Kahlenberg on Shanker: He's Baaack

Vera Pavone and I reviewed Kahlenberg's "Tough Liberal" for New Politics and you can download a pdf or click on the link at the top of the sidebar on the right. We focused on the education reform aspect of Shanker's policies and how it has been destructive of teacher unionism. We reminded people that his book was funded by the likes of Eli Broad, who has been in the forefront of blaming teacher unions for education failure.

That the AFT and UFT has widely promoted Kahlenberg should be a clue as to where they are ideologically.

In How the Left Can Avoid a New Education War, Kahlenberg continues his theme by offering a middle ground between what could be termed the Richard Rothstein and Klein/Sharpton view of education:

....a major new fight has broken out between competing factions in the liberal education-policy community. One group argues that poverty should not be used as an excuse for failure and sees teacher unions as a major obstacle to promoting equity through education reform. The other group says education reform by itself cannot close the achievement gap between rich and poor and black and white without addressing larger economic inequalities in society. The battle, which can broadly be characterized as one between portions of the civil-rights community and teacher unions, is a movie we've seen before -- most explosively in the New York City teacher strikes of the 1960s -- and it doesn't end well. Sen. Barack Obama should follow the lead of legendary teacher-union leader Albert Shanker and recognize that both sides in the debate need to bend.


Kahlenberg raises the old "we should hold students accountable" argument. You know - hold them back. Maybe water boarding. Or shoot them.

But what about holding government and the business community accountable?

When he says Shanker never said unions should be blamed, he leaves out the fact that by going along with the accountability movement without ever talking about conditions - like the words "class size" have been banished from just about anything Kahlenberg writes - just as they were from much of Shanker's later writings - the AFT and UFT have abandoned the fight for the funding needed to truly have an impact. Read "Tough Liberal" and you will see that Shanker had no such compunctions about unlimited funding for defense budgets and wars.

He says Shanker wanted the unions to fight for better health care. But Shanker put real energy into fighting for merit pay and a standards and accountability movement that without other aspects in place, distract us from a progressive ed reform movement.

I'll leave it to Susan Ohanian's comments below to nail where this gang is coming from. But beware the empty words emanating from the final day of the AFT convention in Chicago and follow the Broad, Rotherham, Haycock, Romer, Klein, Clinton, Sharpton, Weingarten alliance. (Wars of words between Klein and Weingarten are just that - words.)

How the Left Can Avoid a New Education War
Richard D. Kahlenberg
American Prospect 2008-07-09
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=8106

Ohanian Comment:
When people are in the pockets of corporate raiders, it doesn't matter whether they call themselves liberals or conservatives in matters of education policy. As I have pointed out before, with great foreboding, these so-called liberals/progressives at The Center for American Progress wrote Barack Obama's education policy a few years back. Here's more, if you can stand it. And more. Take a look at whom Kahlenberg calls "sensible education reformers": Andrew Rothertham, Kati Haycock, and Roy Romer. And then there's the oddity of labeling teacher unions as "left" and "liberal." The whole emphasis on "bad teachers" is a red herring. Yes, there are some inadequate and even "bad" teachers, but what is rarely acknowledged these days is that they are so far outnumbered by the good ones. . . or at least there were until teachers started following the scripts shipped in from Reading First.

Russo also had a comment on the Kahlenberg piece at TWIE:
http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/2720236/31045894

NEA too big for its britches?

Here's an attack by Richard Whitmire on the NEA for "dissing" the mis-using of phony "accountability" to privatize the schools. Watch how the AFT under Weingarten will be distinguished from the NEA as being more reasonable and reform-minded as Randi reprises the Al Shanker role of the 80's and 90's. The NEA at the time,which had been holding fast for proper funding, blinked under the joint assault of business, politicians and the AFT. Let's hope for a firmer stand today- but don' t get your hopes up too far.

I understand the Broader, Bolder argument that schools can’t do it all. But some things, especially semifixable things, can’t be put off until poverty is “solved.” And as Core Knowledge, KIPP, Uncommon Schools, Green Dot and other schools have demonstrated, it is possible to make a difference by changing what can be changed.

By dissing successful charters and tough school accountability, the NEA has drifted so far leftward that even the Rev. Al Sharpton has drawn a line in the sand. Teaming up with reform school leaders such as New York’s Joel Klein, Sharpton’s Education Equality Project is calling out the teachers unions on issues such as protecting incompetent teachers and tolerating the widespread school failures among African-American boys.

The full piece is at:
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=093201A0-3048-5C12-006CF8EA735A1A70

NEA too big for its britches
By: Richard Whitmire
July 9, 2008

Does Teach for America Have a Future - In Handcuffs?

Must see video over at Chancellor's New Clothes from CBS asking the magical question, "Where did the money go" and will the upcoming $12 million in fed funding to TFA be monitored a tad bit more closely?

She's Not There

I had planned to go to Chicago for the AFT convention but when friends bought tickets to see the Zombies this past Friday night, I knew I had my priorities straight. The four of us went to London in March to see their 40th anniversary concert.

I mean, why go see 800 plus Unity/UFT zombies - they do all vote as one - yucking it up at our expense in Chicago? Has anyone calculated what this junket costs? Figure at least $2000 a person times 800+ – I bet it's closer to 1000- the reason so many people join Unity.

Unity Caucus/UFT AFT delegates in Chicago celebrating Weingarten's election

Yikes! Is that like $2 million? (Someone do the math.) No wonder UFT dues are always going up. And they went up at the AFT too.

By the way, many AFT locals cannot afford to send their full complement of delegates so they send a portion equipped to cast more than one vote each. The UFT could do the same - like send one delegate to cast 800 votes, since they will all be the same anyway - at least for those Unity Caucus delegates who are not shopping.


My favorite bitter sweet Zombies song was "She's Not There" which always reminds me that at the time it came out around 1965 I messed up with the girl I liked, leading to her no longer being there. The song still reminds me of her.

On the other hand, in today's world of UFT politics, the song could also be about Randi Weingarten who will no longer be there - meaning here in NYC all that often as she races around the country as AFT president (her acceptance speech is Monday.) Here are some lyrics and you can watch a Zombies performance of the song from the 60's here and from the March '08 London reunion here.



Well, no one told me about her
The way she lied [about the 2005 contract]
Well, no one told me about her
How many people [ATRs and in the rubber room] cried
Well, it’s too late to say you’re sorry [for agreeing to merit pay]
How would I know, why should I care [hell, I'm retired]
Please don’t bother trying to find her
She’s not there....


I was not necessarily a wild fan of the Zombies but once seeing them in person they are hard not to like. (Our friend is close to being a Blunstone groupie - she cornered him on Friday to autograph a picture.) Awesome enthusiasm and tremendous skill. Maybe because Blunstone and Argent were apart for 40 years- the group had already broken up when the Odessey and Oracle album was released.

Ron Argent on the organ and Colin Blunstone on vocals are the only originals from the touring group, which has the bass player from The Kinks with his son on drums. All the surviving members were at the London concert, where they played the entire Odessey and Oracle album. Here is some video filmed by, Mark, my partner in NorMark productions in March. He is putting more up from Friday and I'll add the links to this post.

Which Comes First- Class Size Reduction or Teacher Quality?

There has been no more persistent theme of Ed Notes throughout our 12 years that teacher quality or effectiveness or whatever they are calling it today is affected by the number of children in a class. Of course to the "outcome" oriented gang, the sole judge is the test score, ignoring about 75% of what teachers do, from nurturing the whole child to scrubbing dirty desks.

Here's a nice video at AfterEd TV with Leonie Haimson, the NY Sun's Elizabeth Green, Columbia's Doug Ready (make sure to check out Leonie's comment if you hit the link.)

They talk about the study in California that showed that despite having to hire 3 times as many teachers due to class size reduction, the "quality" of all these teachers hired was about the same. But what do they mean by quality? Again it comes down to scores and I don't believe that is the relevant factor. Maybe we should use "number of kids that contact the teacher over a 5 year period after they graduate." It's as good a judge as any other factor. Lots more with Ready making some great points. I was at his presentation at Columbia a few months ago and his research is dynamite -it blows up the regressive ed reformers who push gimmicks like merit pay and ignore the class size issue.

Seymour Papert

Today's Boston Globe has an article on Seymour Papert's attempt to recover from a severe brain injury. Papert has been one of the major figures in educational circles since the early 60's.

Photo from the Boston Globe of Papert at his home in Maine.

In December 2006 Ed Notes reported on the accident Papert suffered in Hanoi that put him in a coma. Since then we received reports on his recovery from Laura Allen from Vision Education who is a very close friend of the South African born educator who pioneered the use of computers in education with his invention of the Logo programming language (using the famous turtle.)

When computers hit the schools in the early 80's they arrived with one basic piece of software: Logo. I used it to teach kids from the 2nd grade through the 6th to program in Logo. What empowerment they felt when they could make the turtle move just by typing Forward [whatever number of steps] and then change direction by turning it by typing LEFT or RIGHT with a number from 0 to 360 degrees. There were so many teaching opportunities - ie. figure out how to make a square or a circle.

Logo also contained lots of language arts possibilities. We designed a program to act out nursery rhymes - Humpty Dumpty was the most fun. All the king's horses and all the king's men came marching in after Humpty fell off the wall. However, we were able to put Humpty back together again by running the program backwards.

I got my first start in robotics when LEGO and Logo teamed up, to no small extent due to Papert, when they created LEGO/Logo which gave us a language that could turn on motors and read sensors. That was the beginning of robotics in the schools - at least at the lower levels. LEGO/Logo evolved - some say devolved - when programs came out that did not require kids to do any coding - drag and drop motors. They still require a basic understanding of programming and they are easy to use but not as rigorous.

There used to be a Logo users group in NYC where teachers from all over the city met every few months, mostly at one of the private schools in Manhattan. At one meeting at the Spence School Papert thrilled us with a surprise visit. I remember that day around 17 years ago because I met a computer teacher from the Brearley school and she offered me about 30 Apple IIGS computers they were about to replace with Macs. I went up there twice and loaded my station wagon and that is how we got our first rudimentary computer lab.

I was as turned on by that first computer in my classroom (the first I ever saw) in 1984 as the kids – to the extent that very soon after I began to take computer science classes at Brooklyn College which ultimately lead to a Masters and a few years of adjunct teaching of programming languages.

But teaching kids to learn some programming (I can go on for hours on how valuable this is) faded very quickly in the schools. Too many teachers and administrators didn't see it as valuable. (See Wired Science- Forward 40: What Became of the LOGO Programming Language?) There are probably few if any public schools in NYC doing much today, but many private schools still use a souped up programming environment which incorporates Logo, now called Microworlds. There are also many other varieties of Logo around.

Seymour Papert's contributions to theories of learning that engage kids has been invaluable. Unfortunately in today's climate of test, test, test, the benefits of his views are being denied to children in urban areas who might be most in need while they are being implemented in the most elite private schools.

Philadelphia Story

A Washington Post article on June 26 talked about the failure of privatization efforts in Philly.
Another failed school system that Paul Vallas ran into the ground (see Chicago, New Orleans.) yet nothing sticks to Teflon Paul who is contemplating getting out of New Orleans before the shit hits the fan, as it usually does when he is involved and running for political office in Illinois.

Is Edison dead-ism?

Is the article below a sign Philly Supt. Arlene Ackerman is a closet leftist status quoer who believes in throwing money at the problem with lower class sizes and other things that might make a real difference? Note that the program expires after 3 years, just little enough time to claim failure:
See, throwing money at the problem does no good. Let's continue to close schools, open up charters, have a revolving door for teachers and all the other regressive ed reforms.
Leonie Haimson wrote:

Arlene Ackerman, new superintendent of Philly school district trying novel experiment – to put smaller classes and more support and guidance into "persistently violent schools" rather than more police and scanners. Seven Philadelphia schools received grant money out of the US Labor Dept.; NYC did not receive any and doubtful if it even applied for any.

Ackerman is also pulling back from privatization like the Edison schools, giving more scrutiny to charters, and just gave the heave-ho to the "interim chief academic officer, chief accountability officer and deputy chief academic officer. On top of that, the district eliminated more than 200 academic-coach jobs."

Let's hope that this reflects a new educational trend that may come our way someday soon – reversing the build-up of the bureaucracy and police at the expense of the classroom.

Read about it here or here.

In a sidelight, Diane Ravitch wrote to the NYC Education listserve:

Interesting that Philadelphia, known as a district with lots of problems, has a graduation rate no lower than NYC's.

NYC DOE Monitors Blogs in Search for 'Truth'

Before we start, note that the UFT also has a similar "unofficial" squad - oppressive agencies with things to hide do this sort of thing.

"We try to keep track of what people are saying about us, and we respond periodically," a deputy schools chancellor, Christopher Cerf, who came up with the Truth Squad concept, said. "Because we believe in the truth."

Cerf must think he's going to replace George Carlin with this line.

The first time I met DEO press chief David Cantor occurred when I attended a Klein press conference at Tweed. Before being admitted, he took me aside and said, "What exactly is the story? I hear you have a blog." Meaning: how can you be an objective reporter?

What? People at this level are aware of a fairly minor blog like mine? I could see the Unity/UFT yokels being interested since the main object of ed notes is to reach rank & file teachers. But the DOE?

I responded that for the Wave I was both a reporter and a columnist and I was there in that capacity. And so what if I have a blog? I was admitted and since then Cantor has never been less than accomodating.

Leonie Haimson and the NYC Public School Parent listserve and blog appear to be a major target because of her dead-on analysis (did they follow her to Monday's Ed Notes gathering in Rockaway?) Ed Notes is probably not high enough on the list of the elite 24 blogs and listserves being monitored by the DOE press office but they do have one person monitoring Alexander Russo's This Week in Education which often links to Ed Notes. Russo has a fun post on the story today. As does Eduwonette.

Is this what Joel Klein meant when he said his people work 14 hour days?

Elizabeth Green in today's NY Sun:

Employees at the city Department of Education's press office have a new assignment: They are to scour a group of 24 education Web logs, e-mail Listservs, and Web sites in a hunt for factual errors and misinformation. Department officials are calling the unit the Truth Squad.

The squad's latest triumph should appear today on a Listserv operated by the parent organizer Leonie Haimson — in the form of an e-mail message arguing that Ms. Haimson's characterization of summer school programs as underfunded was incorrect.

Press officers have also posted responses in the form of comments to the blogs they read.

Link to the Sun article.

Joel Klein devises a plan in which he can stay in power....forever!

Get the dope at the NYC Public School Parent blog.

Also check out Leonie Haimson on the

Absurd, Ham-Handed Bloomberg Third Term PR Wave Hits Times

Is the NYC Parks Department Racist?

One would certainly think so given the fact that small, insular, wealthy communities (full disclosure - I live in one of them) get lifeguards - lots of them while the poorer east end Rockaway communities get zilch.

More evidence that Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has compared himself to Martin Luther King as a civil rights activist, supports closet racist policies that have lead to more segregated schools, the disappearing black teacher, and entire beach communities of people of color who do not have lifeguards and are threatened with summonses and arrest by Parks Dept. police if they should venture to put a toe in the water.

Message from NYC Parks Dept. head Adrienne Benepe:
Hey people of color: OK to sit on a crowded beach, but don't go in the water.

Here is an excerpt from a letter to Parks Dept. head Adrienne Benepe by Jeanne Dupont, who leads the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance:

The population in these areas are polar opposites; Neponsit has a population of .02% minorities, where Far Rockaway has a 98% minority population. This cannot continue, as this is racial discrimination and could put the Parks Department in serious danger of legal action if it were investigated further.

Here's Jeanne's entire letter:

Please register your complaint that Far Rockaway needs its lifeguards every day, not just on the weekends. Visit 106 Headquarters for Lifeguards at Beach 106th Street on the boardwalk, call (718) 318-4000 extension 0, or call 311.

From Beach 75th Street on up, there are lifeguards every 100 yards. The outright neglect of our neighborhood is abominable, so please make yourself heard.

You may also want to write to Adrian Benepe, the NYC Parks Commissioner. Attached (and below) is a letter that Jeanne DuPont of Rockaway Waterfront Alliance sent today.

Thank you.

July 8, 2008

Mr. Adrian Benepe

Commissioner

NYC Department of Parks & Recreation

The Arsenal

16 West 61^st Street

New York, NY 10023

Dear Commissioner Benepe,

As you know, Rockaway Waterfront Alliance has been working to encourage the public to use their waterfront through programs and activities that are so desperately needed in the Rockaway community. But it is difficult to watch as much of our work is undone by PEP patrol officers who chase the public off their beaches in search of an ‘open’ beach with lifeguards.

Last year in our local paper, you ‘Pledged a Commitment’ to the Rockaway community. But since that time little has changed and we still have no “Learn to Swim” or local “Lifeguard Training” programs anywhere in the Rockaways and the lifeguard recruiting process does not seem to be getting the numbers of lifeguards required to keep our beaches safe.

As it stands now, certain beaches are extremely well staffed for the privileged few, while other beaches in Rockaway are extremely underserved; putting the public at risk and overextending the lifeguards themselves.

For the past two weekends the beachfront at Beach 25^th Street in the Rockaways has had well over 500 people each day, and no lifeguard at all during the week. This beach is adjacent to one of the largest populations of people on the peninsula, exceeding 25,000 residents and yet there is only 1 lifeguard stand for miles of public waterfront all the way to Beach 74^th Street.

This seems extremely unjust given the fact that areas on the far western end of the Peninsula like Neponsit, have more than 21 lifeguards; 7 stands, 100 yards apart for less than 2,000 residents in an area with no public boardwalk, parking by permit only, and no access to public transit. This would seem to be a “private beach” paid for with public resources that are required to serve seven miles of public waterfront.

There is a drastic contrast in services provided between City Council District 31 and 32; two districts that lie adjacent to one another along the same waterfront. City Council District 31 presently has only 4 lifeguard stands from Beach 9^th Street to Beach 54^th Street, while City Council District 32 has over 72 lifeguard stands from Beach 74^th Street to Beach 149^th Street, every 100 yards apart.

It is also important to note that the population in these areas are polar opposites; Neponsit has a population of .02% minorities, where Far Rockaway has a 98% minority population. This cannot continue, as this is racial discrimination and could put the Parks Department in serious danger of legal action if it were investigated further.

To address the present shortage on the Eastern end, I would ask that the Parks Department in the very least, have lifeguards all week long at the 1 stand at Beach 25^th Street and consider designating more stands along the beaches from Beach 25^th Street to Beach 38^th Street, to ensure the publics safety and emergency back up for the lifeguards that are stationed there.

Additionally, NYC legislation should to be revised, as it is in all other US coastal states to have a “swim at you own risk” policy. By doing this the city would reduce their risk of lawsuits and could use the funds, presently used for PEP officers to hire certified lifeguards, so we can have more ‘open’ swimmable beaches and less harassment to the public who deserve the right to use their waterfront.

I would be interested in speaking with you further about these issues. If you would like to meet to discuss how some of these things might be resolved, I can be reached 917 975-5623.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Jeanne DuPont

Director

Rockaway Waterfront Alliance

cc:

Councilman Joseph Addabbo

Steve Cooper, Frank Ave Civic of Edgemere

Richard George, Beachside Bungalow Preservation Assoc.

Phil Karmel/ Bryan Cave LLC

Congressman Gregory Meeks

Les Paultre. Rockaway Beachside Neighborhood Assoc.

Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer

Stephanie Samoy

Councilman James Sanders

State Senator Malcolm Smith

Barbara Smith, Deerfield Civic Assoc.

Assemblywoman Michele Titus

Joel and Michelle Have Fun in the Sun (Valley)

http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/2008/07/joel-and-michelle-have-fun-in-sun.html

Wendy Kopp Blows Up the Bridge on the River KIPP

"What Have I Done?" - Colonel Nickolson (Alec Guiness), says in Bridge on the River Kwai.

You know the story. Brit Nickolson drives the building of an important bridge for the Japanese war effort in a test of wills with the Japanese commandant of the prison camp. When the British send a team to blow it up, Nicholson realizes what he's done as he falls on the dynamite fuse that blows up his loving creation.

So, one day when Nirvana has been reached and every school in America is a KIPP school and every 2 years a corps of millions of Teach for America teachers storm into urban schools as replacement troops for the old guard, some of whom have reached the mandatory 25 year old age limit for teachers, it will dawn on Wendy Kopp that the achievement gap is no closer to being closed.

And she will shout, "What have I done," as she falls on the plunger that will blow up every KIPP school.

And some chronicler will end this updated version of the movie, tentatively titled, "Bridge on the River KIPP," with the comment, "Madness! Madness ... madness!"

Hot Items Worth Checking Out

UPDATE:

Flattening the Great Education Myth
Over at Susan Ohanian's place, David Sirota goes after Tom Friedman's happy talk about a flat earth - or is it a flat economy - or is it a flat tire?
Sirota points out that there will be no jobs even if the the achievement gap is closed. And Friedman and the ed reform gang know that. Which leads us to KIPP and training kids to snap to when Walmart comes a-call'n.

Russo's TWIE has a piece on TFA. All is not glitter in the land of gold.

Titans Seek New York Mayor in Bloomberg's Mold
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/07/nyregion/07mayor.html?ref=nyregion&pagewanted=all

Leonie Haimson comments:

The business community is apparently looking for another corporate type to succeed Bloomberg – while claiming that the administration has been nonpolitical, which is entirely mistaken. His regime has politicized education like never before – spending a huge amount on PR, for example, while running it like a fiefdom.

The Bloomberg administration is considered an ally to many corporations, especially developers. Rezoning projects under his watch have opened large swaths of the city to new construction. And Mr. Bloomberg, especially, travels in the same orbit as many of the city's elite; he goes to their functions and they to his; he gives to their causes and they reciprocate.

Clearly, they want someone who will run the city according to their interests – and since they don't send their kids to NYC public schools, they have no interest in promoting the candidacy who will work to actually improve classroom conditions.

Followed by Diane Ravitch:

Leonie,

You don't understand. If the mayor acts on behalf of developers and major corporations, that is "non-political." If he acts on behalf of unions or ordinary parents, that's political.

Education Summit in Rockaway

Back in April, a supposed education bloggers summit was held in Washington – on a school day when most teachers couldn't attend.

The idea of having a NYC Ed bloggers summit of people who actually teach was hatched. When is the best time? Why during the summer when teachers are most available.

An influential community of educational activists and powerful voices from the blogosphere has grown in the NYC area. This has been an exciting development. But some of these pockets of activity are isolated from others. And those that are in touch all too often people see each other at meetings but have little opportunity to socialize.

I thought it would be a good opportunity to get together in a relaxing environment for an afternoon and evening of socializing (and socialization).

If BloomKlein had dropped a net from a helicopter and lifted off, they would have removed a major source of criticism
So, yesterday, I invited around 60 education activists (and some friends) out to Rockaway to chat, chew and hang out. I could have asked a hundred but my deck would have sunk into the sea. (Sorry, I know I missed some people.)

Forty five showed up and the day turned from cloudy and muggy into the spectacular afternoons and evenings we have out here so often. Many took the 3 block stroll to the beach. On the way back they could see the Manhattan skyline lurking in the background at the end of my block.

Truly multi-generational
People with a 40 year age gap from NYCORE, Teachers Unite, ICE, ICOPE, parent advocates from the NYC Education listserve, assorted independents and UFT activists. And a bunch of bloggers, many anonymous (they were invited to wear Joel Klein, Randi Weingarten or Eduwonkette masks.) Some who were online friends, met for the first time.

People asked if Eduwonkette, the subject of Elizabeth Green's piece in yesterays' NY Sun, was around. Maybe she was. How would we know? She's anonymous.

"Why didn't you invite Randi Weingarten," some joked.

Sorry, we only asked activists.

Filmmaker Elizabeth Rodd joined us to do some interviews for her film on NYC education.
What did they talk about? How do I know. I was busy grilling, moving trash, and generally making sure the person known as NLSW (Norm's Long Suffering Wife) wasn't going to make me sleep under the deck.

Dave B. put up a panorama shot here.

Elizabeth Green on Eduwonkette's Impact

Green does it again with today's article on Eduwonkette, proving Green is the only ed reporter in NYC, and maybe the nation, with her finger on all the buttons.

Note Rotherham's usual attack about allowing an anonymous blogger. "I don't think this is going to be remembered as Ed Week's finest hour."

Andy, this isn't going to be remembered as your finest decade.

Interesting that Eduwonkette blogged for over 3 months and was already having a major impact before Ed Week came calling - exactly why they did. And on her first day of blogging, Rotherham promoted her blog - I guess it was seeing his head on that chorus line gal's body. Maybe he still holds a grudge.

But ed notes had the scoop as we were the first to promote the blog on the first day it appeared. The Wonkette talked about my favorite topic that entire first week - teacher quality. In addition to all her other skills, she's quite a photoshopper.

Rotherham talks about Eduwonkette as "having skin in the game." Do you know one of his major points of proof? She once used me as a stringer to cover a panel that Rotherham was on.

Green writes:

"Call me old fashioned and curmudgeonly, but I can't stand it when the wonks break out in a 'research shows' chorus with no references," Eduwonkette wrote in one post. "If research so valiantly and definitively shows it, you should be able to tell us whose research shows it." Then she quoted a top city administrator, Garth Harries, as speaking at an event about research showing that teacher quality has a greater effect on student learning than class-size reduction and yet, upon questioning, not being able to cite any studies to demonstrate it.

I was the one who challenged Garth Harries at the event mentioned in the article when he put out the usual "research shows" story on teacher quality since no one has figured out exactly how to make that judgement. Klein (and Weingarten, unfortunately) often say the same thing.

But, holy cow, when it comes to Eduwonkette, both Randi and I agree. But wait till the day comes when Wonkette takes as close a look at the UFT as she does the DOE. Where is the research on union ineffectiveness? Oh, I forgot. The 2005 contract and its aftermath.

Here is the link to the NY Sun article.

Teach for America: The One That Got Away

I've been attending a July 4th party out here in Rockaway for about 30 years. I've seen my friends' kids and all their friends grow up - from 10 years old to 40 today - yikes. Their son has kept in touch with many classmates as far back as kindergarten.

Some of the best conversations I've had over the past 15 years has been with Eric, who has taught at an elite Manhattan private school for the past 12 years.

"The year I graduated was the first year for Teach for America and I went to one of their presentations. I saw immediately the idea was not for me. Six weeks to become a teacher? Of the most needed kids? No way!"

Eric fit the TFA profile. Ivy League, accepted at medical school, but wanting to try his hand at teaching even though he had taken no ed prep in college. Coming from a family with 3rd world roots, he would have been an asset to TFA to pump up their poor statistics in recruiting people of color.

Eric chose another route: two years as an assistant teacher in early childhood classes in another city. The obligatory MA from Teachers College and a full-time teaching job in kindergarten at an elite Manhattan private school, which he has been at for 12 years. Even ended up marrying the woman who was his assistant teacher and she is teaching there too.

Top private schools insist that teachers do a year or two of apprenticeship before turning their kids over to them. Anything hinting at a TFA model would be laughed at.

"But you're comparing apples and oranges," you might say.

The point is that all the very people claiming that closing the achievement gap is a civil rights issue, promote a program that provides a very different educational experience to the kids most in need. We hear the term "quality teacher" bandied about all the time. Yet none of these people advocate a plan that would train teachers to the point where they would actually be ready to go in and teach effectively. They use the TQ issue to engage in witch hunts for supposed "bad" teachers - which in their parlance means failure to demonstrate high test scores – rather than try to come up with a permanent solution that might cost, say, a fraction of the money used for wars or corporate bailouts.

But that wouldn't fit the very different models the corporate supporters of TFA and other schemes have.

The wealthy and suburban kids get skilled teachers and a broad based curriculum that prepares them to take a leadership role in the workplace.

The urban poor kids of color, except for the top performers who are skimmed off, are handed over to people trained for 6 weeks. Teachers are deskilled and expected to teach a narrow, test-driven curriculum which will prepare those kids who manage to get through high school for a job in data entry - basically handling the cash register at the local drug store.

See Under Assault's excellent analysis of Wendy Kopp's "selling" of TFA.

We Get Lettters

Mr Scoot,

How are your ? Can you remember me? I'm the girl who has cried because her team failed in the match in FLL. I'm busy with my study, so I touch with your so late. I feel sorry about it.

I wanted to watch your blog, but I can't find it in the Internet. I just want to see the photo about you and me. Because you said you would put it in your blog.

My summer holiday is coming,what about your? Will you come to China to watch the Olympic Games? I hope to see you in China.

Keep touch with me if you have time. I'm eager to receive your letter.

yours

Serena

Okay, so at the Asian FLL Open in Tokyo in April, when I and my co-ref (a strong-willed college kid from Tokyo - thank god - because I would have caved in a minute) took 40 points off because their oil barrel was touching the water, the kids on the Chinese (mainland) team argued vehemently, claiming the rules translated into Chinese did not include this provision. Their chief lawyer, a 16 year old boy who I would want representing me anytime, finally said, "Well, give us half. We'll settle for 20." Sorry, no can do. At which point Serena started to cry, saying it was all her fault. I gave them all my card and told them to come to NY to help us with our tournaments. The next day they came around to take pictures.

Note the pandas on their heads.

Oh, and if there are any grammar police out there, excuse me for not marking up Serena's wonderful attempt at English.

And feel free to call me Scoot.

NYC Chancellor Joel Klein, Esq.'s Dirty Secret For Purging Teachers

The New York City Board of Education's Infamous "Rubber Rooms"
by David Pakter
guest column

A highly respected commentator's remark about stopping by the Chapel Street Rubber Room recently certainly brought back many memories for me. I cannot refer to them as "bitter-sweet". Those heady days three years ago when I was stationed there (which now continues, somewhere else, by the way), defy placing any sort of understandable descriptive term to them, at least to the non Rubber Room detainee or graduate.

Like the Lotto, "You have to be in it- to win it", or at least comprehend it. Surrealistic, bizarre, self-contradictory, humorous, pathological. One or even all of these terms, alone or fused together in any which way one chooses, hardly can convey what it means to experience the process of being placed and then "surviving", in one of Chancellor Joel Klein, Esq.'s Rubber Room gulags.

During all the decades I taught, now approaching four decades, I, as all teachers were aware that from time to time a fellow teacher in a school would suddenly, as often occurred during Argentina's darkest years, be "disappeared".

Suddenly there is that "Space in the Air", as Jon Silkin once described it in a powerful poem, an empty vacumn, where a colleague, perhaps respected and/or beloved, once stood but stands no more. Wherever did he/she go?

Even thirty years ago teachers were from time to time suddenly "disappeared". But most teachers did not give it that much thought, at least not in the way they do today. Of course for a few days we all shared and passed on the ridiculous and predictable gossip and preposterous rumors that inevitably spread around the school when something out of the ordinary happens.

"Maybe Mr. Jones was caught kissing Miss Baker in the store room of the school Library"

( Note: The term "Ms." had not yet been invented.)

Lions and Tigers and Bears-oh my!

We imagined, so very long ago, that poor Mr. Jones was sitting in some district office at an empty corner desk next to some pathetic looking wilting potted plant, near the window, under the watchful eyes of some grey suited Assistant Superintendent, awaiting his well deserved Fate.

Obviously such types of fraternizing as "kissing" in a public building, no less a school, could not be tolerated.

What if children actually realized that grown adult human beings were capable of having real feelings? What would the world come to?

But certainly no teachers imagined that people were "disappeared" due to some dark and malevolent grand scheme hatched by high ranking school officials meeting behind dark oak paneled doors in Board of Education conference rooms "downtown",wherever"downtown"was supposed to be.

But now fast forward a few decades. And what a difference a few decades can make. As the years passed and the world continued to turn and change, things in the city's schools became quite different.

The frequency with which teachers became "disappeared" increased, at first slowly and then escalating ever more quickly, into a steady drumbeat. In schools where a teacher was at one time "disappeared" once in a blue moon, say once in ten years, it became once in five years, then once in two years, then every six months and then, was it even possible, once in three weeks.

Was it possible some virus had arrived on our American shores, that was suddenly causing so many teachers to start sneaking clandestine kisses in Library storage rooms. Or was the blame to be placed on all the spores of dust on those old library books, extolling the achievements of Christopher Columbus who had supposedly "discovered" The New World. Though I never quite figured out how you "discover" a place where people have already been residing for thousands of years.

But now here we are in the present. The newest age of Enlightenment in which whatever is sufficiently old- is now magicly "new". If the tactics of the Spanish Inquisition were good enough for the friends of Christopher Columbus, then they are surely good enough for we who live in these "modern times".

And thus "my friends", (if I may borrow a term from my friendly neighborhood library, often employed by a man who is convinced he is qualified and prepared to become President of the United States of America), behold the latest reincarnation of the largest urban school system in America.

Can anyone be surprised that so many more teachers are being "disappeared" at a time when the person appointed to be the Chancellor of the School System is a former Federal Prosecutor whose job was to- surprise of surprises-"prosecute" people.

And so any person, reporter and/ or curious visitor who happens to visit the now famous detainee center known as the "Chapel Street Rubber Room" cannot be surprised that this very large and long room, in spite of its generous dimensions, is bursting at the seams with its continuously ballooning prisoner population of "disappeared" former educators.

How ironic that when, from time to time, these "disappeared" teachers look out their prison windows, they find themselves staring down at an old historic Brooklyn Church whose claim to Fame is that a Pope once visited that ancient House of Worship. An engraved plaque next to the entrance says so.

"Get thee there to that Chapel, all ye teachers, with all due deliberate speed and ask, perhaps beg, for Forgiveness. And for all ye former educators who may have a tinge of guilt upon your Souls for having offended Mr. Chancellor/ Prosecutor and his countless stooges, lapdogs, lackeys, and assorted hatchet people, may the Good Lord, in his Mighty Mercy, have pity on your sinning Souls.

"There is yet time to repent of your Sins. Grovel and search for Redemption if ye have it in you to still do so, for you have sorely offended the New York City Board of Education."

And let us now bow our undeserving heads, and pray.
_______________________________________________________________________

David Pakter, M.A., M.F.A. (Artist and Instructor of Medical Illustration)

Decorated by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in New York City Hall
as "Teacher of the Year" for Exceptional Achievement in Education

contact at: david@OldMasterPortraits.com

Schmidt on RICO Investigation of CTU and Substance Coverage of NEA

Substance is putting up reports from the NEA convention written by Jack Gerson of Oakland. Many people have met Jack over the years, and he needs no introduction from me. I think that for NEA there will be multiple sources of information, and that will be good for all of us.

So starting late tonight or early tomorrow, you'll be able to read Jack's reports from NEA at www.substancenews.net.

Then, beginning next Thursday, you can read our staff reports from AFT on the same site.

Thanks again to everyone who convinced AFT that it was a good idea to let Substance cover the AFT convention.

We just got work yesterday that the feds are conducting a RICO kind of investigation into the recent silliness inside the Chicago Teachers Union. While these factual realities make great grist for Antonucci, we've got to be careful how loudly we cheer. If AFT gets through the Chicago convention without some major blowup based on Chicago's local stupidities (that's a huge plural), it will be a miracle.

At least we got our press credentials for the Substance team coverage. Janet Bass asked that we try to be "complete" and "accurate" and I promised her that's what we intended from the beginning. Accuracy doesn't mean that we agree with what we're reporting, but merely that we will begin with the facts and double check the main ones. For example, that RICO fact I report in the first paragraph of this e-mail is well sourced. Anyone who cares about Randi and our strength as a union (factions aside) might let her know that's brewing here in the host city of the upcoming convention. She's going to have enough headaches running AFT without having to deal with Chicago's sandbox stupidities.

By tomorrow night, we should have out Web updates well in hand, testing he functions on our newly re-coded site (it should be about five times faster) the next couple of days with Jack Gerson's reports from Washington, D.C. and then providing daily coverage from July 10 through July 15 from and about AFT.

George N. Schmidt
Editor, Substance

www.substancenews.net

ICE Analyzes Rubber Room Deal

Read this great post at the ICE blog.
Just more public relations- allows Tweed to deflect criticism that so many people are getting paid while giving the UFT it's PR with the people and press it is courting - " see, we are a progressive union looking to expedite getting rid of teachers" while trying to sell the membership the idea it is it doing it for the teachers.