Video: Why Come to MORE Monthly Meeting This Saturday, Oct. 19, 12PM

Why come to the MORE meeting? See the promo video below. It may be crowded at the Ya-Ya Network, our wonderful hosts at  224 W. 29th St 14th Fl. (btwn 7th and 8th Ave). We are outgrowing the space with 60-80 people attending every month. I am just going to stand for 3 hours and pretend I'm on the subway (where I spent a long time standing on a crowded train on the way home from the Met where it took the usual 2 hours before we got museumed out but made up for it with a nice meal at a mid-east restaurant).

I'll talk MORE about tomorrow's agenda in a follow-up later.



Jeez. There is so much going on with MORE and Change the Stakes I can't keep track. I do want to go into more depth on the issues we

Join us this Saturday! View this email in your browser

Weekly Update #71 October 14, 2013 Share Tweet Forward to Friend

Join MORE Today Make Sure You Are On Our Listservs! Click below to join:  News (announcements/articles) Discussion (debate/back-and-forth) Chapter Leader (discussion for chapter activists) FALL GENERAL MEETINGS 3rd Saturday - Noon to 3:00pm October 19 224 West 29th St 14th fl. (btwn 7th and 8th ave) November 16th Location TBA COMMITTEES: Contract Committee contract@morecaucusnyc.org Steering Committee steering@morecaucusnyc.org Mon. Oct. 21th at 5PM CUNY Grad Center, Rm. 5409 Meeting minutes here Newsletter Committee news@morecaucusnyc.org Membership Committee membership@morecaucusnyc.org Chapter Organizing Committee chapters@morecaucusnyc.org Media Committee media@morecaucusnyc.org High Stake Testing Committee testing@morecaucusnyc.org STAYING IN TOUCH:  Comments? Suggestions? Email update@morecacusnyc.org with items for future updates Facebook Twitter Email MORE's Next General Meeting! Saturday, Oct. 19th 224 W. 29th St 14th Fl. (btwn 7th and 8th Ave) We'll be discussing our campaign against the city's new test-based evaluation system, as well as MORE's strategy and tactics at the UFT Delegate Assembly. View the Facebook invite and RSVP! And check out our promo video! VIDEO: Unity Caucus Hands Out Leaflet to Counter MORE Outside Delegate Assembly Teacher Evals, Testing, and Common Core: What MORE is Reading This Week Riverdale teachers sign MORE's petition against the city's new teacher evaluation system. NYC Educator encourages teachers/activists to stand up and demand research-based practices. Assailed Teacher reflects on his night at the UFT Delegate Assembly. Anne Pyburn Craig contemplates the impact of constant assessments on students. Katie Lapham shares lessons from the trenches with NYSED Commissioner John King. Educator under attack?  Join MORE's "Don't Tread on Educators" support group by emailing dtoe-subscribe@googlegroups.com MORE Newsletter Sign up to help distribute MORE's newsletter, "MORE Stuff in Your Mailbox," to your colleagues. Reply to this email if you can pick up copies or would like to help distribute it, or pick up copies at our general meeting. And read the newsletter online: morecaucusnyc.org/newsletter

Copyright © 2013 MORE Caucus, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are excited about changing the UFT and signed up at a MORE meeting or our website, MORECaucusNYC.org.

Astounding: Government shutdown deal includes support for TFA trained teachers

Does Wendy Kopp have naked pics of every politician? On the verge of a worldwide financial meltdown they make sure to add a clause protecting Teach For America. TFA is celebrating their fortune while pre-k gets gutted. A real teacher organization interested in child welfare would be howling with rage.

The federal government didn't shut down over the question of whether teachers in alternative-certification programs should be considered "highly qualified"—but the bill to end the budget stalemate addresses the question anyway. ... EdWeek

Gee, why shouldn't teachers with 5 weeks training not be considered highly qualified? Hey, I have an idea. Let TFA expand into PFA -- Politicians for America  and let's fill Congressional staff positions with them.

I'm waiting for the day when top school districts like Scarsdale announce they are replacing experienced teachers with equally highly qualified TFAers.

By the way, this is not to say TFAers who remain in teaching don't become highly qualified -- there are a few in MORE and they are very impressive. And I expect even more TFA alum who are not using it as a stepping stone and see the ed deform scam for what it is will also be coming on board.

UPDATE: Diane Ravitch just posted (TFA Scores Big Win in Federal Debt Deal) about this with links to Valerie Strauss here
and Julian Vasquez Heilig's noting that TFA was a big winner.
making the point that "Pre-K is 1412% more effective than Teach For America."

Think about this: TFA is celebrating their fortune while pre-k gets gutted. A real teacher organization interested in child welfare would be howling with rage.

The Ed Week article is below the break.

PS 29Q Principal Resigns After Protests

The so-called “terror-driven reign” of a College Point principal is over. Jennifer Jones-Rogers resigned as head of P.S. 29 last week, education officials confirmed, after dozens in the community urged the city to fire her earlier this summer.... Queens Courier

The end of a long-running battle at the school after parents and teachers, with the support of State Senator Tony Avella. It is not impossible when people get organized.

South Bronx School has details:

BREAKING NEWS!!! PS 29Q Principal Jennifer Rogers Forced to Resign!!

SBS had retired UFT Chapter Leader Stephanie Flunory on his radio show tonight to discuss the upheaval at PS 29 in College Point, Queens.
 

Video I shot of August protest here.

Ed Notes coverage:
Video: State Senator Tony Avella Calls for Removal...
 PS 29 Parents Call Out Principal From Hell Jennife...

And Queens Courier:

http://queenscourier.com/2013/college-point-principal-resigns-after-protests-and-allegations/

John King's Uncommon Schools Charters Opt Out of RTTT Which Makes Their Teachers Exempt From King's Eval System

One more example of the deep corruption ed deform brings.

State Education Commissioner John King is overhauling New York's method of evaluating teachers — but Uncommon Schools don't have to follow the new state rules, as they have opted out of federal Race to the Top funds...  Daily New

And by the way, guess which charter also exempts itself? It starts with a U and ends with a T. (UFT Charter Exempt From Teacher Evaluation System or Race To The Top)

Charter school chain can ignore new state rules on teacher evaluations

The high-performing Uncommon Schools have opted out of receiving federal Race to the Top funds, meaning they are exempt from New York's new method of evaluating teachers. State Education Commissioner John King defended the decision, saying the schools have 'very extensive procedures' for assessing educators.

By Rachel Monahan / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Newark Teachers Union Rally: Enuf is Enuf

The wonderful Newark Supe Cami Anderson is so adept at making friends. How funny to see the very union that made the deal with the devil last year (with Randi and Christie's guns at their heads) is now rallying because they claim Anderson is not keeping her side of the bargain -- DUHHHHHH! Just a smidgeon of history would show that the deformers NEVER keep their side of the bargain.

NEW Caucus called for a NO VOTE on the contract and Newark teachers actually saw what Randi and their union leaders had sold them they gave the majority of Ex Bd seats to NEW Caucus which lost the presidency by 9 votes.

Enuf Is Enuf Rally
All NPS Employees, the Time is Now!!!

Tuesday, Oct 22nd, 2013, 5 P.M.

Newark Board Of Education Meeting

Barringer High School

 

Video: PEP Oct 15 2013 - I Am Bergtraum

Some of the strongest voices at the PEP came from the Murry Bergtraum HS community in lower Manhattan as they fought the blatant handing over of this prime real estate to Eva Moskowitz who will now have bases in big high school buildings in every part of Manhattan (Brandeis, Graphic Arts, Washington Irving). One irony: Murry Bergtraum's daughter was appointed to the PEP by Bloomberg. I didn't stay around to watch her vote but she seemed to spend a good part of the presentation by Bergtraum students with her hand over her mouth. If she voted to install Success in the school named for her father --- well, I don't have the words.

I did a quick editing job on this to get as many people in -- led off by our pal and MOREista John Elfrank-Dana, chapter leader.

PEP Oct 15 2013 - I Am Bergtraum
https://vimeo.com/77126813

"Voices of Students, Teachers, Parents defending their lower Manhattan HS from the Co-location of Success Charter wearing tee-shirts proudly proclaiming "I am Bergtraum.""

New Content at SusanOhanian.Org! Oct. 16, 2013

As usual Susan tosses a lot of good stuff on the table. Click the links to see Susan's often priceless commentary on each article.

==========

It is worthwhile to read Bill Gates' infamous 2009 speech again. .  because it infects every other story about ed deform.

But don't miss Neil Gaiman's speech, which SHOULD inspire every attempt at education reform.

Susan

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
  Syracuse school district says disputed Henninger High School teacher ratings will stand
Paul Riede
Syracuse Post Standard
2013-10-16
http://susanohanian.org/data.php?id=520

Read this article all the way through. It's outrageous all the way, but the punchline is a killer. And there is actually a bit of Good News added on. Plus some huge irony.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Bill Gates Explains Why Common Core was Created
Bill Gates

2013-10-16
http://susanohanian.org/core.php?id=603

Government Open, Rockaway Theatre Co. is Back This Weekend With Final Perf of Boeing Boeing!

The cast of Boeing Boeing!

How does a small local theater based in Rockaway manage to put on such quality productions? Fort Tilden will be open and the postponed Boeing Boeing is on for this weekend. Three of the major roles are played by NYC teachers and the show is co-directed by another teacher. And key people running the theater are retired teachers.

I've seen it twice and will go back this weekend once again. Maybe twice.

Here are some highlights I taped. Great comic actor David Risely, on the left, played Felix in the Odd Couple where I did my only acting.

The announcement from RTC last night with details:

Dear Patrons and friends of RTC!!

The fort is open this weekend and we will be having the final 3 performances of  Boeing Boeing!! Come see this hilarious comedy....

Friday night October 18th @ 8pm

Saturday night October 19th @ 8pm

or Sunday October 2oth - 2pm matinee

Please call the hotline for reservations

718 374 6400 or

go on website to make your reservations

www.rockawaytheatrecompany.org

THANK YOU for your continuing support!!!

And my piece in The Wave before the shutdown:

Take three beautiful stewardesses, mix them with a debonair boyfriend they all share, add in his nebishy best friend from Wisconsin and a live-in French maid - naturally since they are in Paris - and a sumptuous apartment with lots of doors - and for very good reason - and you end up with "Boeing, Boeing," the latest side-splitting comedy produced by the Rockaway Theatre Company.

The show is in its final weekend at the Post Theater in Fort Tilden. Don't miss the final opportunity to see our amazing local and imported talent (from Brooklyn). The production follows a long-line of fine plays directed by Peggy Page and Michael Wotypka, who also have the distinction of providing me with my acting debut – and denouement – in the Odd Couple two years ago.

**Keep in mind if the Government shutdown continues there will be no show because Fort Tilden will be closed. If it is rescheduled, The Wave will print the new dates and times.

See video highlights of Boeing, Boeing at: https://vimeo.com/75933374

And a few pics from their last peformance during the summer celebrating the end of Sandy and a new beginning for RTC.

Staten Island Democratic Club Calls for John King Resignation

Loretta Prisco introduced this resolution last night at her Staten Island Democratic club, a progressive club on SI. It was passed unanimously. I'm not big on the calls for King to resign. He is helping the movement against ed deform with every word he utters. I would focus on Merryl Tisch and put pressure on the Democrats in the State Assembly, in particular Shelly Silver. But any anti ed deform resos are always welcome.

Whereas, State Commissioner of Education John King has led an assault on public schools by initiating high stakes testing, forced co-locations of schools, closing of schools, the evaluation of teachers based on the  results of standardized tests,  advocating for charter schools at the expense of traditional public schools, and,

Whereas, State Commissioner John King has cancelled four town hall meetings at which parents and educators could seek information about high stakes testing,  common core, and inBloom, a system which would gather personal data on all children to then be made available to vendors, SIDA calls on the NYS Board of Regents including our representative Regent Cea to join the statewide move  to ask for John King's resignation.

Here's some more calls from a parent:

Quick action alert! For more information, go to nysape.org

1. Send quick faxes to local electeds here: 

https://mac.nysut.org/faxlegislators/widget/issue/182#issuesheadline_mobile

2. My quick letter is below. Feel free to copy/adapt it. It went to  17 regents (plus two extra addresses), and 6 officials (some with two different email addresses).

And, here's the fill form for Sheldon Silver:

http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Sheldon-Silver/contact/

To the Board of Regents,

After the sham of a town hall on October 10 in Poughkeepsie, in which parents and teachers weren't allowed the allotted time to ask questions and air their opinions, and after John King canceled his appearances at the four remaining town halls in NY State, I demand that King should resign his position as New York State Education Commissioner.

His calling concerned stakeholders "special interests" is laughable.

*New Yorkers deserve a COMPETENT leader who listens to and engages his or her constituents
*New Yorkers deserve a COMPETENT leader who can handle the concerns and dissenting opinions of educated involved New York parents.
*John King has let abusive testing and data sharing practices dominate the implementation of the Common Core Learning Standards.
*John King runs away from the public.
*John King calls concerned parents “special interest groups."
*John King is not competent to be the NYS Commissioner of Education; he hasn't had sufficient experience teaching in a classroom setting.

A copy of this letter is also going to my elected officials.

Sincerely,
Edith Baltazar
Public School Parent
District 3, Manhattan

Why Are Some New Jersey Teachers Voting Tea Party Against Booker?

Dear Democrats,

Yes, you got that right. I am voting for Lonegan. Actually, I am voting against Newark Mayor Democrat Cory Booker. How did that happen? In my 39 year voting history, I have pulled the lever for two Republicans ... I am a Newark teacher teaching this year in a renew school. My man Booker is a supporter of charter schools. He advocates for Teach for America. He was instrumental in bringing to Newark Cami Anderson, who is busy dismantling the Newark Public Schools in concert with Christie and Cerf.

Ed deform has so poisoned the well for so many educators, some of them are doing something drastic -- voting Steve Lonegan against Corey Booker. It just shows you how far Obama/Duncan ed deform policies have moved the needle when Corey Booker's neo-liberalism has made it clear that a vote for him would not be in the interests of teachers or children.

Maybe the Democratic scare tactics are working the other way and have led to a sort of "fuck-it" attitude of "If I'm going to get fucked it might as well be from the tea party instead of being dicked around by supposed "friends."

Jersey resident and NYC teacher Reality Based Educator said he was voting Lonegan.

This video link (Booker touts Newark charter schools in new web was sent to me by a teacher in Newark who is incensed enough to vote Lonegan who practically believes in no government and is a complete apologist for the Republican mayhem. I know I couldn't vote for him -- or for Booker. Sometimes no vote is a vote. But Booker seems to inspire a degree of hatred.

Dear Democrats,

Yes, you got that right. I am voting for Lonegan. Actually, I am voting against Newark Mayor Democrat Cory Booker. How did that happen? In my 39 year voting history, I have pulled the lever for two Republicans; US Senator Clifford Case and Maplewood Mayor Robert Grasmere whose daughter Louise was my classmate. Do I support the Tea Party? No, I do not. On the vast majority of issues, one might classify me as a traditional Democrat who favors "liberty and justice for all." In my youth, I marched against the Vietnam War and picketed my local supermarket for the United Farm Workers Union. I addressed envelopes for George McGovern.

My father advised me as a child to always vote Democrat by saying, "If I am not for the Democrat, I stay home." So why is the child of generations of Democrats voting for Lonegan? The answer is Cory Booker. And what is my problem with Cory Booker? I am a Newark teacher teaching this year in a renew school. My man Booker is a supporter of charter schools. He advocates for Teach for America. He was instrumental in bringing to Newark Cami Anderson, who is busy dismantling the Newark Public Schools in concert with Christie and Cerf. He convinced Mark Zuckerberg to donate $100,000,000 to the Foundation for Newark's Future that no one seems to be able to account for.

Mr. Booker has done nothing to address the crime rate in Newark. Three people were shot and killed within recent weeks in walking distance of my school. At last count 72 people had been killed thus far in Newark this year. I do not understand what Cory Booker's Wirenet company does, but maybe that is because I am a dinosaur. Cory Booker has had potential conflicts of interest with his former law firm that is doing business with the City of Newark.

All in all, Mayor Booker is strong on the rhetoric and weak on substance. He strikes me as a shill for the Wall Street billionaires and Hollywood celebrities he courts. Sorry Mom and Dad! I am voting for Lonegan. Perhaps some of my fellow Democrats will see the light and join me.

Signed,

A New Jersey Democrat

PEP Notes - Tish James Rocks the House

You have 77 days and the count-down has begun.... When you treat special needs children differently and when you discipline them and expel them that's separate and unequal... I urge you in anticipation of litigation to save all your emails (especially related to communication with Eva Moskowitz)... That is why I was elected (along with Bill de Blasio) ... that is our mandate... we gotta get back 12 years of this administration failing our children.... Tish James

While the fawning ed press gushes over charters, the PEP was packed with the real choice of the people: no charter co-locations,  anti Success Charter and Eva Moskowitz and schools representing thousands of people. But a more comprehensive report later.

I have over 2 hours of footage and will be putting pieces up. First up is Tish James who put a line in the sand about the end of the Bloomberg administration.

There were a lot of politicians who spoke - this was strong and emotional. Not the full speech but edited to make it more concise.

http://youtu.be/17qXw6E7ZnU



A few stills

UFT Charter Exempt From Teacher Evaluation System or Race To The Top

UFT CHARTER SCHOOL: Not participating ... NYSED Dept listing of Race To the Top participating and non-participating schools

Guess who is on the list of schools not participating in the teacher evaluation system? SurPRISE!

UFT CHARTER SCHOOL

http://eservices.nysed.gov/rtttlea/showAll.html

I am rendered speechless - for once. Oh, I'm sure there is a good explanation from the UFT as to why they fostered an eval system on teachers in public schools but not in a school they run.

Hitler Objects to Opt-Out Movement: High Stakes Standardized Testing in New York....the DOWNFALL!

Relentless standardized testing is the ONLY WAY to stop children from learning to think for themselves... Adolph Hitler

Truly as on target as you can get.



http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OvKVkitKOgk&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DOvKVkitKOgk

TONIGHT AT PEP: Call on Mayoral Candidates to Reverse Bloomberg “Lame Duck” Co-locations/Closings, Blast Lhota’s Charter-centric Message

I'll be there to tape it all. Many schools affected are organizing to be there.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 15, 2013

Media Contacts:

Julian Vinocur. 203.313.2479. julianvinocur@gmail.com
Dan Morris. 917.952.8920. dlmcommunications@gmail.com
Stuart Marques. 917.273.6194. stuart.marques@gmail.com
 
NY-GPS to Protest Outside PEP, Call on Mayoral Candidates to Reverse Bloomberg “Lame Duck” Co-locations/Closings, Blast Lhota’s Charter-centric Message

Hundreds of Outraged Parents, Students to March to Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) Meeting to Denounce Bloomberg’s “Lame-Duck” Co-locations

*4:45PM: Rally from PS 161, The Crown School (331 Crown St. BK, NY) to PEP, 5:30PM: Press Conference Outside PEP at (883 Classon Ave.BK, NY)*

WHO: New Yorkers for Great Public Schools (NY-GPS); Parents and students from affected schools, including: PS 161, Sojourner Truth and PSM811, South Shore Campus, Sound View Campus, University Neighborhood High School, IS 78,  IS 218, Seth Low Junior HS, PS 196, PS 171, PS 192.

WHAT: As the PEP holds the first of two meetings this month to push through 20+ controversial co-locations, parents and students of NY-GPS will rally against Bloomberg’s “lame-duck” proposals, calling on the mayoral candidates to reverse them, and criticizing Joe Lhota’s charter-centric message of doubling down on failed and divisive Bloomberg policies.

Participants will be tweeting during tonight's mayoral debate using #TaleOfTwoSchoolSystems and #ABC7Debate.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 15, 2013.

 

WHERE: 4:45PM: March From PS 161, The Crown School (331 Crown St. BK, NY) to PEP, 5:30PM: Press Conference Outside PEP at (883 Classon Ave. BK, NY)*

 

Did Mulgrew Sign On to Recent NYC Race to the Top Application?

NYC applied for a district RTTT grant, as revealed in Ed
Week. Did UFT sign onto this and if so, what does it contain? The statewide RTTT grant is supposed to contain funds for the data dashboards or “EngageNY portals” to be populated with data from
the inBloom cloud.

Given that the Newark Teachers Union recently scuttled the RTTT application (Newark TU Rejects RTTT as Randi/Del Grosso Contrac) and the requirement that unions sign on, this is a very pertinent question to ask the UFT leadership.

Citizens of the World Charter To Use Dead Souls To Bolster Enrollment in Effort to Stay Open

With the school threatened with closing due to low enrollment (as the so-called charter demand is once more exposed), Citizens of the World supporter Eric Grannis (the husband of Evil Moskowitz) is scouting local cemeteries for recruits.

State Ed Commissioner John King approved of the move. "The dead should not be excluded from the higher order skills gained from the Common Core."

The SUNY charter authorizing body also approved. "Once a charter we authorized has opened it assumes the properties of a black hole: public funds get sucked in but will never emerge due to the gravitational pull of the charter lobby."

James Merriman of the NY Charter School Center who has often said that if there's no demand for a charter, it will fail, said, "Until all the dead souls are given their right to choice the fat lady hasn't sung.  

Afterburn

For people not familiar with CWC they are LA-based. They came to NYC after being contacted by Eric Grannis, a long time charter supporter who is also married to Eva Moskwitz. Grannis has said he had been in contact with white, middle class parents in W'burg who had told him what they wanted in a school and that he then contacted CWC. The goal supposedly was to bring more diversity to charter schools, which many saw as a code word for bring more high achieving affluent kids to charters. Grannis supposedly has no official connection to CWC or the school.

James Merriman of the NY Charter School Ctr has often said that, if there's no demand for a charter, it will fail. Given there doesn't seem to be demand for this one, let's see if it's allowed to fail or if someone will pull a rabbit out of the hat.

Gail Robinson
-----

The reality is that charters are being rapidly expanded in NYC where DOE thinks they can find space for them into a public school building, NOT where there is real demand.

Yet another way in which the co-location policies of the DOE are completely off the mark and are driving bad policies.

This is why Eva has to spend millions on ads and promotional flyers, Democracy prep in Harlem had to send mailers to parents as far south as Lower Manhattan, Girls Prep offered cash rewards to people who recruited more students to the school, and COTW is now hugely under enrolled.
 
This is NOT parent choice at work, or even the free market -- but reflects the overriding preferences of those running the city and their wealthy cronies to maximize and facilitate the corporate takeover of our schools.

Leonie Haimson

Carol Smashes King

The idea that a Commissioner would accuse parents and teacher of being a "special interest" is outrageous. That is not what leaders do... Carol Burris, NY State Principal of the Year, at The Answer Sheet, WAPO

The speakers from the audience at this forum were to a person better-informed, more coherent and independent-minded than anyone I've heard from in NYSED, Dr. King included. For him to accuse these citizens, as he did in his announcement canceling further such forums, of having been manipulated by anyone is not just an outrage; it makes you wonder whether he is able to listen to anyone at all. What kind of judge of character is this man? What are his capacities to evaluate a coherent statement from someone he might not agree with? He's mad not because parents were manipulated by vague "outside forces," but because they refused to be manipulated by him. You have rightly identified his utter failure to lead; he must resign.... Jeff Nichols, comment at The Answer Sheet

King’s statement insinuates that the Poughkeepsie parents are so weak and mindless that the opinions and beliefs they stated with such clarity and passion – much of it aimed at King’s and his fellow reformer’s beloved Common Core — were merely lines fed to them by unnamed “special interests, ” meaning, one assumes following reformer logic, the usual suspects, teacher unions. A problem: as Diane Ravitch has pointed out, much to the bewilderment and increasing rage of their members, both the NEA and the AFT strongly support the Common Core standards. Another way of interpreting King’s words: King perceives parents themselves as a “special interest” group – at least those who do not genuflecting before the Common Core.  RagingHorseblog... John King’s Astounding Statement Should Find Him Fired

The always amazing Carol savages King (apologies to the famous crooner, Carol King) who has been ripped all over the blogging world -- I won't chronicle the avalanche which you can pick up from my blog roll (see latest links in the afterburn). Burris writes at her usual spot over at Valerie Strauss at WAPO (will deformer Jeff Bezos tolerate this in the future?)

The New York State Education Department has lost its moral authority...  That loss was clearly on display at a recent New York State PTA-sponsored hearing on the Common Core in Poughkeepsie, New York.  By the last half hour of the evening, the audience was both boisterous and impassioned, angered because there was limited opportunity to speak. What little time remained for the audience was twice interrupted by Commissioner John King, who had held the floor for an hour and a half. The miffed King then reacted by cancelling upcoming scheduled forums.

The video of the meeting is here.

King, engaging in the standard ed deform response to criticism:

Unfortunately, the forums sponsored by the New York State PTA have been co-opted by special interests whose stated goal is to “dominate” the questions and manipulate the forum.”

Carol responds:

The people in the audience at the Poughkeepsie forum were teachers and parents.  The common “special interests” of both groups are children.

She then goes on to review King's career and his ties to billionaire NYS Regent head Merryl Tisch.

In the authoritarian world of the Uncommon Charter Schools as described so well by scholar Pedro Noguera here, the rule is “thy will be done.”  In the real and messy world of democracy it is different.  Leaders must listen deeply, learn and respond.  They must be willing to consider alternative courses, and even in loud crowds, hear truth. In teaching, we attempt to perfect the skill known as “monitor and adjust.”  You can only master that skill by truly engaging learners.

Read it all:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/10/13/how-new-yorks-education-commissioner-blew-it-principal/

Jeff Nichols, a NYC parent comments:

What is so astounding about this is that the official statement is even more arrogant than the already offensive spontaneous performance King put in at the forum (threatening to shut it down when he didn't like how it was going). Anyone can muff a public appearance, but King's gross mis-characterization of parents and teachers as "manipulated" by "special interests" was issued with all due deliberation, and constitutes an abject failure of leadership and of simple humanity.

Afterburn: Updated links on King

• 
  B-LoEdScene

  Special Interests You Say Johnny ? We Need to Talk - Back when The Arnold was running California off a cliff he made the fatal mistake of calling union nurses "a special interest group." They retaliated wit...
  

  6 hours ago
• 
  Raginghorseblog

  John King’s Astounding Statement Should Find Him Fired - John King does not have the character to be a public official, never mind the Commissioner of Education for the state of New York. If there was any resista...
  

  
  
• 
  Urban Ed

  About John King: A Quick Look At This Blogroll -
    

  

  NYC Public School Parents

  King's claim that parents are being "manipulated" by special interests; does he deserve to stay in office? - Commissioner King announced he was pulling out of already-scheduled PTA forums, after parents and teachers had freely vented their frustrations with the

   

How Much Per Child Did Eva's Success Charters Spend on Ads to Create "Demand" While Not Filling All Seats?

Success Charter forced march over BklynBrModeled on Bataan Death march

According to DOE records, in 2011/2012 Upper West Success was only able to fill 164 of its authorized 188 Kindergarten and 1st grade seat (an estimated marketing cost of some $6000 per enrollee). We estimate that Eva spent over a million dollars on recruitment/marketing for Upper West Success alone in 2010/2011 school year. According to Eva, and to SUNY, her charter authorizer, this effort generated a wait list of 1400 kids, on top of 188 lottery "winners"... Noah Gotbaum

One more reason to go the the October 15 PEP meeting Tuesday to challenge the Moskowitz dominated charter lobby and punch holes in their forced Oct. 8 march over the Brooklyn Bridge.

The Success Charter Network, a chain of charter schools headed by former City Councilwoman Eva Moskowitz, spent an astonishing $1.6million in the 2009-2010 school year just for publicity and recruitment of new students, the group's most recent financial reports show. ... Juan Gonzales, Success Charter Network has been just that for Eva Moskowitz but not for public schools

Talk about inflating demand for your product...
The money went to everything you can imagine - bus stop ads, multiple mass mailings of glossy color brochures to tens of the thousands of homes, a small army of part-time workers going door-to-door to sign up applicants, high profile "school choice" fairs.
Community leaders and educators in Harlem and the South Bronx - where those first seven schools were located - say they have never encountered such a relentless and well-financed campaign aimed at convincing parents to desert the public schools. Many are stunned that the nonprofit Success network is able to spend so lavishly while regular city schools are being forced to cut their budgets.

Many neighborhood parents and community leaders say Moskowitz enjoys special treatment from education officials both in Albany and at Tweed. They say once she sets up in public school, she keeps insisting on more and more space for her programs.

Individual schools in the network spent another $245,000 on recruitment and marketing from money they got from the Department of Education.

The Success network even spent $72,000 last year on a videographer whose duties included filming protests against its schools.

Not just protests but every single hearing has a videographer and often a sound guy. And sometimes while I get pushed around by DOE security, these guys who are not press get special treatment.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/success-charter-network-eva-moskowitz-public-schools-article-1.159481#ixzz2heRAZQoU

And this from Noah Gotbaum:

Why did/does she need to spend all that money? Because the "huge" demand and "enormous" waiting lists claimed by Success, and by Citizens of the World, and by the charter lobby are, for the most part, fictitious. Either that, or the screening out and cream-skimming of applicants by Eva and other charters is so great that out of 1400 on the waitlist they were unable to find 20 kids THEY would be willing to accept.

We asked Success Charter how this could be and didn't receive an answer. Then we asked the DOE, and they directed us to SUNY. SUNY then directed us to Success Charter's Board of Directors. No response. So CEC3 FOILed for information on the lottery/matriculation/enrollment process.

That was 3 years ago.

We are still waiting.

I am hopeful that under Mayor deBlasio the waiting will end, and transparency, accountability and equity for our schools, will begin. I also hope that Bloomberg, the DOE and Success won't be allowed to destroy all the evidence before they leave office.

Noah

I'm looking through my hats to see which one I will eat if deBlasio gets Eva to pay rent.

Over Eva Invasion, Bergtraum ChLdr Warns of Security Dangers of Co-Location

John Elfrank-Dana is joined by fellow teachers, former students and others in opposing another Eva Moskowitz Success Academy land grab in lower Manhattan this time. He warns of the dangers of putting kindergarten kids in a high school, especially in a high traffic area that suffered the 9/11 attack and remains a target. The recent disappearance of an autistic child from a large high school, shows the dangers of colocation. (The mother of the still-missing 14-year-old autistic boy plans to sue the DOE. (WNYC, NY1, CBS, Times)

http://youtu.be/izSpOI9WeXY