttle being towed practically past my house last week. I'll catch that next time too.
Wednesday June 6 - D-Day - the invasion of Norman 41 years ago. The day belonged to my wife. And what a day. We both got haircuts in prep for the big wedding today, followed by a visit to a car dealer getting ready to buy my new Honda CRV, then off to the bank to take care of dad business, followed by a trek to clean up his apartment which is so full of dust mites we can only stand it for an hour at most. Finally back home to rest before heading out to a great dinner in the meat packing district, followed by a short stroll on the high line.
Thursday: The big Pearson rally, followed by hanging out in Central Park with some of the parents and their kids, followed by a great MORE education discussion on accountability and focused on chapters 8 and 9 of the Ravitch book, followed by my handing out a leaflet in front of CUNY at the E4E meeting with State Ed Comm John King. That was so much fun I have to write about it separately.
Friday: Bikram hot yoga in AM (wipeout), smoking a stogie, followed by a meeting with a newbie to the ed wars now working for a non-profit who was sent by her director to get the historical background and guide to every single activist group in NYC. After 2 hours she was worn out. And so was I -- but we shared a great chocolate chip cookie to recover. And she was delightful to chat with --- intelligent, engaged and ready to roll. Welcome to the ed wars.
Saturday -- went to a wake for the mom of an activist teacher/blogger who I don't know well but have enormous respect for and was moved by the story of his mom.
Followed by the movie Hunger Games (which we loved -- and maybe our future). I have the 3 books waiting to be read -- if I ever get over my new obsession with Jo Nesbo deep dark Norwegian novels starring Harry Hole.
Best to Robyn and David.
I have a great pic of dad and bride walking down the aisle. If dad reads this, let me know if OK to add it here.
Home at 1AM -- oy! I had to drive someone to the airport at 6AM. Got up at 5AM. Monday will be a couch potato day.
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Afterburns -- some collected items that won't get into separate posts:
I used to work in a KIPP school. None of the teachers had kids and there was a 50% turnover rate every year for staff. You simply can not have a life when you work in a KIPP school. The funny thing is that they brag about how you can't have a life other than the KIPP life. Their entire mantra is "Work Hard, be Nice". I actually felt like I was in a cult when I worked there.