Robotics Brooklyn FIRST LEGO League Tournament for Kids 9-14 at NYU/Poly Saturday Jan. 14

Free and open to the public. NYU/Poly is on Jay Street at Metrotech.

Tomorrow (Saturday, Jan. 14) is the opening of the NYC robotics competition season with the qualifying tournament with over 40 teams from Brooklyn competing for the opportunity to go on to the finals at the Javits Convention Center in March where 80 teams winnowed from all the borough qualifiers will compete for the opportunity to go to the finals at the World Tournament with teams from around the globe in St. Louis in April.

Attending these events -- bring your kids --- is a great way to get your school involved next year. I will be manning the registration desk in the morning.

Yesterday I finished building the Field Set Up Kit just in time for the tournament. I had LEGO parts all over my man cave for weeks as each night I built another model. If you think that was easy check out the models on Facebook. 

I've been involved with FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology) since retiring in 2002. FIRST puts on various tournaments for kids from age 6-high school all over the world.

My focus has been the FIRST LEGO League, where teams of kids from age 9-14 (which includes elementary, middle and high schools) build and program robots out of LEGO materials. That makes for an interesting competition with 4th/5th graders competing on the same playing level as 9th graders. (And they do pretty well.) There are over 16,000 teams world wide with 8000 in the states.

Here in NYC we had around 180 teams register in September. We expect around 150 to take part in the borough qualifiers

The teams had over these months to prepare their robots for 4 shots throughout the day at completing a number of tasks within two and a half minutes. In addition, the teams have to do presentations in front of a panel of judges.

Each year there is a theme. This year it is Food Factor.

Some Food Factor Links

1. 2011 Food Factor Challenge | FIRST LEGO League

   firstlegoleague.org/challenge/2011foodfactor

   The FLL Core Values are the fundamental elements that ... In the 2011 Food Factor Challenge, over 200000 9-16* year olds from over 55 countries will explore ...

2. FLL 2011 "Food Factor" Robot Game EN - YouTube
   ► 8:21► 8:21	www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvdTbTf4G0kSep 5, 2011 - 8 min - Uploaded by FLLHot This film explains missions and points of FLL Robot-Game 2011 "Food Factor - Keeping Food Safe". Please ...

3. FLL 2011 Food Factor Missions - YouTube
   ► 8:21► 8:21	www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf_bQbPYLT8Sep 3, 2011 - 8 min - Uploaded by bgcalbanyor These are the missions for this year's Lego Robotics Tournament.

4. FLL Project DVD - Food Factor season - YouTube
   ► 20:44► 20:44	www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFBBnyz8syMJun 27, 2011 - 21 min - Uploaded by FLLGlobal The OFFICIAL FLL Project DVD for the 2011 Food Factor season. A rookie team's guide to the FLL Project ...

   More videos for food factor fll »

Check my robotics blog for updates and links: http://normsrobotics.blogspot.com/

NYC Qualifiers Begin: Volunteers Needed

Hello, FLL FOOD FACTOR SEASON is in FULL EFFECT. We are holding Borough Tournaments all over the Tri-state area and we NEED YOUR HELP.  Below are the DATES/LOCATIONS/ SITE COORDINATOR info for you to choose from. I beg you to please respond to the specific SITE COORDINATOR and copy me at ealmonte311@gmail.com with the following info: Name, Email address, Telephone
FLL Volunteer Position – 1^st & 2^nd Choices. Note:
You need to have been TRAINED for REFEREE or JUDGE in order to be able to volunteer in any of the these two positions. We need PLENTY OF VOLUNTEERS, please spread the news and have your friends and family join us if they can.
BOROUGH TOURNAMENT DATES BELOW:

Saturday Jan. 14th Brooklyn Qualifier @ NYU-Poly
Coordinator: Susan Hermon - shermon@poly.edu

Saturday Jan.21st Bronx Qualifier @ Lehman HS
Coordinator: Bernie DiCristofalo – bdicrist@optonline.net

Saturday Jan. 21st Manhattan Qualifier @ CCNY
Coordinator: Elizabeth Vilchis – Vilchis.elizabeth@gmail.com

Saturday Jan. 28th Queens Qualifier @ George Ryan JHS 216
Coordinator: Peter Xanthus – ptx79@aol.com

Staten Island Qualifier : Feb 5 is Super Bowl - Target date is Feb. 12 if venue can be found.
Coordinator: Thomas Smolka – thomasjsmolka@gmail.com
List of teams competing in Brooklyn

Team [x] Object (home schooled)

St. Edmunds Elementary School

PS 94 K

PS 94 K

PS 321K

Packer Collegiate Inst.

Packer Collegiate Inst.

PS 8 K

PS 8 K

YWCA-NYC

MS 366K

Community Partnership Charter School

MS 354 School of Integrated Learning

PS 270 K The Dekalb School

Brooklyn Brownstone School

Mott Hall Bridges Academy

PS 3K The Bedford Village School

PS 256K Benjamin Banneker Elementary

PS 9K Teunis G. Bergen

PS 399 K Stanley Eugene Clarke

PS 233K  Langston Hughes

PS 11K  Purvis J Behan School

MS 113K Ronald Edmonds Learning Center

PS 636 K Young Scholars’ Academy for Discovery and

Urban Assembly Institute of Math & Science for Young Women

Ocean Hill Collegiate Charter School

The Young Womens’ Leadership School TYWLS BK

Benjamin Banneker Academy K

PS 58 The Carroll School

PS 58 The Carroll School

PS 58 The Carroll School

Salve Regina Catholic Academy

PS 261K

PS 321K

Sunset Park Prep MS 821K

IS 383 K Philippa Schuyler MS

MS 354 School of Integrated Learning

PS 372 K

PS 372 K

Brooklyn School for Global Studies

Fort Green Prep Academy

PS 147k

Exposing Bloomberg's Education Lies in Today's State of the City Address at Morris HS

UPDATE: Union busting is Theme of Bloomberg State of the City

I know it's a busy day and this is my 3rd post (make sure to check out the others) and it's only 1PM, just in time for Bloomberg's lying State of the City address. I was going to go to the protest at 12:30 but looked at directions and saw the word "Bruckner Expressway --- the use of the word "express" is a knee-slapper --- and I thought there is no way on a day it rained. So I am just going to head up to Williamsburg later for the CEC 14 meeting where D. 14 long-time Superintendent James Quail whom I've known for 40 years will be making his last appearance before retiring on Jan. 31. I will attempt to worm some ugliness towards Tweed out of him if I can.

Breaking: Just saw my childhood pal Marty Needelman in NY1 on another Bloomberg scuzzy operation in Williamsburg/Bushwick to create discriminatory housing --- they went to court and won against him -- another slap at the leagacy. David and Pat Dobosz from GEM who are neighborhood residents have been involved in this story.

Leonie initial take:

Bloomberg’s State of City Address |
He wants to re-introduce teacher merit pay (What? didn't we try that already?)
& bring Rocketship charter to NYC http://goo.gl/4cXq7 
see also http://www.nytimes.com/schoolbook/2012/01/12/bloomberg-unveils-ambitious-proposals-for-schools/
50 more charters over the next 2 yrs.
streaming live (if you can stand it) at
http://www.nytimes.com/schoolbook/2012/01/12/bloomberg-unveils-ambitious-proposals-for-schools/

Gotham reports:

Mayor’s address comes against evaluations impasse backdrop

In education-packed speech, Bloomberg vows to bypass UFT


------

Public School Parents from Across NYC to Protest “Mayor 13%” Today Outside State of the City Address

Site of address – Morris HS – likely to be touted by mayor as success;

but “new” Morris actually made gains by neglecting the highest-needs special ed students

After a decade of school closures and other failed school reform policies, only 13% of Black and Latino students are graduating prepared for college under Bloomberg

Poll after poll has shown a strong majority of New Yorkers reject Bloomberg’s education platform and want a new direction

Parents and education advocates from across New York City will protest today outside the mayor’s State of the City Address, decrying the man they call “Mayor 13%” for his failed education policies—which only prepare 13 percent of Black and Latino public school students for college.

Protesters will also draw attention to the dubious selection of Morris High School in the Bronx as the site of the address, and, apparently, a symbol to the administration of its success.  Indeed, Morris’s graduation rates have improved since it was closed and re-opened under the Bloomberg Administration—but at the expense of high-needs (self-contained) special education students who were forced to attend other schools.  The old Morris HS had a 14 percent rate of self-contained special education students; the new Morris HS campus schools have an average of just two percent. [FACT SHEET ON MORRIS HS AND BLOOMBERG POLICIES ATTACHED.]

Advocates and parents will also point to the Bronx neighborhood surrounding Morris as a microcosm of Bloomberg’s failed education policies across the City, where high-needs students who typically score lower on standardized exams are “warehoused” in a few schools to inflate scores in others.  In the neighborhood around Morris, for example, only three percent of students are in high-needs special education classes at the “A” schools, while the closing schools average nine percent high-needs special education.

The federal government’s National Assessment of Educational Progress Trial Urban District Assessment (NAEP TUDA) test results in December showed that City scores have plateaued since 2009 and the large racial achievement gap persists between students of color and their white peers has not budged.  More than one-third of all City schools are now considered failing by the State.  Earlier this fall, we learned that adjusted state scores showed a deepening crisis in our middle and elementary schools, and that higher graduation rates were masking the fact that just one-in-four high school seniors were actually prepared for college.  In response, poll after poll has shown a strong majority of New Yorkers reject Bloomberg’s education platform and want a new direction.  

WHEN:           Thursday, January 12^th – 12:30 PM

WHERE:         Outside Morris High School – 1100 Boston Road, the Bronx

WHO:             Parents and advocates from across the City.

This also available as fact sheet on the CSM website here: http://www.classsizematters.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Morris-HS-fact-sheet-final-final.pdf


For immediate release:
January 11, 2012

Leonie Haimson, Class Size Matters, leonie@classsizematters.org; 917-435-9329
Mili Bonilla, Coalition for Education Justice, mili_bonilla@brown.edu; 347-901-1049

Don’t Believe the Hype!

The Real Deal on Morris High School  

& Bloomberg’s Failed Education Policies

Peninsula Prep Charter Closing Follow-Up From Leonie

This is an important supplement filling in some gaps on my previous post where I forgot all about Victory's role -- they pulled out loads of money from the school (and our wallets) for management fees.

And a comment came in on the previous post making another important connection to the location of the charter and how it was connected to the massive Arverne by the Sea which I believe owned the trailers where the school was located.

Just as shady, is the issue of locating the school close to Arverne By the Sea as a selling perk for Smith's real estate buddy. Wonder how many buyers that lured?!?!?!

Leonie Haimson, who takes a good shot at Michael Duffy (and Anna Philips for quoting him but leaving out how much money his company made off Peninsula Prep) who was a Tweed Troll for years and used his position to get a job paying him a lot of money (let's make a ban on this as an addition to ed law) to nycednews listserve:

I really have no idea what the underlying motivation of DOE might be here; but according to their own (unreliable) accountability system, a school like Peninsula Prep w/ three "Cs" is vulnerable to closing -- and I believe other regular public schools in that category have been closed.

In Oct. I made a list and and discussed the various charters vulnerable to closing on the basis of their grades on the progress reports:

Note the five charters in light yellow; these are authorized by the NYC Chancellor, and thus can be closed by DOE. Who knows why they picked on Peninsula but did not close the others?

The DOE's decisionmaking remains totally obscure to me, but remember also that 

Peninsula Prep paid large management fees to Victory -- 23% of per pupil funding acc. to GS --  and has been involved in lots of scandals, as Norm notes -- though none of this is mentioned in the DOE report that advised against renewing its charter. 

My question is this: why did Anna Phillips of the NYT quote Michael Duffy, former head of the DOE charter office, who now works at Victory, as an independent observer on the implications of the school's closing, w/out mentioning the financial connection between the Victory & Peninsula Prep?  Did they dissolve their relationship?  In any case, this should have been mentioned.

Or did I miss something?  I have read through the article twice now and don't see the connection mentioned.

Why Peninsula Prep is Closing: What Times Article Left Out

The politics behind closing a "C" rated school that claims to outperform 9 out of 10 schools in the area. Scandal-plagued politicians connected to school may have spurred closing to forestall future embarrassment over how political connections helped get the charter school. Did Walcott, who comes from a part of Queens where he would be well aware of the activities of these politicians, decide to cut the cord before more scandals emerge? Does Walcott know something will come out soon?

Today's front page article in the NY Times on the closing of Peninsula Prep Charter School in Rockaway might leave some people scratching their heads given the fact that up to now a serial killer who wanted a charter from Joel Klein, who was the authorizer, could get one. A charter school would have to be outrageous in its actions - like Williamburg/Believe Charters (Williamsburg/Believe Charter with Slimeball Leader Eddie Negron - Charter Revoked) which we wrote about the other day or Ross Global run by celebrity/socialite Courntey Sales Ross in the past (Ross Global Charter to be Closed Along with 11).

For the first time, New York City is closing a charter school for the offense of simply being mediocre.

The announcement this week that the city planned to shut Peninsula Preparatory Charter School, a seven-year-old elementary school in Far Rockaway, Queens, was unusual by any definition. Since 2004, the city has closed only a few of its 142 charters that have opened — schools that are publicly financed but privately managed, and are a source of competition for traditional schools.

But as more of the city’s charter schools have matured, reaching the five-year renewal mark, the Education Department has become increasingly impatient with weak-performing ones. With the closing of Peninsula Prep, which had received a grade of C on each of its last four progress reports, Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott seemed to be signaling that the city’s 136 charters will now be held to a higher standard.

And increasing scrutiny of New York charter schools could have widespread implications, prompting a wider conversation across the country about what the bar for closing should be, and how much charter schools should be expected to outperform public schools.

More unusual, the Times piece left out the fact that State Senator Malcolm Smith was the founder of the school and despite denials of still having connections to the school, people in Rockaway believe his influence is still felt. (I saw a tweet from one reporter the day the closing was announced that Smith had given the school a $100,000 in earmarks and speculated about the fate of those funds.) What does happen to this money --- I say give it to PS 215 in Far Rockaway which the DOE is trying to close despite starving the school of resources.

I emailed Anna Philips who wrote the piece and she pointed me to her Schoolbook article the other day where she wrote:

Opened in 2004, Peninsula Preparatory Charter School was founded by State Senator Malcolm A. Smith, who served as a board member until 2006. Another Queens politician, Rep. Gregory Meeks, was also a member of the elementary school’s board.

Despite its political connections, Peninsula Prep struggled from the outset. Originally located in a Far Rockaway middle school, it moved into a complex of trailers near a large real estate development owned by one of Mr. Smith’s campaign donors, leaving its students without a gym or playground. For the last three years, it has received C’s on its progress reports from the city.

But what the article doesn't say is that both Smith and Meeks have been embroiled in scandal, with the Times ( State Sen. Malcolm Smith Tied To Scandal-Scarred Charity)
doing a major piece on Smith in October 2010 (see below the fold for entire article which makes no mention of the Smith connection to PP Charter) which opens with this:

St. Sen. Malcolm Smith

Federal prosecutors are investigating a nonprofit group founded by Mr. Smith. They subpoenaed records in February 2010 from his office detailing funds he has directed to community groups over the last decade. Some of the group's employees were also Mr. Smith's aides in Albany.

The article paints a picture of a failed businessman and a shady politician. The staff of an embattled Queens nonprofit overlaps closely with the payroll of state Sen. Malcolm Smith, one of the charity's founders. At least four workers at the New Direction Local Development Group—which is under federal investigation and allegedly fleeced Hurricane Katrina victims out of about $30,000 raised on their behalf—have also worked for Smith at a time when the politician gave the organization about $56,000 in state funds.

Yet Smith was shown political favor by allowing him to open up a charter school. I thought it interesting at the time that this article made no mention of the charter school connection. And the fact that both articles by Anna made no mention of the Smith scandals make the paranoid in me work overtime. But if you click the Malcolm Smith link in Anna's Schoolbook piece it takes you to the Times article about the scandal. Anna is a meticulous reporter and makes it her business to know everything there is to know about education in this city. Having to click to make that connection makes me think that the NY Times editors were concerned about making the obvious connection to scandal in an article about the charter. Why mention Smith (which I view as Anna's way of leading the dog to the bone) without openly mentioning the scandals?

Smith's pal Gregory Meeks, who was on the PPrep Board, Congressman from the east end of Rockaway is also under scrutiny. Meeks was mentioned the other day (Edul Ahmad Accused of Defrauding Guyanese Immigrants)
(See below for a few quick hits from a google search on Meeks.)

I agree with Anna's speculation that charters will get closer scrutiny to try to stop the growing scandals that in the long-run threaten the charter school movement. Given that most of these schools perform no better than public schools and many perform worse, the question of why create a dual system with wasted resources will continue to be raised. Thus you see charter school slugs who make a living off charter schools -- people like Michael Duffy and James Merriman -- quoted in Anna's article.

I feel that Peninsula Prep Charter is a special case for closing and not necessarily a sign of closer scrutiny due to the scandals engrossing Smith and Meeks (and their mentor Floyd Flake, whose scandalous behavior was also profiled in the NY Times -

Deal Shows How Floyd Flake Can Gain From Ministry - NYTimes.com

www.nytimes.com/2010/06/18/nyregion/18flake.html?pagewanted...

Jun 17, 2010 – The Rev. Floyd Flake, an influential New York pastor, had a role as both seller and buyer of church-owned buildings.

REV FLOYD FLAKEGATE - VJ MACHIAVELLI-THE VOICE OF THE ...

vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com/2011/.../welcome-to-rev-floyd-flakegate...

Oct 9, 2011 – Posted:2:04 AM, October 9, 2011. New York political kingmaker and religious leader Floyd Flake rakes in the cash -- and leaves wreckage ...

Dennis Walcott is from a corner of Queens where he knows full-well these politicians. I would bet he is not happy about these scandals and is sensitive to how they may come back to bite Tweed in terms of authorizing a charter school controlled by these guys.

So in my mind these are the politics behind closing a charter school that under normal conditions would not face closing.

--------------
By the way, Peninsula Prep had it's own record of tossing kids as you can see in this piece in the local Rockaway paper The Wave (where I write a column):

The Wave Reports: Peninsula Prep Academy Charter Tosses 5-Year ...

ednotesonline.blogspot.com/.../wave-reports-peninsula-prep-academ...

Apr 9, 2011 – The motto of the Peninsula Preparatory Academy charter school on Beach 111 ....

--------------
Parent at PPA writes to Leonie
But to be fair, here is an email from a parent at the school sent to Leonie Haimson pointing to the conflcit this school is causing:

I am a follower and supporter of your work for a very long time. However, the last few years my child has gone to a charter school which (while being in contradiction with many of my political and philosophical views on education) have put me into a much more pragmatic position especially with the conditions of where I live, Rockaway. And while I still support your fight for public education on the long term an imminent problem has arisen for myself and 340 other families out here in Queens: our school's charter has not been renewed and it will close at the conclusion of the school year. This means that the children will be pushed into their zoned schools in Far Rockaway and Arverne, NY where 9/10 schools performed WORSE than our school that is being closed down. This, of course, using the same dreaded standards that the DOE used to justify our school's closure, in essence telling our community that PPA wasn't good enough but the inferior (by their standards) and underfunded local public schools will now have to take in 341 new students. Obviously this will affect class size and student-teacher ratio as well for the local schools.

I'm reaching out to you in desperation to see if you could put me in contact with any local activists that could join forces with our parents in protesting, picketing and shaming the DOE for this move. The parents feel betrayed and we have sensed that our best bet is to get outside of the system. I think that although the charter issue may be different than those of traditional public schools, we all face challenges from the same failed policies.

I too am conflicted about working with this parent but I think it would be the right thing to do even Mona Davids sent a rep out to meet with the charter to assist them but they weren't interested.

-----------------------

1. Congressman Gregory Meeks Admits He's Been Subpoenaed ...

   blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2010/04/congressman_gre.php

   Apr 15, 2010 – Things are getting so bad for scandal-plagued Queens Democratic congressman Gregory Meeks that he had to acknowledge on the House ...

2. Meeks passes the bucks on scandal (video) - New York Post

   www.nypost.com/.../meeks_passes_the_bucks_on_scandal_...

   Mar 16, 2010 – Gregory Meeks ended weeks of dodging yesterday, taking to TV to insist he's in the dark about ... Meeks passes the bucks on scandal (video) ...

3. US Cricket Team ensnared in Queens scandal involving Meeks ...

   www.nypost.com/.../in_sticky_wicket_MCWvLcM7JPkoKN7nOoKf...

   Dec 25, 2011 – A Queens scandal that threatens to engulf Rep. Gregory Meeks has an unusual collateral victim — the US Cricket Team.

4. New York Papers Scrutinize Meeks Loan Scandal Figure | National ...

   nlpc.org/stories/2010/07/.../new-york-papers-scrutinize-meeks-‘frien...

   Jul 21, 2010 – New York Papers Scrutinize Meeks Loan Scandal Figure ... Gregory Meeks (D-NY), is today scrutinized by the New York Times and New York ...

5. The Last Tradition: Democrat Gregory Meeks Changes Story on ...

   thelasttradition.blogspot.com/.../democrat-gregory-meeks-changes-st...

   Mar 15, 2010 – Gregory Meeks claimed that "every dime" raised by a charity he ... It's the biggest scandal the legacy media purposely does not report. Why do ...

6. Meeks Scandal Impacts US Cricket Team | www.rockawave.com ...

   www.rockawave.com/.../Meeks_Scandal_Impacts_US_Cricket_Team...

   Meeks Scandal Impacts US Cricket Team. 2011-12-30 / Top Stories. By Howard Schwach. Congressman Gregory Meeks has been enmeshed in scandal for ...

7. U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks Passes The Bucks On Scandal - Hip Hop ...

   hiphoprepublican.com/.../us-rep-gregory-meeks-passes-the-bucks-on...

   Mar 18, 2010 – Embattled U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) ended weeks of dodging yesterday, taking to TV to insist he's in the dark about the gone-missing ...

8. Gregory W. Meeks News - The New York Times

   topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/.../gregory_w_meeks/index.html

   ... W. Meeks. Commentary and archival information about Gregory W. Meeks from The New York Times. ... N.Y. Senate Leader Tied to Figure in Loan Scandal ...

NY Times piece on Smith below

How Did Educators 4 Excellence Gain Access to Official DOE Teacher Emails?

There is but one conclusion that can be drawn from the NYC Department of Education’s last minute walk out of negotiations over a teacher evaluation system for 33 schools placed in the Transformation and Restart models: it was always Tweed’s intention to refuse to enter into an agreement for teacher evaluations.  -- Leo Casey at Edwize

I don't often read Edwize but Leo Casey has an excellent piece exposing the sham of Tweed's game-playing on evaluations and lays the blame right on them (though as always I never thought the UFT should have given even a wedge on teacher evaluations given we're dealing with snakes --- though I hate to insult the snakes).

Teachers at some of the 33 SIG schools have been getting emails from the 5th Columnists* at E4E at their official DOE email addresses. Reminds me of the handover of Tweed's handing over private parent info to Eva Moskowitz's Success Charter to help them recruit. It's almost funny how groups like GEM have warned people not to use DOE emails for political purposes since that would give the DOE an opportunity to go after them. I guess it's Katy bar the door now that E4E has broken the barrier of misuse of official DOE emails. So if you ever get hassled if you happen to blast out an email to colleagues here is your precedent.

I would go beyond and if you get such an email maybe lodge a complaint about misuse of DOE emails. Or better yet call E4E's Lauren Goldberg at 212-279-8510 ex. 18 to tell her what you think of this blatant political opportunism of making it look like the DOE was not responsible.

E4E which purports to have teacher interests at heart is exposed by this fact from Leo's post:

why is a 90% rate of principals recommending tenure, at the end of probation “a joke,” but a 99.5% rate of turning down U ratings appeal perfectly acceptable?

 Yes, we are the 99.5% that loses U-ratings appeals.

Funding cuts to John Dewey
______________________________

__
From: Lauren Goldberg [mailto:lgoldberg@educators4excellence.org]
Sent: Mon 1/9/2012 6:19 PM
To: [teacher at John Dewey HS]  (21K540)
Subject: Funding cuts to John Dewey

Dear ------ ,

I'm reaching out because I came across your name on a staff list from John Dewey. [trans- thanks Dennis for stopping by our office with the list]

I am reaching out to your staff because the School Improvement Grant funding from the state is in jeopardy. This is because the DOE and UFT cannot agree on teacher evaluations. Teachers at several of the 33 schools have written an open letter to Chancellor Walcott and President Mulgrew to urge them to come to an agreement [trans. but we won't criticize our meal tickets for walking out of negotiations] and allow the SIG funding to be restored. We are helping them to get the word out. [sure, we are helping THEM - as if THEM materialized out of nowhere].

You can read and sign the letter at www.restoresigfunding.com .

Please let me know if there is anyone else from John Dewey that I could reach out to.

Thank you for your daily work in the classroom, and for standing up for your students and your profession.

Best,

Lauren

Lgoldberg@educators4excellence.org, Outreach Director, Educators 4 Excellence, 212-279-8510 ex. 18

I'll close with this from Leo:

one conclusion is inescapable: Mayor Bloomberg decided that he had no intention of negotiating in good faith with the UFT over the subject of teacher evaluations. The plan was always to blow up the negotiations required by law, with a strategy of then trying to pressure Albany to change the teacher evaluation law and allow the DOE to continue its kangaroo court U rating appeal process. From the beginning of this process, he and his devotees at Tweed were acting in bad faith.

Read In Bad Faith at Edwize

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_column

Principal Reveals Impact of Cost of an Experienced Teacher

Woo, who has led the school of nearly 1,100 students for over two decades, said having experienced teachers such as Cannistraci has unfortunately hamstrung P.S. 130 during a time of budget cuts. Because the city bills schools for their teachers’ real salaries, having a staff that earns an average $82,000 a year means there is less to spend on non-salary costs.

 Class size jump poses new challenge for a successful school
-------------------
Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on the right for important bits.

Community Board 1 Takes Stand Against Moskowitz Invasion

Eva Moskowitz is one of the greatest organizing tools we've had. The school closings and charter insertion policies of the ed deformers are galvanizing long-dormant communities around the city. (I was at an intense meeting in Far Rockaway last night over the closing of PS 215 that drew a large crowd of teachers and parents and the Queens UFT political action people - I'll report on that later.)

This came in from Pat Dobosz who works and resides in Dist. 14 in Williamsburg.

CB 1 in Williamsburg/Greenpoint voted for a proposal today, presented by its Education Committee, taking a stand against Eva Moskowitz's Success Academy coming into JHS 50. It also voted for a proposal telling the DOE that the community wants direct input into what is going to be happening at PS 19 BEFORE any phase out takes place. The president of the committee will be sending me a copy of the resolutions and I will forward them. We all know that Eva gets what she wants, but it's important that our CB has taken a stand on our schools, something that has not happened in at least 20 years. (The other schools that she has invaded in our school district are not in CB 1, but CB 3). next month they will be dealing with Williamsburg charter and the two other Believe schools.

Also tomorrow and Thursday, the committee will be meeting with parents from both schools in preparation for the upcoming hearings on January 17 (JHS 50) and January 18 (PS 19). I will also forward those times when I receive them (I believe they are at 6 PM).

Janine, a former D. 14 parent, commented:

Bravo to CB1!
I suppose we can thank Eva and the charter movement (and all other privatizing entities out there) for helping us (finally) build back our communities. A silver lining, perhaps?

Potential Law Suit against Success Academy in Cobble Hill

This Friday, January 13th at 5:30pm there is an IMPORTANT MEETING for District 15 parents interested in being plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the placement of the Cobble Hill Success Academy in District 15. Lawyers will be there to discuss the legal arguments and what is involved in being a plaintiff. The meeting will be held at 2-4 Nevins Street in downtown Brooklyn, on the 2nd floor.

All are welcome to come, ask questions, and sign up to be involved.

Please call 203.313.2479 with any questions.

Breaking: Williamsburg/Believe Charter with Slimeball Leader Eddie Negron - Charter Revoked

UPDATED: 9:30PM

NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/schoolbook/2012/01/09/city-seeks-to-close-two-charter-schools/

Gotham School: City moves to close two charter schools, citing mismanagement

RED FLAG ALERT!

 Most of the charges center on founder Eddie Calderon-Melendez, who earned $478,000 last year as the CEO of the Believe Charter Network, which has run Williamsburg and two other high schools.

That's rights folks - Almost half a million for Eddie - but you know he's doing it for the kids.

Here is my comment at Gotham:

What a joke. They're still giving Eddie a month to clean up his act?

Like, did they find out yesterday about Eddie? Ed Notes has been following this story for years. We broke the story of the $100 bounty they were offering kids if they brought in a sucker -- er recruit --- years ago. In the comment section teachers were screaming out in outrage but also in fear of Eddie and his thuggish behavior. He once threatened Susan Ohanian with a "visit" because she had mentioned his poodle business. In the corporate ed deform world it is ok for Eddie to make almost half a million while scamming us taxpayers for years.

Where are John King and Merryl Tisch who are quick to condemn people who fight to keep their schools open as "supporting failure" while a school that clearly was engaging in shady tactics for years was allowed to continue. Eddie's charter should have been revoked before the ink was dry.

As for Penninsula Prep out here in Rockaway where even the sea breezes coudn't wash away the smell of scandal from St Sen Malcolm Smith's equivalent of Rosemary's baby. How about those earmarks he got for the school he founded? I bet they don't end up in a public school in Rockaway. How about giving it to PS 215 which they are closing?

 3:30

Unconfirmed - from good source in District 14:

Lindsey Christ at NY1 confirms and also ads Rockaway's Penninsula Prep - a school founded by NY State Senator Malcolm Smith - talk about conficts of interest even though he claims not to have anything to do with the school. I do hope someone in the media digs into how these schools were founded on the use of political pull.

No time to put up links but use the "search blog" function to find scads of articles we've done on Eddie the Slime. This is the charter that pushed the teacher out of the library at IS 126 after she renovated it. We actually shot a bunch of footage for The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Superman in front of this charter to highlight the corrupt charter practices but we decided we didn't have room in the film to get into that aspect.

Believe North & Believe South are chartered through the State Education Department (SED ---- where have you been all these years Merryl Tisch, John King, etc?

Watch these clowns take credit for closing down the charter despite waiting for years and letting children's education be destroyed for years. Message to Merryl, who challenges parents at closing schools who fight to keep their schools open with "you are supporting failing schools" - with a reframing: Merry Merryl, why are you supporting failing school policies?

Also confirmed by Mona Davids at New York Charter Parents Association (NYCPA)

NYCPA warned parents about this charter just as we have about others that have been shut down.  Parents have been disrespected, students' IEP's violated, staff harassed for speaking up for students for many years and the DOE's charter office did nothing. Then NYCPA broke the story on the new buidling the Believe Network, the Charter Management Organization (CMO), which runs Williamsburg, Believe North & Believe South High School, couldn't pay AND signed a 30 year lease when charters are renewed every 5 years. Believe North & Believe South are chartered through the State Education Department (SED).  Those schools and Believe Network are under investigation by the State Attorney General's office too.  NYCPA talked about the corruption of the board, the intermingling and incestuous releationship between board members of the three schools and the CMO. DOE should have stepped in a long time ago.  As usual they do nothing until the stench of corruption, mismanagement and cronyism, reaches outside of the DOE office to other agencies. This is why we are pushing charter parents be allowed under law to fire school leaders and replace their boards if they're mismanaging the schools.  If 51% of parents vote to remove leadership, the parents can bring in new leaders and reconstitute the board. We have good charters and bad charters just as we good public schools and bad public schools.  Parents be vigilant, attend your board meetings, request monthly copies of your school's financial reports, get a copy of your school's charter and by-lays.  Protect your children's education, hold your charter accountable and ensure they're doing right by your children. Best regards.

Here are a few quick links from a quick search on the web for background:

Walcott to Principal: You are OK if you don't talk about your penis to female staffers (again)!

“I’m not going to remove him [Principal John Chase], but he knows he cannot have any similar type of comments. He is on a very strict line as far as his behavior,” said Walcott, who added that some school staffers want Chase to remain in his post.  Daily News

Our pal South Bronx School has been on the Chase case promoting the rally tomorrow. Rally Against Bronxdale Principal John Chase Jr 1/10/2012

When: January 10 @ 3 30 PM until dark

Where: Columbus Campus; 925 Astor Ave. - Bronx 10469

Speakers; Councilman Jimmy Vacca, the office of State Senator Jeff Klein, several U.F.T. chapter leaders from the campus, and the office of Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera.

Other groups;  the N.O.W. Network (National Organization of Women) and local community groups, and  The Bronx U.F.T.

I wonder how Walcott would react if his teacher/daughter had been spoken to that way? And if a teacher should dare mention the word "penis" or "blow job" - suspension without pay and fired.

Retired Bronx HS UFT District Rep Lynne Winderbaum points to the double standard and in a post on the NYCEdNews listserve asks:

What is wrong with Dennis Walcott?

Following the deplorable moral standards of his predecessors under Bloomberg, Dennis Walcott staunchly asserts that he will not remove principal John Chase from his leadership position at Bronxdale High School.

I have represented teachers for many years as a UFT chapter leader and district representative. Given the unique position of teachers, the role model status we have, and the damage we can do if we display immoral behavior in front of children, there has been no tolerance for remaining in a classroom under even an allegation of misconduct. Teachers are removed pending adjudication to err on the side of protection. The Department of Education does not see the equivalence in protecting staff and students from misbehaving principals however.

This article in yesterday’s Daily News focuses on his b--- j-- comment regarding the copy machine but omits his inappropriate comments made to female employees for which he has already been found guilty. Perhaps if his own wife were subjected to comments about her breasts by her boss Walcott might take it more seriously? But this is only a secretary and he doesn’t even know her. It is much more important to stand tough in protecting the job of a principal.

And as far as school staffers wanting him to remain in his post, his entire teaching staff consists of eight untenured teachers (another good argument for tenure). They can be fired for any reason at any time while on probation. So their position must be taken with a grain of salt until they can speak without fear of consequences. Teachers should stand against sexual harassment in the workplace even if the victims are secretaries or paraprofessionals--all union members and all human beings.

And since when do chancellors, including Walcott, care if staffers want accused workers to remain in their jobs? When 400 people marched outside Roosevelt High School in support of teacher Raqnel James, a respected and beloved tenured teacher, the Department of Education stood idly by as she was shipped to the rubber room and arrested. The principal, Iris Blige, created the charges to have her removed from the school after she took the principal’s friend to court for unpaid rent. It cost James three years of salary and legal battles until finally being found “not guilty” last month in a trial. Clearly, hundreds of staffers wanted this innocent teacher to remain in her job but the DOE was unmoved. And this is just an egregious example. There are many schools where good teachers face charges and the staff supports them. Suddenly, in this case of a foul-mouthed sexual harasser, who happens to be the school leader, Dennis Walcott feels that staff “support” should outweigh the finding of guilt and the suffering of his victims?

Easy answer. Excusing principals’ bad behavior is policy. This is the Department of Education that ignored years of allegations of sexual misconduct by Richard Bost, former principal of Fordham Leadership Academy, who was also found guilty of abusing a secretary and guilty of giving $7000 of school money to his AP. Finally, after committing unwanted sexual advances against a parent, Sen. Jeffrey Klein’s office got involved and he was removed.

This is the Department of Education that supports Valerie Reidy after charges of supervisory harassment were upheld by an arbitrator, a well-documented mass-exodus of excellent teachers from Bronx High School of Science, and many demonstrations--the most recent on January 5--asked for her removal. This is the Department of Education that keeps Barbara Kirkweg, of Bronx Aerospace in place after several investigations into grade changing and loss of all Air Force funding due to a finding of misappropriation. This is the Department of Education that failed to conclude investigations into Anthony Rotunno until the state comptroller found him guilty of misusing $90,000 of school money and then he resigned. This is the Department of Education that retains Iris Blige as principal of Fordham High School for the Arts despite the false charges against Raqnel James and the finding of guilt by the Office of Special Investigations into pre-determining the unsatisfactory ratings of teachers she did not like before she observed their teaching. She was fined a mere $7500 for abusing her authority and left in place. The protection of principals is paramount and appears to be the unwavering policy of the Department of Education. It is again time to fight back against this policy and demand the removal of John Chase.

What’s wrong with Dennis Walcott? 

Sir Ken Robinson - Blowing Up Standardized Testing and Common Core Standards -the Linchpins of Ed Deform

11 minutes of magic.

JOIN WITH THE FIGHT AGAINST HIGH STAKES TESTING 
Wed. JAN. 11 5:30PM

GEM HIGH STAKES TESTING COMMITTEE
I was at a meeting Friday called by Noah Gotbaum to discuss actions we can take to battle school closings and charter co-locations. Many of the stake-holders were in the room, including the UFT and their allies the Coalition for Educational Justice(CEJ) and the Alliance for Educational Quality (AQE), along with groups like CPE, GEM, and other activists, including students from some closing schools - at least 40 or more coming out at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon. (And at least 40-50 came out for the Occupy DOE meeting Sunday afternoon - mostly different from Friday). Pretty impressive and a sign the reaction to ed deform is brewing all over the city and the nation - see Chicago (Activists Turn the Tables at Chicago Closing School Hearing).

Patrick Walsh, a chapter leader from Harlem in a co-located school with Moskowitz' Success Academy which has helped drive him into activism, spoke early in the Friday meeting, pointing high stakes standardized testing as the ultimate culprit that must be defeated. (NOTE: Not that there shouldn't be testing but they shouldn't be the major determiner of student progress, teacher jobs and the life or death of a neighborhood school).

I know this has been around for a while but I was reminded today of this Sir Ken Robinson animate video viewed by over 6 million people in an email from Paul Thomas who I met in Reefton, New Zealand on my recent trip. Paul is a former government official who retired and came to Reefton, which was a dying gold mining town and he has almost single-handedly turned it around by starting a variety of businesses. We got to talking education and he said some wonderful things which I have video of but just no time (am I retired or what?) to work on it. He was impressed by this video and promised to send me the link.

This animate was adapted from a talk given at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert and recipient of the RSA's Benjamin Franklin award. (For more information on Sir Ken's work visit: http://www.sirkenrobinson.com).

Sir Ken Robinson: Changing Education Paradigms 

http://youtu.be/zDZFcDGpL4U

JOIN WITH THE FIGHT AGAINST HIGH STAKES TESTING 
Wed. JAN. 11 5:30PM

GEM HIGH STAKES TESTING COMMITTEE 

There is a lot of activity going on and we've been doing some great work in the past few months. The truth about testing pamphlet is pretty much ready to go to the printer (come Wednesday if you want to provide last edits!) and the new opt-out petition (sign it here!)  is up and running. Woo! We're working on the workshop geared towards parents which should be ready to go soon as well, and we can hopefully start getting into schools and CECs soon. But there is so much work to be done, and neat ideas have been bouncing around. Want to do flash mobs? Build for a city-wide student walk out on a regents testing day in the spring? Lots to discuss and plan. Don't miss Wednesday's meeting at the CUNY graduate center, 5:30 pm in room 5414.

PS... sign the petition! 

See Fred Smith in the Washington Post:

Putting New York’s testing program on trial

By Valerie Strauss

This was written by Fred Smith, a retired New York City Board of Education senior analyst who worked for the city public school system in test research and development. In this post he writes about New York state’s standardized testing program for students. Though his comments are specific to New York, the same types of problems are prevalent in other states as well.


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Activists Turn the Tables at Chicago Closing School Hearing

Below is a great report via Mike Klonsky of how Mayor Rahmbo "hired" 200 people to control a closing school hearing. But they turned around and began to support the 200 activists opposing the closing of the school.

Report from hearing on the closing of Crane High School

Hearing on Chicago school closing. (M. Ritter)

Unreal event tonight.

Donald Fraynd was the MC and Jesse Ruiz of the Board was present. Around 200 rental protesters were bused in [by the mayor's people]. They didn't know why they were there but all said they got paid. Around 200 Crane supporters: community allies, students, alums, staff, etc. 

Crane Coalition prepared a Power Point presentation -- but were told we could not present it... so after the initial Board presentation 10-15 Crane presenters engaged in civil disobedience and stood at the mike, made a statement about presenting the power point and stood silent. This was extremely effective as our crew and even the rental protesters began to shout together: Show the power point!!! This went speaker after speaker for 20-30 minutes. Jesse Ruiz and CPS didn't know what to do. Finally they relented and let us show our stuff that refuted tons of CPS data. The place erupted as we began to win the hearts and minds of the bused in folks. CPS looked confused and worried.

It gets better: At that point the public officials walk in together. Sen. Annazette Collins, Alderman Burnett, Congressman Davis, Fmr Alderman Ed Smith, and Alderman Fioretti (wearing a Crane Varsity Letterman's Jacket - the place goes nuts for this). They speak one by one stating their position supporting Crane staying open and opposed to phase out!

They tell CPS - listen to the people. Congressman Davis was more on the neutral side but he said his job was to listen to the people and he said the people were demanding Crane to stay open. The bussed in people are either silent or on our side. A good number of current and former students, parents and community reps speak.

After that person after person tell CPS - "Don't phase out Crane." 8 p.m.comes and CPS high tails it outta there. Round 1 victory.

Martin (Marty) L. Ritter

That is why we need increasing bodies of people to create a force of opposition (I'm about to head over to 60 Wall St. for the Occupy DOE meeting at 2PM). ODOE is one of our hopes here in NYC because unlike Chicago, we have to do it with tenuous and hesitant support from the UFT leadership, which will dip its toe in the water -- get buses, etc.- but put in little political capital and boots on the ground.

Note this comment I cut from an email -

The militancy this year is at a much higher level and there is a powerful partnership between the Chicago Teachers Union and parent groups not seen elsewhere in the US (or in Chicago). ---anonymous report from Chicago

The action in Chicago after 16 years of ed deform/mayoral control has excited people here in NYC. Could it happen here? Maybe. But the crucial difference between Chicago and here is the approach of the teachers union. Chicago has a reform/progressive/social justice oriented recently elected group (CORE) running the union. In NYC we have a 50 year-old one party (Unity Caucus) dominated union which controls every single seat on the UFT Executive Board and has the power to pack every Delegate Assembly to control the vote - and will do so again at the Jan. 18 DA to push through a constitutional amendment that will increase the power of retirees to control the fate of the union.

Think: could we see a day where the UFT/Unity leadership would support an occupation of Bloomberg's office? (Chicago Parents Hold Day 2 of Sit-in at Mayor Emanuel's Office)

So for those hoping for a Chicago hope, I say "Nope" - not until there is a significant movement for democratization and change in the UFT.

Substance reports:

We Are The People Who Will Save Our Schools is a new YouTube video produced by Labor Beat. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFAOJsBxAxY 

This video begins with Professor of Education Pauline Lipman (University of Illinois-Chicago) briefly recapping the plans hatched a decade ago in Chicago to replace public schools with private charter schools. Then Chicago Public Schools head Arne Duncan implemented those plans (Renaissance 2010) so obediently that President Obama picked him to do the same thing to every school system in the country.


So Chicago's growing uprising against these deepening attacks against public education has national importance. Here is a battalion of voices from the communities and the teachers union, all exposing the constantly changing, Kafkaesque rules for evaluating school turn-arounds and closings. The counter-attack from the working people in the city is energized and spreading, and is on a collision course with the 1% who want to take away their children's futures. Includes comments from Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis, teachers and parents from targeted school communities. Length - 24:40.

Check out this article by one of my Chicago pals who is working for the union:
Where is the debate? Kenzo Shibata challenges corporate schools reformers on Huffington Post

A more general report on Chicago from an email:

Chicago education struggles are back in the news -- on a higher level. CPS proposes to close or hand over to a corporate turnaround group 19 neighborhood schools in African American and Latino communities. The struggle against school closings this year is more fierce and more political and is invoking the spirit of the civil rights movement. At this moment parents and teachers and community members from the Bronzeville area are in their 3rd day of a sit-in/occupation at the mayor's office.

In Dec. teachers, members of the CTU, parents, and supporters including occupy Chicago slept out in front of the school bd all nite (it was raining and cold) and then packed the school bd meeting, took it over with a mic check, and shut down the meeting. Videos of that meeting went viral nationally. See below.

This is a big story because Chicago is the model for Duncan's national agenda of closing neighborhood schools and opening charters or turning neighborhood schools over to private operator "turn-around specialists." The militancy this year is at a much higher level and there is a powerful partnership between the Chicago Teachers Union and parent groups not seen elsewhere in the US (or in Chicago).

The most organized group is the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization which has brought a real civil rights flavor to this movement. they are leading the occupation at the mayor's office. Their community has born the effects of school closings and disinvestment since 2004. They developed a plan with teachers and parents and academic experts over the last 18 months to transform their schools. Instead of considering this plan, CPS announced that they would close 3 of the schools. KOCO has requested multiple meetings with the mayor to discuss their plan but has been totally ignored.

I also want to remind you that the mayor appoints Chicago's BD of Ed which is dominated by corporate CEOs and finance capitalists (the President was the CEO of the Chicago BD of Trade) -- summary of BD attached.

Below are links to video's and media accounts to give you a sense of what is happening. There is going to be a showdown around this and I hope DM can cover it. It will make a difference not only in Chicago but to the education movement nationally.

labor beat  24 minute video Shut Down at Board Meeting Dec. 14
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAiDwPf7G8E

Dec. 13 Save our Schools Rally
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbRKZk-yYw0&feature=youtu.be

Mic check shuts down School Bd. Mtg Dec. 14
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoIsdXkVzVg

Stop the Hit list!  Teach in at King HS, Dec. 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPyiW-XQfQc

Checkout good print media, and there is much TV footage on the web:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/9440216-418/protesters-take-over-chicago-school-board-meeting.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-crowds-gather-to-protest-cps-school-closures-and-turnaround-projects-20111214,0,10496.story

Protesters disrupt Chicago Board of Education meeting
http://www.wbez.org/story/protesters-disrupt-chicago-board-education-meeting-94896

For more info: contact Jitu Brown or Jay Travis at the Kenwood Oakland
Community Organization  jitubrown@yahoo.com  jhatayn@yahoo.com
 

And  one more from NYC based activist/videomaker Jaisal Noor on a piece he did for Democracy Now in Chicago in the fall 2010 http://www.democracynow.org/2010/10/21/chicago_parents_occupy_elementary_school_building
 
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Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on the right for important bits.