CamiGate: Get Rid of Black Teachers and Replace them with white TFA in Newark in the Name of Civil Rights

• There is a historical context of racial discrimination against black teachers in the United States, and “choice” systems of education have previously been found to disproportionately affect the employment of these teachers. One Newark appears to continue this tradition.
• There are significant differences in race, gender, and experience in the characteristics of NPS staff and the staff of Newark’s charter schools.
• NPS’s black teachers are far more likely to teach black students; consequently, these black teachers are more likely to face an employment consequence as black students are more likely to attend schools sanctioned under One Newark.
• Black and Hispanic teachers are more likely to teach at schools targeted by NJDOE for interventions – the “tougher” school assignments... Weber.Baker.Oluwole.Staffing.Report_3_10_2014_FINAL

Ahhh, the essence of ed deform. The 3 C's (Christie, Cerf, Cami) plan to destroy public ed in Newark. Thanks to the Ed Notes Newark correspondent bull dog - who I met for the first time at the MORE happy hour- for sending this.

Teachers at Newark Public Schools (NPS) largely reflect the racially and ethnically segregated student populations of their respective schools. Mark Weber also known as Jersey Jazzman, Bruce Baker and Joseph Oluwote have released a new report entitled "One Newark's" Racially Disparate Impact on Teachers. The previous report focused on how Cami Anderson's One Newark Plan disproportionately affected black and low income students in the district. In the new report, the authors contend, "NPS's black teachers are far more likely to teach black students; consequently, these black teachers are far more likely to face an employment consequence as black students are more likely to attend schools sanctioned under One Newark." In layman's terms, black teachers are more likely to teach in schools that are closing or being renewed. To make matters worse, charter school demographics differ from NPS by employing teachers more likely to be white and less experienced. We find ourselves in a fine kettle of fish here in Newark!

A Newark Teacher

Disparate Impact on Teachers

PDF of Policy Brief: Weber.Baker.Oluwole.Staffing.Report_3_10_2014_FINAL
As with our previous One Newark policy brief, this one is too long and complex to post in full as a blog. Below are the executive summary and conclusions and policy recommendations. We encourage you to read the full report at the link above.

Executive Summary

In December of 2013, State Superintendent Cami Anderson introduced a district-wide restructuring plan for the Newark Public Schools (NPS). In our last brief on “One Newark,” we analyzed the consequences for students; we found that, when controlling for student population characteristics, academic performance was not a significant predictor of the classifications assigned to schools by NPS. This results in consequences for schools and their students that are arbitrary and capricious; in addition, we found those consequences disproportionately affected black and low-income students. We also found little evidence that the interventions planned under One Newark – including takeovers of schools by charter management organizations – would lead to better student outcomes.
In this brief, we continue our examination of One Newark by analyzing its impact on NPS’s teaching staff. We find the following:

• There is a historical context of racial discrimination against black teachers in the United States, and “choice” systems of education have previously been found to disproportionately affect the employment of these teachers. One Newark appears to continue this tradition.
• There are significant differences in race, gender, and experience in the characteristics of NPS staff and the staff of Newark’s charter schools.
• NPS’s black teachers are far more likely to teach black students; consequently, these black teachers are more likely to face an employment consequence as black students are more likely to attend schools sanctioned under One Newark.
• Black and Hispanic teachers are more likely to teach at schools targeted by NJDOE for interventions – the “tougher” school assignments.
• The schools NPS’s black and Hispanic teachers are assigned to lag behind white teachers’ schools in proficiency measures on average; however, these schools show more comparable results in “growth,” the state’s preferred measure for school and teacher accountability.
• Because the demographics of teachers in Newark’s charter sector differ from NPS teacher demographics, turning over schools to charter management operators may result in an overall Newark teacher corps that is more white and less experienced.

These findings are a cause for concern: to the extent that the One Newark plan disproportionately affects teachers of one race versus another, the plan may be vulnerable to legal challenge under civil rights laws.

Conclusions and Policy Implications

In our previous brief, we found that the One Newark plan imposed consequences on schools and their students that were arbitrary and capricious. We found little evidence to support the claim of NPS that One Newark would improve student outcomes, and we found that the students who would see their schools closed, turned over to CMOs, or “renewed” were more likely to be black and/or suffering from economic disadvantage.
In this brief, we turn our attention to the effects of One Newark on NPS staff. We find patterns of racial bias in the consequences to staff similar to those we found in the consequences to students, largely because the racial profiles of students and staff within the NPS schools are correlated. In other words: Newark’s black teachers tend to teach the district’s black students; therefore, because One Newark disproportionately affects those black students, black teachers are more likely to face an employment consequence.

NPS’s black teachers are also more likely to have positions in the schools that are designated by the state as needing interventions – the more challenging school assignments. The schools of NPS black teachers consequently lag in proficiency rates, but not in student growth. We do not know the dynamics that lead to more black teachers being assigned to these schools; qualitative research on this question is likely needed to understand this phenomenon.
One Newark will turn management of more NPS schools over to charter management organizations. In our previous brief, we questioned the logic of this strategy, as these CMOs currently run schools that do not teach students with similar characteristics to NPS’s neighborhood schools. Evidence suggests these charters would not achieve any better outcomes with this different student population.
This brief adds a new consideration to the shift from traditional public schools to charters: if the CMOs maintain their current teaching corps’ profile in an expansion, Newark’s teachers are likely to become more white and less experienced overall. Given the importance of teacher experience, particular in the first few years of work, Newark’s students would likely face a decline in teacher quality as more students enroll in charters.
The potential change in the racial composition of the Newark teaching corps under One Newark – to a staff that has a smaller proportion of teachers of color – would occur within a historical context of established patterns of discrimination against black teachers. “Choice” plans in education have previously been found to disproportionately impact the employment of black teachers; One Newark continues in this tradition. NPS may be vulnerable to a disparate impact legal challenge on the grounds that black teachers will disproportionately face employment consequences under a plan that arbitrarily targets their schools.

Randi Gives Up Some Gates Dough -- And She's Being Praised?

Oh, Jesus, when will it end? Diane Ravitch posts the "good news" that Randi will no longer accept Gates money and there are some cheers - but also critiques.

Breaking News: Randi Says AFT Will No Longer Accept Funding from Gates Foundation for Innovation Fund

There are a bunch of comments you should read. I left one but it is awaiting moderation. In case it doesn't pass muster, here it is:

1. norm scott

   Your comment is awaiting moderation.
   

   March 10, 2014 at 11:10 am

   Rowdy delegates to a national teachers convention Saturday gave several standing ovations to Bill Gates, whose billions in foundation grants for experimental-education-overhaul efforts over more than a decade have sparked widespread controversy and debate. There were scattered boos and hisses among the 3,400 attendees at the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) convention in Seattle, and a small group of dissident teachers walked out on Gates’ speech, but many at the Washington State Convention Center seemed to welcome the Microsoft co-founder’s message that teachers must be partners in any efforts to improve student achievement… Seattle local report
   At what point do our leaders take responsibility for their actions and be accountable for their errors? Remember how Randi and her horde mocked the people who walked out on Gates at the AFT convention? I shot the video of the sing-song “good riddance” shouts.
   Here is a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6Ezri0pVOg
   We have seen well over a decade of AFT/UFT collaboration and only the weight of resistance has forced — and I say forced– Randi to take actions like this — but does is it good news and a real change in the way the leadership which persists in promoting the common core and other ed deforms until forced to change direction? and often for PR reasons? Why does Randi always have to be forced?
   Here are links:
   laugh yourselves silly — remember the Unity caucus hooting and booing those who walked out on the Gates speech at the AFT convention.
   Only when the AFT and UFT which is the tail that controls the AFT become democratic institutions of change will we see a true change in policy that will allow the unions to lead rather than tail the fight for public education.
   I only have to point to the big battle over charters in NYC over rent and co-location and how the very body that should be organizing against the Eva Moskowitz monster – the UFT – is toothless because of Randi’s folly – a co-located charters pushing out public schools — one middle school in the same building was closed by Bloomberg and the parents and teachers blamed the UFT charter.
   Will we get cheers when Randi one day gives that folly up? Really, when will this end?
   If you need a refresher google links to stories about that walkout in July 2010
   Here is one:
   Gates’s controversial speech to the AFT – Substance News
   http://www.substancenews.net/articles.php?page=1529‎
   Jul 11, 2010 – A video of the protests against the Gates speech has been posted … [A separate report in Substance will cover the walkout and protests from some of the delegates]. ….

I also asked:
Did Randi also disavow any Gates money to support the Common Core?
Just sayin' - oh, and who is giving the UFT money for its charter? Just askin'.

Some more comments:

1. I appreciate that Randi Weingarten is doing this, but please read Mercedes Schneider analysis. http://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2014/03/07/a-schneider-debriefing-on-weingarten/:
   Weingarten implied that “so little” Gates money does not matter. However, it apparently does since not accepting “the next round” for the AFT Innovation Fund means a dues increase. The current Gates grant for the Innovation Fund and CCSS ($4.4 million) expires in May 2015.
   Note: There was no mention of returning any Gates money. There was also no agreement to not accept Gates money in the future– just not for the Innovation Fund.
   The Gates money matters to those who take it. However, the connection to Gates and the power that such connection brings matters to those benefiting from his circle of power more than does his money.
   A five-cent annual annual dues increase for all 1.5 million AFT members yields $75,000 in additional revenue.
   A two-dollar annual dues increase for all 1.5 million AFT members would yield an additional $3 million in AFT revenue.
   I would like to challenge Weingarten to offer AFT members the total amount that AFT dues must rise in order for her to say no to all corporate-reform-associated philanthropic money given to AFT.
   

   Reply
2. Janna

   March 10, 2014 at 10:57 am

   Thanks to Mercedes, Diane and all of the people who have been speaking loudly about this. Unions are our best hope to fight corporate reform and if our unions are misbehaving then we need to speak up and put pressure on them. I think the recent conference, and Mercedes recent posts and many private and public conversations demonstrated to Randi where her mistakes had been. And she has never been a fool. She knows where the wind blows. Great news!
   

   Reply

De Blasio Allies Counterattack on Moskowitz - the Real Civil Rights Issue of the Time

As a candidate for mayor, Bill de Blasio electrified crowds of parents and education activists with a pledge to charge rent to charter schools, one of the starkest policy departures from his predecessor, Michael R. Bloomberg... NY Times, March 10, 2014

Well, finally, a word or two that gets to the heart of the issue. The Mayor ran on an anti-charter platform and beat the guy who ran on a pro-charter platform. But then the article in the Times drifts into the admitted failure of deB to articulate a firm policy.

These groups don't have the money or resources but the de Blasio election with 75% of the vote over the pro-charter Lhota does mean something.

I'm betting the UFT is putting some resources into this but far behind the scenes and in fact is crippled by the fact that they have a co-located charter school and don't pay rent. So on the biggest ed issue of the day, the UFT must play in the shadows. (I will post some video of the rally the UFT did help organize at Seth Low -- but that is the great district UFT rep doing the heavy lifting.)

And notice how much more press the Moskwitz law suit is getting over the Tish James law suit to stop even the co-locos deB gave Eva. How delicious would that be?

Parents and Allies of Mayor de Blasio Debunk Charter Lobbyists’ Misinformation Campaign

*They Will Respond to Success Academy's Lawsuit over Co-locations and Defend de Blasio's Policy*

At Harlem Event, PS 149/PS 811 Parents, Rev. Michael Walrond, and Allies of Mayor de Blasio Will Rally for Reversal of Co-locations and Set the Record Straight

On the Heels of a New Video Campaign, Harlem Parents Will Discuss Why the Expansion of Success Academy in Their Schools' Building Would Have Been Harmful

WHO: Parents and Teachers from PS 149 and PS 811; Harlem Congressional Candidate Rev. Michael Walrond; Top Supporters of Mayor de Blasio.

WHAT: PS 149/PS 811 parents and their allies speak out in support of Mayor de Blasio’s decision to reverse the co-location in their school building. This event will come on the heels of a new video ad campaign these parents will launch Monday to debunk the misinformation and distortions that charter school lobbyists have been pedaling to the press.

WHERE: PS 149/PS 811, corner of 117^th St and Lenox Ave., Harlem

WHEN: Monday, March 10, 4 p.m.

WHY: PS 149 and PS 811 lost several classrooms and a lot of space when Harlem Success Academy 4 was first co-located in their building in 2008. PS 811, a District 75 school for students with special needs, would have lost five additional rooms, including its only therapy room and a state-mandated room for conflict resolution, if Success Academy had been allowed to expand. Parents will speak about how Mayor de Blasio’s new process for evaluating co-locations strikes the right balance and takes into consideration the impact on existing district public schools.

###

--

Dan Morris

Progressive Cities
917.952.8920
www.progressivecities.us

@dmorrispress

		Stand With The Parents of P.S. 149 and P.S. 811!. Click Here to Thank Mayor De Blasio for defending the parents and students of P.S. 149 and P.S. 811! Dear Norm, The hedge-fund cronies behind Eva Moskowitz and Success Academy are spending millions on TV ads to tell people that Mayor de Blasio is hurting children by refusing to allow her corporate-backed schools from moving into any public school they please. What her ads don't tell you is the truth. Were it not for de Blasio's decision to prevent the co-locations of P.S. 149 and P.S. 811 in Harlem, the building would be at 132% capacity. It would force students at the existing schools, many of them special-needs students, to hold classes and occupational therapy in the hallway. Check out this video made by students and parents from the two schools. Fortunately these parents don't have to worry about finding another school for their children, and they're thanking Mayor de Blasio for standing up against the corporate education movement and standing with public school parents and students. We are too.  Click here to thank Mayor de Blasio for protecting the students of PS 149 and PS 811! During the last 12 years of the Bloomberg administration, thousands of public school parents and students in our communities have been under constant threat of being forced out of their local schools, or forced to compete for resources and space with co-located schools. That administration is gone; it's time to rebuild and reinvest in our public school system, and to defend students like those in PS 149 and PS 811. Join the parents of PS 149 and PS 811 in thanking Mayor de Blasio for taking a stand for special-needs students, parents, and NYC public schools. Best, Olivia Leirer Communications and Social Media Director New York Communities for Change

Bertha Lewis Condemns Success Academy Lawsuit

New York, NY— Bertha Lewis, President of The Black Institute and a nationally-recognized civil rights leader and progressive advocate, released the following statement tonight condemning the federal lawsuit filed by Success Academy against Mayor de Blasio’s recent reversal of three co-locations:

“This lawsuit is not about civil rights, it's about the privatization of public education. Mayor de Blasio has stood up to the Wall Street bullies and said they cannot seize classrooms from students with disabilities to advance their political agenda. The civil rights community stands with him,” said Lewis.

Charterbeat Distorts Charter Coverage

That private dollars help the charters is fine, but they remain publicly funded institutions, and it is irresponsibly shortsighted to spend that money without also benefiting the host districts.... Your article notes that students at the Success Academy charter schools outscored public school students in standardized math and reading tests. While this may be encouraging for the charter school movement, it is not unequivocal proof of the charters’ superiority.... NY Times letters to editor

Today's Chalkbeat - which we refer to as Charterbeat - Rise and Shine headline: De Blasio's charter schools beating a political loss.

A loss? While his response has been inept -- they should have me as a consultant as I know Eva's game plan as well as anyone -- today's letters section of the NY Times, always a good indication on where the public that reads the paper is coming from, shows a different story - every single letter basically criticized Moskowitz and Success and charters in general and in fact were supportive of de Blasio. (Read them below).

The Times always splits the baby in the letters section reflecting the rough % of responses they get on a controversial issue. That today pretty much 100% are opposed to the charter lobby in some way is an indication. Just watch those expensive and massive commercials begin to backfire on them.

By the way -- Carmen Farina doesn't get it. Eva doesn't want seats - she wants the buildings -- it is all about real estate. Allow her schools to grow into shared locations while undermining the public  school until she gets sole control of the building -- and then offers to take them off the hands of the DOE for a buck -- and then convert them to condos.

Charterbeat in transitioning from Gotham Schools made sure to eliminate its nightly summarizing of the blogs where the truth is often read. They must be matching Cuomo in its contributions from the charter lobby.

Here are their links today:

Charter school space wars

Mayor Bill de Blasio has an uphill road to climb if he wants to carry out his plan to charge rent to charter schools.

• New York Times

Public Advocate Letitia James will ask a judge to delay charter school admissions while her lawsuit against co-locations proceeds.

• New York Post

De Blasio predicted that the lawsuit would ultimately prevail in court.

• Capital NY

Ginia Bellefante: De Blasio’s heat over the co-locations he canceled instead of the ones he preserved shows that he has lost his ability to control the narrative.

• New York Times

Former Gov. George Pataki, who spearheaded the state’s charter school law, criticized de Blasio’s approach to charter schools.

• New York Post

Gideon Stein: The state should give charter schools extra funds that co-located ones should turn over to their fellow schools.

• N.Y. Daily News

An advocate says Cuomo’s choices show that he prefers big-bucks charter schools to regular public schools.

• N.Y. Daily News

Richard Whitmire: Lost in the debate is the fact that some charter schools do better than others in educating students.

• N.Y. Daily News

Chancellor Carmen Fariña said she would try to find space for a Success Academy school threatened by her co-location decision.

• NY1,
• Chalkbeat NY,
• Capital NY

Still, Success Academy parents plan to sue over their canceled co-location plans.

• Chalkbeat NY,
• New York Post,
• NY1

And here are the more realistic public opinion letters on the Times.

To the Editor:

Re “Mayor and Operator of Charter Schools Do Battle in Albany” (news article, March 5):

The conflict in New York over public charter schools and their host districts brings into sharp and painful relief the core flaw in the charter law. It was unwise to create a parallel system designed to compete for dollars and success.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo have the opportunity to work together to foster collaboration between the two publicly funded school systems. Successful charters should share their successful practices not only through modeling that success but also through teacher training partnerships and other collaborative ventures.

That private dollars help the charters is fine, but they remain publicly funded institutions, and it is irresponsibly shortsighted to spend that money without also benefiting the host districts.

MAURICE G. ELDRIDGE
Swarthmore, Pa., March 5, 2014

To the Editor:

The heated back and forth between Mayor Bill de Blasio and charter school advocates like Eva Moskowitz exposes the contrast between the public interest and self-interest in their positions.

The charter schools movement began with the intention of creating places where educators and their communities could try out new ways to educate students who struggled in traditional public schools. They were meant to benefit those who remained in public schools — not undermine or displace them.

Unfortunately, the opening created by the originators of the charter school movement has been exploited by management companies and individuals within the charter school industry who see our schools as a source of personal profit — including Ms. Moskowitz, who earns a lavish salary. As charter operators continue to put their interests ahead of the children’s, it’s about time that public officials like Mr. de Blasio step in to advocate for each and every child, not just a chosen few.

SABRINA JOY STEVENS
Executive Director
Integrity in Education
Washington, March 5, 2014

To the Editor:

Your article notes that students at the Success Academy charter schools outscored public school students in standardized math and reading tests. While this may be encouraging for the charter school movement, it is not unequivocal proof of the charters’ superiority.

Parents who choose charter schools may be more dedicated to their children’s education than other parents. Hence the better performance of charter school children may owe as much, or more, to greater parental involvement than to any programs of the schools themselves.

Randomly assigning children to attend either public or charter schools and then testing their progress is the only scientific way of making a comparison. Similarly, studies purporting to show the advantages of pre-K will not be definitive if the programs involved parental choice.

DAVID S. HODES
Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., March 5, 2014

The writer is a retired pediatrician and professor of pediatrics.

To the Editor:

Public schools, especially those in inner-city New York, do not always serve children well. Classes can be large, teachers overwhelmed or inadequately trained, facilities in disrepair, essential equipment like copiers in short supply, art, music, science, physical education absent. Mayor Bill de Blasio proposes that charter schools pay rent to their host schools. Money may indeed help the situation.

Some charter schools have spruced-up facilities, renovated bathrooms, brightly lit hallways, the latest technology, smaller classes and longer days. In a building in which a Success Academy charter and a public school share a building, the contrasts are painfully clear.

These contrasts, demonstrating, not so subtly, to the public school students how little they are valued, can be remedied. Success charters and some others have access to impressive funding from philanthropists. Instead of paying rent, what if a charter school were required to improve an entire building to the same high standards it enjoys?

That would be a start, and who knows, smaller classes, science, art, music and physical education for all, healthy meals and better teacher training might follow.

ANNETTE MARCUS
New York, March 5, 2014

The writer is a retired science teacher and worked as a science curriculum consultant to Success Academy.

Monday March 10, 4PM: Rally at Harlem School for Victims of Moskowitz Attempt to Push Out Special Ed Kids

Which kids are really getting hurt in the charter wars?

Rally To Support de Blasio and Public  Schools in Harlem Tomorrow
Where:  Outside PS/ MS 149
When : 4: 00- 5:00  March 10
41 W.  117th St between Lennox Ave and Fifth
Subway:  2 or 3 to 116th 

Even as Mayor Bill de Blasio’s  handling of the issue of charter school co-locations has disappointed many, it has signaled the end of the era when the likes of entrepreneur Eva Moskowitz is granted whatever entrepreneur Eva Moskowitz  wants, regardless of how many public school children are displaced, short changed and treated  as if they are second rate citizens.    

Over the past week and more, Moskowitz has received absurdly favorable press in New York City papers, even as she once again removed children from schools during school hours, this time to bus  them to Albany as if they were adult lobbyists.  After years of incredibly favorable treatment by the Bloomberg administration, de Blasio has had the political courage to stand up to Moskowitz and her billionaire backers.   

As a result, Moskowitz  and her  friends in the media are doing all they can to paint her and Success Academies  as victims and create the false appearance of overwhelming public support for Moskowitz and the  horrific and destructive policies of Mike Bloomberg.  

They have flooded the air-waves with slick, heart-tugging commercials, engaging in a multi-million dollar public relations campaign designed to do nothing less than trick the public into forgetting that de Blasio won by a margin of 75% over Joe Lhota, in large part because of de Blasio’s rejection of Bloomberg’s education policies, of which Moskowitz  is such a perfect example.   

Today we have an opportunity to once again reaffirm the public will, let Moskowitiz’s billionaires know that they do not own our schools and our city, and let de Blasio know he is not alone.
Please, if you can, come and let your voices be heard loud and clear.  Come and remind Moskowitz’s billionaire backers that we live in a democracy. Above all, come and help insure that all of our children are shown the dignity that all children deserve.
Patrick Walsh
Chapter Leader
PS/ MS 149
Harlem

You Mean, That Jessica Tisch? Bratton Chooses Tisch

NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton names Jessica Tisch as deputy commissioner of information and technology

Oh, you mean that Jessica Tisch?

Jessica Tisch Calls For Bloomberg 3rd Term - Ed Notes Online

Apr 15, 2008

Today's Post includes an op-ed calling for voters to decide on term limits so Bloomberg can run again. The piece claims Bloomberg has outperformed, citing his record in improving the schools. It's written by a Jessica Tisch, ...

Ed Notes Online: Tisch, Tisch, Meryl 

Apr 07, 2009

I wrote about the ridiculous NY Post editorial her "brilliant" daughter Jessica sent supporting Bloomberg's 3rd term: "Average Citizen" Jessica Tisch Calls For Bloomberg 3rd Term. Posted by Norm @ ed notes online at

Ed Notes Online: Dishonor Among Thieves: Merryl Tisch Wrote ...

May 15, 2011

... in decisions concerning our children. Leonie Haimson: Merryl Tisch's daughter Jessica , wrote that oped in favor of overturning term limits and a third term for Bloomberg, based upon his terrific record at running our schools.

Putin Crimea Annexation Modeled on Eva Moskowitz Invasion of NYC Schools

Kremlin insiders have revealed that Vladimir Putin modeled his invasion of Crimea on the successful takeover of numerous public schools by Eva Moskowitz and her Success Charter chain. Sending shock troops into a building in advance? Check. Rolling local political forces in a media blitz? Check. "Eva Moskowitz has more power than Kim Jong-un," said a Putin spokesman.

Two who lust for Moskowitz-like power

Susan's Saturday Special

Here is a collection for your weekend reading. I know the latest Common Core outrage is long but I hope you will read it with careful attention. This assault on first graders sits at the core of what corporate ed deform is all about.
http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=675

Contrast this with Kate DiCamillo's wonderful memories of a read-aloud.

With the help of teachers who refuse to remain silent, I try to bring not just complaints but the details of the assault that will compel people to action.

The fact of the matter than unless and until teacher behavior changes, the corporate raiders win.

And by 'change in teacher behavior' I mean REFUSAL.

I often post things in 'Notable Quotes' that never make it to the announcement list. For example, go over there and take a look about what the surgical community's perception of surgery residents. It certainly sounds familiar.

Thank you, Steve Krashen, for 'noticing' almost as soon as I posted it.

There are new cartoons:

Gates/Obama Personalized Learning
http://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=893

Bribery, Coercion, and Manipulation for Primary Graders
http://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=892

What the Taxpayer Funds
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_cartoons.php?id=1010


I think the resistance community has reached the point where we should move on from complaining. I don't want to sound too self-serving here, but my goal is provide information that will help us to that next step--active resistance and refusal.

Give me liberty [to choose my curriculum] or . . .

Revolution.

I've told Nekko my cat who screams for me to come join him in palaver at 5:30 a.m. to expect tidings of great joy with Daylight Savings Time.

Susan

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Common Core: Asking First Graders  To Extract and Employ Evidence About Producers and Consumers
Susan Ohanian
blog
2014-03-07
http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=675



First graders of the nation, unite!



Adults: read this and brush up on your indefinite pronouns.

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Big Data Means Big Questions on How That Information Is Used
Natasha Singer with Ohanian comment
New York  Times blog
2014-03-04
http://susanohanian.org/data.php?id=543

John Podesta, the counselor to the president is leading the Big Data Privacy review and this should alarm you.

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National Reading Month: Kate DiCamillo on the Power of Stories
Kate DiCamillo

2014-03-06
http://susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=1158

Here is a great statement by Kate DiCamillo. Do yourself a favor and read it.

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I won’t seek a 5th term on the Orange County School Board
Judge 'Rick' Roach

2014-03-06
http://susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=1157

Orange County school board member Rick Roach says he no longer recognizes his profession.

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To the editor
Kevin Mann
Daily Telegraph
2014-03-07
http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1649

Good comment on what passes for 'news' in our press.

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To the editor
More Than a Score
Chicago Tribune
2014-03-02
http://susanohanian.org/show_letter.php?id=1648

The Chicago Tribune that a school is not a democracy and teacher should just give the standardized test. More Than A Score, a Chicago group working to end the misuse of higj stales stamdardized testing, responds.

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Does David Coleman Operate from 'Heartfelt' Motives?
Susan Ohanian and multiple writers
Wall Streeet Journal & New York Times
2014-03-06
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1786

Read how major newspapers covered upcoming changes in the SAT.

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The Way  Bill Gates Makes Things Work
Susan Ohanian
blog
2014-03-05
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1785

The Gates Foundation is funding online college textbooks.

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Malloy administration’s farce of a hearing on Common Core
Jonathan Pelto
Wait What? blog
2014-03-03
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=1784

Connecticut Democrats remain committed to Common Core

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Connecticut parents seek guarantee they can opt students out of standardized tests
Rachel Chinapen
New Haven Register
2014-02-27
http://susanohanian.org/show_yahoo.php?id=852

Jesse Turner, director of the Central Connecticut State University Literacy Center, speaks out--loudly.
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Order the CD of the resistance:
"No Child Left Behind? Bring Back the Joy."
To order online (and hear samples from the songs)
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dhbdrake4
Other orders: Send $15 to
Susan Ohanian
P. O. Box 26
Charlotte, VT 05445

BREAKING NEWS: the Assembly will do last minute interviews on Monday because Democrats are saying they will VOTE NO on incumbents

I dropped by my state assemblyman Phi Goldfeder's office the other day with some materials on this Regent election.

From Carol Burris:

Dear friend of public education

,

 

 On Tuesday, the legislature will vote yea or nay on the re-appointment of the 4 incumbent Regents.  Often we hear that the legislature does not control education policy and therefore there is little that can be done to influence the course of testing , data collection and the Common Core.

 

This, the appointment of the Regents, is your representative's  best and most direct opportunity to influence educational policy and 

to 

be responsive to the thousands who came out to express their unhappiness at forums across the state.

 

BREAKING NEWS: the Assembly will do last minute interviews on Monday because Democrats are saying they will VOTE NO on incumbents

 

Please write to your representative and send a simple message: Vote "no" for the re-appoinment of the four incumbents. Follow up with a phone call. Send a message on twitter.

Let them know you will be watching.

You can find their contact information here:

Assembly: http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/

Senate: http://www.nysenate.gov

Thank you,

Carol

The Nation: The Absurd NY Tabloid Propaganda War Against de Blasio's Reasonable Charter School Policies

...The New York Post's false attacks on de Blasio and charter schools.... The Nation

I have more on the anti-Eva counterattack -- but with no strong response from de B it all goes for naught. How weak is de Blasio/Farina turning out to be? I predicted that charters won't pay one dime in rent. RBE at Perdido points this out and how deB is already pretty much a one-term mayor --- guess who will challenge him? I say Eva.

Here is the article from The Nation. I'll follow with Juan Gonzalez' piece soon.


reprinted at alternet

March 6, 2014  |  

 

This article first appeared in the Nation and is reprinted here with their permission.

Last week, the de Blasio administration declared war on charter schools, at least according to the New York Post. Governor Cuomo rushed to the barricades, telling a rally in Albany yesterday: “We are here today to tell you that we stand with you.… You are not alone. We will save charter schools.”  Families for Excellent Schools, who organized the rally, claimed the Mayor's decision was met with universal opposition and characterized the move as the back end of a quid pro quo with the teachers union for endorsing the mayor.

Wondering what actually happened? The de Blasio administration released a memo reviewing forty-nine co-location decisions made last fall by the lame-duck Bloomberg administration. A co-location is when two schools occupy the same building, and it’s been a controversial aspect of the charter-school movement. Many charters, which usually serve fewer special ed or bilingual students than regular public schools, get free rent on space in the regular public schools that charter advocates so often disdain--often space that the regular school needs..

De Blasio’s chancellor, Carmen Farina, set aside four of the decisions that won’t take effect until the 2015–16 school year to give more time for study. It ordered thirty-five of the forty-five remaining plans implemented. It called for one to be revised. And it cancelled nine planned co-locations. Six concerned regular public schools, which also often co-locate. Three were for charters.
All three of those cancelled co-locations were for charters proposed by Eva Moskowitz’s Success Academy network. Her defenders see that as proof that the mayor, a long-time critic of Moskowitz, was singling her out. But given the aggressive expansion plans of the Success network, it’s not that surprising that she has a large presence on the list. 

Moskowitz will now need to find space for those students, including some already attending Success Academy’s Harlem 4, which had outgrown the two other co-located sites it was using. Given that Success Academy is rolling in money—Moskowitz reportedly pulls down $475,000, more than the president of the United States—it seems likely she’ll come up with something. Contrary to the shorthand way some have reported it, de Blasio didn’t rescind the schools’ charters—he couldn’t—he just said they can’t use public school space.

(And for the record, the teachers’ union did not endorse de Blasio but his chief rival Bill Thompson in the Democratic primary. The UFT did back de Blasio in the general, along with the rest of the universe.)

Overall, fourteen charter-school co-locations—including five Success Academy ones—got the green light from Farina.

Full disclosure: I’m a charter-school parent. 

Oh, oh -- read about that aspect here.

----

But mostly it seems like everyone is just playing to the script. Charter-school advocates have been waiting for de Blasio to drop a daisy cutter on them. And they’re reacting as if he did, when in fact his administration rendered a pretty modest and narrow decision, especially given the sprawling ambition of the Bloomberg-authorized co-location wave it was reacting to. The de Blasio DOE’s touch was so light, in fact, that Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Public Advocate Letitia James have said they’re going ahead with a lawsuit to challenge some of the co-locations the de Blasio administration approved.

Unfortunately, that will just perpetuate this unproductive argument about charter schools. It’d be better to move on, treat charters as the minor part of the system they are, and figure out what to do for the 94 percent of public school kids who don’t attend charters. The lawsuit just gives the governor another opening to swoop in and “save” charter schools. Yawn.

Sorry, it is better not to move on and allow these cancers to grow inside public schools.

Read Next: Joseph Featherstone reviews a new book by charter school advocate-turned-critic Diane Ravitch.

Support and Criticism for de Blasio from from Anti-Charter Wing

How weak can they get? I voted for de Blasio in the primary because of the poor options. But when it came to the general election I just couldn't do it and wrote in the name of a real reform Staten Island activist who is running for the state board of regents. I'm so glad my instinct that deB would cave won out.

Perdido Street School  
De Blasio Caves To Eva - That didn't take long, did it? City education boss Carmen Fariña retreated in the charter schools fight on Friday, saying the city is now searching for spa...

Raginghorseblog

Moskowitz Again Uses Children As Political Props and Tabloids Cheer - For the third time in as many years, Eva Moskowitz, czarina of the Success Academy charter school empire and heroine of the campaign to privatize our publi...
Leonie Haimson writes:

See Interview w/ Fariña below by Juan Gonzalez below where he writes: “She’s even studying the facts. In the case of PS 149, for example, the Education Department officially projected that the co-location of Success Academy would produce enrollment at 132% of capacity. What idiot bureaucrat plans for an overcrowded school?”

Sorry to say 12 of the co-location proposals that she is allowing to go forward will push the school building to 100% utilization or more; which we know is an underestimate of the actual level of overcrowding, since the Blue Book utilization formula does not properly capture the need for smaller classes, art and music rooms, programming of lunch at reasonable hours, access to the gym, or the need for specialty rooms for mandated services to students with disabilities.

See the PEP agenda for even more co-locations to be voted on in May.

http://schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/leadership/PEP/publicnotice/2013-2014/SchoolProposalsMay62014PEP

http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/1DD21B74-8CFD-415B-8200-7F9F3B324068/160134/EISRevisionX030Colocation_vfinal.pdf

Under the “revised” co-location of American Dream charter into PS 30 in the Bronx, the building is projected to go to 123-141% capacity!

She also says: “She won’t keep approving small schools that only require more high-paid supervisors to run them.”

But most every new school she is approving require not just more space, but more administration, including high-paid principals, etc., wasting money on bureaucracy that could go to hiring teachers for smaller classes.  We have seen a huge explosion of spending on out =of-classroom positions the last ten years, with a sharp decline in the number of teachers, causing ever-increasing class sizes.

RELATED: BILL’S ORPHANS

What idiot bureaucrat plans for an overcrowded school?

Click here: Gonzalez: Mayor de Blasio is not being overly harsh on charters, he's just not letting charter administrators do w

Gonzalez: Mayor de Blasio is not being overly harsh on charters, he's just not letting charter administrators do whatever they want

In the battle with Eva Moskowitz over charter schools, Mayor de Blasio is only restricting Moskowitz's power and putting limits on her control over the interests of city school children.

Comments (3)

David Handschuh/New York Daily News

Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña said that under the Bloomberg administration, Eva Moskowitz could do 'whatever she wanted.' Not anymore.

Nothing personal, says Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña, but there will be no more favored treatment for Eva Moskowitz and her Success Charter Network.
During an extensive interview Thursday, Fariña explained her decision on whether to move ahead with 45 new schools the Bloomberg administration had approved to open this September in public school buildings.
In the end, Fariña gave the green light to 36 of those co-locations, including 14 new charter schools — a number some public school advocates consider too high.
RELATED: CUOMO TURNS HIS BACK ON CITY KIDS
Fariña even approved five of eight new charter schools sponsored by Moskowitz’s Success Academy network.
In only one case did she deny a planned expansion of an existing school — killing Success Academy Harlem Central Middle School’s plan to move 194 middle school students into PS 149 on W. 117th St.
So the notion being bandied about by Moskowitz, and in newspaper ads and television commercials sponsored by the charter school lobby, that Mayor de Blasio is “axing” charter schools and denying parents the program of their choice is pure nonsense.
RELATED: CHARTER SCHOOL RUMBLE: EVA MOSKOWITZ VS. MAYOR DE BLASIO
It’s just that Moskowitz doesn’t get to call the shots anymore. “She was allowed to do whatever she wanted” in the past, Fariña said, but the days of “favorite treatment” are over.
Our new chancellor is actually listening to all sides .
She’s even studying the facts. In the case of PS 149, for example, the Education Department officially projected that the co-location of Success Academy would produce enrollment at 132% of capacity.
RELATED: BILL’S ORPHANS
What idiot bureaucrat plans for an overcrowded school?
“The people who did these space assignments were not educators,” Fariña said.
From now on, she will apply four criteria in reviewing proposed co-locations. She won’t put elementary and high schools in the same building. She won’t keep approving small schools that only require more high-paid supervisors to run them. She won’t approve co-locations that require expensive renovations of school properties.
RELATED: MAYOR DE BLASIO IS JUST LIVING UP TO CAMPAIGN PROMISES
And, most importantly, she won’t allow reduced services or seats for special education students.
“These are the most vulnerable and highest needs kids in our system,” Fariña said, but “they were the first kids to lose space or be moved” under the prior administration.
No one is happier about her policy change than the parents and staff at the Mickey Mantle school, a program for autistic and emotionally disturbed children that was slated to lose space and seats to the proposed expansion of Success Academy.
RELATED: CHARTER SCHOOL FAMILIES LEFT SEARCHING
“Our school already lost a music, a theater arts and an art room the past few years,” said Barry Daub, principal at Mickey Mantle. Those losses happened to make room for Harlem Success 1, launched in the same building in 2006.
Mickey Mantle would have lost enrollment and even more space if Fariña had approved the Success Academy expansion.
“We would be doing physical and occupational therapy in the halls,” Daub said.
Yvette Santana, whose grandson Aaron Cruz is a fourth-grader at Mickey Mantle, is furious at the way parents and children are being pitted against each other.
“We don’t want to throw anybody out, but it’s not right to take away the programs our children have,” Santana said.
Fariña’s people say the four middle schools in the 22-school charter network Moskowitz already operates have enough empty seats to absorb the 194 students from Success Academy.
No child is being denied an education. It’s just that one charter network is no longer getting everything it demands.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/gonzalez-de-blasio-letting-charters-article-1.1713687#ixzz2vIfrQoFS

Zakiyah Ansari: Fed up with Cuomo - But is She Fed Up With UFT Assault on NYSUT Leadership for opposing Cuomo?

		Join Zakiyah's Fight! Click Here To Sign The Petition Demanding Governor Cuomo Fully Fund Public Schools in NY State Dear Norm, I want to pass along this email from Zakiyah Ansari, public school parent and Advocacy Director for the Alliance for Quality Education. She is furious with the governor's abandonment of public schools in this state, and you should be too.  Read her story, and sign her petition: Best, Greg Basta Deputy Director New York Communities for Change I'm angry! Governor Cuomo claims to be the “students' lobbyist,” but his actions tell a different story. For the last four years, he has severely underfunded New York's public schools leaving public school students with limited opportunities and diminished abilities to compete. Then, just this week he vowed to divert funding to privately-run charter schools, which make up only 3% of the student population in the state. He cannot call himself the students' lobbyist when he has ignored the needs of 97% of the students in this state.  We need a Governor that will serve ALL students, not just 3%. I've created a petition that is calling for the Governor to fulfill his constitutional obligation to all students by fully and fairly funding public schools. Click here to sign! For the last four years, Governor Cuomo has kicked our public schools around like a soccer ball. He has forced them to make painful decisions, like having to choose between offering music classes or Kindergarten. This is absurd! Schools shouldn't have to choose between the very basics and students shouldn't be missing out on vital opportunities. It seems that Governor Cuomo is more concerned about appealing to his re-election campaign donors, like the Wall Street backers of privately-run charter school, than the students of New York who he claims to be a lobbyist for. I will not stand idly by while he undercuts the future of a generation of students! Will you join me in holding him accountable to his constitutional obligation to educate every student? Sign the petition.  In solidarity, Zakiyah Ansari, Advocacy Director of the Alliance for Quality Education