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Tuesday, September 3, 2013
MORE Weekly Update #65, Sept. 2, 2013
Bill di Blasio Blasts Co-Locations! Challenges Quinn Record on Support of Bloomberg Ed Policies
My fact: Would Bill Thompson make such a strong statement? Watch he and Quinn jump all over de Blasio at tonight's debate.
- FACT: Speaker Quinn Said Bloomberg's Schools Chancellor Joel Klein Did a "Terrific Job"
- FACT: Key Bloomberg Education Backer Said That Schools Will Probably Still Close if Quinn Became Mayor and That "The Policy Itself May Be Not All That Different [From Bloomberg's]"
- FACT: Speaker Quinn Refuses to Support a Moratorium on School Closures.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 3, 2013
CONTACT: DAN LEVITAN dan@berlinrosen.com, (
CONTACT: DAN LEVITAN dan@berlinrosen.com, (
DE BLASIO BLASTS NEW BLOOMBERG SCHOOL CO-LOCATION PLANS, DEMANDS SPEAKER QUINN SUPPORT A MORATORIUM
Half of New DoE School Co-Location Plans Would Put Schools over 100% Capacity
Speaker Quinn Once Again Sides with Bloomberg by Refusing to Support a Moratorium
De Blasio Renews Call for Moratorium on School Closures until a New Process is in Place
Brooklyn, NY – Public
Advocate and Democratic candidate for mayor Bill de Blasio today
criticized Mayor Bloomberg’s eleventh-hour efforts to push through
deeply divisive school co-location plans, and blasted Bloomberg’s chief
ally Speaker Quinn for refusing to call for a moratorium on school
co-locations and closures – effectively acquiescing to these
eleventh-hour changes.
“If
Mayor Bloomberg has his way while his closest political partner Speaker
Quinn stays silent, nearly half of the proposed co-location plans will
put schools over 100% capacity. This means larger class sizes for our
students,” said de Blasio. “Bloomberg’s proposals are a cynical effort
to lock communities into permanent changes while ignoring community
voices, and Speaker Quinn’s refusal to support a moratorium is letting
Bloomberg have his way.”
Bill
de Blasio is calling for an immediate halt to co-location and closure
plans for the remainder of Bloomberg’s term and until a new process can
be put in place. Despite years of community opposition and multiple
efforts at reforming this deeply broken process, the thirty recently
released Educational Impact Statements – the plans that outline
significant changes in school utilization – unfortunately represent
“business as usual” for Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn. Of the
proposals released, nearly half will place school buildings over
100% capacity. In two proposals, when the school is fully phased-in,
the buildings will be close to 135% capacity.
This
is just the latest example of Speaker Quinn refusing to challenge Mayor
Bloomberg, and routinely defending the Bloomberg status quo. When
schools faced unfair co-locations and closures due to Department of
Education’s lack of community engagement - such as the proposed closure
of P.S. 114 in Brooklyn - Speaker Quinn stood on the sidelines. When
parents and communities sought real involvement when schools faced
disastrous co-locations, particularly during the Brandeis Educational
Complex co-location, she was silent. De Blasio, in contrast, led the
charge in fighting these wrong-headed policies. And Speaker Quinn
praised Joel Klein as schools chancellor.
“The
next administration deserves the opportunity to shape the future of the
educational system in New York City, not be saddled with another
Bloomberg plan offered in the twilight of his term that will last long
after he is gone,” said de Blasio. “Speaker Quinn seems content to
stand by and let that happen. These thirty "schools – nearly half of which will be left overcrowded – deserve better."
As
Mayor, de Blasio will create real reforms in the co-location process
and elevate the voices of parents. He will create a class size reduction
plan – not push through plans that contribute to overcapacity. De
Blasio will also expand successful parent engagement models and ensure
that district superintendent offices are proactively empowering
communities with information about their schools. As Mayor, de Blasio
will improve Mayoral Control and expand the role of Community Education
Councils in decisions relating to co-locations, ensuring greater
community influence. He will make sure all of our schools have great
leaders, open 100 community schools over the next four years, and
provide universal pre-kindergarten and expanded after school programs by
asking the wealthy to pay a little more in taxes.
FACT: Speaker Quinn Refuses to Support a Moratorium on School Closures. City
Council Speaker Christine Quinn refused to attend a press conference
with public school parents calling for an immediate moratorium on school
closings. Quinn said, "I do not support a moratorium [on school
closures]". [NY Post, 1/24/2013; New Yorkers for Great Public Schools, "Quinn Along Among Democrats in Not Supporting Moratorium", 1/31/2013]
FACT:
Key Bloomberg Education Backer Said That Schools Will Probably Still
Close if Quinn Became Mayor and That "The Policy Itself May Be Not All
That Different [From Bloomberg's]". In
a Jan 2013 Wall Street Journal story, Joe Williams, executive director
of Democrats for Education Reform, praised Quinn's approach on school
closings. The story states, "Williams said schools will probably still
close if Quinn ends up leading the city" and that "the policy itself may
be not all that different" from Mayor Bloomberg's proposals. [Wall
Street Journal, "In Speech, Quinn Spells Out Education Platform", 1/15/2013]
FACT: Speaker Quinn Said Bloomberg's Schools Chancellor Joel Klein Did a "Terrific Job". According
to the New York Times, "She [Quinn] praised the mayor’s selection of
Ms. Black’s predecessor, Joel I. Klein, a former federal prosecutor,
saying he had done a 'terrific job.'” [NY Times, "As Candidates Vow to Hire Educator as Chancellor, Quinn Keeps Options Open", 5/8/2013]
Monday, September 2, 2013
NEW MORE VIDEO: MORE Teaching, Less Testing!
I am wowed by this film by the MORE Media committee.
Posted at:
http://morecaucusnyc.org/2013/09/02/more-teaching-less-testing/
Sign the petition here: MORE Petition for Moratorium on NYC Teacher Evaluation System « Movement of Rank and File Educators
Posted at:
http://morecaucusnyc.org/2013/09/02/more-teaching-less-testing/
Sign the petition here: MORE Petition for Moratorium on NYC Teacher Evaluation System « Movement of Rank and File Educators
MORE Petition for Moratorium on NYC Teacher Evaluation System
There was some discussion over this petition on MORE listserves but some of the details are too dense for me to understand it all. Some thought the call for a moratorium was not strong enough when what is needed is total opposition. Others feel that given we are stuck with it this is the next best thing to call for.
A few don't feel as threatened by the new system. See the comment on the MORE blog below the petition by Dave who feels the new eval system actually offers more protection than the old, which is the UFT's position. My sense it that is wrong but I am not immersed enough to provide an answer.
CLICK THE LINK TO SIGN:
A few don't feel as threatened by the new system. See the comment on the MORE blog below the petition by Dave who feels the new eval system actually offers more protection than the old, which is the UFT's position. My sense it that is wrong but I am not immersed enough to provide an answer.
CLICK THE LINK TO SIGN:
Moratorium on Teacher Evaluations
We, the educators, parents and community members of New York City, call on State Education Commissioner King, the new Mayor of New York City, and the UFT leadership to implement a MORATORIUM ON THE NEW YORK CITY TEACHER EVALUATION SYSTEM.
This system disproportionately weights the use of high stakes test scores over qualitative assessments to determine the quality of teacher performance. Assessment is important, but using test scores to evaluate teachers narrows curriculum, places emphasis on test prep, and creates a climate of competition and fear that hurts students. The Value Added Measures (VAM) which will be used in the New York City system have been proven inaccurate, ineffective and unreliable, and therefore should never be used to make decisions about teacher performance.* Implementation of this system by the DOE has been so badly planned that it sets teachers and administrators up for failure and puts our children at risk.
*Board on Testing and Assessment. 2009. “Letter Report to the U.S. Department of Education on the Race to the Top Fund,” The National Academies. http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12780&page=1
Dave September 2, 2013 at 6:04 pm
After reading this Post I have many questions. As a NYC teacher under the old evaluation system, how is the old system any better then the Evaluation system we are looking at? I teach at a school where many of my colleagues teach without ever being observed, yet our Principal gave half of the staff a U, after only observing some of them once. One teacher got a U because they didnt post the HW on the Board. It seems to me with the new Evaluation System Principals will have to be held more accountable, if not please explain to me how they wouldn’t be more accountable under this new system. As for the State exams, isn’t it based on the growth of Student Learning not the grade? I know many teachers who teach elementary school who suffered greatly when their students did not pass state exams. If the Evaluation is based on growth aren’t teachers then evaluated on the skills their students are learning not the actual grade the student receives? I would think as a teacher all students grow through the year. Doesn’t that mean instead of basing acheivement on a grade, the achievement is based on the amount those students learned? I have no issue being evaluated but I want to be evaluated fairly. I actually feel better about this because my Principal has to visit my classroom. From what I have been told they are required to give me feedback and support, and the rubric they observe me under is open ended, this is what I was told. If I’m wrong please explain how the old system was better then this one.
Thanks
On the Democracy Prep Plantation: When Zero Tolerance Becomes Psychological Warfare
UPDATED:
Gary Rubinstein pointed out just how bad the Democracy Prep (relative to public schools despite their significant advantages) test scores were in this post: Petrilli’s Desperate Attempt To Save Democracy Prep’s Reputation. Now, as Gary says, I don't view school success and failure based on test scores. But if charters are going to make big claims based on the scores, then die by the sword. Especially when they set up a regressive "zero tolerance" situation (when there are so many progressive means of discipline, like restorative justice.
[Our buddies at Teachers Unite have done an excellent film called "Growing Fairness" -- I attended the premiere the other night and will write a review soon. -- but see the trailer. ]
One of the most riveting parts of our film response to Waiting for Superman was the testimony of former charter school parents.
Here are the links -- make sure to have some tissues handy.
And even with these policies they still had horrible test scores. Eva is smarter at extracting high scores I guess. Has anyone checked to see if kids at Success
Academy schools still have their fingernails?
Posted at: http://www.blackstarnews.com/
Ahhh, that ole' plantation mentality at Democracy Prep. Message to Seth Andrews: Don't tick off a parent who is a professional journalist.
- all the teachers at this charter school are white and from out of state. The school's administrators did manage to get two coaches that are African-American from the New York City area. They are the two in charge of the detention room. Is there something wrong with that picture?.....
- his teachers were directed to video tape him in every classroom. One of the teachers according to him followed him with a camera into the lunch room when he went to pick up his lunch, followed him up the stairs into the hallway and continued videotaping him while he was eating lunch.....
- It's time to examine the police state structure of some of the charter schools model in the minority community in New York... Former Democracy Prep mother
Gary Rubinstein pointed out just how bad the Democracy Prep (relative to public schools despite their significant advantages) test scores were in this post: Petrilli’s Desperate Attempt To Save Democracy Prep’s Reputation. Now, as Gary says, I don't view school success and failure based on test scores. But if charters are going to make big claims based on the scores, then die by the sword. Especially when they set up a regressive "zero tolerance" situation (when there are so many progressive means of discipline, like restorative justice.
[Our buddies at Teachers Unite have done an excellent film called "Growing Fairness" -- I attended the premiere the other night and will write a review soon. -- but see the trailer. ]
One of the most riveting parts of our film response to Waiting for Superman was the testimony of former charter school parents.
Here are the links -- make sure to have some tissues handy.
- https://vimeo.com/30227766
- https://vimeo.com/30238788
- https://vimeo.com/30266020
- https://vimeo.com/30357874
 | |
| Extracting high test scores at Success |
Academy schools still have their fingernails?
Posted at: http://www.blackstarnews.com/
When Zero Tolerance Becomes Psychological War Fare: Democracy Prep Charter Middle School
By Bukola Shonuga
Finally, in the last hour and all my tolerance threshold and mental power exhausted I had no choice but to remove my 12 year old son from Democracy Prep Charter Middle School in Harlem - two weeks before graduation from 6th grade. After months of mental torture of my son by overzealous teachers, endless meetings, tons of emails and paperwork that's turned me into a social worker/mom/psychologist, I realized that it has become unhealthy and unsafe to keep my son at Democracy Prep.
The latest episode of the daily psychological abuse of my son occurred on June 6, 2013 when I placed one of my routine calls to the school to check in on him. I was informed that he has been suspended and that his suspension papers were being processed when my call came in.
It's time to examine the police state structure of some of the charter schools model in the minority community in New York.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Real Politics: Will They Turn de Blasio into Mark Green and make Lhota King?
If De Blasio wins the runoff and then the nomination, there will be an attempt to "Mark Green" him. But I don't think they will be able to do that easily.
Most interesting would be a run-off with Thompson -- watch the unions battle that one out. But all along some of us have watched the machinations -- ie, Tisch and D'Amato for Thompson - as part of the campaign to get their real guy in -- Lhota -- in an attempt to repeat 2001.
Let's review the 2001 mayoral race that brought Bloomberg to power. Hevesi, the crook, was enthusiastically endorsed by the UFT in August -- I was at that Ex Bd meeting where Randi introduced him with such glowing words. The UFT would not go near Ferrar or Green. So when they made the runoff, the UFT held its nose and endorsed Ferrar. Ooops. Two-time losers. So when Green won the runoff they again held their noses and very reluctantly endorsed Green. Voila: Bloomberg. UFT- 3 time losers, never to go near a mayoral endorsement again until this time.
(Sidenote: I was at an Ex Bd meeting I think back in May or June, 2001 when Randi started to giggle as she said: Bloomberg wants to stop by and will be here in 10 minutes -- her attitude was so smug. So Bloomberg does show and makes his pitch and everyone is polite. I made sure to give him ed notes on his way out. I really had little idea who he was. I would never suggest the UFT should have endorsed him or sat out the mayoral race.)
So just how much did the UFT leadership's poor political judgement lead to 12 years of hell for educators? I leave you to judge. And how desperate are they now to not be proven wrong once again with their Thompson endorsement? How deaf are they to the outrage of the Tisch connection or the D'Amato support or the growing Thompson scandals?
A perfect example: Randi's attack on de Blasio for his pre-k plan where she disparaged his funding plans as being unrealistic instead of saying: we think your plan is unrealistic but we are on board to make it happen in any way we can. How embarassing that Randi endorsed Thompson BEFORE the Delegate Assembly? And Thompson's waiting in the wings? And the phony explanation? I'm betting that an enormous number of teachers are ignoring the UFT pleas.
Let's examine the current state of the mayoral race as the dynamic changes every day.
A few weeks ago it looked like a Weiner/Quinn runoff. Then it looked like Quinn/Thompson for a brief time. Then came the de Blasio surge, leaving Quinn and Thompson to battle for the last run-off position. Imagine if Thompson doesn't make the run-off. Where does the UFT go? Quinn or de Blasio?
I predict they sit round 2 out and just endorse whoever wins the Dem nom. If Lhota wins (never say never) then the UFT can claim they were only 2 time losers instead of 3.
------
Afterburn
I don't trust de Blasio - any more than the others. I would bet a substantial sum that he forgets all about the charters paying rent or many of the other parts of his programs. Watch one day Howard Wolfson stand by his side with Bloomberg's support and praise Bill's "willing to listen to reason." And if he wins and runs for re-election in '17, see who will support him. And watch who he appoints to the PEP and as chancellor. Should be fun.
While I would vote for Sal or Liu-- and still may just to make a statement to the winner that there is support for a more liberal agenda.
RBE has not let up on the reporting, so check all the posts out.
Here are some links:
Yesterday the Times put a front page story out that essentially said Bill Thompson is a crook.
They've done "expose" stories on Quinn, Weiner, and now Thompson, so I figured the de Blasio "expose" was coming soon.
Tonight they're out with it, and if this is all they've got on him, it's not much.
Dunno why the NY Post and NY Daily News editorial boards are upset at the prospect of a de Blasio mayorality.
As Dana Rubenstein shows in an extensive post at Politicker, de Blasio was very happy to cut deals on the Atlantic Yards mess, the Gowanus Canal sell-out to Toll Brothers, and a Fourth Avenue rezoning for taller buildings that the Bloomberg administration wanted.
Most interesting would be a run-off with Thompson -- watch the unions battle that one out. But all along some of us have watched the machinations -- ie, Tisch and D'Amato for Thompson - as part of the campaign to get their real guy in -- Lhota -- in an attempt to repeat 2001.
Let's review the 2001 mayoral race that brought Bloomberg to power. Hevesi, the crook, was enthusiastically endorsed by the UFT in August -- I was at that Ex Bd meeting where Randi introduced him with such glowing words. The UFT would not go near Ferrar or Green. So when they made the runoff, the UFT held its nose and endorsed Ferrar. Ooops. Two-time losers. So when Green won the runoff they again held their noses and very reluctantly endorsed Green. Voila: Bloomberg. UFT- 3 time losers, never to go near a mayoral endorsement again until this time.
(Sidenote: I was at an Ex Bd meeting I think back in May or June, 2001 when Randi started to giggle as she said: Bloomberg wants to stop by and will be here in 10 minutes -- her attitude was so smug. So Bloomberg does show and makes his pitch and everyone is polite. I made sure to give him ed notes on his way out. I really had little idea who he was. I would never suggest the UFT should have endorsed him or sat out the mayoral race.)
So just how much did the UFT leadership's poor political judgement lead to 12 years of hell for educators? I leave you to judge. And how desperate are they now to not be proven wrong once again with their Thompson endorsement? How deaf are they to the outrage of the Tisch connection or the D'Amato support or the growing Thompson scandals?
A perfect example: Randi's attack on de Blasio for his pre-k plan where she disparaged his funding plans as being unrealistic instead of saying: we think your plan is unrealistic but we are on board to make it happen in any way we can. How embarassing that Randi endorsed Thompson BEFORE the Delegate Assembly? And Thompson's waiting in the wings? And the phony explanation? I'm betting that an enormous number of teachers are ignoring the UFT pleas.
Let's examine the current state of the mayoral race as the dynamic changes every day.
A few weeks ago it looked like a Weiner/Quinn runoff. Then it looked like Quinn/Thompson for a brief time. Then came the de Blasio surge, leaving Quinn and Thompson to battle for the last run-off position. Imagine if Thompson doesn't make the run-off. Where does the UFT go? Quinn or de Blasio?
I predict they sit round 2 out and just endorse whoever wins the Dem nom. If Lhota wins (never say never) then the UFT can claim they were only 2 time losers instead of 3.
------
Afterburn
I don't trust de Blasio - any more than the others. I would bet a substantial sum that he forgets all about the charters paying rent or many of the other parts of his programs. Watch one day Howard Wolfson stand by his side with Bloomberg's support and praise Bill's "willing to listen to reason." And if he wins and runs for re-election in '17, see who will support him. And watch who he appoints to the PEP and as chancellor. Should be fun.
While I would vote for Sal or Liu-- and still may just to make a statement to the winner that there is support for a more liberal agenda.
RBE has not let up on the reporting, so check all the posts out.
Here are some links:
NY Times Follows Thompson Story Up With De Blasio Story
They've done "expose" stories on Quinn, Weiner, and now Thompson, so I figured the de Blasio "expose" was coming soon.
Tonight they're out with it, and if this is all they've got on him, it's not much.
De Blasio's Cozy Relationship With The Real Estate Industry
As Dana Rubenstein shows in an extensive post at Politicker, de Blasio was very happy to cut deals on the Atlantic Yards mess, the Gowanus Canal sell-out to Toll Brothers, and a Fourth Avenue rezoning for taller buildings that the Bloomberg administration wanted.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
EdNotesOnline Blog 7th Anniversary: Reflections on 15 Years of Ed Notes
 |
| The real reason I got to meetings: rice pudding |
I was inspired by 3 blogs:
- NYC Educator who began in spring of 2005 but gained a big audience with his opposition to the fall 2005 contract.
- Jeff Kaufman starting the ICE blog during that contract fight.
- Ms. Frizzle who I met at a robotics event and began to follow her blog when she wrote about the event.
With Diane Ravitch posting every 10 minutes on the very same issues I used to write about there is no longer that need to get up early to post about things. I go to Perdido or NYC Educator or all the other great blogs on the blog roll. In fact I spend so much time reading them I forget to blog myself. Increasingly, I think it is not as important for me to say my puny 2 cents but to collate what all the others are saying in a way to reinforces their points
And then there is all the organizing work I feel takes priority. I just do not want to be a keyboard warrior -- using blogs and social networks without trying to put real people in real places together to build real organizations at the local level. Thus the migration from ICE to GEM (a sort of bridge org - in retrospect) to MORE, the first org I've been with that has been able to develop some structure with the potential to scale up. (Very early stages, of course.) In fact there are so many young(er) MOREistas that my work is no longer necessary - I don't feel guilty about not doing anything and have been able to restrict what I do to a few areas like the upcoming MORE newsletter modeled somewhat on Ed Notes (3 or 4 times a year - and I hope you will sign up to distribute in your school).
The first ednotesonline blog post was this:
All these guys are gone (Buffy on the left at the end of 2003, the girls on the right in 2011 and 2009) replaced recently by these gals in 2011 and 2012 who sort of just popped up - like an unplanned pregnancy.
 |
| Penny left, 1 yr old, Bernie rt, 2 yrs old |
Really, I expected to be living in Paris by this time. Now I'm stuck with a young set of cats that will outlive me. We could always take them with us to Paris. Parlez Vous, Pousse?
My second Aug. 2006 post was this: Ednotes Online - August 31, 2006 which focused attention on ICE.
By the time I began this blog almost 8 years after starting Ed Notes, I was focused on helping build the Independent Community of Educators (ICE) the caucus that Ed Notes helped spawn. But by the 2007 UFT elections it seemed clear that ICE was not going through the kind of growth I had hoped for - in fact it was shrinking -- and I began to refocus.
ADDED: When Angel Gonzalez came to ICE in 2008 he pointed out many of the organizational flaws, which led to the more activist GEM, which is how we met Julie and a bunch of other people who would never have come to ICE.
This blog was an extension of the hard copy of Ed Notes which began in 1998. I lost a whole lot of them due to Sandy but am in the process of trying to get them all online so there is a complete record for anyone to use my rantings for a book or article about the history of ed deform or the history of the UFT since Randi -- her takeover corresponds with the birth of Ed Notes -- and in some ways she helped inspire it -- she seemed to offer in her early years a reform message and Ed Notes was an attempt to influence those reforms -- which never came.
We have been fighting a 3 front war: ed deform nationally, the NYCDOE, and the UFT/Unity Caucus leadership.
We are proud to have been one of the first in NYC to warn against ed deform as far back as 2001 due to our George Schmidt connection in Chicago. Thus my warning headline in Sept. 2002: COMING SOON TO A SCHOOL NEAR YOU: MAYORAL CONTROL.
The DOE since Bloomberg has been the local/devil's incarnation of ed deform.
The UFT leadership has been a longer term battle -- since I became an activist in 1971. I was active 'till the early 80s then spend over a decade working on my house and getting an MA in computer science, teaching as an adjunct at Brooklyn College, etc.
When I became chapter leader in 1994 that pulled me back into union work. But I was no longer viewing the leadership as the enemy. My main focus was on my principal so I wasn't paying much attention beyond that. Though I opposed that first 1995 contract -- Randi's first disaster -- I did not take part in the bigger battle to defeat it -- led by people like Bruce Markens -- remarkable in that he was the elected Manhattan HS District Rep -- and to their credit, New Action, which actually functioned like an opposition should at that point -- though never really able or willing to go deep into the grass roots. It was only when I took a sabbatical during the 1997-98 school year that I began to look at central UFT policy more closely.
Randi took over at that time and she was insecure, so she reached out to Ed Notes -- in fact embraced it in some ways -- soon I was receiving offers to join Unity Caucus. For at least 3 years I actually supported her. Given the poor state of the opposition -- even pre-sellout I thought New Action a poor organization with little hope of making much of an impact. So in those early years I aimed to use Ed Notes to lobby Randi to reform the union -- and she managed to play me very well - which I why I am an expert on Randi duplicity -- a Randiologist.
It was only in the spring of 2001 that things began to get clearer that Randi was not only not a reformer, but a dangerous force who began to restrict democracy even further than Shanker and Feldman had done, using her style to fool people into submission.
After the UFT elections in March 2001 I attempted to use Ed Notes to get all opposition people together but that fell apart. So, reluctantly, through the 2001-2002 school year, I began to think about what it would rake to build a new opposition. One thing was clear: I would have to retire in order to make that effort. Thus in July 1, 2002 I retired and immediately set out to expand Ed Notes from a delegate assembly newsletter to a citywide tabloid with 10-20,000 copies in circulation. That led to meeting enough people through the 2002-03 school year to form ICE in the fall of 2003 which led to GEM which led to MORE.
For me the 11 years of retirement have been very fruitful personally, mainly because of the amazing people I've met and worked with.
And I meet new people every day. Yesterday afternoon I went to a Change the Stakes action meeting. A 17 year old student at a NYC HS had attended the meeting we had on Tuesday (see rice pudding photo above -- and YES I had another one yesterday) and came back again as she wants to help organize students to oppose high stakes testing. What a powerhouse this little slip of a girl, whose family comes from Southern Asia, is. I felt such a connection to this kid who is 51 years younger than me. As we walked to the subway she told me her story and I told her mine. I walked down the stairs feeling I had made a friend. How amazing that I could meet and connect with someone like her.
So that is one reason why I keep doing this.
But also because we are turning the tide.
Fred Smith recently wrote:
Call the "reformers" profiteers, one-percenters, privatizers, corporatists, powers-that-be, smart-money guys--call them realists. And call us parents, teachers, dreamers, organizers--yes, call us idealists. But don't call us losers. Because in the end we're going to win.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Why Scott Stringer? Patrick Sullivan on the PEP and Beat Evil Eva Mosowitz
It was not small feat for Scott Stringer to give us the gift of Patrick Sullivan on the PEP, the lone consistent voice of the people over the years challenging the Tweedies time and again, at times on the verge of a fist fight, at times coming down off the stage to join the audience during certain disruptions. Now I know people say, "So what? Bloomberg doesn't really care about one or two voices in opposition. So Stringer could gain some political capital (with yahoos like you) while costing him nothing.
Well, it's enough for me to vote for him even if he won't get the sex worker vote (I've been told I am not being PC when using the term "prostitute" -- ooops!.
In addition, Stringer beat the evil one in the Man B Pres election in 2005. Now you may say he did her a favor as she has gone on to charter school heaven, heading for a 100 schools one day. I'll bet that never happens as the bubble will not only bust due to the anti ed deform crowd, but the charter school crew itself is often outraged at her --- and guess where these 100 schools will be going? In direct competition with the current charters. Let's see them start talking about choice when there are no public schools to kick around and the choice is only between them.
Well, it's enough for me to vote for him even if he won't get the sex worker vote (I've been told I am not being PC when using the term "prostitute" -- ooops!.
In addition, Stringer beat the evil one in the Man B Pres election in 2005. Now you may say he did her a favor as she has gone on to charter school heaven, heading for a 100 schools one day. I'll bet that never happens as the bubble will not only bust due to the anti ed deform crowd, but the charter school crew itself is often outraged at her --- and guess where these 100 schools will be going? In direct competition with the current charters. Let's see them start talking about choice when there are no public schools to kick around and the choice is only between them.
WHY De Blasio? Make Evil Eva Moskowitz Pay the Damn Rent
That's enough for me to vote for him. Do I actually think de Blasio will deliver on his promise to make charters pay rent? Slim to none. I don't see the charter lobby sweating much over his rise in the polls. I wonder if some secret message with a wink has been sent. Fact is I don't trust any politician and I think we will be sold out. But I still don't necessarily see him winning over Lhota. Just wait - after a runoff what will happen. And interesting if it's Quinn and Bill what does the UFT do, especially given Randi's attack on De Blasio over the pre-k funding plan.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Urban Ed Blog Takes Shot at Peter Cunningham
....people on the other side will respond with public jeers and snickers and will invoke the children in order to marginalize these very real concerns and discredit the people who express them. This is how their kind always responds to criticism and dissent. ... Urban EdOur pal at Urban Education exposes Peter Cunningham, who used to work for Arne Duncan, after he went after Diane Ravitch's new book we are all so excited about. (I'm going to every Ravitch event here in NYC -- in fact I would pay her to carry her bags as she goes around the nation promoting the book. (Hmmm, what a great documentary that would make as she interacts with anti-deformers around the nation?))
Here are excerpts:
Read it all: http://nycurbaned.blogspot.Ed Reform Gone Wrong: How Teachers Are Required to Engage in Unethical Conduct
I was just recently reminded of this trait (of discredit critical professionals) when I read this piece by Peter Cunningham, former media relations assistant to USDOE Secretary Arne Duncan. He went to great lengths to discredit Diane Ravitch, who works harder than anyone else in the country to responsibly criticize the Ed. Reform movement under the Obama administration. Apparently, Mr. Cunningham, who is now a privately paid consultant for the very same US Department of Education he once worked for (see his Linkedin profile here) wasn't happy that Dr. Ravitch is about to release a new book which squarely takes aim at the reform movement itself, including the need to spend so many oodles of public money on private consultants (like him). Views expressed in the book, if well received, might possibly change public opinion and threaten to bring policy changes that may effect the bottom line of his very own company; Cunningham Associates.
While it would be unfair for me to opine that Mr. Cunningham's true stake in this discussion is to advance his own personal profit, it should be pointed out that it was unfair for him to leave the bio "Former Assistant Secretary for Communications and Outreach, U.S. Department of Education" under his byline as he entered this discussion of "Ravitch vs. the Reform Movement". I say this because he left out the fact that he is now a paid consultant. Cunningham Associates is nowhere in his byline. But that's what they do: They level hard and harsh critiques on dissenters without making clear what their stake really is, where they're coming from or how they might personally -financially- benefit from continuing the current policies. This is why I cringe whenever anyone says the profession of teaching has changed for the worse without attempting to offer any proof. Profit making reformers like Mr. Cunningham will take to the public airwaves and simply slay us (smote, I believe, may be a better term) with snickers and jeers and a good dose of discredit.
I left this comment:
Excellent points. All that lamenting and hand wringing sometimes irks me too. No matter how much that goes on -- and it does have some impact in turning the discussion -- the only true solution is to organize and activate people to take action. For me that has always started with the one institution that if turned around would be a key player in the fightback - maybe THE key player -- is the union. Imagine if the UFT had fought a full frontal war against ed deform. It might be bloodied but the teachers in this city would be much more prepared to engage in this political war. Instead we have people angry, disillusioned and weaponless. And that takes me to why I have put my flagging energy into building MORE even with some of the problems we have seen crop up -- the only game in this town for teachers. A MORE chapter in every school will do MORE to change things than anything I can think of.I'm leaving these comments on all the blogs. We can't only be keyboard warriors. So few people read the blogs relative to what I view as the target audience --- UFT members which is the group I hope to organize into an effective force. In fact I know that most of the activists in MORE do not read the blogs which I believe is a mistake since they miss so much of what they need to really do the organizing work necessary -- knowledge is power.
But I see every day as the infrastructure of MORE grows and starts accomplishing things just how important that aspect is. You need active bodies to do all that work -- just our little 5 person newsletter committee has put in a lot of work getting it ready -- intense work at times. One little aspect of the overall work. Look at the job Julie did on the evaluation -- she has worked with others to hammer out a lot of points -- MORE has an eval committee and a contract committee -- each group is in many ways semi-autonomous so it can work under its own rules. Actually, these points are fodder for a separate post. So signing off for now.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Fred Smith in DN: One sad measure of Dr. King’s dream
King would not have accepted test scores that only confirm the profound inequities that plague poor kids. Nor would he have blamed teachers for the problem. Rather, he would have let his voice ring out about the need for sound education designed to prepare students to lead fulfilling lives and provide a means for overcoming economic injustices. ... Fred SmithWhat a day. We got 2 of our published pals for the price of one. First MORE's Julie Cavanagh on the MORE blog (The Noose or The Sword: Choosing Your Evaluation) and Change the Stakes' Fred Smith.
New York State schools named after the civil rights leader have a dismal record of raising achievement
The poor scores of schools with Martin Luther King’s name is a sad legacy.
How do you measure a dream? Today marks the golden anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King’s visionary speech.
There are many metrics of the current status of African-American young people: school segregation, test scores, graduation rates, college attendance, income levels. The results are mixed.
I looked at a different indicator, one that’s admittedly unscientific but potentially revealing.
Nine New York State public schools that educate third- through eighth-graders honor King by carrying his name . They are located in counties and districts that range from Buffalo to Brooklyn, Rochester to Yonkers and Wyandanch (in Suffolk County) and across the tier of cities that includes Syracuse, Utica and Schenectady.
Taken together, 91% of the children enrolled in these schools are black (67%) or Hispanic (24%); 13% are considered to be limited in English proficiency. About 90% receive free (85%) or reduced-price (5%) lunches.
At these schools, 2,883 students took the statewide English Language Arts exams and 2,921 took the math tests — providing 5,804 test scores. Most students were in grades 3 to 5.
This was to be a pivotal year. The state Education Department called for tests that contained more difficult items, popularly referred to as the Common Core, purportedly to raise learning standards.
State and city officials forecast that the results would nosedive. They assured us that this was necessary to get children on track for college and careers. They’ve insisted the numbers will rise as teachers and students adjust to the material.
But what of the 8- to 10-year-old children whose educations, hopes, formative development and chances for future success are bound up in these wonderfully named schools where circumstance has placed them?
In 2009, when the state exams were discredited for being ridiculously easy, 55% of the heirs to King’s legacy were found to be proficient in reading, as were 71% in math. By last year, with the advent of tougher “more rigorous” exams, the results had fallen to 24% and 31%.
The April results released this month fulfilled the prophecy: 7% and 6% proficiency in reading and math at the nine schools.
The overall 2009, 2012 and 2013 statewide figures show English exam decreases from 77% to 55% to 31% proficiency over the testing periods. In math, the drop is from 86% to 65% to 31%. It’s a precipitous decline any way you slice it — with a sharper falloff in the nine schools.
As for the school in Brooklyn , obviously a limited sample, the percentages of students judged proficient fell 53 points — from 72% to 19% — in English Language Arts and 72 points (86% to 14%) in math between 2009 and this year. Citywide, the corresponding results were 43 points (69% to 26%) and 52 points (82% to 30%)
Another part of this unsettling story is revealed by the increased percentage of students who were at Level 1 in 2009 and now. Level 1 is described as being “well below proficient” on the tests.
This group grew from 2% to 32% and from 3% to 33% of the state test population on the English and math exams. At the nine King schools, the students deemed to be low achievers shot up from 6% to 63% in English Language Arts and from 7% to 68% in math.
King would not have accepted test scores that only confirm the profound inequities that plague poor kids. Nor would he have blamed teachers for the problem. Rather, he would have let his voice ring out about the need for sound education designed to prepare students to lead fulfilling lives and provide a means for overcoming economic injustices.
We honor King in words and monuments. It would be a far better remembrance to take actions to realize his magnificent aspiration.
Smith, a testing specialist and consultant, was an administrative analyst for the New York City public schools. He is a member of Change the Stakes, a parent advocacy group.
Julie Cavanagh Analyzes Teacher Evaluation Options
If only our current union leadership could communicate to teachers how best to protect themselves in what is going to be a very challenging and dangerous school year for everybody - students, teachers and administrators - as well as Julie Cavanagh does. ....Perdido Street School blog
Decide to get involved: I am convinced the overwhelming majority of educators, after navigating this evaluation system, will be moved to action. Do not get discouraged; do not believe we cannot affect change. Whether you donate, sign a petition, attend a rally, come to a meeting, run for office, or join an organization-- the time is now to stand up and fight the tidal wave of attacks on public education.... Julie CavanaghJulie has spent a lot of time this summer learning the ins and outs of this mess. She shares her thoughts in this post on the MORE blog which I am cross posting.
This is not only about Julie's wonderful work in breaking all this down but also expresses Julie's philosophy of working together which so attracts people.
Make decisions based on what will bring you together: do not allow these decisions to divide you. Stand in solidarity together, take care of each other, and do what benefits students and teachers collectively.This is important stuff to working teachers but for people like me the details give me a headache. But if you want clarity, read this all the way through. Julie's piece should actually be a pamphlet.
The Noose or The Sword: Choosing Your Evaluation
by morecaucusnyc
Analysis and Guidance Regarding Teacher Evaluation Choices and Decisions
By Julie Cavanagh PS15k Chapter Leader
I have yet to meet a parent, teacher or student from a school community who tells me they believe the new teacher evaluation system being implemented in NYC is a good thing, for anyone. It seems most people understand this system is nothing more than another cog in the wheel of a machine with one clear purpose: the destruction of our public education system. This system and the accountability and testing measures and movement preceding it, reduce our students, our teachers and our schools to numbers and data, dehumanizing our schools and our profession.
There is a growing movement that says, “Don’t feed the beast! Deny the data!” My heart lies with this sentiment, but in terms of the teacher evaluation framework, it may not be the right one. Let me be clear, this system is irrevocably flawed, and the illusion of choice is no choice at all. But while the system is fundamentally flawed and hurts our schools and profession, we can choose to participate in order to mitigate the damage to individual teacher jobs as well as our schools and students.
MORE members and allies have received multiple requests for guidance and analysis concerning the decisions UFT members and local committees must make regarding the teacher evaluation system. Below I attempt to lay out, as I see them, the pros and cons of the choices individual teachers and school-based evaluation committees must make in the coming weeks. This is by no means complete and it would be immensely helpful if folks offer their additional comments, analysis, and suggestions in the comment section!
The Lay of the Land
There are basically three “paths” to journey on as you make decisions as an individual UFT member and as a committee:
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Seattle public school teachers reject proposed contract
Seattle is a hotbed of teacher activism. The revolt last spring when teachers refused to give a standardized test (scrap the map) was more than a warning shot.
Seattle teacher Dan Troccoli (SEE Caucus) joined MORE's Julie Cavanagh, NEWCaucus (Newark)' Sanyika Montague and CORE's (Chicago) Jen Johnson in a panel discussion at the Social Justice Unionism Organizing Conference in Chicago (Aug. 9-11).
Here is Dan's presentation (preceded by Ellen Friedman's 5 minute intro to the panel).
Here is Seattle teacher Jesse Hagopian who helped lead the test boycott at a MORE forum back in May.
Seattle teacher Dan Troccoli (SEE Caucus) joined MORE's Julie Cavanagh, NEWCaucus (Newark)' Sanyika Montague and CORE's (Chicago) Jen Johnson in a panel discussion at the Social Justice Unionism Organizing Conference in Chicago (Aug. 9-11).
Here is Dan's presentation (preceded by Ellen Friedman's 5 minute intro to the panel).
Here is Seattle teacher Jesse Hagopian who helped lead the test boycott at a MORE forum back in May.
Here is today's article on the contract rejection
Seattle public school teachers reject proposed contract
by James Lynch
Q13 FOX News reporterSEATTLE — The Seattle Education Association board of directors and the representative assembly both unanimously voted to reject the current contract proposal on the table from the Seattle School District.Monday night, thousands of union members endorsed that decision by voting to reject the proposed pact. Negotiations with the district are expected to continue Tuesday morning.The sticking points include a proposal for elementary teachers to work longer days after students leave the classroom.The union says that is time for which the teachers won’t get paid while at the same time the district wants to eliminate supplemental pay those teachers get now.The union says that amounts to a pay cut.And speaking of teacher pay, compensation is another big issue.The district is offering a 4% salary increase over the next two years and full restoration of a 1.3% salary reduction that was mandated by the state Legislature.But union leaders say that is simply not enough to keep up with the high and rising cost of living in Seattle.Also at issue are caseloads for educators and staff associates, and teacher evaluations.Superintendent Jose Banda released a statement which reads in part; “We have been negotiating since spring and are committed to continuing discussions with SEA. We are hopeful that a fair agreement will be reached that focuses on the best interests of our students.”SEA President Jonathan Knapp issued a statement that said, “By a near-unanimous voice vote Monday night, members of the Seattle Education Association rejected the Seattle School Board’s latest contract proposal, which they said falls far short on several major issues that directly affect students. The current contract ends Aug. 31, and school is scheduled to start Sept. 4. SEA members plan to meet again the evening of Sept. 3 to either approve a contract or take further action.”
NY Times to Adopt TFA Model: Will Fire all Reporters With More than 2 Years Experience
"Strong newspapers can withstand the turnover of their reporters," declared the Times on its editorial page. "Experienced reporters grow tired and less effective."
New reporters will undergo two and a half weeks of training before being sent to locations like Syria and Egypt. An extra week of training will be required to cover the White House.
"Novice reporters will receive constant feedback from their bureau chiefs," said the editorial. "Reporters with the lowest 20% of readership of their articles will be terminated."
The Times will adopt the "two claps and a sizzle" celebratory chant for reporters whose stories go viral.
The Times is actively searching for a 27 year old with at least 3 years on the job to run the paper.
===
Afterburn
RBE at Pedido:
 |
| Ed Notes satire |
New reporters will undergo two and a half weeks of training before being sent to locations like Syria and Egypt. An extra week of training will be required to cover the White House.
"Novice reporters will receive constant feedback from their bureau chiefs," said the editorial. "Reporters with the lowest 20% of readership of their articles will be terminated."
The Times will adopt the "two claps and a sizzle" celebratory chant for reporters whose stories go viral.
The Times is actively searching for a 27 year old with at least 3 years on the job to run the paper.
===
Afterburn
RBE at Pedido:
“It’s two claps and then a sizzle.”
I dunno, maybe I'm a fool.
I never wanted to go on to something "better."
I like working with students in a classroom.
I think it's important to have experience at this job.
I have gotten better every year I have taught (I start my 13th year next week.)
The social and emotional learning skills I have picked up over the years as I have grown older myself have really helped me as a teacher.
I know how to reach students better now than I did in my first few years - sometimes that means academically (okay, that way of teaching isn't working, let's try this way...), sometimes that means emotionally (diagnosing what is holding a student back and then finding a way to begin helping the student through that issue...)
This is not the skill set a third year 24 year old TFAer has.
John Owens' "Confessions of a Bad Teacher" Making Waves
I finished reading the entire book by John Owens about a week ago. I had to stop often to absorb -- and relish -- the devastating attack on the Bloomberg version of ed deform by Owens, who changed careers to go into teaching only to end up in a school with a principal from hell on his first - and only - teaching job. John, a teaching fellow, went back into his original field, publishing.
Normally I would resent a teacher with less than a year under his belt racing off to write a book about the poor lil children. But not John, who I got to meet at Leonie Haimson's Skinny Awards in June. I'm proud to have a blurb of mine on the book cover. When John asked me for a blurb back in May I looked over my shoulder and said, "who me?" As usual I procrastinated and only had time to read a few chapters of the pdf he sent, but saw right away John had nailed so much of it, amazed he was able to "get it" in such a short time in the system.
I don't agree with everything he recommends as a solution -- if John had remained in the system I believe he would have come to see that nothing will change policy wise without a political movement within the union to engage teachers and parents in an active fightback (he does make recommendations with a list of orgs to join). John wasn't around long enough to see the bigger picture of the neo-liberal assault on public education. He would be a MOREista I believe -- and I would like to make John an honorary member -- maybe even gift him a MORE tee-shirt.
I've been working on a more comprehensive chapter by chapter analysis (not review) of the book and want to compare it to a play I saw at the Fringe Festival this past Sunday by another career changing teacher in the Bronx ("Why You Beasting" -- which will be performed in the fall and I will be getting some group discounts for teachers).
I'll just let Diane Ravitch carry the load (so nice of me).
Today (Aug. 27)
Normally I would resent a teacher with less than a year under his belt racing off to write a book about the poor lil children. But not John, who I got to meet at Leonie Haimson's Skinny Awards in June. I'm proud to have a blurb of mine on the book cover. When John asked me for a blurb back in May I looked over my shoulder and said, "who me?" As usual I procrastinated and only had time to read a few chapters of the pdf he sent, but saw right away John had nailed so much of it, amazed he was able to "get it" in such a short time in the system.
I don't agree with everything he recommends as a solution -- if John had remained in the system I believe he would have come to see that nothing will change policy wise without a political movement within the union to engage teachers and parents in an active fightback (he does make recommendations with a list of orgs to join). John wasn't around long enough to see the bigger picture of the neo-liberal assault on public education. He would be a MOREista I believe -- and I would like to make John an honorary member -- maybe even gift him a MORE tee-shirt.
I've been working on a more comprehensive chapter by chapter analysis (not review) of the book and want to compare it to a play I saw at the Fringe Festival this past Sunday by another career changing teacher in the Bronx ("Why You Beasting" -- which will be performed in the fall and I will be getting some group discounts for teachers).
I'll just let Diane Ravitch carry the load (so nice of me).
Today (Aug. 27)
A terrific interview in USA Today with John Owen, who patiently explains what is really happening today in education.Last week:
A sample:
Q: You call yourself a “bad” teacher. When did this idea first occur to you?
A: I was a bad teacher because I was a teacher. Today, “bad teacher” and “teacher” have become almost interchangeable. Listen to billionaire “visionaries” such as Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg, as well as “experts” such as Michelle Rhee. The problem with our schools is bad teachers. Almost immediately, I realized that I was destined to be a bad teacher because many of my eight- and ninth-graders had learning problems, and I couldn’t fix them in the 46 minutes I had them each day. Many of my students had behavior problems, and I couldn’t fix those problems either. And I wasn’t very good at masking these problems, so my “scholars” didn’t look like they were learning when they weren’t learning. I also couldn’t keep them from getting excited and boisterous when they were learning.
I Recommend This Book
by dianeravThis is a book written by John Owens, who left his own comfortable job in publishing to become a teacher in a high-poverty school in New York City. His eyes were opened by what he saw. This is his story of what he learned."An explosive new look at the pressures on today’s
teachers and the pitfalls of school reform,
CONFESSIONS OF A BAD TEACHER
presents a passionate appeal to save
public school education, before it’s too late."When John Owens left a lucrative publishing job to teach English at a public school in New York City’s South Bronx, he thought he could do some good. Instead, he found an educational maelstrom that robs students of real learning to improve school statistics at any cost, cons parents and taxpayers into thinking their children are being educated, and demonizes its own support system: the teachers."The situation has gotten to the point where the phrase “Bad Teacher” is almost interchangeable with “Teacher”. And Owens found himself labeled just that when the teaching methods that were inspiring his students didn’t meet with the reform mandates."With first-hand accounts from teachers across the country and practical tips for improving public schools, Confessions of a Bad Teacher is an eye-opening exposé of the dire state of American education and galvanizing call-to-action to embrace our best educators and incite real reform for our children’s futures."Open the link to order the book.
Monday, August 26, 2013
NY Times Distorts Mexico Teacher Revolt Which is About fighting Neo-Liberalism in the Streets
RANDI'S NIGHTMARE
Rich Gibson pretty well nails our union leaders as neo-liberal defenders of the status quo - not the old SQ ed deformers refer to, but a deeply supported SQ of increasing wealth misdistribution. Union leaders will over manage us into oblivion. Their reward will be that they will be allowed to be left standing in the shell of what remains of the unions with their role to maintain the fiction that they represent the workers and not their overseers.
And RBE at Perdido Street just nailed Randi's ass to the wall for doing exactly what Gibson accuses her of:
But the increasing radicalized Diane Ravitch jumps into the fray against her old "friend" Randi.
Susan Ohanian sent this comment and links:
Omar Torres/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Teachers blocked access to a government building in Mexico City on Thursday. The city’s central square was also occupied.
A radical teachers' group mobilized thousands of members in Mexico City last week, chasing lawmakers from their chambers, occupying the city's historic central square, blocking access to hotels and the international airport, and threatening to bring an already congested city to a halt in the coming days... NY TimesThe Times report (see below Gibson's piece) made a radical teacher takeover of Mexico City appear to be a reaction to the removal of the teacher union's corrupt leader -- sort of like calling a MORE rally against the neo-liberal agenda as being about support for the queen of neo-liberals, Randi Weingarten.
Why hasn't this happened in the USA? Because the bosses of NEA and AFT would oppose every bit of it. They're the misleading Quislings of completely rotten and corrupt organizations, much like all the fake "professional" organizations and the opportunist saps who run them. ... Rich Gibson
Rich Gibson pretty well nails our union leaders as neo-liberal defenders of the status quo - not the old SQ ed deformers refer to, but a deeply supported SQ of increasing wealth misdistribution. Union leaders will over manage us into oblivion. Their reward will be that they will be allowed to be left standing in the shell of what remains of the unions with their role to maintain the fiction that they represent the workers and not their overseers.
And RBE at Perdido Street just nailed Randi's ass to the wall for doing exactly what Gibson accuses her of:
Randi Weingarten Attacks Bill De Blasio Over Pre-K Plan
You see, Randi is bothered by this:“When you put out a plan that basically says, ‘We’ll raise money from the rich so that we can actually fund pre-K’ when Albany has already called it dead on arrival’... it sounds non-serious,” said WeingartenOh, that 1 percent is just itching to crawl out from her. We don't really want to ask the poor rich people to pay more for pre-k and it's dead on arrival because the UFT with its so-called political operation is not interested in mundane issues like universal pre-k.
But the increasing radicalized Diane Ravitch jumps into the fray against her old "friend" Randi.
De Blasio on Monday parried the attack in part by unveiling an endorsement from education historian Diane Ravitch, who in a campaign release specifically cheered the idea of gleaning more money to fund pre-K by taxing high earners.We have a MORE correspondent on the scene in Mexico City and should get some reports - and maybe pics -- soon.
Susan Ohanian sent this comment and links:
In Mexico, when education reformers tried to declare teachers unfit, politicos got run out of their offices. You can 'read' this the way the New York Times does. Rich Gibson offers an alternative reading.Here is Gibson's comment
And the NY Times piece today while even though presented in a distorted manner, expresses the remarkable takeover of Mexico City - not by drug dealers -- but by teachers.Mexico's School Workers Fight Back
Publication Date: 2013-08-25
by Rich Gibson
Why hasn't this happened in the USA?
Because the bosses of NEA and AFT would oppose every bit of it. They're the misleading Quislings of completely rotten and corrupt organizations, much like all the fake "professional" organizations and the opportunist saps who run them. .
Because the teaching force is pacified and for the most part bought off.
Being bought didn't work so well for, say, the UAW rank and file. When the payoff stopped, they were lost--jobs and income, and ideas, gone.
Still, people in pacified areas become instruments of their own oppression, and to a considerable degree, responsible for it.
Mexico's tactics are worth examining, if not the limited analysis they represent.
Barbarism rises, world wide, largely in several forms of fascism: the demagogue Obama to the Catholic invaders under Reagan/Bush to the Syrian/Libyan/Pakistani jihadists, most backed by the USA which so many patriots still love as "theirs" when it is, in fact "Theirs."
Try to catch up and good luck to our side. We won't like, and won't win, WWIII
The Continuing Appeal of Nationalism,Fifth Estate, 1984
Fighting Education Overhaul, Thousands of Teachers Disrupt Mexico City
By Karla Zabudovsky
New York Times
August 25, 2013
By KARLA ZABLUDOVSKY
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s highly anticipated education overhaul program — intended to weed out poorly performing teachers, establish professional hiring standards and weaken the powerful teachers’ union — is buckling under the tried-and-true tactic of huge street protests, throwing the heart of the capital into chaos.A radical teachers’ group mobilized thousands of members in Mexico City last week, chasing lawmakers from their chambers, occupying the city’s historic central square, blocking access to hotels and the international airport, and threatening to bring an already congested city to a halt in the coming days.
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