Why Won't Unity/UFT/AFT Leaders Fight Back? See Puerto Rico and Wisconsin

A union can't mount a rigorous battle unless it is a democratic union.

NOTE: Come and meet Puerto Rico Teacher union (FMPR) President Rafael Feliciano when he will be in NYC in about a week to 10 days - look for more info at ed notes

ACLU-PR Director Ramirez anti-police-UPR-terror event in NYC

I am constantly asked why Randi Weingarten and Michael Mulgrew - or MulGarten - won't put up a fierce battle to stop closing schools and the invasion of the charters in order to defend teachers and public education. Recent events give us some insight into the power of government over unions and how they treat "good (cooperative)" and "bad" (fightback) unions.

In Wisconsin we are seeing an attempt to totally scuttle unions whether good or bad by removing collective bargaining rights, forcing a union election every year and taking away dues checkoff. Less drastic but certainly moving in that direction is what we see here in NYC with a massive attack on the basic protections teachers have with tenure and last in first out.

As we've been reporing, instead of a rigorous defense of LIFO (Why Won't Mulgrew Defend LIFO?), MulGarten has punted, talking about how we should tax Wall Street. Now this is certainly a move in an interesting direction for the union, which has always avoided attacking the bastions of the rich because, as staunch supporters of capitalism, they wanted to keep class warfare off the table. I remember writing about it the spring of 2008 (months before the big crash) when on the day the UFT held a rally at City Hall begging for a few hundred million in the restoration of ed funds, Bear Sterns - just a few blocks away - was being bailed out with billions.

Not one mention was made of the connection between the funneling of massive monies into private hands and the ed deform movement that purposely talks about "teacehr quality" as the key while disparaging solutions like class size reduction that might actually make a difference. (From the first time I heard Randi Weingarten sign on to this TQ idea I told her she was leading us down a slippery slope that has turned into a free fall.)

In order to fightback a union requires an informed membership and a democratic structure that makes everyone feel they have a real stake and say in union policy. But opening up to other voices is dangerous for a union leadership like Unity Caucus because it could ultimately threaten their control. So they make the choice to cooperate with the powers that be - to be known as a "good" union - rather than stand and fight.

A union can't mount a rigorous battle unless it is a democratic union.

Now, as you will read below, the governor of Puerto Rico, fed up with a union that has fought him - successfully - at every turn, has taken the drastic step of firing every leader of the FMPR which would  make them ineligible to run the union. This act is even worse than what is happening in Wisconsin, disenfranchising 40,000 teachers in PR.

This after failing to undermine them by removing dues checkoff, running a bogus group from SEIU against them and other tactics. I should report that the FMPR removed itself from the AFT in 2003 (just search this blog for FMPR or Puerto Rico to get a weatlh of articles) because they were paying enormous dues to a national union that wouldn't fight for the workers.

Here's the gory story:

Entire Leadership of Puerto Rican Teachers Federation (FMPR) Fired from their Teaching Positions

Puerto Rican Education Secretary Jesús Rivera Sánchez dismissed the 11 members of the executive committee of the Puerto Rican Teachers Federation (FMPR)  [unaffiliated with US teaching federations] from their teaching posts and blocking them from exercising their profession in public and private systems. 

The teaching licenses of the FMPR leadership were permanently revoked.

The union's president, Rafael Feliciano, together with the ten other dismissed leaders, characterized the measure as repressive and unprecedented, with the goal of destroying the union leadership and intimidating the teachers from struggling against the current administration's plans to privatize the schools and liquidate the teachers' retirement fund.

The struggle against privatization, against labor rights violations, the right to union, the right to strike, freedom of speech and assembly in Puerto Rico needs your solidarity.   The FMPR is an independent democratic social justice justice union that has defied their version of the repressive Taylor Law (Law 45) and have had successful strikes and continuously organizes walk-outs with parents, students and communities against the horrible school conditions. We can not allow colonial Governor Fortuño to destroy the FMPR with fascistic repressive & union-busting measures that serve to escalate the privatization of  public education (Kindergarten to University) and all public services.

Spread the word.  Angel Gonzalez
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Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on right for news bits.

We in Nebraska are fortunate to still have control of PUBLIC schools

Anonymous comment on Waiting for Superman review in Lincoln, Nebraska

It's unfortunate than in its coverage of this film, the Journal Star missed an opportunity to investigate the issue Waiting for Superman misrepresents. The film review suggests that the film is "not journalism," but the reviewer doesn't perform much in the way of journalism either. Nowhere are LJS readers presented with an analysis of either the real issues the film purports to address OR an analysis of the filmmaker's egregious manipulation of the facts. This is no big secret--a number of easily accessible pieces from highly respected journalistic enterprises have outlined how Guggenheim re-staged scenes, presented factual errors as truth, and engaged not in documentation of the challenges that education in America faces, but rather a polemic that places all blame on teachers and legitimizes privatization of schools. The JournalStar suggests that the film has "generated debate" but its reporters offered no suggestion of the issues that caused that controversy.

What IS clear is that we in Nebraska are fortunate to still have control of PUBLIC schools with elected boards of education that we the people control. We also have public schools that attempt to educate ALL children. So unlike the charter world where, amazingly enough, even though it's a "lottery" for admission, significantly fewer of the students are English language learners, have special needs, are on federally-funded or reduced lunch, our public schools here in Nebraska deal with every kid who comes through the door. A free public education for all people is the genius of America. Do we really want to turn our schools over to charter corporations (check it out in New York--they're legally set up as corporations, not non-profits)that get to cherry pick students, and get rid of the students as well as the teachers who don't perform? (The film also fails to note Geoffrey Canada's well-publicized "firing" of an entire class of middle school kids who didn't score well enough on standardized tests. Where did those kids end up? Oh, yeah, the public schools. . . .)

And regardless of how much you like the mayor of your city, do you really want him or her running the school system as a department of his/her office, with no direct public access to open discussion and decision-making like we have through regular school board meetings? This is the model that Waiting for Superman suggests--the mayors have taken over schools in New York and D.C., handed public money to private corporations (try to go to one of their board meetings)and painted all public schools and all teachers as the sources of the problem. The people who are really trying to remake education are the teachers in our community (and thousands across the country, including big cities)who get up every day and go to classrooms where they deal with a huge variety of student capacity, background, parental interest, resources and more. But that's not nearly as dramatic as a system that creates winners and losers in some sort of made-for-the-camera ritual.

Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill Protest

Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill Protest from Matt Wisniewski on Vimeo.

YouTube version here: youtube.com/​watch?v=5TmSNPpzkWc

Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on right for news bits.

On Wisconsin, NY Testing Con - and Rochester Teachers: 94% No-Confidence in Kleinite Brizard

UPDATE: Forgot to clue you in to this story in Rochester where former NYC Kleinite and grad from Eli Broad Academy of Ed Deform Jean Claude-Brizard had a 94% no-confidence vote by the teachers:

http://failingschools.wordpress.com/2011/02/20/94-6-no-confidence-and-the-following-storm/

 

So much going on I am tied into knots just trying to figure out what to put up. I could do 10 posts a day but I'm wearing you out already, so I'll try to combine them.

I'll try to get to it later but make sure to read Jeff Kaufman's excellent take-down of E4E bullshit misleading manifesto at the ICEUFT Blog

“White Paper” on a Roll: How Ed Deformers Distort the Record on Seniority Layoffs

I'll try to do more in depth on Jeff's story - make sure to find his report on his attendance at an E4E meeting - Jeff's school is a hotbed of E4Eers.


On Wisconsin: There's no point in my adding to some of the superb posts out there by other bloggers and commentators. I loved the Ed Show Friday night live from Madison where he called out the right wingers - note how they exempted police and fire but they were turning out anyway to support the teachers. Loads of stuff out there:

Ravitch on Why America's teachers are enraged

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Diane Ravitch: Teachers are rallying against Wisconsin plan to cut their benefits, union rights
• She says teachers have been singled out for blame on America's education problems
• Ravitch: How can we improve schools while cutting funding and demoralizing teachers?

"Walker then used the deficit he'd created as the justification for assaulting his state's public employees." 12 Things You Need to Know About the Uprising in Wisconsin | AlterNet 

Paul Krugman has a great piece in the Times today: Wisconsin Power Play "
"What’s happening in Madison isn’t about the state budget"

RBE at Perdido St. School
Many Pro-Union Demonstrators Outnumber Anti-Union Demonstrators

The wingers brought in Joe the Plumber and Andrew Breitbart to rally the corporatist forces in favor of the Walker plan to bust the unions - but they were outnumbered four-to-one:


And NYC Educator: How Far Is Wisconsin? I left this comment:

In GEM's new film responding to Waiting for Superman a parent says, "First they came for the auto workers." Paul Krugman points out how they went after the private sector unions first.
We have to look at Wisconsin as part of "The Plan" to undermine and destroy teacher unions not only in this nation but around the world. Lois Weiner has been doing workshops on this issue for a long time and has a book out about it, all dovetailing with the work of Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine. Teachers are the focus because when they are organized they theoretically have the ability to reach into the homes of every parent with children in this nation. As a political force the right wing considers teachers especially dangerous as a force to battle their ideology. Of course they don't take into account the Randi Weingartens of this world - you make an excellent point - the unions have already given in to so many of the demands the right smells blood. Negotiations start right there instead of from a point where we will compromise on how much to give. Any fiscal crisis can be manufactured for political and ideological reasons and I believe we have a similar situation here in NY. Note how Bloomberg is manufacturing the layoff crisis to end LIFO.
It will be interesting to see how the union reacts here when things get stickier - look for the same - "we give" on many issues other than the ones that might weaken their control over the members - as a yearly election or end to dues checkoff would do. I've heard some anti-Unity Caucus people say "good." Sure it might open up the union to other groups - but if they were to replace Unity there would not be much of a union left. How ironic would it be if it ever came to the Wisconsin law here - we would all be forced to stand with Unity to help keep them in power, well, forever.

NY Post on the NY Testing Con
From the NY Post, no less - but it places most blame on former State Ed comm Richard Mills - come on, Meryl Tisch and the other Regents are off the hook? There was some great commentary on the NYCEdNews listserve. I extracted some of it and posted on Norms Notes.

New York's school testing con: Commentary on Sue Adelman NY Post

Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on right for news bits.

Diane Ravitch Makes an Offer We Cannot Refuse as "Absolute Truth Behind WFS" Moves to Completion

Who would you rather receive a phone call from, Geoffrey Canada or Diane Ravitch?

Norm
I ain't Geoffrey Canada, but you can offer me for a 10 minute chat.
Diane

Yes, we'll be raffling off a phone call from Diane for those who host house or school parties for the Grassroots Education Movement soon to be released film, "The Absolute Truth Behind Waiting for Superman."(See trailer here).

Diane's offer was prompted by the this call from the ed deformers for their WFS propaganda film:

National DVD House Party Day

Waiting for "Superman" is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. We invite you to join us on February 25 for our National DVD House Party Day. Here's how you can take part:

1.     Order your DVD or Blu-ray on Amazon.com.

2.     Sign up to receive the Waiting for "Superman" DVD House Party Guide for all the tips and tools you need to host a great evening.

3.     Invite your friends and family to join you on February 25! Can't host a house party on the 25th? Don't worry, you can do it any time.

When you sign up, you will also be entered for a chance to win a personal phone call with Harlem Children's Zone Founder, Geoffrey Canada on the night of your party.

Happy viewing!

Gag! gag!!  gag!!! It took Diane about 10 minutes to respond with her own offer of a phone call. Yes, she sure ain't Geoffrey Canada, thank goodness.

We held our first preview of our film on Thursday evening in front of about 50 people who were asked to fill out evaluation forms giving us guidance on the final editing. A rousing discussion was held after the 50 minute film ended.

There were lots of suggestions and criticisms and we are looking at the evaluations to see where we might improve the film without making it much longer. A key question is "Who is the target audience?" People who already agree with us but have not yet gotten active in the resistance or people on the fence who might be won over? I'm still up in the air on this one, waiting to gage more reactions though I am leaning to the former - we will not be able to build a resistance without ground troops - so if the film inspires people to become more active it will be an accomplishment. There were some suggestions that by sharpening up some of the info we present we might move the fence sitters.

A little history of the film
NYC special ed teacher Julie Cavanagh, who was one of the main writers and narrators along with Brian Jones, told the audience that the movie idea was hatched in my "man cave" (which as readers of this blog know has turned more into a female cave) last August when she and I were working on a short film (Educational Dysfunction at the New York City DOE).

We took a look at the WFS trailer and were so disgusted we decided to make our own film in response. I suggested a spoof but Julie felt we needed a serious well-thought out response. She was right.

As members of GEM we brought the idea to the group and they enthusiastically supported the project. We were joined by DM, who also works in the school system at a public school invaded by Harlem Success Academy (as does Brian Jones) and he became the main editor and a narrator on the film (thus allowing this old guy to rest). Julie also teaches at a co-location invaded public school by a charter (PAVE) school operator with lots of political influence. (The charter school push into public schools is our best organizer). We asked long-time activist Brian Jones to narrate along with Julie.

When WFS opened in late September, we organized a rally at the theater, wearing red capes with "RR" stamped on the back and started publicizing a list of Real Reforms rather than market-based ed deform anti-union and anti-teacher program so celebrated in WFS. They performed a rap song throughout the evening protest in front of the theater. Thus was born the Real Reformers who have performed at various PEP meetings since then.

In the meantime, while we worked on the film, GEM continued to respond as more schools closings and charter co-locos were announced, along with the Cathie Black nomination as Chancellor.  More and more footage accumulated and we were revising and adding B-role as we worked. Once we set the Feb. 17 date we had to move to get a completed product. Last Saturday we spent 12 hours finalizing the draft. A dvd wasn't cut till Wednesday, which made an old techie who always saw so many DoE events get screwed up by bad tech, very nervous.

I ran up to Williamsburg to get a copy but didn't get to watch it till last Weds eve, the first time any of us had actually watched the film from end to end. I tried to watch it as an outsider. I was impressed with the work they had done in putting this together, though I am ambivalent on how we deal with the union - we have a strong piece on the attacks on unions but do not address the problems with the UFT/AFT support for ed deform, the feeling being  - correctly I believe that this is not the place to get into that -  yet I don't think we can totally ignore this point. We're hoping to resolve this in further edits. Anyway, I didn't fall asleep, which is quite a tribute since I fall asleep at everything.

And then came the offer of support for the film from Diane Ravitch (who gave me an exclusive interview for the film - and looks wonderful in it in addition to giving her usual sharp analysis). So, start getting out those chips for your house or school party and a chance to win an exclusive phone call from Diane Ravitch.

Why did Waiting for Superman get snubbed and Exit Through the Gift Shop get nommed? - Ravitch Critique played major role

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/race/top-5-oscar-nomination-mysteries-76467

Who's Been in Power Longer? Arab Dictators or Unity Caucus

Last Update: Sat., Feb. 19, 1pm

So I was watching the News Hour and an expert on the Middle East was talking about those fossilized leaders of the Arab nations in revolt and how the lack of democracy had created a status quo situation that was a major cause of the unrest. He ticked off each dictator:

• Tunisia's Zine: 24 years
• Mubarek: 30 years
• Bahrain: 40 years
• Ghaddafi: 44 years

And I was waiting for the longest running dictatorship to come next:

• Unity Caucus in the UFT/AFT: 45 years +

How outrageous that the News Hour has Randi Weingarten as our voice on the Wisconsin issue? Whining how the unions want to talk and give up everything but the governor won't sit down. Let me tell you, the unions in Wisconsin are extremely fortunate that the right wingers are so rabid they won't sit down with the likes of Randi Weingarten. They should talk to Joel Klein and Bloomberg and ed deformers in other major cities (Detroit, Chicago, Washington DC) to see just how easy it is to get most of what they want.

The exact same mechanism of decay and failure that is tearing down the Arab states is operating in the UFT and AFT. Except there is a greater chance of every Arab state being toppled than Unity Caucus, which will be left standing long after the union is an aging white dwarf.

Add-on
See the NY Times today on the use of cell phone cameras: Cellphones Become the World’s Eyes and Ears on Protests

But not in the UFT. More irony in that because I took some video at a Delegate Assembly and at the UFT wine and cheese party  - the UFT banned video at DA's.  Randi tried to pin the rap on me that I was blogging live from meetings. Mubarek and the Arab leaders learned at the feet of Unity - shut down the proof of your crimes.

Here are links to the 2-part video I made of the ATR rally: Part 1 - Wine and Cheese, Part 2 - march to Tweed to meet the ATRs who were there for 2 hours waiting for Randi and Unity to show up.

A Tale of Two Rallies

Watch the rank & file hold their own spirited rally while the UFT staff holds a wine and cheese infomercial.


The Video the UFT Doesn't Want You To See: The ATR Rally

See Randi Weingarten scream, "Norman, put down that camera!"

Hear her approach me near Tweed and ask me to hand over the tape.


Hear people boo her and shout her down in front of Tweeed.

No wonder she pushed through a gag-rule resolution at the Jan. 28 Delegate Assembly (read James Eterno's account at the ICE blog.)



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Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on right for news bits.

Black and Bloom Try to Screw Mulgrew on CEC Meet and Greet

So the CEC Presidents - that's the remnants of the school boards - send out a meet and greet invite on Feb. 9 to Mulgrew to meet with them on March 7.

Then on Feb. 17 the DOE parent shills sent out an invite to the CEC presidents:

On Feb 17, 2011 12:53 PM, "Office for Family Information and Action" OFIA@schools.nyc.govt; wrote:

Hello CEC Presidents,
We know that many of you are eager to meet with our new schools Chancellor Cathleen Black and hear more about her vision. To this end, we're pleased to invite CEC Presidents to a meet and greet with Chancellor Black on March 7, 2011 at 6:00 PM. This meeting will take place in the Second Floor Conference Room at the Tweed Courthouse,52 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007.
Family Information and Action, Ojeda Hall, and our CEC Manager, EwelNapier. Please RSVP by March 1st to Juan Rosales:
jrosales@schools.nyc.gov

One parent wag said:

It took OFIA (Information and Action my eye) a whole week to come up with this effort to divide, anger, separate and dis-empower parents. They must think we are dopes....or they have a bloc of folks from the deep Brooklyn communities of faith already lined up for the event. And if anyone out there believes this is an innocent mistake by OFIA, have I got a bridge for you!

Steve Koss followed with:

I was on the D2 CEC a few years ago but was never its president. Nevertheless, I know without doubt what I would do under this circumstance -- honor the prior commitment to Mr. Mulgrew and the UFT and respectfully decline the Cathie Black invitation. For the Black/OFIA DOE to schedule the exact same group of people for the same evening is beyond unforgivable; closer to incendiary. You don't "reach out" to the community by knowingly creating (and refusing to resolve) a conflict that is inherently divisive.
Given what's going on right now in Wisconsin, it's the honorable thing to do, and it sends a message to Ms. Black and others that the UFT is an equal partner and equal constituency with an equal claim on CEC members' time and interests. I watched a couple hours of Wisconsin union member protests this evening, and it's scary to realize that what's going on in NY is only different right now in degree (but perhaps not different in its ultimate goals).

NYTimes Spins for Bloomberg - Leonie Haimson blows a hole through Times coverage on cost overrun on HS Admissions

Two articles below about a new City Comptroller’s audit, showing huge cost overruns in DOE’s HS admissions system that everyone hates, with a $3.6 million contract for a computerized enrollment system to balloon to more than $23 million . The audit is not yet posted, but there is a good summary in the NY Post and a longer article in the NY Times, reprinted below.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/computer_bungle_in_doe_blackboard_qfwJgsduRYUo0USDZdYf0J#ixzz1EK68EJ59

Yet David Chen of the NY Times writes, adopting the PR spin of DOE: “With the advent of mayoral control of the schools shortly after Mr. Bloomberg took office in 2002, the Education Department overhauled the nerve-wracking and lotterylike process by which students were admitted to high schools.” 

Clearly Mr. Chen has no children who have recently applied to HS.

The HS admissions process in this city has become even more nerve-wracking and downright confusing for most students and parents, with the closing of many of the zoned neighborhood schools, the advent of a HS catalogue more than three inches thick, w/ new schools proliferating like mushrooms, w/ no track record, no accountability, and no oversight as to whether they actually provide the programs they claim. Can you imagine how confusing this is for most parents who have little time to attend all the information sessions or even get through the catalogue? 

Educators for Excellence Smoking Grassroots

UPDATE LINK: Accountable Talk:  An Asshat By Any Other Name


Well, they've won me over. Those whacky kids from E4E are doing grassroots training - it's all for the kids you know. On Feb. 24th you can learn all about advocating for kids - by attacking the rights of seniority and LIFO protections for the kids' long-time teachers. If only the kids could vote...

But as GEMers we love it when people use the expression "grassroots." Even the UFT is talking GR. So, come on now, head on over to E4E training on Feb. 24 at 2PM - do you have anything better to do during your week off? Of course for Evan and Sydney this is not a vacation week since they only work one day a week with that Gates and DFER subsidy.

They're even going to throw you a party at 4PM. It's all so much fun.

E4E planning UFT election run?
I'm thinking - Coming soon: The E4E UFT Caucus to run against Unity in the 2013 election, fueled by big bucks from Gates and DFER. There already a group in LA doing the same thing and backed by similar money. That is part of the ed deform strategy - place 5th columns in all the urban unions to create confusion. They were too late for Chicago where CORE jumped the gun and won power as a reform slate. E4E-like anti-union movements benefit from corrupt, status quo, anti-democratic leaderships, and Unity is a prime target. By sending out their message a certain way they will be able to fool many members and garner support from the increasing numbers of anti-Unity people. They won't win but manage to give the impression that there is more support for their policies than there really is.

I bet that Unity big wigs are actually happy about E4E (maybe explains Mulgrew visit) since Unity can't lose in a stacked deck and an E4E candidacy fueled by big money will drown out any other CORE-like opposition party. And don't forget the Unity-bought New Action Caucus stalking horse to further confuse things.

My advice to the usual opposition groups: walk away from this unless you can bring a strong ground game to match Unity in 50% of the schools. E4E will have no ground game but won't really need one with the big money and a few full-time organizers working the campaign.

Question: Will E4E also try to get some of their people to run for chapter leaders and delegates? I bet not as that will take them into an arena that is way over their heads.

Take Action:

• Looking for something fun to do over the Feb. break? Join us for a Grassroots Training Party so you can get the tools and resources you need to become a better advocate for your students!
  • WHEN: Thursday, February 24th (2:00 - 4:00PM with a party afterwards!)
  • WHERE: Location TBD
  • RSVP: By clicking here!

All our best,

Evan and Sydney

E4E Co-Founders

 

Thu., Feb. 24, 2011
E4E Grassroots Training Party
Are you looking for an interesting way to help your students over the February break?  

Come join E4E to learn how to become a better advocate for kids.  E4E is hosting a two hour grassroots training event to help give you the advocacy tools you need to maximize your impact for kids.

The event will be followed by a party to celebrate your accomplishments so far this year and to acknowledge your continued commitment to students. 

Location: TBD
When: 2:00 PM
Ends: 4:00 PM

Tickets

Level	Description	Price	#
E4E Grassroots Training Party	Come get the tools to help you advocate for your students!	FREE	click here!12

If you are going, send reports of all the fun. Reports that the location has been discovered and there will be pickets outside are unsubstantiated.

Mr. Mulgrew, Tear Down This Wall

Last update, Friday, Feb. 18, 11:45AM

"Who would ever think you guys could make such a big deal out of one stinkin' dinner? It's beyond belief."- UFT lead lobbyist Paul Egan in NY Daily News

If the union refers to the PEP Bloomies as "puppets" are Unity Caucus Clones any different?

By now, most readers will have heard of the Paul Egan Albany restaurant caper. If you didn't, you can catch up on my post the other day, which I have updated with the latest links: Everyday Math: How Many Quail Does it Take to Fill a Union Leader?

I know I had a little fun at Paul's expense but before I begin, let me say that I like Paul Egan. From what I hear he is one of the more capable Unity Caucus people. When he was Bronx District 11 rep I only heard good things. He put up a great web site with a number of resources that people say was the gold standard for providing information. He has charm and charisma and that Irish brogue doesn't hurt. I'm sure he does good work as the UFT's chief lobbyist. And the unfair attacks on him for a supposed cheating scandal are extremely unfair. For the Daily News and NY Post ((DN, Post) to connect a 10 year old cheating scandal is shameless. Especially when they ignore the official and unofficial rampant cheating going on every day, cheating winked at by Tweed and the State Ed Dept. (The Dirty Secret of Regents Cheating ...).

Egan was the guy who got up to oppose endorsing Bill Thompson for mayor, saying that at most a union effort on Thompson's behalf could move the needle no more than 2 or 3 points.

See below the fold for a  defense of Paul from retired UFT Bronx District rep Lynne Winderbaum.
Now, Lynne is one of the most respected people in the union, even by the opposition. I've never heard one bad thing said about her.

But both she and Paul just don't get it.

Paul may be right about making a bid deal about a stinkin' dinner. But this is not about a stinkin' dinner. It is about 24 people going out and using COPE money contributed by the members to spend $1800. The fact that Egan makes around $150,000 a year must also be noted. As one commenter said:

Teachers who attend the UFT dog and pony show called “Lobby Day” get up at 5 A.M, travel to Albany on a bus, get a box lunch and a bag of pretzels and come back the same night. Unlike the Mul-Dew flunkies, they don’t get to spend two nights in Albany, eat three or four meals a day and put their Egan-sized bar bill on their UFT padded expense sheets

This is about the arrogance and feelings of self-entitlement of power. That is what you get when you have a one party system running the union with no checks and balances with a rubber stamp Executive Board and Delegate Assembly.

For 3 years, from 2004-2007 when ICE/TJC had 6 members of the EB, there as actually a voice of the members even though they were only 6 out of 89. But when New Action and Unity teamed up to push them out, Lynne Winderbaum was one of the Unity people who replaced them. I wasn't there all that often, but did she step up and play a public role to check the excesses of power or challenge one disastrous policy after another that has led us to this abyss? Of course she couldn't because she would have been removed from Unity.

In 2005 there was a major battle over the contract that opened the door to the massive assault on seniority (ATRs were born in that contract). Unity send out hordes of people to steamroller people into voting for that contract and stifle debate within the union, even going so far as to stop us from getting literature into teachers mailboxes so they could hear the other side. Many of us were stopped at the door, not by principals but by Unity chapter leaders. I maintain that the DOE has to end seniority rules before they could start closing schools en masse, a first step before going after LIFO 5 years later. (Remember how when ATRs complained about being forced to be subs while first year teachers had jobs and the UFT told them to be happy they still have a job?) What did Egan and Winderbaum do during that battle?

Democracy is not an abstract concept. The lack of it is why the UFT and the AFT will never be a force opposing the ed deform movement because the membership has so little voice. If the members could vote do you think the UFT would have two charter schools invading public schools? Would they have gone along with UFT policy that led to us sitting by while one school after another was closed? Signing an agreement with the State Ed Dept. on test data being used to evaluate teachers?

Until the UFT begins to function in a democratic manner, some of the most eloquent and passionate voices in the UFT will oppose Unity Caucus no matter what words they say that makes them look militant. So I say:

Mr.  Mulgrew, tear down this wall.

But that will never happen and the UFT power and influence will continue to shrink. But the leadership's prime directive is to maintain power.

If the union refers to the PEP Bloomies as "puppets" are Unity Caucus Clones any different?

Below is Lynne Winderbaum's comments to the Daily News. I just wonder where she and other decent Unity people were when Unity did a vicious red-baiting attack on ICE/TJC presidential candidate Kit Wainer in the 2007 elections.

(See Breaking News: March 29, 2007 "Randi then gave Unity head Jeff Zahler the floor to engage in another round of red-baiting, saying he was proud to have sent that out and reading excerpts in an attack on Kit Wainer. He said accusations of mccarthyism are not true ...")

They all sat on their hands at that DA.

Also see: NYC Educator

What Your COPE Dollars Buy

  Winderbaum response online to the Daily News editorial and the recent articles in the News and the Post:

First They Came...perhaps it is time - a chapter leader's opinion

Perhaps it is time to face reality.  The union today is not the union of old.  Teaching today is not the same job it was 5 years ago.  Between the demands of the city and the retreat of the union, there is less classroom teaching.  Daily attacks on teachers from city's administration, the bureaucracy at the Tweed courthouse, the administrators at the local schools, and the media go relatively unanswered.  With all the constant negative attacks, is it any wonder that some students and parents are starting to believe what they hear about their teachers?

Occasionally there will protestations from the union's leadership but it is often late, and ineffective.  What is left of the contract is eroded daily.  Duty free lunch?  Not when you hold faculty conferences during that time.  SBO votes?  What is that?  Security? Put a union member at the door.  And even though the union says these things should not be, they are.  Why do the district representatives sign off on things that violate the contract?

So now the city and state are in negotiations on how to remove non-classroom teachers.  Whether you call it layoffs, termination, or firing does not matter.  The reason for last in-first out is to prevent abuses by administrators.   Anyone that has been teaching during the many incarnations of the Board of Education during the Bloomberg years has certainly had the opportunity to view abusive behavior.  Can you imagine what will happen in schools if one of the last vestiges of seniority is done away with?  Get rid of last in - first out and you begin the death of a thousand cuts.  Think of Pandora's Box and you can pretty much divine what will happen.  It may start with the non-classroom teachers, but it wont end there.

First they came for the rubber-room folks,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't in a rubber-room.

Then they came for the ATR's
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't an ATR.

Then they came for the tenured people
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't tenured yet.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me

Wisconsin Teachers Act: Clearly, Weingarten is NOT in the House

Can you imagine a 40% sick in call with the UFT running things? With the assault in NY coming, is the Unity Caucus led UFT capable of a militant response that goes beyond snowball commercials?

Our Schools NYC

Teachers and other Public Workers Rally by the 1000′s in Wisconsin

Breaking News Coverage of Teachers' Protest in Wisconsin Right now, teachers from across Wisconsin are flooding the capitol building in Wisconsin to protest Governor Walker's proposed budget repair proposal that would strip away nearly all collective bargaining rights for most of the state's public employee unions, including the teachers' union. Yesterday, nearly 25,000 to 30,000 protestors packed Capitol Square and 40 percent of Madison's teachers called in sick.

Also Note:

Modern School

Educational Vichy Summit in Denver
 

Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/. And make sure to check out the side panel on right for news bits.

Everyday Math: How Many Quail Does it Take to Fill a Union Leader?

Last Updated: Friday, Feb. 18, 2011, 8:00AM

Updated  LINKS as of Feb. 18:
The UFT official thrown out of an Albany restaurant says portion size wasn’t the issue. (Daily News)
NYC EDUCATOR : What Your COPE Dollars Buy

The UFT is not having a good day. Officials are having difficulty COPING after it was revealed that they used COPE funds to pay - or rather try not to pay- for a $40 price fix meal for 3 tables full of union officials plus drinks (lots) that totaled almost $2000. Picky, picky, picky. I see what Egan was doing - creating a big stir as an excuse not to pay the bill and saddle member contributions to the political action fund with the cost. The guy is brilliant. Reminds me of the movie "Victor, Victoria" where they were too poor to eat but carried along a cockroach to release as a way to skip out on the bill.

City union officials were ejected from an Albany restaurant after contesting their check. (Daily News)

The UFT official thrown out of an Albany restaurant complained about its bad service. (Daily Politics)

The official, Paul Egan, was implicated in a cheating scandal as a teacher in 2000. (DN, Post)

Our sources tell us that Egan will be punished by forcing him to go on a quail hunt and must bring back enough quail to feed the entire Executive Board at their next meeting. Honestly Paul, I only ordered quail once and after I saw that little bony bird I said "never again." It cost about $22 and I could have eaten 10 of them and not feel filled. Stick to the mashed potatoes.

A Daily News editorial - which would hammer the UFT if it were run by Mother Theresa, did come up with some info:

On Monday, Egan led a delegation of 24 - count them, 24 - union reps on an Albany lobbying blitz. Then the big guy treated his troops to dinner at Marché, a restaurant in a boutique hotel near the Capitol. This was no Applebee's. No, it was expense-account heaven with a $40 prix fixe menu. Egan had the quail. Of course he did. But then he didn't like the quail. He thought the quail a disappointingly small bird, apparently having missed the part of the curriculum where one might learn that quail is, well, a small bird.

Let's change the math question: How many quail does it take to fill 24 UFT officials - probably make quail extinct.

And then there was this "insider" comment. I know all the people referred to but let's keep this Peyton Place clean.

BRENDAN BEHAN said...

FROM TODAY'S DAILY NEWS: The issue is not “Tubby” Egan or his mashed potatoes- it’s his chronic drinking and outbursts that UFT president Michael Mul-Dew has overlooked for too long because Egan protects the son of an ousted Mul-Dew/Weingarten crony-one of the top five officials in the union- who was caught taking kickbacks from a local hotel while making his subordinate have sex with him. Egan also protects a do-nothing woman who Randi Weingarten promoted even though she is totally useless but is “very close” to key male legislators. “Very” close. Egan has a history of getting soused at union weekends and in restaurants where he is known for chowing down, then whining that the “portion” was too small. Lobbying legislators? Teachers who attend the UFT dog and pony show called “Lobby Day” get up at 5 A.M, travel to Albany on a bus, get a box lunch and a bag of pretzels and come back the same night. Unlike the Mul-Dew flunkies, they don’t get to spend two nights in Albany, eat three or four meals a day and put their Egan-sized bar bill on their UFT padded expense sheets which sleazoids like Weingarten/Mul-Dew bully David Hickey ($220,000 per year) overlook. Lobbying? Why does it take 12 UFT political hacks-all tied into the Mul-Dew Unity Cult Caucus ----to lobby when there are only three people: Silver, Skelos and Cuomo who make the real decisions? The Daily News should check the bar tabs of other top Mul-Dew butt lickers who get paid $170,000 and up with unlimited food and drink and travel and parking budgets, all signed by Mul-Dew sycophant LeRoy Barr. A [UFT top oficial] drank so much at a UFT weekend in Princeton in October 2009, that she was running around the dance floor hugging everyone and saying “I love you.” She had to be carried back to her room and it was only 9 p.m. UFT members would freak out if they could see Mul-Dew’s bar bill disguised as “union business.” He gets just as nasty as Egan but hides it better- his hangover days are spent in tirades against his staff and covering up for Bloomberg as he throws the contract out the window. He is more pathetic than Egan.

Then came this news:
Principal of union-run charter school resigns mid-year

by Anna Phillips

After several years of mixed reviews and a decision by its authorizer to give it an abbreviated charter, a charter school run by the city’s teachers union is losing its principal.
Sources close to the school said that Danny Wilcox, the principal of the United Federation of Teachers’ secondary charter school is stepping down. Wilcox, who would not comment on his departure, is the third principal to leave the secondary school since it opened in 2005.  More

Hey, guess who the first principal let go from this school, which just happens to be housed - co-located - invading - George Gershwin middle school where I was in the first 3 year graduating class in 1959? No less than the son of Unity hacker Peter Goodman who blogs as Ed in the Apple. I thought that would have been an interesting factoid for the article, especially since Gotham likes to link to UFT shill Goodman so often. There's some more interesting info about the school but I ain't goin' there.

Oy vey. I'm starting to feel sorry for these guys.

Afterburn:
Mona Davids asked Gotham to do a story on her corrupt charter school but so far no dice. Here is her comment at Gotham:

Hey Anna,
As I mentioned to you last Friday, can you do a story on my charter, Equality, where the principal was fired two weeks ago. Our school has extremely low test scores (majority of kids failed the state tests), high teacher turnover, high student attrition, high board turnover, cronyism, nepotism and mismanagement.
Oh, and the fact that the school notified 8th grade parents, 3 days to the high school applications deadline that they’re no longer going to high school. Leaving parents to scrambe to find any school for their kids. I think my charter is a bigger story than the UFT charter story especially considering it’s in it’s second year and worse than Ross Global and East NY Prep put together. Like the aforementioned schools, we’re DoE authorized.
Follow the money at my school and get answers to why the principal was abruptly fired by the board.
Best,
Mona

Spoofing Rhee and TFA: Last Stand for Children First Blog - Must Read

Ran across this blog. Is Gary Babab moonlighting? Make sure to click the link to the bubble test wallpaper.

Our booth was a huge success.  We sold out of our bubble test wallpaper and nearly sold our entire stock.  Many TFAers it seems are raising the next generation of high-achieving children and wanted the wallpaper for their personal use.  We also gave away our entire stock of safety tape, which was our free give away.  After we learned that Michelle Rhee had once been horrified to find that the mouths of the class whose mouths she had taped were all bleeding, we went to work on finding a safer tape that would still stop children from opening their mouths, but would not cause physical damage.  Safety Tape does just that and is available in a wide variety of fun colors from Silent Sable to Noiseless Navy.  We are also working on a new brand of Velcro restraints that we hope to have out for next year’s TFA convention. Michelle Rhee was of course very impressed with our tape and even applied some to Myron Miner’s mouth while joking around during a panel discussion.  Rhee offered a startling statistic for the future that I am sure she didn’t just make up saying, “123,000 new high tech jobs will be coming to the United States and only 50,000 students are qualified to do them.”   

Ms. Rhee suggested that there were many ways for the remaining 73,000 students to pad their résumés and suggested that résumé padding is something that all students should be taught in school.

Joel Klein inspired us all by saying that we should make this “our Egypt moment.”  At first, I couldn’t see the parallels, but then I remembered Klein was now working for Rupert Murdoch who saw Hosni Mubarak as the hero of Egypt’s “Egypt moment”.  When I remembered that, and thought of Wisconsin’s brave Governor Scott Walker threatening to send out the National Guard to help him crush the public employee unions in the state and the way that Mubarak threatened to do similar things to the trade unions helping occupy Tahrir Square, it made a lot more sense.  When I thought back to Michelle Rhee’s comments about the DC schools falling apart without her and the way Mubarak said such similar things, I realized that we need to stand up to resistance in a way Mubarak didn’t have the courage to.  Otherwise our ruling elite will wind up like Egypt’s did.

FULL REPORT AT

http://laststand4children.blogspot.com/2011/02/last-stand-for-children-first-attends.html

Leonie says:

There is a guy who is fantastically funny and runs the website LSFC1 – Last stand for children first ( a spoof of Students first, stand for children etc. and all those orgs funded by Gates that have sprung up)  http://laststand4children.blogspot.com/

He also plays  Rep. Jack Kimble – a fake GOP Congressman from CA who is really hilarious and that some reporters have confused him w/ a real House member.  See

http://kimbleforcongress.blogspot.com/ (see http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/09/who-is-rep-jack-kimble.html )

You can also follow him at Twitter which I do; RepJackKimble  and LS4C1 

Kimble ends every night by saying Good night, America, stay free!

I discovered LSFCF at Alexander Russo's Chicago focused (even though he lives in Brooklyn) blog. Here are some serious comments I picked off. I found this comment interesting - and true: They (TFAers) often fail to recognize the positive attributes of veteran teachers, rather concentrating on the sub-par minority. 

Why we will no longer hire TFAs:
We do not want to hear any more: “ I didn’t know the kids would be so far behind, they would be so misbehaved, they would have such little parent support”, etc.
Do not want to keep going on their classrooms due to their practice of classroom management or get 5 student write-ups a day on ‘answering back’ or not doing what I told them to do…have a revolving door of subs due to TFA teachers who leave because teaching is really not for them, who (finally) get married and move on with their spouse, who get pregnant so that they do not have to teach anymore, or when that dream job finally comes to them and they leave in the middle of the year, (I’ll miss the kids though) and then we have to get subs. The help and time we gave them was a waste, learning to be a teacher in summer school was a waste, but mostly, the students are angry these teachers leave them for something/anything better. (And they take it out on the sub or next teacher.)

Read more: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/district-299/2011/02/events-tfa-at-20.html#ixzz1E5y0s8bt

TFAs like other young teachers are by and large hard workers. Unlike their "regular" peers however they do not seek advice from veteran teachers, rather huddling together and conferring with other rookies. They have a propensity to cite studies and data that fly in the face of the reality in the school. They exude an unearned confidence that belies a general lack of classroom control. They create lessons that are so "rigorous" that they are beyond the reach of most students. They believe that they are more "energetic" than other teachers and that energy and smarts are more important than realism and experience. They are in some ways idealistic, but that idealism is based on an unreality that the TFA system perpetuates. They promote themselves as "education alumni" after only a few years of work. They often fail to recognize the positive attributes of veteran teachers, rather concentrating on the sub-par minority. They refuse to be critical of the TFA program. I must admit however that as a general rule they are much more fashionable than their regular counterparts. You won't see TFAs wearing golf shirts and blouses purchased at The Gap.

Read more: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/district-299/2011/02/events-tfa-at-20.html#ixzz1E5zF2FZK

Agreed with both above--the TFAs at my school-you describe accurately, even the clothing they wear! It is trendy, but too revealing for teachers of middle school boys. And on advice-I feel sorry for two of these young girls in a tough classroom since September. They are still lost. They teach now to only 1/4 of the class, while their other students ignore them. They have no classroom control and offer lessons that are over the students' heads-so they lose them. And this is February! Their students will have lower ISAT scores from last year, since their students socialize and learn nothing. It is really sad. It is also true that two TFAs left our school because they were 'uncomfortable' with our Latino students speaking Spanish, in their classrooms, even though these students spoke and understood English well.

Read more: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/district-299/2011/02/events-tfa-at-20.html#ixzz1E5zXEOZo

Anonymous said:

It truly was an inspirational weekend. Anytime you put 11,000 TFA alumni with nearly 25,000 years of combined teaching experience, you have a tremendous amount of something. Our organization Last Stand for Children First was fortunate to be there and our booth gave away our complete supply of safety tape, which is wonderful for taping students mouths without pulling off the skin like can happen with regular tape. My report from TFA20 is located on our website at http://laststand4children.blogspot.com/2011/02/last-stand-for-children-first-attends.html

Read more: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/district-299/2011/02/events-tfa-at-20.html#ixzz1E6015GsK

The Racial School Divide in Harlem: A Public School Where Staff is Black, A Co-located Charter With a White Staff

Almost the entire staff of the public school is black or Latino/a and senior while almost the entire staff of the co-located charter is white and young. And this is Harlem where all the kids are the same color of the public school teachers. What has a greater impact on kids? Having a sign on your classroom that says your teacher went to Duke, or having a teacher who comes from your neighborhood and has similar experiences growing up?

Since I completely left the school system around 2005, there have obviously been vast changes. My view has been shaped by the teachers who have been in touch through email and blogs and through my contact with the activist teachers in GEM, ICE, NYCORE and Teachers Unite. But direct contact with rank and file teachers at the school level has been limited.

Last Friday I was invited by a chapter leader to speak at the union meetings, which covered 3 lunch hours. It was quite a learning experience for me. I was impressed with the knowledge the teachers had with many of the push-button issues, a tribute to the chapter leader, a member of GEM, who has attempted to inform the members.

Almost the entire staff is older and Black. I think I met only one younger, white teacher. Many have been in the school for years. The key issue is that the school suffers from a co-location with an aggressive charter school. Teachers talked about how to reach out to parents to tell the story of their school, which is headed for extinction with the charter continuously expanding. What was the racial composition of the charter school staff, I asked? "One hundred percent white," was the response.

And that point struck me right between the eyes. Here we are in Harlem. In a public school where almost all the teachers are of the same color as the students. Older teachers with lots of experience.

And down the hall is an entirely different school, with an almost all white, younger staff, who all come from top level colleges - they hang signs on their doors and from the hallway ceilings. I didn't see one from the CUNY colleges, where one could recruit teachers of color. I'm betting many of them are from Teach for America. And I would bet that they have a level of disdain for the teachers of the public school who look so different from them

f we look down the road, we will see the older black teachers vilified and disappeared and replaced with mostly young white teachers, many of whom will themselves be gone before long to go on to make ed policy which will lead to more elimination of teachers who look like the students they teach. What kind of message does that send to the children in Harlem?

So when there are charges that Teach for America is racist, whether overt or not, take a visit to this school and check the outcomes of ed deform policy.

More on the TFA Summit

"You ask us what we are "doing." We're teaching, every day, just as we have been for years and hope to continue to, unlike the overwhelming majority of TFAers who parade their passion, their excellence, their commitment to children and then...stop...teaching. But after all, TFA is not really about teaching is it? No, as Wendy Kopp herself says, it's about "leadership." In other words, it's really about identifying, training and grooming cadre and leaders for developing policy, managing the schools, and instituting the business model of its funders, which is by its nature anti-democratic."

Michael Fiorillo responding to comments on TFA Summit blogger

Our TFA Summit Blogger's posts on Saturday has gotten quite a response and some interesting channels have opened up. I'm trying to entice Summit Blogger to do a regular gig here at Ed Notes. The two of us are co-editors of the GEM newsletter and we work very well together.

So, here is another view of the TFA summit from another blogger. As you'll see, this blogger is a former Tweedie and a proud supporter of TFA, though she does have misgivings, which she may blog about.

Somehow through some strange Twilight Zone events, we have gotten to know each other a bit. Though I'm often rabid here on the blog, I am capable of having a dialogue and we do and hope to continue the dialogue. We may even get together for a pow wow with Summit Blogger.

Her take on the summit:

I found there was an emphasis on staying in teaching in the messages I heard and saw at the Summit. I also took a bus from New York City with mostly younger corps and I heard about how they wanted to stay in teaching.

This will be great if true and not a PR blitz from TFA to counter the charges that people like Fiorillo make. It will take a lot of convincing to make me believe that there is greater interest in staying in the classroom than in doing ed policy or other work related to "adult" work rather than the focus on children. But we'll see. I hope TFAers do stay, as Summit Blogger did - in the long run they will move away from ed deform and towards working with the Real Reformers. We certainly can use their passion and commitment in the ed wars.

I often hear people say great and inspiring things. Even Randi Weingarten. But as I always say, watch what they do, not what they say.

Here is the full post. Teach for America #TFA20 Recap and Reflections: Part 1

Where we diverge is that she looks at what TFA can bring to the educational table. I look at TFA as a political movement that in the long run will have a deleterious impact. There's a lot for us to hash out.

In the meantime, below the fold are some of the interesting comments - Summit Blogger's responses and others:

District 6 Feb. 16 Shael Suransky - the DOE operating concepts pertaining to Teaching, Learning, & Accountability: Teacher-activist Julie Cavanagh will respond

NOTE: Just heard from Julie - she is real sick and can't make it. Suransky also postponed. Even to be rescheduled in April.

Josh Karan a parent leader in District 6 (Washington Hts) has established a program to engage parents in the educational debate.


Tomorrow's session will have Shael Suransky and GEM/CAPE's Julie Cavanagh presenting.

Deputy Chancellor Shael Suransky will present the DOE operating concepts pertaining to Teaching, Learning, & Accountability, to which teacher-activist Julie Cavanagh will be responding. 

Next - March 7:

DOE Charter School Division Chief Recy Dunn will present the DOE view on the value of Charter schools, to which Mona David will respond.

Josh described the program with the hope it will be emulated in other districts:

The purpose of the program is to provide a roadmap for parents --- to enable them to see a way from here to there, after first defining what the here and there mean for them:  Examining what kind of education parents want for their children, and exploring what currently is being provided.  Presently many parents struggle to do any of this -- understand the current system, articulate what they believe the system should provide, and assert what their role should be in the crafting of a different system, operating under different structures, provision of resources, and values.

This is intended to be a pilot program in my District.  Hopefully it will continue, so that after a few years, in time for the 2015 next round of School Governance legislative consideration, there will be 150 to 200 trained and motivated parents in District 6 who will provide leadership to mobilize our community for a different direction for educational policy. 

Kudos to Josh for his proactive efforts. I can't make the event but it should interesting to see how Julie, a special ed classroom teacher in a school invaded by a charter interacts with the 2nd in command of the school system. If you go (sorry, I don't have the location) send a report.

I put up the entire program at Norms Notes:  District 6 Parent Advocacy Training Program

Leonie Haimson on GEM: "It's a very effective, powerful organization that's growing every day"

I was amused at Beth Fertig's report (see below) on Parents Across America and Educators 4 Excellence (of course, no senior teachers meet the criteria) as if an organization of parents fighting ed deform and a group of teachers paid to be organizers by ed deformers are equivalentl in some way.

Now there is a group called the Grassroots Education Movement (GEM) which I helped found two years ago that is unfunded and consisting of almost all classroom teachers. A group that has held forums and rallies and built alliances with parents and community groups that gets no press. 

At the inaugural Parents Across America event featuring Diane Ravitch, a teacher asked how teachers in NYC can get involved in the movement. Leonie Haimson recommended they get involved in GEM.

Here are some reports on the PAA conference last Monday, which was basically uncovered by the press. See my sidebar for links to videos I made.

Building connections at Parents Across America forum

PAA is compared to E4E below.

http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/wnyc-news-blog/2011/feb/14/two_new_groups_step_into_debate_over_teachers/

Two New Groups Step into Debate Over Teachers

Monday, February 14, 2011 - 04:54 PM

By Beth Fertig

ListenAddDownloadEmbedEmbed This Audio

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How much should seniority matter if the city has to layoff thousands of teachers this fall? Two new groups are trying to influence the debate.

Winerip on Ronald Ferguson and Achievement Gap

This blog item ties in with the TFA Summit blogger pieces from this past weekend where "solutions" are merit pay, charters, etc - the ed deform program - where "class size" are dirty words.

I really hate the use of the words "achievement gap" but when Mike Winerip writes about it I take notice. His article on the research Ronald Ferguson has done lays down some interesting ideas that seem to undermine the basis of the ed deform movement - that poverty and race are used as excuses and it really is all about good teaching (preferably from the mouths of young Ivy Leaguers who had 6 weeks of training.) So what to make of this:

His research indicates that half the gap can be predicted by economics: even in a typical wealthy suburb, blacks are not as well-to-do; 79 percent are in the bottom 50 percent financially, while 73 percent of whites are in the top 50 percent.

The other half of the gap, he has calculated, is that black parents on average are not as academically oriented in raising their children as whites. In a wealthy suburb he surveyed, 40 percent of blacks owned 100 or more books, compared with 80 percent of whites. In first grade, the percentage of black and white parents reading to their children daily was about the same; by fifth grade, 60 percent to 70 percent of whites still read daily to their children, compared with 30 percent to 40 percent of blacks.

Ferguson also touches on a touchy subject for teachers:

He also works with teachers to identify biases, for instance: black children are less likely to complete homework because they are lazy. His research indicates that blacks and whites spend the same amount of time on homework, but blacks are less likely to finish. “It’s not laziness,” he says. “It’s a difference in skills.”

So yes, teaching can be a factor - but I always thought that being sensitized to the conditions the students are exposed to is way more important - teaching is not isolated from some level of involvement in understanding the lives of the children. Can that lead to excusing things? Guilty in my case. Did I think a child who was treated in a way at home that tore down his/her self esteem mean I as a teacher had to figure out a way to raise that self esteem or I wouldn't be able to break through and build trust? Hell yes. Did that at times lead me to not hassle kids over certain issues? Guilty again. I just didn't always have the skill set to be nurturing and demanding.

Here is some more from the Winerip piece with a link to the entire article:

He [Ferguson] is frequently quoted in the news media, and in recent months, he has played a major role in four important educational stories: the Gates study on evaluating teachers (his research shows that when kids say a teacher is good, they usually know what they’re talking about); the Council of the Great City Schools study of the widening gap between white and black boys (12 percent of black fourth-grade boys were proficient in reading on a national test, compared with 38 percent of whites); a front-page story in The New York Times last year on the effectiveness of big high schools (at a time when small schools are in vogue); and as a member of the eight-person New York State panel that decided whether Cathleen P. Black should qualify for a waiver to be New York City’s chancellor (he won’t say how he voted). 

Closing the Achievement Gap Without Widening a Racial One
By MICHAEL WINERIP
NYTimes.com | Published: February 13, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/14/education/14winerip.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y

Evil Invades District 14 (Williamsburg)- NOTE DATE CHANGE

CHARTER SCHOOLS GOT YOU WONDERING?

  COME AND FIND OUT WHAT THIS NEW       CHARTER SCHOOL IS REALLY ALL ABOUT

           NYC DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

              C0-LOCATION HEARING FOR

         BROOKLYN SUCCESS ACADEMY

           PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

             EVA MOSKOWITZ, CEO

           INTO THE FORMER I.S. 33

                 70 TOMPKINS AVE.

                BETWEEN MYRTLE AND PARK

    THURS. FEBRUARY 17, 2011 AT 6:00 PM

          

       ???????? HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE DOE ????????

           IS THERE A NEED FOR MORE ELEMENTARY

             SCHOOL SEATS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD?

       DO ALL CHARTER SCHOOLS RUN THE SAME WAY?

         WILL THE THREE OTHER PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN   

                   I.S. 33 BE SQUEEZED FOR SPACE?

        

       SHOULD K-12 STUDENTS BE IN THE SAME BUILDING?

                  WILL ALL SCHOOLS IN I.S. 33 BE

                 FUNDED AND RESOURCED FAIRLY?