Caroline Hoxby Has a Dog in the Race

That Caroline Hoxby study showing the superiority of charter schools and trying to prove they don't cream received some reactions:

Caroline (not Hoxby) has left a new comment on your post "Critique of charter school study":

Caroline Hoxby, who conducted this so-called "study," is not an impartial academic researcher. She's a longtime, high-profile proponent of free-market "solutions" and privatization. Her work should not be treated like credible academic research; it's advocacy -- or propaganda, if you will.

I'm really shocked that the mainstream press is not even including disclaimers to this effect in its massive hyping of this so-called study. That truly violates media standards and ethics, and misleads the reader.

Here an analysis of the flawed study itself, by a New York blogger. But to me it's also a huge issue that the press has simply abandoned its standards and ethics by reporting on this propaganda as if it were credible academic research.

http://morethoughtful.blogspot.com/2009/09/what-is-gold-standard.html

Which opens with:

What is "The Gold Standard"?

Did you hear about the big report that came out this week? You know, the one that "shows" that NYC charter schools are better than traditional non-charter public schools? It has gotten a ton of attention, probably because it uses "'the gold standard' method[ology]." The report is not subtle about this. It is right there in the very first sentence of the executive summary, "The distinctive feature of this study is that charter schools' effects on achievement are estimated by the best available, "gold standard" method: lotteries." It even uses the term "gold standard" four more times throughout the report.

Everyone wants to follow The Gold Standard -- or at least be able to say that they do. Of course! I mean, who wouldn't? But I do not think that we actually have a gold standard in education research. In fact, I am quite sure that we do not, and appropriating biomedical research's gold standard does not make it appropriate for us.

However, if we are going to borrow their standard, can we not at least get it right?

The blogger, a NY educator, also known as Ceolaf, ends by linking to the fawning press:

Moreover, the popular press(Wash. Post) really must do a better job of examining these claims critically, rather than cheerleading(NY Times), NY Post, Daily News, Wall St. Journal.

Read it all

Leonie wrote on her listserve:

Lots of PR spin about the new charter school study by Caroline Hoxby. No quote from any possible critic or skeptic except in Daily news article. Nor is there any mention of following facts in any of the articles:

1- Hoxby is a very controversial figure , a conservative economist, who has been accused of skewing her analyses before to benefit the notion of vouchers and charters. See this controversy sparked by her pro-voucher study of school quality based on whether they were near "streams": http://www.thecrimson.com/printerfriendly.aspx?ref=508253 (this story, coincidentally, was written by Javier Hernandez as undergraduate at Harvard, before he was hired by the NY Times.)

2- One of the prime advantages of most charters, if they do indeed show better results, is their smaller classes. In NYC, this results from the fact that DOE has allowed them to cap enrollment and class size at far lower levels than most regular public schools in NYC.

3- it is difficult if not impossible to figure out how much of the advantage at charter schools, in addition to smaller class size, might be due to "peer effects"; ie charter school students are surrounded by other students from more motivated families, who know they can be kicked out at any sign of slacking off or disciplinary trouble. This is certainly not the case in regular public schools; where the students who "lose" the charter school lotteries are surrounded by students from less motivated households, who are also less afraid of being forced out of school for bad behavior or poor performance.

Thus, whether the entire comparison is fair is quite debatable.

From JMB:

Also, inquiring minds note the sleight of hand that redefines the cohort by looking at kids who stay enrolled K-8. This eliminates all the lottery winners who were weeded out and/or had needs the charters were unable or unwilling to address.

And even the UFT's Edwize chipped in:

Big Guvment

I was listening to Mike Francese on the FAN yesterday. I have been a Mike fan since he started there 21 years ago. I used to call him up off air to ask for advice about a former student who had become a great high school basketball player. So I feel this long-term relationship with him.

But I am disconcerted when Mike enters into the political arena, which he did with his attack on the proposed health care changes yesterday. Mike takes the view that government can't do anything right. The corollary must be that private is better.

Well, I just had a day and a half of nightmare private plumbing, where a 10 minute job turned into hours. And 10 minutes after the guy left, the place leaked like a hole in a dike without a finger. And I actually know something about plumbing, having done lots of work on my own, including installing baseboard heating. I mean I can solder a joint. And sweat it. And put on the flux. This guy was a destroyer and I ended up with more work needed than when he started.
Hey, Mulgrew, where are all those apprentice plumbers you were working on?

I find Mike's take interesting since he knows his sports, none of which is under government control – at least the last I looked. Well, if you consider that politicians who run government are happy to subsidize any stadium that comes their way, I guess they are involved in sports. But has Mike looked at the privately managed NY Mets lately? Or the Knicks? How about the classic decade long failures in sports management like the San Diego Rockets. Or, even better, J-E-T-S!!!

This lauding of private over public leaves out so much about the enormous failures and errors privately managed organizations make all the time. Microsoft has been notorious for numerous errors in judgment and has wasted billions. Anyone remember Bob? Their bloated software is known not to work until they sell you 3 versions. They can waste these billions because they were brilliant in setting up a monopoly.

This is all pretty funny since Bill Gates thinks he knows what's wrong with public schools, yet brought the Microsoft ethos by getting the first iteration of small schools wrong. Now in the 2nd iteration, he is looking at teacher quality. Guess what Bill? Maybe on the third try you'll get it right. Try class size reduction.

How about all those captains of the financial meltdown? Can you spell A-I-G? How was that private management? The guvment owns so much of them and they don't seem to be doing worse.

Now I read that former Ebay chairwoman Meg Whitman, a McCain advisor (how did that work out) is running for governor of California. Whitman's errors at Ebay in recent years became legendary. Even I scratched my head when she bought SKYPE. (See recent NY Times on this one.) I'm not picking on women here, but how did Carly Fiorina (another McCain advisor who went down in flames) do at HP?

Now when it comes to health care, my wife knows a thing or two. She deals with the thievin' insurance companies and medicare all the time. In terms of competence, guvment wins all the time. (Right now she is looking forward to retirement so she won't have to deal with the the crew at GHI and HIP who don't know who covers what and when.)

So, Mike. Take a broad look at guvment and private and give us a balanced view.

PS 15 Makes Their Case

The Patrick Daly School (PS 15) in Red Hook struggles against the attempt of PAVE charter school to extend its stay for years after promising to leave after 2 years.

The PS 15 community rallied at the CEC District 15 meeting last Thursday (Sept. 17), as did PAVE parents and staff. Which made for a fascinating meeting, with lots of cross talk, sometimes heated, between parents and teachers on each side. If I was a documentary filmmaker I would have focused on these person to person discussions. But I was there to get the speakers.

Here is a history of the conflict and a summary of the PS 15 position on DOE footprints and allocation of space plus many other issues. See our other videos of the meeting in previous posts or search norscot2 at You Tube. (Excuse the fuzziness. The tape came out ok but somehow it loses something in the exporting process, which has never happened before. Must be gremlins in the computer.)

On Teacher Quality: Damn That Fiorillo Fellow

Will I ever get to write something in depth for this blog ? Every time I sit down to write something brilliant - which 99% of the time doesn't get from my mind to my fingertips - someone like Michael Fiorillo goes ahead and breaks into my brain and steals it. I've often touched on the issue of why teacher quality is so stressed as the key factor in our profession while other jobs like medical, legal, political, police, corporate, etc. are ignored. Now along comes Michael Fiorillo who puts it all into such a neat package in this comment at Gotham Schools, which I would categorize as, "I wish I had written it."

There is a new comment on:

More than 500 extra teachers rated "unsatisfactory" this year

Author: Michael Fiorillo

As a teacher, I'd be the last one to minimize our (potential) importance in the lives of students, but as others have pointed out, "Why the obsessive focus on incompetent teachers, to the complete exclusion of other professions and fields?"

The US has a shamefully high infant and maternal death rate: why aren't OB-GYNs being targeted with the same passion?

The US has lower life expectancy than other developed nations: where are the witchhunts against primary care doctors and other health care professionals (let alone the real "death panels," the insurers)?

The US incarcerates more people than any other nation on earth, most of them minority, and many of them warehoused in private, for-profit prisons, providing a structural incentive for continuing incarceration: where are the corporate think tanks, foundations and PR firms making noise about this "Civil Rights Issue of Our Time?"

The reason those debates have so little "juice" is because these fields have already been privatized, with free reign given to those who would count, measure, control and commodify and market everything. Public education, along with Social Security, is the last major universal, public good left to be taken over by the hedge funds, private equity parasites and venture capitalists. Thus, this unending campaign against teachers and their unions, and this absurd debate about teacher quality.

I'm not proposing witchhunts. My point is that this very discussion proves the success of corporate ed deform in framing the issue of education solely as one of teacher quality. Even the unions have allowed themselves to be suckered into this twisted, unfair discourse, which they can only lose.

Do you want to improve the lives of poor and minority students? Then improve the lives of poor and minority students: provide their parents with living-wage jobs, adequate housing, medical, dental and mental health care and, yes, adequately funded schools with committed (sorry, TFA) and qualified teachers.

Until we open up that debate, teachers will be shouted into a corner by arrogant know-nothings with thick wallets, pursuing their own interests in the name of "The Underprivileged."

As for edu-scientist (now that's a hot one), I'd like to quote Norbert Wiener, a mathematician and early computer scientist, and coiner of the term "cyber:"

"The success of mathematical physics led the social scientist to be jealous of its power without quite understanding the intellectual attitudes that had contributed to this power. The use of mathematical formulae had accompanied the development of the natural sciences and became the mode in the social sciences... so the economists (MF: and "psychometricians" as well the
overwhelming majority of ideologically-subsidized "education researchers") have developed the habit of dressing up their rather imprecise ideas in the language of the infinitesimal calculus."

Norbert Wiener, "God and Golem, Inc."

I know this dates me, but every time I hear a DOE/Ed Deform mouthpiece say "Research shows that...", while pulling some self-serving nonsense out of their butt, I think of the old Trident gum ad: "Four out of five dentists surveyed recommend Trident to their patients who chew gum."

Yeah, that's the ticket.

See all comments at Gotham on this post:
http://gothamschools.org/2009/07/20/more-teachers-rated-unsatisfactory-last-year-tenured-and-not/#comments

Mulgrew Profiled in Times, With Quote from Eterno

As James Eterno says in Jennifer Medina's profile of UFT leader Michael Mulgrew in today's Times.

“We’re not expecting any major change — it’s still the same machine that is running the U.F.T.,” said James Eterno, who is making a long-shot bid to challenge Mr. Mulgrew. “In some ways, it does not matter who the head is, you know that they are going to toe the line and not fight for many changes for teachers.”

Give Medina some credit for talking to James. The press generally ignores the fact that there is internal opposition in the UFT. I don't know why she didn't include this great photo of James and Camille Eterno and two month old daughter Kara Teresa, who will be running against Leo Casey for HS VP in the UFT elections, the youngest candidate in history.

Oh, I forgot. The story was about Mulgrew.

There certainly will be some cosmetic differences beyond the obvious ones in the transition from Weingarten to Mulgrew.

Medina touches on what I would term the all around Weingarten fatigue from within and without the UFT (have fun you guys over at the AFT in DC), even in her own Unity party:

Mr. Mulgrew cuts quite a different figure from those who came before him... And the distinctions are not just physical. His predecessor, Randi Weingarten, was known for her work-around-the-clock ethos and frequent news conferences, and seemed to relish rising to the balls of her feet and shouting to make a point.


Internal sources at 52 Broadway, commenting on the immediate differences between them at last week's Delegate Assembly, made the point that Mulgrew came down to the meeting on time (Randi would have traipsed in at 5pm with no worries about keeping a thousand people waiting and would have talked for another hour) and got the business done. Of course, the usual business was introducing politicians who get more speaking time at DA's than people who disagree with the members.

One education official who spoke only on the condition that he not be identified for fear of angering Mr. Mulgrew — or his predecessor — contrasted the two by saying that Ms. Weingarten often seemed to be calculating several moves ahead when she spoke. Mr. Mulgrew, the official said, says exactly what he is thinking. Asked to respond to the comparison, Mr. Mulgrew gave another belly laugh: “I can’t answer that one without getting myself in trouble — maybe it’s a good idea people believe you say what you’re thinking.”

Pretty funny for a guy being touted as someone who says what he is thinking to say, "I can't answer that one without getting myself in trouble." Go ahead, Mike. Get in trouble. Say what you're thinking. Randi was a pain in the ass.

Of course, the same Unity machine mob mentality still exists (when Randi took over she promised major reform and turned out to be more undemocratic and more of a demagogue than either Shanker or Feldman) and it took a point of order by Eterno at the DA to get the floor.

[CORRECTED BY JAMES ETERNO]
Eterno got to say his piece but with numerous interruptions by Mulgrew. Weingarten was notorious for never letting people finish as she interrupted repeatedly with points she disagreed with and Mulgrew must feel he has to show his muscle to the Unity hacks by doing the same.

There were Unity Caucus and full time staffers hooting and hollering as they guarded the isles. We actually have a copy of the floor plan of action they lay out before each meeting.

The crazy mob scene and truly dumb increase in security in the lobby (with one sumo wrestler type with shaved head standing with arms folded blocking the stairs) and hallways of 52 may be a sign that Mulgrew's lauded attention to detail failed him in this first major test of running a DA. Changing from a chapter leader to a DA at the last minute and holding a meeting in a room that holds 850 when there are over 3000 delegates (the reality is that between 1000 and 1200 were expected to show was not a good introduction for the 350 new chapter leaders and countless new delegates.

If we at least get some straight shooting from Mulgrew instead of Weingarten's whining, that will be an improvement. But as James Eterno points out, Mulgrew will be stumped on the big issues because he is running a union structure with an ideology that just cannot win improvements for the members and the children of NYC (and for you troglodytes out there, yes I am linking the two).

Medina quotes Leo Casey:

Leo Casey, the vice president of high schools for the union. “Leaving aside the huge budget gaps, he also has to figure out how to mount a response to the charter school movement that accepts the best of what they should be, but really turns back the attempt to use charter schools to privatize education.”

Gee, Leo, ya think? Casey is one of the architects of the failed UFT policy on charter schools (and the open market system, atrs, rubber rooms, seniority, etc), with two UFT charters occupying space in public schools, leaving teachers in school being invaded by charters on their own to fight back school by school.

Here's a simple prediction: Mulgrew will not be able to turn back the use of charter schools to privatize education and the Unity Caucus leadership is a major obstacle in organizing teachers and parents to be able to do so.

Casey rose on the tails of Weingarten (he was her chapter leader at Clara Barton HS for the 10 minutes she taught). Will he fall now that she is gone?

Hey Mike, tell us what you really think of Leo Casey.

Related:
See Anna Philips' profiles of Eterno and Mulgrew at Gotham Schools.

ATR Job Fair --Prospect Hall

Hi Norm,

The job fair in Brooklyn was the same JOKE as always. Most of them bad schools. I did not see one single schools from Staten Island. I wonder if the chapter leaders in these districts are reporting vacancies or are they in bed with the principals?

The UFT sent the usual people. We waited outside in the sun for 30 minutes and most of the teachers were black, Hispanic, Chinese, some old white teachers. They had cheese, crackers, fruit, coffee, juices for the principals, interviewers, and of course the UFT officials.

I was offered a job. I have to think about accepting this job or not because I have to switch licences. I will be on probation for 2 years. -- I was excessed under my Special Education licence.

I know of 2 openings in my district but I do not have any connections to get the job.


Another teacher writes
Today at school, the principal and the chapter leader went around to two teachers who are ATRs. In the middle of a lesson, they pressured them to go to the hiring hall. Later on I found out that, there were other ATR's in the building that were not pressured like this. The explanation was that the principal said he would get money in the budget for the ATR's not pressured to go to hiring hall today.

Read another account at New York City Eye:

Musings at the ATR fair / DunKleiRheeism warning

PAVE Founder and Director Spencer Robertson Responds

Spencer Robertson responds at the September 17 CEC 15 meeting at the Patrick Daly School. Chaor Jim Devor questions Robertson after he makes the surprise announcement that he is about to sign an agreement for his own space. PAVE supporters cheer as do the PS 15 people, one of the only parts of the evening they are on the same page. Devor asks where the space is and when the contract will be signed.

Robertson then goes on to disparage the PS 15 claim that PAVE is forcing them to cram service providers into hallways and closets and clusters have to travel door to door. Devor asks if it is OK for the CEC to tour PAVE. Robertson seems to agree. (I wonder if they'll have the kids chant, "Welcome to big Jim?)




Make sure to follow the comments and join in at Gotham Schools.

Red Hook charter paves way out of P.S. 15, but can’t say when

Videos to come: PS 15 teachers and parents and a discussion with a DOE official on how they allocate space.

Video of PS 15/PAVE Charter Confrontation at CEC Meeting

Here is a short video from the public/charter school confrontation at the Community Education Council meeting in District 15 on September 17 as the Patrick Daly School (PS 15) in Red Hook struggles against the attempt of PAVE charter school to extend its stay for years after promising to leave after 2 years. The video should be viewed in concert with the 31 comments being made at the Gotham Schools story on the event. Mona Davids who claims to represent the charter school parents of NYC - (was she elected or appointed by corporate sponsors?) is featured in this piece of video. More to come.

Red Hook charter paves way out of P.S. 15, but can’t say when

Rhee Orders Imminent Layoffs of DC Teachers Starting Next Week !

Michelle Rhee hired 900 new teachers and then claimed she didn't realize there would be cuts. Guess who she is getting rid of?

Candi Peterson reports at TWT:

According to an inside source, DCPS instructional superintendents met this Saturday at a breakfast meeting and got their marching orders from Chancellor Rhee. They were advised to meet with DC principals on Monday to inform them that the DCPS reduction in force will start next week for DC teachers. It has been reported that other DC staffers have already received their lay off notices. Principals will be advised to lay off teaching staff as early as next week. Most of the lay offs will impact DC teachers and other school based staff including instructional coaches, custodians and even some principals and vice principals, etc.

It is reported that Rhee will pay DCPS employees their salary for 1 month in lieu of the 30 day notice required when implementing a reduction in force. RIF'd staff will all be exited prior to September 30 and before the new fiscal year begins. So it seems Rhee is anxious to get teachers and other DC staffers out as quickly as possible.

Posted by The Washington Teacher

Make sure to read Dan Brown's critique of Rhee at Huffington Post (also posted at Norms Notes.)

Charter School Horror

With a promise of more freedom, and the chance to get out from under the thumbs of a reactionary school board, the teachers of Tyler High have voted to become a charter school. Instructors and parents alike are thrilled with the prospect of independence– and yet...

The formerly laid-back principal has become unusually strict. With her toadying secretary, she seems to be running the show.

Thus reads the blurb for Bentley Little's novel, The Academy. Stephen King calls Little "The horror poet laureate."

One reviewer on Amazon says:
...this latest offering by the author is set in a high school that has undergone a transformation. It has gone from being a district school to being an independent charter school, and therein lies the rub. Newly independent, the principal takes independency to new heights. Unfettered and unrestrained, everyday concepts of discipline, learning, and loyalty take on new meaning. The teachers, as well as the students, slowly succumb, one by one, to this novel and horrific approach to education. As they do, the school becomes a very scary place indeed, with survival just a hope in one's heart.

That a major horror writer focuses on a charter school takeover of a public school is a sign of something in the air. The teacher who lent me the book suggested I read only the first 2 chapters where the principal manipulates the staff through a combination of fear and cajoling into voting for the charter. The two teacher resisters are immediately ostracized. These chapters ring so true to how things really happen, the bodies that pile up later in the book might just make you want to rethink that charter school lurking in your building.

Coming soon: Ed Notes' version of The Academy (PAVE students do a lot of chanting - like, THIS IS OUR SCHOOL. See video of the PS 15/PAVE meeting on Sept. 17. The first section will be up later.

FLHS Chapter Leader Arthur Goldstein Calls for Malpractice Suit for Tweed

My school is bursting with students, and Tweed is to blame

By Arthur Goldstein

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/09/18/2009-09-18_my_school_is_bursting_with_students_and_tweed_is_to_blame.html#ixzz0RZqGj7ty

See Lorri Giovinco-Harte commentary at the NY Examiner:

Goldstein's piece is a frightening reminder of the conditions which exists for thousands of New York City students and provides a glimpse at the reality behind public relations campaigns. It also provides food for thought about the strategies of a school system which Goldstein compares to "doctors who diagnose a disease, then inject the patient with more toxins just to make certain they're right."

What Happened at PS 15?

Where do we start? There's so many angles on what happened I can't come up with one yet, so check back this afternoon.

I'm digitizing the tape now and will put some stuff up later.

Right now I have to head off to deal with robotics at a bunch of schools.

For now check out the report from CAPE as they clarify a few points about the CEC 15 meeting.


Tonight should be considered a triumph for democracy, for stakeholder voices, and an example of what advocacy is all about. A few main points, that may have been lost in the shuffle, intentionally or not, need to be clarified and addressed:

Read it all http://www.capeducation.blogspot.com/

And Maura Waltz' piece at Gotham Schools with many fiery comments:

http://gothamschools.org/2009/09/18/red-hook-charter-paves-way-out-of-ps-15-but-cant-say-when/#more-23418

Anna Got Her Gun

Gotham Schools' Anna Philips worked so hard to get a copy of the contract demands handed out at the DA on Weds. She was there for hours talking to so many teachers. Yet, no one would give. But soon after she left, with two of us left outside ready to go eat, Daily News reporter Rachel Monahan came by with a copy which was the basis of her article yesterday. I was with a member of the negotiating committee who wouldn't give Rachel an inch.

Now, I went outside when the discussions began because Unity hacks always love to blame me for leaks, so I knew nothing anyway.

Anna, who had to listen to at least 3 rants from me yesterday, was still working to get a copy but she finally got it and has posted it at Gotham. Read it and feast - on what's missing. Class size - remember that? Some semblance of order in the wild west of the open market system? Any takeback at all? Some people talk about the extended day in Gotham's comments. I'm not totally against a longer day, but how about some rationality that would make sense for kids and teachers? I would actually make it somewhat voluntary for teachers. There is substantial money involved and most would do it anyway. Some schools have really figured it out but in others things are a little weird.

And by the way, for those people twisted over teachers betraying the ridiculous cone of silence, it's time to put the cone on themselves. You might get the cone to work for 300 people, but for over a thousand? And I did hear Mulgrew say, "Of course we expect you to discuss this with your members" [not really]. Mike then suggested they put the cone over their schools.

UFT Loses Budget Sharing Arbitration- Updated

UPDATED (9 20 09): See an update on this issue from Jeff Kaufman:

Sharing Budget Information with Your UFT Chapter Leader: A Tale of Two Spins

As Chapter Leader, I used to use Article 8(C) to force my principal to share info, which she resisted strenuously.

Sharing Budget Information with Your UFT Chapter Leader
An arbitrator recently determined that, under Article 8(C) of the Teachers’ Contract, chapter leaders and other union representatives are not entitled to the full view of a school’s budget on the Galaxy Table of Organization. The arbitrator determined that principals in all schools must provide their chapter leader and chapter committee with a copy of the School Leadership Team view of the Galaxy Table of Organization at the opening of the school year in September and before the end of the school year in June. Principals should continue to consult with their chapter committees regarding use of school allocations and any budget modifications. If you have any questions regarding this issue, contact Kellie Walker at kwalker7@schools.nyc.gov or (212) 374-5398.

How did we lose this arbitration when the info is readily available under the Freedom of Information Law?- Jeff Kaufman

Today, September 17, Thurs March/Rally to support the community's Patrick Daly School (PS 15) Against the PAVE Chater School Invasion

Billionaire scion Spencer Robertson must have used the refrain so many billionaire fathers well connected to the Bloomberg machine have heard: Daddy, will you buy me a charter school?

• Favoritism shown toward PAVE by the DOE.
• PS 15 has been forced to shove most of its programs into small spaces.
• The continuous arrogance and threatening behavior of PAVE administrators.
• PAVE kids are made to chant repeatedly: THIS IS OUR SCHOOL
• PAVE admins were outraged when PS 15 did their annual moment of silence for 9/11 and came into the main office loudly complaining and refused to observe the moment.
• 50% of the PAVE kids are bussed in (free) from outside Red Hook, so PAVE doesn't even serve the Red Hook community.

Hear lots more tonight.

6:15PM

PS 15

Sullivan & Richards Street

("F" Train to Smith-9th Av Station then walk - google it for map)

March together to the:

CEC Meeting at 6:45

PS 15 - 71 Sullivan Street

Auditorium

District 15, Red Hook, Brooklyn

Session will address the PAVE Charter extension request.

DOE & PAVE's administrator will speak.

At start of meeting, Sign up to speak out!

PAVE Charter seek to remain in PS 15 past this June, against the

agreement made to our community!

• This is bad for our school and bad for our kids!
• Fight to protect and preserve public education.
• We will not allow our schools to be privatized!

Ed Notes News will be there to tape.

Delegate Assembly Ramblings

Some would think that the major item at yesterday's first UFT Delegate Assembly of the year was all about contract. But it was way more than that, with the physical conditions of trying to hold a meeting that could potentially attract 3300 people in a space meant to hold 850 creating just a few logistical problems, that issue became as much a story as the contract. Add the greater security and the fact that it was turned from a chapter chairman meeting that usually attracts no more than 600 people into a DA on a few days notice and there was mass chaos, to such an extent that a few first timers said they would never come back.

James Eterno (ICE/TJC candidate running for UFT President) posted a brief report on the ICE blog: CONE OF SILENCE COMES TO DA
James came out the hero to many people for standing up to the leqdership on a point of order and speaking against the basic contract proposals for leaving out any call for taking back the givebacks. One delegate came out disgusted after his first meeting saying, "I can't f** believe it. They voted down seniority protection with any discussion. Mulgrew sucks." He vowed never to return to a DA, significantly improving the odds of my getting a banana.

I avoided the "cone" by leaving as they were beginning to talk about the contract so they could not accuse me of being the leaker, as they so often have done in the past. I hung out outside with Anna Philips from Gotham Schools and send various people over to talk to her as they came out of the meeting. Anna was there from around 3pm until well after 7. Give that woman a raise, Gotham. Here is her report: Speaking to UFT, Mulgrew calls for a new contract, and fast.

I saw so many new chapter leaders and delegates at the meeting that I knew. All told I hear there may be a thousand new people, with about 350 new chapter leaders. I asked a bunch of them to write up some impressions of the the UFT in action at this level at first glance after hearing words like "bizarre" and "surrealistic."

One of them, an old buddy, was the first out of the box:

As a newly elected chapter leader attending my very first delegate assembly I was tickled with excitement. The atmosphere was like the seventh game of a playoff series. Having finally made it up the stairs amid all the chaos I was not allowed into the hall. My first thought was "You gotta be f'ing kidding me? I'm a chapter leader now!" I guess she's seen it all before and kindly mentioned that I may have better luck around the other way. Well no luck there either so I watched Mulgrew on tv outside the hall along with other blue card carrying orange eating sticky fingered members. I finally found a standing room only spot near the doors and began to absorb the proceedings. At the end of the DA, I walked away believing change won't ever come at this level. Change is going to have to come with us from the trenches.

If you attended your first DA, send me your impressions or add to the comments.

I got home at 9:30 (one has to eat, doesn't one) and was so tired I hit the sack. Now it's 3 AM and I have lots to report and comment on but I want to go back to sleep so I'll add to this post later or post a second piece – if I survive a dental appointment. And the eye doctor. And the gym. (I am falling apart. And then there is tonight's CEC hearing on the slimebag PAVE charter school attempt to move into PS 15 for eternity. You should hear these stories, which I will be posting.) Check back in, especially if you are a subscriber. I may actually report on some nice things I heard said about Mike Mulgrew by unnamed UFT staffers who were clearly suffering from Randi fatigue.

ATRs: The Final Solution?

There are rumors that the NYCDOE has ordered 1600 blindfolds and packs of cigarettes for Monday's mandatory meeting of ATRs. Clergy of all faiths will be on hand.

From an ATR:

THIS IS THE EMAIL THE DOE IS SENDING TO ALL THE ATRS FOR THE MANDATORY EVENT FOR ATRS.

WHAT IS THE UNION DODING ABOUT IT... NOTHING.

This is a reminder that the Division of Human Resources is having a mandatory event for teachers in excess on Monday, September 21st at 1PM. The letter below should have been provided to you at your Absent Teacher Reserve (ATR) site. If you have not yet received this letter, please contact the principal at your site immediately.

You are receiving this reminder because our records show that as of Monday, September 14, you are still a centrally funded excessed teacher. If you do not believe you are in excess, please email us at thsc@schools.nyc.gov so we can research the issue. Unless you hear otherwise from the Teacher Hiring Support Center or a representative from either the Integrated Service Center (ISC) or Children First Network (CFN) that works with your school, you must attend this event.

Sincerely,
Teacher Hiring Support Center

Letter Delivered to ATR Sites:

Dear Teacher,

On Monday, September 21, 2009 the New York City Department of Education will be holding a mandatory recruitment fair for teachers in excess in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Staten Island. As an excessed teacher in one of these boroughs, you are required to attend this event.

The fair will be held from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM and teachers must check in no later than 1:00 PM. You should plan to report to your assigned school at the start of the school day and then travel to the fair; your school where you are currently assigned as an ATR will be notified of your absence and you will be provided with documentation of your attendance at the recruitment fair. Lunch will not be served at the fair, but you are entitled to the contracted amount of time for lunch on your own before the fair. You will be expected to stay until the end of the school day and encouraged to stay until the end of the event at 4:00PM.

The event will take place at Grand Prospect Hall, 263 Prospect Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215. If you need directions to this location, please use http://hopstop.com for public transportation or http://mapquest.com for driving directions. A limited amount of free parking is available on site.

As with other recruitment events held this summer, this will be an opportunity for you to meet with school representatives regarding potential vacancies. We encourage you to treat this as you would any job interview opportunity and recommend business attire as well as that you bring 10-15 copies of your resume. Note that you will be asked for a copy of your resume upon check in so that the Division of Human Resources can provide it to schools with vacancies in your subject area if you do not find a position at this event. If you need assistance on resume writing or interviewing, resources are available at the Teacher Hiring Support Center site, http://thscnyc.org

If you have any questions regarding the recruitment fair, please contact the Teacher Hiring Support Center at thsc@schools.nyc.gov or call us at (718) 935-5822. We look forward to seeing you at the event.

Sincerely,

Division of Human Resources

New York City Department of Education

Separate and Unequal: First Day of School Protest at PS 123 against HSA Charter School’s Invasion

Ed Notes has been reporting on the escalating battles between charter schools and the public schools they co-occupy all summer. PS 123 and PS 241 in Harlem are two of the schools occupied by Eva Moskowitz' Harlem Success Academy and they have garnered most of the publicity. The Patrick Daly School in PS 15 in Red Hook has been battling off the PAVE demand for 3 more years in the school. (Attend the CEC15 meeting this Thurs night at PS 15 to support them.)

GEM has been trying to get people together from the various locations to develop strategies for fighting back against an alliance of the DOE, who are supposed to be running and protecting the public schools, but always favors the charters. It is clear the BloomKlein crowd just wants to see public schools disappear. This is one tough battle for people at the rank and file level, who have few resources. Their school admins even though often disturbed at having their resources dwindle, cannot really help, as they risk removal by Klein.

Here is Angel Gonzalez' long-awaited video of the rally at PS 123 on the first day of school last week. Compare this with the Gotham Schools report that has quotes from Moskowitz but none of the parents from PS 123, who seemed open to speaking, as they do on Angel's video. But than Gotham is partly funded by the same sources that fund HSA. Note how charter school defenders always attack protesters as being from the UFT when in fact the UFT can't protest because they themselves have charter schools occupying space in 2 public schools. In fact, the teacher protesters are almost universally connected to the opposition parties in the UFT to the Weingarten/Mulgrew Unity Caucus.

Cross posted at the GEM blog: Last Wednesday's protest at PS 123

SEE THE VIDEO

and GET READY TO BE SHOCKED


Parents speak out, see pictures of the rooms.




One telling moment at around 6:32-6:45 — The charter schools kids are being lined up against the wall of the building. They're obviously a little frightened in the hubbub and it is not clear why they have to be there at all instead of being taken inside. The demonstrators are certainly not preventing them from entering the building, as reported in the press. One certainly has to question what's going on here. - JW at GEM blog.



By Angel Gonzalez of the Grassroots Education Movement, GEM

September 9, 2009 – District 5, Harlem NYC


On this very first day of classes, early at 6:30AM, the Community Public School 123, the Harlem Success Academy (HSA), an invading Private Charter School in the same public building on 141 St., and the Dept of Education (DOE), were unusually treated on the street to a excellent hands-on lesson in justice, equality and democracy. Arriving parents and children were greeted by a spirited yet outraged group of 25 parents, teachers from other schools, and education activists who picketed outside with signs and chants.

The protest denounced the chaos precipitated by the HSA charter takeover of PS 123 classrooms, the disarray to their supplies and furnishings, the DOE’s dictatorial imposition of charter schools, privatization and the resulting “separate and unequal” conditions.

Since the spring, PS 123 parents and teachers have been organizing against the disparities in treatment and are vowing to keep up the struggle to stop this discriminatory, unequal, and emotionally damaging learning environment. They have also vowed to continue to provide a successful education for their PS 123 students despite the unfavorable odds.

About ten PS 123 African-American teachers stood close by in solidarity during Wednesday's protest, but did not join the picket line. The fact that the UFT and DOE had asked them not to shows a total lack of leadership and insensitivity in the face of these glaring, unjust and stressful conditions at PS 123. Mr. Michael McDuffy, of the DOE Office that approves charters, was present but would make no comment.

The invasion and takeover of PS 123’s public school space by Eva Moskowitz’s Charter School, facilitated by Mayor Bloomberg’s dictatorial control of schools, have divided this Harlem facility. It is important to note that by DOE standards, PS 123 was not even a failing school: it received a grade of A for 2008/9. Despite its obvious success, PS 123 students are not seeing the same kinds of classroom renovations and supplies that the lottery-selected HSA charter students have been treated to, even though all students share the same building.

Upon returning to work this Tuesday, tensions flared up again when PS 123 teachers found their first and second floor rooms and corridors in an unwieldy mess (right). As the HSA charter took over the third floor this summer, their movers had evicted the PS 123 teacher materials and consequently left PS 123 books and supplies in disarray. The DOE, UFT officials, and politicians, all of whom had been apprised of the impending chaos, did nothing over the summer. At the start of this new school year, the HSA charter had its entire third floor facilities immaculately cleaned, freshly painted and newly supplied with modern lighting fixtures, toilets, doors, furniture, air conditioning, rugs and smart-board computer technology. HSA also has smaller class sizes.

The disparate conditions angered some PS 123 parents. Betty Barriento remarked, “We want all our children at PS 123 to have the same super-excellent facilities and opportunities. There should be no exceptions to good quality.” William Hargraves, a parent activist, said that PS 123 students are not allowed to use the HSA toilets or pass through their hallways and stairways. After seeing the HSA elite conditions, parent Chris Singleton sadly reacted, “I feel as if my fourth grade daughter is being raped.”

Moskowitz (left), who stood nearby welcoming students, pays herself $360,000+ yearly – a blatant misappropriation of monies that should be earmarked instead to upgrade services for all of PS 123. If Moskowitz had appropriated these funds under our public school system, she would have been indicted for grand larceny.

[Charters by law are exempted from such public oversight, laws and regulations. See “The Truth About Charters” brochure.]

Angel Gonzalez of the Grassroots Education Movement likened Moskowitz to the first Dutch invaders of the Americas: “Just as Conqueror Henry Hudson raided Manhattan, kidnapped Lenape Indians and hijacked their public lands, Moskowitz does the same today. With HSA charters, she takes over public school spaces and dollars as well as hijacks our community’s right to democratic school governance.” Interloper Moskowitz has arrogantly denounced the protesting parents and teachers as folks who “don’t want change and don’t want great schools.”

The picket vociferously denounced this charter-school hijacking and privatization of public schools that is fomented by the DOE. They alternately shouted, “Better Public Schools, Not Private Charters! Money for Public Education, Not Privatization! One City, One School! Stop the Drive to Privatize!”

Jitu Weusi, a member of the Coalition for Public Education, said, “Our protest shows that the public school community sectors are beginning to wake up and exert their voice for collective school governance. It’s a struggle between the attempt to privatize public education and an attempt to keep education public and equal for all — one system for all people. Not this stratified, a privatized system, creating classes within the community. ” Weusi urged parents to get involved and to take a firm stance against these charter school invasions, their attempt to privatize and to sow divisions among our people.

Sonia Harris shared her insights, “Unfortunately disparity is suffered by our children. They will grow up thinking that this group is better than that one. It is not a good picture. Charters need to be regulated. Let’s mobilize and organize. We can do it. Make sure that everyone is served properly. That’s what Martin Luther King died for.” Hopefully, the irresponsible DOE Officials will heed the words of this humble parent and learn a lesson in justice and democracy.

“Beware of those DOE-Charter-School wolves in sheep’s clothing who bear gifts of donuts, drinks, hors d'oeuvres and live music!”


More details by NYC teachers Emily Giles and Bill Linville

Related:

CAPE Press Release: Support Red Hook Public School Sept. 17

PEP Boys (and Girls)

No rally materialized at the first meeting of the Panel for Educational Policy last night under the reconstituted mayoral control. There was some talk from the Coalition for Public Education (CPE) and GEM but nothing materialized.

There were a cosmetic few changes at the PEP. Joel Klein can no longer be the chairman of the PEP, freeing him to play with his Blackberry all night. David Chang, who has spent his years on the PEP being a bump on a log was "elected" chair.

Javier Hernandez has a report on yesterday's PEP in the Times
Newly Empowered Education Panel, Looking Like the Compliant One of Old

It had been derided as a committee of puppets, a rubber-stamp board with no clear power or purpose. So when word came from Albany over the summer that the Panel for Educational Policy would have greater power over the New York City schools, some thought things might be different.

The old days, however, did not seem far behind at the panel’s first meeting of the school year on Monday: The “ayes” were nearly unanimous, and friction was virtually nonexistent.

When Ed Notes fave Patrick Sullivan surprised everyone by nominating himself for chairman, for a second there was no "second" – until SI rep Joan Correale, who usually kow-tows to the BloomKlein crowd (the SI borough Pres is a Bloomie), figured, "what the hell" and seconded Patrick's nomination. Of course, he lost to Chang as the prearranged plan was executed.

When it came time for the Vice chair, Correale (if my memory is correct) nominated Patrick and was seconded by Bronx borough rep Anna Santos. The BloomKlein crowd then nominated Philip Barry. Patrick asked Barry, incredulously, "Philip, I'm a little surprised since you have only attended 65% of the PEP meetings over the years".

Javier Hernandez writes with tongue firmly planted in cheek:

The mayoral bloc squelched the efforts of Patrick J. Sullivan, a Manhattan parent and frequent critic of Mr. Bloomberg’s policies, to become chairman, and rejected another bid by him for vice chairman.

Instead, the panel elected David C. Chang, the chancellor of the N.Y.U. Polytechnic Institute, as chairman, and Philip A. Berry, a management consultant, as vice chairman. (As of April, Mr. Chang had attended 81 percent of the board’s meetings since 2002, and Mr. Berry 65 percent, one of the lowest rates on the panel.)

Tweed's general counsel Michael Best was chosen as Secretary and will help Chang run the meetings.

Meredith Kolodner from the Daily News was there as the panel approved $250 million in contracts at its first meeting last night. Anna Philips from Gotham Schools, as was Yoav Gonen from the NY Post. But I haven't seen any reports from them yet. [UPDATE: Anna's report- The Panel for Educational Policy returns, its imprint the same]

The emerging star of the evening was the Bronx borough rep's appointee and newbie Anna Santos, who questioned just about everything. She reminded me of Tweed's Chief Parent Engagement Officer Martine Guerrier, who did much the same in her early days on the PEP as the Brooklyn rep. Over the years she faded fast. Hopefully, Anna Santos and Patrick Sullivan will make a great team and give the rest of us two voices on the PEP.

There was a long discussion of contracts and a large group of Koreans who want geographical names of territory taken from Korea by Japan in WWII restored to their Koran names. They had lots of cameras and press with them and great tee-shirts.

Robert Jackson, the City Council education chair came by and said something that has been on my mind for years: how do they hold a monthly open meeting in a space that holds 70 people?
They close the doors not long after the meeting starts. Jackson was incensed and rightly so. On the way in we all had to line up and go through security. I set up my tripod and camera and went to the bathroom. Then the security guard wouldn't let me back in. Thanks to DOE press spokesman Andy Jacob (on my Facebook page along with boss David Cantor), who said looking at my Wave press pass, "Are you a reporter today? You can go in." Sure Andy.

A bunch of parents from a charter school were there to extol the virtues of being given "choice" which according them is everyone's right. As is their right to demand space in public schools. Trying to counter the growing bad publicity charters are getting from GEM's very effective Truth About Charter Schools pamphlet, (we handed out some copies) they kept repeating their mantra that they are public school parents.

Parent leader Kim Irby from District 13 presented an effective alternative to their view, as did GEM and ICE member Gloria Brandon. I pointed out that in most of this country parents do not have choice to spend my tax money on their own little schools, but in fact have the choice of sending their kids to neighborhood schools or pay for private schooling.

It looks like the charter school movement in NYC is organizing a presence at events to stake their claim.

I only had an hour tape for a 3 hour plus meeting so I had to do a lot of juggling and moving and shaking - this place is not only unfriendly for attendees, but for video people– and tried to get as much flavor as I could. I made sure to get Leonie Haimson's two speeches (they tape died just as she finished her 2nd one with Michael Best harassing her as she pointed out how out of compliance they are on class size reduction) and as much of Patrick as I could. I missed a lot of Anna Santos because of a pillar. We have to get her a better seat next time.

As usual, the UFT had practically zero presence. The PEP next meeting will be Oct. 20 at the Petrides School in Staten Island. I'll be washing my hair that evening.


Related:
See Hernandez' report on cuts principals are being forced to make A New Meaning for Cutting Classes


Another sad NY story of a murdered young man
The murder of robotics student Glenn Wright is reported in the NY Times Fatal Stabbing of East Harlem Resident, 21, May Have Stemmed From Mistaken Identity. One of our key FIRST LEGO League planning committee members Kris Bretton coached Glenn and there are a bunch of quotes from Danny Peralta who worked with Glenn. Danny has been working with robotics and otter after school programs at East Harlem Tutorial (and is a great photographer).

I don't want to get on a high horse here. I'll just say that long-time teachers in the inner city see this type of story played so often. Good kids dying for nothing. When one touches you even through 3 degrees of separation, it makes it all the more poignant.

CAPE Press Release: Support Red Hook Public School Sept. 17

In the spring of 2008, the Red Hook community was informed that a charter school would be placed in their longstanding successful school, P.S. 15, The Patrick F. Daly School. After the decision was announced, there was community outrage and then, only then, was a community meeting held for members to share their views. In line with the leadership and vision of both Bloomberg and Klein, the decision to place a charter in P.S. 15 was finalized, regardless of the community’s outrage, a decision seemingly already made. The agreement was that this charter school, PAVE Academy, would be temporarily housed in P.S. 15 for two years. This agreement, by the Department of Education and PAVE’s founder, Spencer Robertson, was stated repeatedly to parents, community members, teachers, the building’s administration and to the union.

In the spring of 2009, only a year into their stay, PAVE announced to the Daily News that they requested an extension to stay in P.S. 15 for up to an additional three years. Again, parents, teachers and community members expressed their outrage and questioned the transparency, due process, and accountability of the Department of Education. According to the DOE, no decisions had yet been made concerning the extension request, but it took pressure by parents and teachers throughout the summer demanding due process to get a fair hearing. That meeting, a District 15 CEC meeting, will take place this Thursday, September 17, 2009 at P.S. 15 in the school’s auditorium.

Communities across the city share in the plight of the P.S. 15, Red Hook Community. We have seen community schools across the city forced to building share with charters, have their resources drained, their space limited and their programs negatively impacted. Now beginning to emerge, we are seeing charters put in extensions to stay and further expand into buildings after already announcing an end date for their temporary stay as part of the presentation to, and agreement with, the school communities. Interestingly, the extensions seem to aim to afford these charters free space until the end of their five year state evaluations, even though five years of space was not what was originally requested.

The lack of transparency and due process is an outrage to our democracy and defiles the success and importance of our community public schools. There is no accountability, no one to hold the Mayor’s administration to any kind of agreement or standard because they have a clear agenda and they intend to execute it: close down half of the number of public schools and double the number of charter schools by the end of their third term. What is even more disturbing; they are propagating this agenda on the backs of successful public schools that have served their communities for years. P.S. 15, The Patrick F. Daly School, whose namesake lost his life serving the children of Red Hook seventeen years ago, is an AAA school being unfairly and forcefully pushed out by a charter school that has no success record, is staffed with uncertified and inexperienced educators, and whose students are largely bused in from outside of the school community. Last year, out of P.S. 15’s Prekindergarten graduating class, only two families chose to send their two children to PAVE. The housing of PAVE Academy in P.S. 15 is not serving the best interest of the children in Red Hook, and it has no place in Red Hook’s community public school.

The Bloomberg Administration paints the charter school movement as a way to service children whom public schools have failed while promoting and developing innovative programming. This is cynical and disingenuous. The charter school movement drains school community resources, sets up a system of privilege and subordination, divides communities, and disenfranchises citizens from a truly democratic system that was intended to listen to them and represent them, not impose an authoritative agenda on them. If this charter school movement was really about what was best for children, we would not see building sharing formulas that treat children as numbers and deny them the space to run enrichment and intervention programming. We would not see campus policies that sanction public school principals for not coming to agreements on space usage, while doing nothing to hold charter school leaders accountable to the same standard. We would not see due process skirted and phony meetings held. We would not see successful schools being squeezed out by charters, especially when those charters are not primarily servicing the students from that school and community.

Please join the Red Hook community, its families and teachers, as we fight to protect P.S. 15, The Patrick F. Daly School, and community schools across the city. Public education is the pillar of our democracy; it must be protected and preserved. We should be supporting and using our successful public schools as models, not overextending them and negatively impacting their programming. We should fix our public schools that are not working, not propagate a privatization agenda.

capeducation@gmail.com

District 15, CEC, Community Education Council Meeting

Topic: Schools housed in public schools, PAVE Academy’s extension to continue to be housed in P.S. 15

Thursday, September 17, 2009, 7:00 P.M.

P.S. 15 School Auditorium

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