The UFT "SWAT" Team and the Rubber Room

So we are alive!!!! – message from teacher in the Bronx Rubber Room (full message at the bottom of this post.

Pictures sent to Ed Notes by cell phone from Queens Rubber Room

"One thing was clear after talking to people in the RR: the overwhelming majority were as angry at the UFT as they were at the DOE, feeling the UFT had abandoned them."

This was what I told Elizabeth Green who reports in today's NY Sun article about how Randi Weingarten is going to take action on the rubber rooms. [I posted the article at Norms Notes.] The article highlights the new SWAT team Weingarten has put together. The team, is reportedly headed by recently hired "Betsy Combier and two unnamed NY Teacher reporters."

They are long-time NY Teacher reporter Jim Callahan and retired teacher Ron Isaac. I am very familiar with all three members, having known all of them for a number of years. I'll have more to say about these particulars at another time.

I am quoted in the article in this paragraph:

Ms. Weingarten's promise to ramp up pressure on the issue of rubber rooms comes as she is facing more pressure to act from inside her union and beyond. Factions have formed within the union to fight on behalf of teachers in rubber rooms, making suggestions ranging from hiring more staff to defend teachers to issuing subpoenas of state agencies on their behalf. One group, the Teacher Advocacy Group, plans to picket the union's Lower Manhattan headquarters Wednesday following a delegate assembly meeting, a retired teacher who is advising the group, Norman Scott, said. The group will carry signs charging that the union has "dropped the ball" on protecting teachers.

Green got some of the gist of what I told her, though I did not identify myself as an advisor to TAG, who have proven themselves perfectly capable of acting on their own. My point has been that the UFT, instead of automatically doing what a union should do – exert a rigorous defense of its members' rights without being concerned over their guilt or innocence – is more concerned about being slammed by the press over defending people who may be guilty than in protecting the rights of the innocent. In the past, the innocent have been treated like collateral damage.

Years ago, Jeff Kaufman and I began raising the situation of the rubber rooms at UFT executive Board meetings. After Jeff's tenure in the rubber room, he began to invite people he met to come to the meetings and use the 10 minutes of free speaking time to raise the issues. After a while, not a meeting passed without some people from rubber rooms present to remind the UFT leadership of their plight, often to deaf ears. At some point, Betsy Combier began attending meetings (even though not a UFT member) with some people she was working with. Callahan and Isaac were also present but never said anything.

When Jeff Kaufman raised a motion in June 2006 calling on the UFT to hire paralegals to conduct an investigation on the part of the teacher being charged instead of leaving this important step in the hands of a biased unit of the DOE, Randi Weingarten categorically rejected it, something I pointed out to Green.

After hearing of people spending months in the RR for minor charges and often being exonerated (allegations of an inappropriate comment or throwing a kid out of the room -- things every teacher does at some point) -- I raised the issue about why people had to sit for so long without having their case expedited and called for the UFT to offer those teachers who wanted their cases heard quickly an opportunity to do so. Randi Weingarten responded that surveys showed that most people did not want to rush through the process and even though the contract had time limits, their violation caused no great sense of "let's file a grievance."

She might have been right on this as some friends who had spent time in the RR gave me a sense of the total devastation this caused them and even those exonerated would never teach the same way. There were harges that conditions are purposely set up to break them psychologically and many are gunshy about returning to work, with some comparing the RR to gulags. Recent press reports confirm these conditions. Many began developing a rubber room mentality -- feelings of unity and support of each other surfaced as they told their stories.

As I said in the opening: One thing was clear after talking to people in the RR: the overwhelming majority were as angry at the UFT as they were at the DOE, feeling the UFT had abandoned them.

I raised this issue to Elizabeth Green and pointed to the increasing organizing efforts of RR people, as evidenced by TAGNYC, a group that goes beyond just RR people but included UFT'ers under attack by administrators and ATR's. Because of past inaction by the UFT, the very thing that created outside advocates like Betsy Combier, internal lobby groups are springing up, as people understand the UFT has a narrow range of interests, one of which is to undercut any move to militant organizing. Thus, the UFT tries to deal with individual cases, not groups.

Whereas many RR people were happy to see Betsy, now that she is on the UFT payroll, some refer to her as a "spy for Randi." It will take a long time to overcome the mistrust created by the UFT officials' attitude towards people.

I told Green that I viewed the SWAT team in this light – as a response. And maybe some good will come of it. But I also view it as an attempt to deflect militant organizing – damage control. The members of the SWAT team have assured me they will not allow this to happen. We'll see. Talk in the article about a law suit, even internal UFT legal sources say it is not a reality. See the lawsuit as a threat to the DOE (you can guffaw at that) or as a way to deflect. "See us file a lawsuit, now go away. See lawsuit sit in a drawer, joining the supposed senior teacher discrimination law suit."

What does Jeff Kaufman think of the actions of the UFT? Green says:

Some in the union ridiculed Ms. Weingarten's push for compromise, saying it will not resolve what they described as the UFT's failure to provide teachers in rubber rooms with strong legal representation. "They need people that have some kind of understanding and background in employment investigations. They have nothing," a teacher who was placed in a rubber room and who is also a lawyer, Jeffrey Kaufman, said.

Report from the Bronx rubber room (Sept 29)
Norm... the Rubber room in the Bronx has been very active
We were told that Randi wanted to meet with us - the meeting will be arranged in the near future- expect good numbers

First day of "back to school" we were introduced to Marlene Siegal (remember her?) as the Coordinator of 501 Courtlandt-
She entered each room with the (male) gang of five - distributing a leaflet containing the rules of governance. These "new" and "old" rules included no computers, no beach chairs, no roaming in the hallways, no refrig..., no microwave- issuance of time cards and time clocks- issuance of a "bathroom" passes and an escort(if exiting the 4th floor) and on and on

We called our "Bronx is Burning" UFT office and requested an immediate response to the 2007 Police State at 501
We wanted to know why Jose Vargas approved this? aka Ms. Siegals' testimony
The meeting did not include Jose Vargas- instead he sent his apologies and Rodney Grubiak and a few others (6).
At the meeting Rodney handed out the 1990s memo from the Chancellor indicating the elimination of timeclocks.
And the chanc. regs on the definition of "school staff"
We are considered "other" based on our offsite location-according to the Bronx UFT personnel.

The question was asked regarding "Age Discrimination", "Retaliation" (I am Harassed) and ATRs.

Rodney told Rep. X to "WRITE THAT DOWN" -simply stating "If you want" to speak to us about your individual cases we will be more than happy to assist you-
We replied- We are "one"- a collective unit of experienced teachers who are being harassed ... look at the quality and quantity.

Next UFT meeting included Jim Callahan and no Jose. Callagan and the other gentleman (sorry -forgot the name) were so effective. - They spoke to us-not at us - We really needed a good dose of reassurance and optimism.
[Ed. Note: Nice work by the UFT reps here and a legit function of the SWAT team.]

This time Rodney was less abrasive.
He acknowledged "our" importance- mentioned Randi 5X (why is loyalty so selective...when he thinks it is in his best interest)- reminding us that the fight against injustice would "remain" vigilant wanting to remain "a positive focal point" -he continued talking... stating that he would always be responsive -and Rodney better have a "damn good" reason for not calling you- as he enthusiastically handed out the "b-cards."

Immediately a teacher raised her hand and said "Mr. Grubiak" I have been calling you since last year- left you "a lot" of messages- (I have it all recorded) and I keep calling you and you have never responded- What is your reason? He said ...let me give you my card- she said " do not bother I have you "on speed dial"- Then...another shouted what is the "damn good reason" for losing my papers-jeopardizing my career- for failure to respond to the charges (to the State).

We were and continue to be vocal and active in "our" phone call blitz efforts to the Bronx.
The numbers as of Friday were 127 and growing ( because of age discrimination and retaliation).

We are currently under the direct supervision of a "supervisor"- who has an office on the 4th floor.

A reporter from the Post tried to interview several teachers- we put the word out -nobody talked to the Post. We were concerned about the "spin"-at the POST.

The Daily News is currently interviewing a few of our members-

So we are alive!!!!
The NEA, the elections, Randi's comments/declarations at the Executive Board-followed by the article in the NY Teacher, the DOE and its monitoring closely agenda, the Councilwoman who will take a stand (Rubber room)and the involvements of Parents- we are active- of course watching closely.

Merit Pay, the UFT, TJC, and NCLB

At one point I did not understand how the UFT and Weingarten could support merit pay in any form. But after reading the Kahlenberg book on Al Shanker, it all makes sense. For those who think Randi has taken the union in a different direction than Shanker, take a look at the book and you will see just about all of the union's current policies in there from the early 80's on.

The UFT is against the individual merit pay provision in NCLB but will accept (even if they don't say so openly) building merit pay as not being as onerous. Sure. The UFT/AFT should be calling for the total abolition of NCLB, which has been so onerous to teachers, students and parents. But much of the NCLB law could have been written by Shanker.

I spent months in 2002 trying to get a resolution at the DA urging a fight against all forms of merit pay but was stonewalled by Weingarten. That frustrating experience gave me an insight into where she was really coming from and led to a break with her that moved me to change direction from trying to use friendly persuasion on Randi to open opposition.

Marian Swerdlow and others in TJC were totally supportive of my efforts at the time despite being mildly critical of Ed Notes for trying to play ball with Randi for the 5 previous years. They were so right.

My bone to pick with this resolution is that if there would be a nationwide demo, it should address the core issues of joining with others around the nation to fight against reauthorization of the entire NCLB Act and not limit it to such a narrow focus as merit pay. But this is a specificly targeted resolution that also addresses the building merit pay issue and if passed (snowball in hell territory here) it could be expanded in the future. Urge your reps to support it at Weds. DA. If they are Unity Caucus, ask them to explain why they are opposed.

To be presented at the UFT Delegate Assembly, Oct. 17 by Teachers for a Just Contract.

THE UFT MUST LAUNCH A REAL FIGHT AGAINST MERIT PAY
The reauthorized No Child Left Behind Act is heading towards the inclusion of a provision forcing school districts to implement individual merit pay to teachers as a condition for receiving important federal funding. Individual merit pay is not only intrinsically unfair, the competition among colleagues it engenders destroys our ability to act together as a union. It is also destructive to the mutually helpful cooperation that goes on among teachers all the time: comparing and sharing experiences, methods, lesson plans, etc. (School based merit pay is equally unfair and carries its own set of problems as well.) What this would mean is that part of the pay package we negotiate, instead of going to across the board raises, would be dedicated to this unfair and destructive scheme.

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, Weingarten and the union leadership have no credible plan to protect us from this threat. Teachers for a Just Contract will be proposing an effective launch for a serious campaign to defeat this threat at the Delegate Assembly on Wednesday, October 17, by proposing the resolution below. It calls for a nationwide demonstration by teachers in Washington D.C., to publicize the dangers of merit pay to education, and put our representatives - Democrats and Republicans alike - that we will take this fight to the mat.

Resolution Against Using the Threat of Defunding Schools to Impose Merit Pay

Whereas: Merit pay is intrinsically unfair and detrimental to professionalism and union solidarity among teachers;

Whereas: Any provision of federal law making Title I funding to a district conditional upon its imposition of pay for performance (a.k.a.merit pay), whether individual or school-based, as measured by testing, as proposed for the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Law, virtually imposes this unfair scheme on nearly all of our nation's teachers;

Whereas: We cannot depend upon writing letters and lobbying Senators and Congresspersons to be enough to stop this strong and serious threat to our students, our profession and our unions;

Whereas: holding mass demonstrations in the nation's capital has proven an effective tool for pressuring Congress and winning public support for past social causes, including peace, civil rights and women's rights;

Therefore, be it resolved, that the UFT will initiate, organize and build among our sister teacher union locals a nation wide demonstration and protest, to be held in Washington, D.C., at the earliest optimal date for the dual purpose of focusing public attention on our powerful arguments against merit pay based on testing, and demonstrating to our elected representatives the strength and resolve of our opposition to this provision.

Chapter Leader Fights Back Against Paperwork

I received this from an elem school Chapter Leader. Some might say this will have no impact. Maybe not. But a proactive chapter leader has an impact. The key here is to publish this agenda throughout the school in advance (I used to start by giving it to the principal 2 days before the meeting and ask if she had any concerns for me to bring up.) Follow up with circulating the responses of the principal, including where there is no response. I also liked to have as many people at the Consultation Committee meetings as I could get away with, from all levels of the school -- para, teachers from different grades, cluster, secretary, etc. Not always easy but I used to sign the entire staff up in September for at least one meeting a year while holding the coveted UFT calendar in my hand (that was before electronic devices) . We always had a nice group at each meeting. Bribery works. Maybe try a cookie too.

If you have suggestions email me or comment here.

Norm,

Here is my agenda for Consultation Committee. It was created as a way to fight back against the ridiculous amount of paperwork required of classroom teachers. Please share it with any chapter leader who is interested. If anyone has more suggestions for me, I welcome them. Thanks.

1. “Mandated” Paper Work

• Redundancy
• Excessive
• No consultation with teachers

2. Computers in classroom not set up

In light of the paperwork that is deemed excessive and redundant by staff members yet “mandated” by administration, we must take time to review all “mandates” and adhere to them as well.

3. SAVE Room (Mandated by NYS Law – failure to comply will result in complaints filed with appropriate agencies in NYS)

4. Student Removal Process (Mandated by NYS Law as well as Teachers’ Collective Bargaining Agreement with the City of NY)

• Violent students: such students will be immediately sent to the principal (or her designee) and students may not be returned to class until the principal has a conference with each teacher. Reminder: when such students are sent to the principals office they must be supervised by someone other than a secretary)
• Removal of students that substantially disrupt the education process: Principal must respond to teachers request in a reasonable amount of time.

5. Security:

• Must be present at open doors at all times
• Teachers are coming in early and staying late with no security to protect them

6. Adequate Supplies (Article 7R – Teachers’ Contract)

• Staples, pens, pencils, post its (needed for writers’ workshop)
• Paper (for rubrics and process statements)
• Chalk or dry erase markers
• Plastic sheets for overhead projector
• All necessary materials needed for all bulletin boards
• Copy of NYS standards for each teacher to adequately prepare her lessons

7. Organization of a Pupil Personnel Team as “mandated” by Chancellor’s Reg A -443.

8. New Teacher Mentoring: Who’s accountable for explaining EClass? With so many new early grade teachers…. why were mentors unfamiliar with EClass or “workshop” model hired to help train?

9. Tutoring: ALL teachers must participate in tutoring. Why were some teachers allowed to arrange their schedule as to avoid the tutorial period at the end of the day?

Nailing BloomKlein's Ass to the Wall

Leonie Haimson posted this on her nyceducationnews listserve yesterday (Friday). Read her and her band of merry men (and women) on the NYC Public School Parent blog.

Andy Wolf wrote a good column [Friday] on how the students accepted at the small schools compared to the large are very different, putting in question the administration’s claims of improving graduation rates by closing down the large schools and replacing them with small ones. He credits these findings to a recent Eduwonkette column and an earlier one on the UFT blog by Leo Casey from March 2007 here. Both were good analyses, and it’s good that this issue is finally receiving the attention it deserves, but it is long overdue.

Leonie points to some background material she has posted in the past:

In November 2005 I presented [a report] to the PEP and the UPA here: http://www.classsizematters.org/smallschoolsreport.html

Many of my observations were based on a report by Policy Studies Associates completed in March 2005, suppressed for many months by New Visions, and then leaked to the NY Times in Nov. 2005 – which had many of the same findings and facts and more, based upon background student data gotten directly from DOE.

The PSA report examined not just the new schools placed in Evander but throughout the Bronx. It also showed how the creation of the small schools had led to worse conditions and more overcrowding for all those students left behind in the large schools.

Here is an excerpt of the summary that I presented in Nov. 2005: http://www.classsizematters.org/smallschoolsreport.html

“By gaining access to student records, the analysis substantiates what DOE officials have long denied – that these schools recruit students with better scores, attendance, and overall records than the population from which they are drawn. See for example the recent NYC Partnership report -- which misleadingly compares NCHS students to the average student citywide.

As the Policy Studies report points out, "These citywide comparisons are of only limited usefulness, since [this] initiative is intended to improve education opportunities and outcomes for students who might otherwise attend some of the city's most troubled high schools." Thus their evaluation properly compares the earlier records of students at the new small schools to those attending neighboring or host comprehensive high schools.

The students at the small schools had eighth grade math and reading scores significantly higher than their peers in the comparison schools; and 97% of them had been promoted in the prior year, compared with only 59% of the students at the comparison schools. They had better attendance records (91% compared to 81%), and were less likely to have been suspended. They were much less likely to need special education services. Only six percent of Bronx NCHS students had IEPs, compared with 25% at the comparison schools; and none of the NCHS special education students had the most serious disabilities.

Indeed, teachers at the new small schools praised their principals for "recruiting more high-performing students".

I also pointed out that these schools did appear to be doing a better job keeping their students engaged – something ignored by the recent exposes – but not because of the small size of the schools, but primarily because of their smaller classes:

While the students attending small schools maintained their previously good attendance, even the subset of students who previously had good attendance who enrolled at the larger high schools experienced a 10% drop in attendance in 9th grade. And while 6% of NCHS students transferred schools, and 10% were discharged from the system entirely, the transfer rate among incoming students at the larger schools was 14% and the discharge rate was 20% -- showing that more than a third of these students departed from the larger schools each year. …

Why were the new small schools more successful at keeping their students engaged? Students reported that their teachers were able to know them well, give them individualized instruction and help, and provide lots of attention in and out of class. As one pointed out, "the teachers I have had at other schools never knew me." While class sizes at the larger high schools average 30 students or more, class sizes at most of the new small schools were between 13 and 20 students, as pointed out by the first year evaluation. 9 The fact that these schools provided much smaller classes was noted by students themselves in surveys as their most valuable quality.10 As a result, “Teachers listen to you and get your opinion.” “In a normal high school, they don’t talk to you when you have a problem. They don’t care.” Another student said, “Slipping through the cracks? Not at this school!” Indeed, without smaller classes it's hard to see how these schools could succeed in their mission at all. …

And what about the majority of New York City students, who will continue to attend our larger high schools?

In the recent New Visions interim report, there is a timeline in which by 2010, "innovative educational methods from NYC's small high schools" are supposed to "improve teaching and learning at the city's traditional high schools." 12 This is critical, since even if its ambitious goal is achieved of 200 new smaller schools, fully two thirds of NYC students will continue to attend larger high schools.

As the class size in the small schools appear to be their most successful elements, without a plan to eventually provide smaller classes and more individualized instruction to all high school students, it is difficult to see how this will ever occur. “

My more recent City Council testimony is here Feb. 16 2007 here, with updated info on how the new small schools not only exclude our neediest students, but also provide them w/ smaller classes -- and how the city has no plan to deal w/ the increasing inequities of the system it has created.

Today's Quickies

October 12, 2007

Getting High on High Stakes

Initial report. I'll be posting updates and pics of the conference as more reports come in and we look at the video.

Despite the awful weather, about 60 people, mostly from the NYC school system, attended yesterday's HIGH STAKES: How the Testing Craze Leaves NYC Children Behind forum at Fordham.

Great work by Teachers Unite's Sally Lee in organizing this event and the events to follow. There will be 4 this year, plus possibly some other activities.

Many groups were there - Jane Hirshman from "Time Out From testing", Seth Rader from NYCORE and others I can't remember now. There's obviously lots of activity out there by a number of teachers active on all sorts of issues. It is interesting that to most of them, the UFT is not a factor. Leo Casey was there from the UFT scoping things out but did not speak.

Speakers Stan Karp (Rethinking Schools) and Ann Cook (The Urban Academy) focused on different aspects of the testing craze. Stan talked about the national impact of NCLB and what can be done to fight it. Ann focused on the NYC and NY State angle. I taped both talks and at some point we will make them available when we figure out how to do that effectively.

But the urgent message is to do something right now by contacting all political reps at all levels. Ann made the point that in NY State and NYC, they have gone way beyond what NCLB requires. At the state level the State ed dept and commissioner Richard Mills are the culprits. Mills is appointed by the state board of regents. They are basically chosen by the State Assembly where Shelly Silver has the basic power.

ICE's Lisa North presented a positive view of the work the UFT did last year in putting out a high stakes testing report and called on them to do more. I didn't say anything negative (for a change) as a courtesy to Ann Cook, who has a very good relationship with the UFT).


THE UFT and Testing

The UFT made a big show of putting together a pretty good testing report after a year of meetings and then does nothing in terms of getting some state ed reform by using some muscle with Silver. A perfect demonstration that the UFT refuses to spend any political capital for real reform. Was the entire testing committee and report (led by Aminda Gentile, who handled it all with style) just a show? "See, we're with you teachers when you complain about how testing has affected you in the classroom but we will do nothing to force change." Let me give them the benefit of the doubt at this point and watch to see if there's any action on pressing for massive reform of the state ed dept (like how about refusing to accredit a Chancellor with no ed background.)

Save the date for the next forum: Dec. 6 on privatization, location to be announced

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YA SALLY


ICE and the Forum
The forum organizing committee has reps from ICE, TJC, and others. These events are an opportunity for many progressive forces for change to work together. And a willingness to work with the UFT, as opposed to being just critical.

A core group of ICE'ers were involved from the beginning and it was a pleasure working on this, as opposed to spending our time on the details of caucus politics. ICE has always had a dual core of people interested in ed/politics and I have been in both wings. My feeling is that ICE shifted too far towards the internal UFT political infighting, maybe because of the activity of our reps on the UFT Executive Board. Now that there is no opposition on the Board, it allows some of us to focus on how the big issues affect teachers.

The political caucus wing of ICE will still be active in keeping the feet of the UFT leadership to the fire and I will remain active in that area. TJC will also be doing the same and we look forward to more cooperative endeavors with them.


Return to Evander High
By ANDREW WOLF
The New York Sun - October 12, 2007
http://www.nysun.com/article/64462
Wolfe echos the words of eduwonkette and Leo Casey on the Evander small school sham. These figures unearthed by eduwonkette sum it up:

"In August of 2005, the New York Times highlighted the "success" of one, Bronx Lab.
Eduwonkette took a closer look at Bronx Lab's data, noting that "46.6% of their kids were proficient in reading and 52.7% in math when they walked in the door, while Evander's entering students passed at rates of only 11.1% in reading and 12.8% in math."

Randi Weingarten Discusses Her Life as a Lesbian Labor Leader in the Gay City News.

This is an excellent story. While many people in the UFT knew about Randi's situation, gay teachers wondered why Randi was never public. It is a breakthrough even today when such a powerful labor leader, set to move to the national stage with the potential to run the entire labor movement in the USA, comes out publicly.

Teaching in NYC has always attracted a number of gay people. There were many openly gay teachers in my small elementary school and there was a great community of people working together, disproving the insane craziness of the right over the impact of gay teachers.

While Education Notes and others opposed to Randi have been extremely critical over many positions taken in the UFT, I am sure there is total support for her on this issue. Any attempt by the anti-Randi right wing in the UFT (yes, it's minuscule, but it does exist) will be met with resounding denunciations by all of us. She should know that we understand this was not an easy thing to do, even in these times, and we feel real good for her.

Of course I can't resist getting in one little dig. How can the UFT ever support vicious anti-gay candidates like Noach Dear? I'm sure the UFT PR machine will explain it. Discount that there is a factor involved that Randi did not want to allow her personal situation to influence UFT endorsements because the UFT under Sandy Feldman also supported right wing anti gay candidates.


UFT Endorsements
"They [right wing candidates] may want gays removed from the classroom, but were strong on the eyeglass plan," my buddy Gene Prisco always likes to say about the UFT's weird endorsement strategy. Gene should know. When he ran against right wing, anti-union Vito Fosella for Congress, the UFT didn't endorse Gene, who was associated with the opposition.

You know the UFT philosophy since Shanker times -- better in bed with right wing anti-union people than dead with lefty 100% pro-union people like Gene.


Former Teacher/Chapter Leader for Obama
Diane Smith has been in touch. Good luck if she thinks the UFT will not go for Hillary. I personally have not decided, but in the UFT world of fait accompli, it's worth a look at Obama.
Diane writes:

We are canvassing for change on Saturday in Long Beach-please do join us,let me know if you can make it-it would be great to see you, and of course bring friends.We need this guy and this guy needs US-- and really that's all we need is-each other!!!
Peace

Students for Barack Obama

Diane can be reached at: nofaltanada3@hotmail.com

Video:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid901176777/bclid900740939/bctid1183193192

Today's Quickies

October 11, 2007 (updated 12 pm)

Reminder that today is the High Stakes Forum at Fordham at 6PM. It's pretty well booked but if you are in the area, check in (see details in post below.) I am doing the videography, so SMILE!

Baltimore teachers are calling for the resignation of Supt. Andres Alonso just 2 months after he left Tweed to fly on his own. The day he got the job we predicted problems with the teachers union. Of course he appointed a general to help him run things. (Do a search of this blog to read the Alonso stories.) Alonso seems to be at a big disadvantage compared to Klein. He actually is facing a non-collaborationist union with some spine. Follow their actions at http://md.aft.org/btu/. As an AFT local expect them to be advised by their new president next July that collaboration is the way to go with old UFT pal Andres. I posted the article from the Baltimore Sun on Norms Notes.

Baltimore teachers stood up to Alonso's bullshit almost from day one while the UFT praised and sucked up to Klein. People in Baltimore are already raising governance issues that led to Alonso being appointed with a general as an assistant.

When Klein was appointed we heard nothing from the UFT but praise and when Children First was announced, Randi's "It's all breathlessly possible." Even at this time there has been no call for Klein's resignation or a vote of no confidence which about 98% of the teaching staff (and a hell of a lot of principals and even admins above them) would sign on to.


The Bronx High School of Science "Quack" story has been humming as the mainstream press seems to be getting involved after our post a few days ago. It has been interesting following the postings of the kids at the school as some seniors worry about revenge by school administrators and guidance counselors in relation to getting into college while others talk about leaving their legacy so future generations do not forget the "quacking" story. One former student commented that his favorite Reidy quote was "Asians speak Asian." The animosity towards Reidy by the kids seems to be more intense than that of teachers. And I received an email from a parent leader that indicates many of them feel the same. WOW! Reidy has united parents, teachers and students.

Call it for the revenge of Bob Drake, the untenured PhD chemistry teacher who Principal Valerie Reidy hounded out of the system. Drake enjoys a job at a public school in Conn. at mucho times the salary. THANK YOU, VALERIE REIDY! Betsy Combier has a bunch of stuff on Drake and Science on her parentadvocates web site. The cartoon from the Riverdale Review, which has done a number of stories on the case, was posted by the students on facebook. Andy Wolfe in the NY Sun did a piece in May 2005 and we should see some articles today or tomorrow in some the NY Dailies. And check out the blog of a former student here.


I posted an old but very worthwhile piece by Lois Weiner on Albert Shanker's Legacy on norms notes. Lois is a former NYC teacher and UFT delegate and she fleshed out some of the missing pieces in Kahlenberg's recent book - 10 years ago. I guess Kahlenberg somehow missed talking to people like Lois or citing her work. I'll revert to the old standby "I'm shocked, shocked to find out there's gambling going on here." Look for the Shanker apologists to start counter attacking. Kahlenberg will be appearing on a symposium with Diane Ravitch (closely tied to Shanker) and Debbie Meier (who if I remember correctly was a critic) at NYU at the end of October. I'm hoping to attend.

Lois recruited Bruce Markens and me to review the Kahlenberg book for New Politics. Lois also wrote a wonderful piece on neoliberalism in 2003 and education which illuminates many connections between the actions of the Democrats, BloomKlein, Gates, Broad, Weingarten (posted on the norms notes blog recently.) I am 2/3 through the book and it is must reading to get a full picture of what is going on today. Personally, I do not take the black and white (partially a joke if you know Shanker's views on race & quotas) view of Shanker and am finding a lot to agree with - in theory. But when you put it all in context, the angle changes. I'm still sorting it all out and hope to meet with Bruce and Lois (who I've never met) next week.


Did you see the Time-Warner full-page ad on the back page of the NY Times metro section lauding their award to five outstanding principals in NYC? Money that could have gone to help teachers and kids. But maybe the Times gave a big discount for a promotion of BloomKlein.

Fear Mongerers Are Us

The Unity Caucus/UFT leadership has accused Ed Notes and ICE of fear mongering.

Can you think of anything that has occurred in recent years for NYC teachers to be fearful of?

Considering what has occurred in the NYC schools since 2002, fear mongering is the way to go. It alerts teachers to the potential damage that can be done by the union itself and indeed may serve to keep them honest and unable to as easily sneak stuff by as was done in the '05 contract. I still believe the '06 contract would have been much worse if not for the fear mongering.

If fear mongering makes teachers more vigilant of the actions of the UFT leadership, then let's monger away.

And if you happen to have any fish around......

Note: See comment by Woodlass in the Chicago Rules post below.

The Turnaround at Evander Childs: A NYC Small School Trick?

Eduwonkette nails 'em

Run, do not walk, right on over to eduwonkette. We told you from the first day there was dynamite on that blog.

Leonie Haimson writes on NYCEducation News Listserve
Check it out – strong refutation of the notion propounded by the DOE spin machine that they have engineered a real turnaround at the small schools – whereas much of their success is based on excluding the kids who are neediest and hardest to education. Much more material on the blog than included below

New York's Fund for Public Schools, which has raised substantial funds for NYC's reforms, has launched a new ad campaign called "Keep it Going New York City." One ad showcases the successful creation of new small schools within large high schools. Watch this ad called "Evander Childs Turnaround" - the main idea here is that Evander Childs, a high school in the Bronx, was failing, dangerous, and a poor environment for learning. Enter Bloomberg/Klein, the Children First reforms, and five new small schools, and Evander is reborn - teachers say it's different, students say they like going to school there, and a principal beams that the graduation rate has increased from 30% to 80%. Evander certainly has received a lot of attention - Joel Klein visited the school to deliver his spring statement on small schools' superior graduation rates. A NY Times Editorial praised new small schools for increasing graduation rates. The final line of the ad: "The building may be the same, but the school is very different." Should we be cheering?

Read more

Chicago Rules...

.... For Firing Teachers

.....has been circulating on ICE-mail (posted on Norms Notes.) No one knows the scene there better than George Schmidt. He comments here.

Chicago gave up seniority in hiring when the Chicago Teachers Union supported corporate "school reform" (and the original mayoral control model of governance) in 1995 during the debates over the changes in the Illinois School Code that were finally called the "Amendatory Act."

The details morph from year to year, but the drive since 1995 has been to create as large a number of "at will" workers in the school system as possible. This was one of the major dialectical thrusts of mayoral control from the beginning, and still is. With each passing contract (and each "reorganization" of each "failing" -- er, "underperforming" -- school) the pool grows larger.

The collaboration of the unions in the destruction of the bases of unionism here in Chicago is now a matter of history, although only Substance has reported it in detail. The AFT local here (the Chicago Teachers Union) just added a few more nails into the coffin of seniority rights in the new contract. But the nails had been driven in since 1995, under both the "old guard" (United Progressive Caucus) leadership (1995-2001; 2004- present) and the "reform leadership" of Debbie Lynch (2001-2004).

The executive model of governance, at the citywide level via mayoral control and at the school level via dictatorial principals' control, requires as many "at will" workers as possible, and as few true worker rights as possible. It's a mistake, in my opinion, to demonize some jerk like Jack Welch, since the policy he's teaching is being thrust on cities nationally (wherever the majority of children are minority and poor), an attack on teachers, and in most of those places there is no Jack Welch (but instead a committee of anonymous Chicago Boys types) to do the dirty work.

Strumming through some back issues of Substance (www.substancenews.net) can give you some of the details. But I'm going to have to write a book about it (after we reprint "The AFT and the CIA" and make some publication costs back on sales) to give people the full flavor. These people plan carefully and have a thousand bullshit versions of why it's "best" that way. They also exchange PR people to hammer you with "bad teacher" stories. That's one of the reasons why I warn people not to use the enemy's phrases -- like "Rubber Room".

Solidarity,
George N. Schmidt
Editor, Substance

www.substancenews.net (archives at www.substancenews.com)

Columbus, the Truth behind the Myth

The student examines and understands major ideas, eras, themes, developments, turning points, chronology, and cause-and-effect relationships in US, World, and Washington State history.

GRADE LEVEL: Secondary

BASIC CONCEPTS: Clearing up many of the misconceptions, myths, and misunderstandings behind the mainstream view of Christopher Columbus.

ORGANIZING GENERALIZATION: The voyages of Columbus changed the lives of American Indians forever. We must begin to present a perspective about him that is more acceptable to the sensitivity of Indian history. Instead of perpetuating the many inaccuracies found in textbooks, or the commonly used terms, ideas and concepts that refer to a biased viewpoint, we must look at the devastation to Native cultures his "arrival" on this continent foreshadowed.

Full plan posted at NIARI Curriculum Project and Norm's Notes

Northwest Indian Applied Research Institute At The Evergreen State College

Mass Exodus of Teachers from Bronx Science

Bob Drake was forwarded this letter from a current teacher at Bronx High who MUST remain anonymous. Drake is a former chemistry teacher dismissed for political reasons at Bronx Science. He had come from a college and did not yet have tenure. Drake, who has a Ph.D, has landed higher paying jobs in private schools and currently is the highest paid teacher at a public school in Connecticut.

At the time, freshman, students picked up on the "Dr. Quack" theme placed on Principal Reidy when she took the title of "Dr." after receiving an honorary Ph.D, which real Ph.D's like Bob did not take kindly to. Now, the former freshman are seniors and are re-raising the Dr. Quack theme, as described in these articles (which I know are not readable but email me if you want me to send you the pdfs of these articles if you can't access them online.)

Approximately 30 teachers have left the once prestigious Bronx High School of Science this year.

Even accounting for retirees, and one or two pregnancies, these numbers are at an unprecedented high. Reasons cited for departures are: interference by Principal Reidy and her sycophantic Assistant Principals in the classroom, lack of professionalism in their treatment of staff, several givings of U ratings to staff who did not kowtow to She Who Must Be Obeyed (i.e., Reidy) in her incompetent, dictatorial and usually incorrect classroom pedagogy. Reidy's abusive treatment of staff was also a factor. Of particular note is the English Department, which lost a previously unheard of EIGHT teachers who complained of dead end protocols and meaningless or incorrect classroom style dictates.

Rather than being replaced with seasoned teachers, the replacements are recent grads -- teaching some of the brightest kids in the City. The current English AP is seen as unqualified and incompetent -- a Reidy "yes" person. Agreement with the complaints voiced last year by English teacher XXX seems evident in the latest walkout. Several of the teachers have since found employment in high-level and high-paying jobs elsewhere.

Teachers who left of their own will, and others ousted by unfair assessments, are voicing a call for a General Amnesty by the Department of Education for all staff members given a U by the Reidy Administration.

Facebook hums with activity of Bronx High Students on this issue at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19412507072
(You must be a member to view the page. I joined so I could view it and am probably the oldest member.)

Competition and Education

The idea that making the public schools more competitive will somehow improve education is as ridiculous as saying having public fire, police and sanitation departments compete with private competitors will lead to better service.

It's like saying that if we allocated public money to send a competing army over to Iraq, led by, say, Haliburton or Blackstone, the war would have run smoother. Oh, yea, been there, done that. See how well it worked out?

Yet that is exactly what has become the national mantra in what should loosely be termed "education reform" – very loosely. When the voucher idea didn't get enough traction, the charter school idea was seized upon. What is behind all of this is the opportunity for a lot of people to shake loose a lot of public ed money and divert it into the private sphere. And that means the undermining public schools.

Richard Kahlenberg makes the point many times in his book, Tough Liberal, how often Al Shanker spoke about the support of rigorous public schools as being essential to the maintenance of a democratic society, ironically, not to be applied to the idea of a democratic union. Doubly ironic, since Shanker was the father of the concept of Charter Schools. I'm not up to that chapter yet, but I will assume at this point that Shanker did not mean them in today's incarnation. What would he think of the 2 UFT charter schools draining public and private money (Broad foundation, etc.)

This post inpired by:
"We seem to live in an era of privatization. Here in NYC the mayor believes in privatizing and so does Joel Klein. There is this mantra that private is better. I think that the Iraq war is the first privatized war. I think that history will show that it was one of the most inefficient corrupt wars ever conducted..," says blogger Life After the Rubber Room.

High Stakes: How The Testing Craze Leaves NYC Children Behind

RSVP

info@teachersunite.net

www.teachersunite.net

NAEP This

Stories this week about NAEP results bringing into question the impact of NCLB make this article on Susan Ohanian's web site a must read. We DO NOT NEED ANOTHER TEST!

How Does NAEP Label a Reader Proficient?
An Inside Look at Children's Responses Labeled "Inadequate"

Susan Notes: This research provides the inside dope on media headlines screaming, "NAEP Finds 71% of 4th graders score below the proficient level." This is important because corporate politicos are pushing for NAEP to become the national test.

Down the Rabbit Hole with the Reading Passages
Read it at
http://susanohanian.org/show_research.html?id=103

Got Meat?

Can you Topps this?

Back in my high school days, we actually had to read books that had nothing to do with tests. One of them was Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle," an expose of the horrors of the unregulated meat industry written in 1906. Boy, even in high school, were we mad at the antics of an unregulated industry run amuck. All kinds of icky stuff ended up on your burger. So the system was reformed and regulation came to the meat industry mostly as a result of Sinclair's book.

Now business interests weren't very happy and they stated praying for a savior. And their prayers were answered by a massive publicity campaign about how government stifled the little ole business community. Bureaucracy run wild. Remember those $600 bolts being bought? Stories came out about the horrors of regulation and how it interfered with a free market economy. And, goodness, the expense of sending all those meat inspectors into the field. Bet there is less meat inspection going on now than 50 years ago.

Thus, we get the Topps EColi scandal. They are already out of business. (Topps, not EColi). A scam to try to avoid paying out what will amount to enormous sums? Probably open up tomorrow under a new name. Sppot would work.

What is interesting is how the neoliberals -- our friends in the Democratic Party for the most part -- are pushing the same line.

In How the neoliberals stitched up the wealth of nations for themselves, George Monbiot says:

Neoliberalism claims that we are best served by maximum market freedom and minimum intervention by the state. The role of government should be confined to creating and defending markets, protecting private property and defending the realm. All other functions are better discharged by private enterprise, which will be prompted by the profit motive to supply essential services. By this means, enterprise is liberated, rational decisions are made and citizens are freed from the dehumanising hand of the state.

This, at any rate, is the theory. But as David Harvey proposes in his book "A Brief History of Neoliberalism," wherever the neoliberal programme has been implemented, it has caused a massive shift of wealth not just to the top 1%, but to the top tenth of the top 1%.

The entire article is at my Norms Notes blog.

Lois Weiner in Neoliberalism, Teacher Unionism, and the Future of Public Education cuts quickly to the chase by linking the exact same anti-government environment to the attempts to reform education by both right wing conservatives and neoliberals. Get educators out of education decision making and put generals, lawyers, MBA's and corporate executives in charge of school systems. If vouchers fail, try tuition tax credits. If not that, charters, more charters.

Their efforts came to fuition in No Child Left Behind, which will ultimately result in a balkanized, privateer school system which, rather than close the achievement gap, will result in people being poorer (both monetarily and educationally) than ever.

The Carnival of Education ....

... is up and running at Evolution - not just a theory anymore.

And check out the rest of Greg Laden's site for some wonderful commentary on science and religion. His latest post on cycad sex got me all excited. I'm keeping a careful eye on the cycad right outside my door for any hanky panky. I may sneak up on it and post a picture later. (It may be X-rated, so shield your eyes.)

Let's Have a Longer School Day and Year

New organization to promote an extended school day and school year.

Comments:

Michael Fiorillo, chapter leader Newcomers HS

Now that Corporate America has essentially succeeded in eliminating the forty-hour week and the two-week vacation for most adults, it is embarking on its next campaign to make children as miserable and stressed as their parents, with their education as crimped and de-skilled as the work most adults do. And as usual, in a propagannda flip that would make any totalitarian state proud, they claim to do it in the name of equity and racial justice. It's all of a piece with the underlying propaganda behind TFA: somehow the children of privilege, acting as missionaries on two-year assignments - why does no one comment on how fundamentally patronizing it is? - are to "close the achievement gap." (itself a rhetorical constuct that is intended to mask the increasingly vicious racial and class disparities in the country).

Of course, those of us who've been struggling to provide guidance and education for our students all along are an impediment, and must be de-regulated out of existence.

Perhaps they'll succeed - although I still am idealistic enough to believe that evil ultimately thwarts and destoys itself - but let's not go quietly.

Leonie Haimson, class size matters on the nyceducationnews listserv:

And guess who it’s being funded by? Our friends at the Broad foundation.

I love that it’s being pitched as providing “research and support for efforts to increase academic and enrichment opportunities for students.”

Ellen

Between hours spent in school and on homework, many kids already spend more time per day on schoolwork than adults do at work. Why isn't it obvious that that's really not the problem?

National Center on Time and Learning is Launched

A new organization is being launched today to promote an extended school day and school year.

The National Center on Time & Learning will provide research and support for efforts to increase academic and enrichment opportunities for students, which some experts say can help improve student performance and close the achievement gap between disadvantaged students and their better-off peers.

There is currently a bill in Congress to fund district-level programs for expanded learning time, and the strategy is included in the discussion draft for the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act that was released by House education leaders last month.

The center will be co-chaired by Paul Reville, the president of the Rennie Center and director of the Education Policy and Management Program at Harvard University, and Chris Gabrieli, an entrepreneur and venture capitalist. It is being funded by the Eli and Edythe Broad Education Foundation, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Don't Fence Her In

We met Arabella on a cruise to Alaska when she was 3 and a half years old. No, she was not travelling alone. She was with her mom. Quite a kid then. Quite a kid now. She's 11 and is featured on a CNN blog due to her fencing prowess. Every so often she asks for help with a computer problem. I don't dare turn her down. She boxes too.

Arabella then – – and now


See a video on CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2007/10/05/ypwr.intv.arabella.uhry.cnn

AFT Endorses Hillary - UFT Not Far Behind

Reality based educator has nailed another one at the NYC Educator blog regarding the AFT endorsement of Hillary Clinton. As all UFT members pay dues to that organization and the UFT is by far the largest block of votes in the AFT [add the NY State United Teachers, which the UFT controls], people opposed to the Clinton endorsement may be a wee bit vexed.

As noted in the article in the NY Times, UFT president Randi Weingarten is close to Hillary and is expected to become president of the AFT in July '08.

Does anyone think the UFT will endorse anyone else? All AFT/UFT forces are being marshaled to get Hillary elected.

In a democratic union there might be a referendum on this issue. In the Kahlenberg book on Shanker it talks about how Shanker used to brag how many referendums of the membership were held on endorsements and even the Vietnam War (he even lost a few before he figured out how to use the Unity machine to it's full effect.)

Watch how the entire process within the UFT is manipulated to give the impression this will be done democratically. First, the Executive Board will rubber stamp, followed by the Delegate Assembly with a 90% plus vote. Even expect a visit there from Hillary (she came to the DA when she was first elected Senator.)

What do you think the vote for a Hillary endorsement would be if there were a referendum of all UFT members?

60%" 50? Certainly not 90%. This disparity would indicate the disconnect between the Unity controlled DA and the membership.

Maybe it's time to raise a call for such a referendum in the UFT on the issue before UFT members get the response when calling for assistance:

Sorry, we are busy working in the Hillary campaign. Call back after Election Day, Nov. '08.