Saturday, June 8, 2019

Bernie is right on charter schools - Carol Burris, Diane Ravitch



Bernie is right on charter schools



Bernie is right on charter schools
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks to the crowd during a rally at Central Piedmont Community College on the lawn of Overcash Center in Charlotte, N.C. on May 17. (David T. Foster III / Associated Press)
Late last month, 11 people connected to California charter schools were indicted on criminal charges of grand theft, conspiracy, personal use of public money and financial conflict of interest. According to the Washington Post, over $50 million in total was stolen; the L.A. Times reports that $8.18 million went into the bank accounts and charitable trusts of the charter management company’s leaders, Sean McManus and Jason Schrock. The pair allegedly inflated enrollment numbers and cheated the kids who attended the schools they used as piggy banks.
This story is far from unique. During the month of May alone, we identified more than 40 newspaper stories from across the country documenting charter mismanagement, failure and outright fraud.
There was the May 29 story of the Tennessee charter CEO who was running a side business out of his charter school while its teachers were not being paid. and the May 25 story about the former charter board member who is seeking to make a real-estate killing based on knowledge he gained while on the Monument, Colo., charter school board. There was the May 6 story of a former school board member in Milwaukee who was bribed by a Philadelphia-based charter school company to operate three schools in Wisconsin.

Charter corruption, which now occurs every day, was one of several reasons why the NAACP called for a moratorium on new charter schools. Yet these daily instances of mismanagement, failure and fraud have not been enough to persuade charter advocates to address the concerns of our nation’s most prominent civil rights organization.


It is equally inexplicable that when Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders publicly supported that moratorium, he was subjected to a racialized attack — not only by The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools but here in the Daily News. It is long past time to set the record straight.

The majority of black and Latino families choose public schools, even when charters are an available option. Charter schools drain funds from public schools, and for the kids who choose the local public school, they and their schools have less. Sanders’ plan includes a tripling of Title I funding, whose greatest beneficiaries would be disadvantaged kids, both in public schools and in charters.
For those students who are already enrolled in charters, Sanders does not call for their schools to be shut down. Rather he calls for a moratorium, a pause, on the opening of new charters until charter schools clean up their act.

He is right. The lack of transparency that leads to scandal and the ability to profit and self-deal does not promote innovation or serve the interests of children of color. When charter schools shut down (one third of all charters close in less than 10 years), students, who are more often than not disadvantaged, are left scrambling for a school. There is nothing progressive about showing up to school, sometimes mid-school-year, to find the doors are shuttered and locked. But that is the reality that some kids face.

Why don’t charter advocacy organizations like the Progressive Policy Institute call for charter reform? Perhaps they don’t want to offend the billionaires like the Walton family who fund charter schools.
The claim that for-profit charter schools, which Sanders’ plan would ban, are rare is flatly wrong. Nearly every state with charter schools allows for-profit management companies to run them. In the state of Florida, about 45% of all charter schools are run by for-profit management companies.
From real estate leases, to tax breaks, to exorbitant salaries, self-dealing and sweetheart deals, lots of folks have, like McManus and Schrock, figured out how to get rich off taxpayers and disadvantaged kids.

Unfortunately, the charter industry is now overrun with scoundrels profiteering from people of color. Thank you, Bernie Sanders, for standing up and being willing to expose the scams that the charter establishment refuses to acknowledge or fix.

Burris is the executive director of the Network for Public Education. She served as principal of South Side High School in Rockville Centre for 15 years. Ravitch is president of the Network for Public Education and a research professor of the history of education at New York University. She is the author of numerous books on public education, including “The Death and Life of the Great American School System.”

Murray Polner, Antiwar Editor and Author (and teacher at Thomas Jefferson HS), Is Dead at 91

As the executive assistant to the first New York City schools chancellor, Harvey B. Scribner, in the early 1970s and an assistant to Seymour P. Lachman, a member and later president of the Board of Education, Mr. Polner conceived of a program to help hospitalized and disabled veterans earn high school diplomas, initiated night schools for teenagers who worked during the day, and instituted a student Bill of Rights.... NYT Obit
When I read this this morning I had an instant memory of Murray Polner as a teacher at Thomas Jefferson HS I had in my senior term in 1962 for an advanced political science course. I think I found it fairly boring but it was the last period of the day in my final days as a high school student. Polner apparently went on to a longer career in the then BOE and did some good things in addition to all the other political work he did.


6 days ago - Murray Polner is a book review editor for HNN.org and was editor of Present Tense, published by the American Jewish Committee from ...
May 31, 2019 - Murray Polner, a Great Neck resident since 1961, passed away on May 30. He was 91 years old. Polner was the founding and only editor of ...

3 days ago - Murray Polner, an unswerving voice for pacifism and civil liberties and the founder and only editor of Present Tense magazine, a progressive counterpoint to Commentary that began in a period of one-upmanship among Jewish intellectuals, died on May 30 in Manhasset, N.Y. He was 91.


Murray Polner, Antiwar Editor and Author, Is Dead at 91

Murray Polner, the founder and only editor of Present Tense magazine, at his office in 1980. Present Tense, which he started in 1973, was intended as a progressive counterpoint to Commentary; both magazines were published by the American Jewish Committee.CreditLarry C. Morris/The New York Times


Image
Murray Polner, the founder and only editor of Present Tense magazine, at his office in 1980. Present Tense, which he started in 1973, was intended as a progressive counterpoint to Commentary; both magazines were published by the American Jewish Committee.CreditCreditLarry C. Morris/The New York Times

School Scope: La Guardia HS Student Sit-in Over Admissions Policy, Forest Hills HS Principal Out Plus Neoliberalism Further Defined

Published in print in The Wave - June 7, 2019


School Scope: La Guardia HS Student Sit-in Over Admissions Policy, Forest Hills HS Principal Out
By Norm Scott

A couple of well-known historic NYC high schools have been undergoing turmoil. For the past year teachers at the 82 year old Forest Hills High School, one of the few large high schools left standing in the city (famous alum: Simon and Garfunkel, Art Buchwald, Jerry Springer, Captain Kangaroo – well, Bob Keeshan) have been protesting the actions of principal Ben Sherman, with a massive vote of no confidence. There are rumors that even the Assistant Principals voted no-confidence. And the tabloid press and education blogs (like mine) have also picked up the story. Finally, on June 3, Sherman “resigned” – meaning he will be kicked upstairs to a desk job with a salary raise. So goes it in the DOE. The UFT is getting some credit for assistance to the teachers and I have all the details, including the resignation letter at: https://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2019/06/ben-sherman-out-at-fhhs.html.

At the even better known LaGuardia High School, a different kind of action has been taking place where students held a sit-in last Friday.

Friday, June 7, 2019

D-Day - June 6 - the Invasion of Norman - and possibly my conception

The invasion of Normandy on June 6 75 years ago is not only historically significant, it is also a very personal day since 48 years ago we got married on that date in 1971 - the invasion of Norman, which was the 27th anniversary of D-Day. That's a scary thought - we were married a generation away from D-Day and now we are three generations away.

We celebrated over two days with dinner at The River Cafe Wednesday evening and going to see the Temptations musical - Ain't Too Proud last night.

I wasn't alive in D-Day - I was born on March 3, 1945. But maybe in a sense I was - for those who consider there is life at conception.  I did some math last night. I was born 3 days short of 9 months after D-Day. Hmmmm. Did my parents celebrate that day and am I the outcome?


Toasting the life of our cat Penny who died suddenly of apparently a heart attack the other night at the age of 7.






Happy anniversary desserts - chocolate Brooklyn Bridge





Outside the River Cafe - I want one of these waterfalls





THE INDYPENDENT - June Issue is out

I'm doing some distribution of this progressive monthly in Rockaway and in mid-town.


You're June Indypendent is here! This month we feature an in-depth look at Tiffany Cabán, the young public defender who is following in Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's footsteps, taking on the Queens political machine and looking to make the criminal justice system work for the people it serves.

Reporter Libby Rainey spent months immersed in the race for Queens' next District Attorney, talking with Cabán supporters and bird-dogging the candidate herself. Read her full report in our latest issue. And check this mini-doc from filmmaker Erik Rist on Cabán, AOC and The Indypendent.

Also in the new Indy, queer activists reclaim pride, Mark Zuckerberg's plans for world dominationHudson Yards on steroids and more.


— Revolt of the Outsiders: First AOC, Now Tiffany Cabán


— Fighting Mass Incarceration From Within, Progressive DAs Lead The Way

— The Dark Side of Sunnyside Yard

— You’re Being Zucked: Why You Should Worry About Facebook’s Redesign

— Yemeni Bodega Owners Are Making the NY Post Feel the Pinch
READ THE LATEST INDY ONLINE
SUPPORT THIS VITAL NEWS SOURCE

Thursday, June 6, 2019

The Borgs: Opposing Unity Caucus is Futile - You Will be Absorbed or Marginalized

So what is do be done? With no organizing goal with the idea of building a counter organization to Unity, what are we left with? Often flailing away and spitting against the wind. Some people love to get spittle in their faces. 

The idea of a real opposition is dead. So what next? Abandon the UFT altogether? Maybe. There are many places to do political and social justice work. Why even bother in the UFT?

There has been a paradigm shift by a number of long-time activists involved in decades of "opposition" to the UFT/Unity Caucus dominance. The state of the union has been a topic of discussion. There is general agreement that the actions of MORE had pretty much decimated hopes of challenging Unity. A faux opposition made up of ideologues with an agenda to use a quasi-caucus as a mechanism to push their ideology will never have a serious impact but will always be a block to forming coalitions.

Some hard conversations about the state of the UFT have been taking place by people I consider as rationalists - mostly on the left -- call it rational leftism. They see the real world, not some idealistic notion. People who spent decades trying to build caucuses and coalitions that could one day challenge the Unity leadership.

I include former opposition who have decided to run with Unity in order to maintain some influence even if vastly diluted. Given the state of the opposition, they felt there was little alternative and didn't want to join the ranters and ravers. I'm not in that camp but don't condemn them for the choices they made. They made a rational decision from their point of view.


Some say they have been Borged - maybe they have.

Maybe I have been Borged when the people running the union seem preferable to some of the people I know who are ostensibly opposition.

You can't sit at UFT Ex Bd meetings and hear all the wonderful things Unity people do and not enter the realm of the Stockholm Syndrome. (a condition which causes hostages to develop a psychological alliance with their captors as a survival strategy during captivity.)

I do see signs even in me when there is no alternate narrative or a group that is serious about analyzing the problems with the Unity leadership and what needs to be done to challenge them.

There are cures -

The rationalists don't connect with the lone wolves bitching and whining on blogs about how bad the union is and why they want to stop paying dues but hide behind anonymity - and use that to cover their own racial attitudes - you know, those poor white guys crying about how bad they have it.

Now don't get me wrong. None of us thought we could ever defeat Unity in an election, especially due to the election rules, the use of retirees and the control over most functional chapters. That would be pie in the sky irrationality - magical thinking.

But we did think that a highly organized group could create a serious challenge at the school levels - to replicate the success in the high schools over the past thirty years - (at least until the 2019 elections when MORE helped blow up even that base. Don't get me started.)

We always felt that we could win the middle schools if we had sources in enough schools. As for the elementary schools, an organized effort at the district level had potential. And once the division levels were won there was an argument to be made that non-teachers were in control of the UFT and that would lead to further challenges. And from 2013-2016, I actually believed there was that potential for MORE to build the kinds of coalitions that could challenge Unity deep into the schools. Stupid and naive me - it became clear that all too many MOREs had no such intention but only wanted to use the guise of a caucus to push their ideology.
 
The 2019 election outcomes proved that point and killed the idea of  imagining a change of leadership in the UFT.

You will still see people blowing  smoke and trying to sell the myth of an opposition.

Beware! They are their own version of The Borg. 


Is there a third way?

We'll explore what may still be possible in a future post --- hint: not much.

Memo from the RTC: Doubt Is A MAJOR Theatrical Experience



Memo from the RTC:  Doubt Is A MAJOR Theatrical Experience
By Norm Scott

As one of the Rockaway Theatre Company’s videographers I video opening and closing performances. I admit that I was not enamored of the subject matter of John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt about a possible case of child molestation by a priest which opened last Friday and closes this Sunday. I knew the actors and was sure they would be great. But as for the play itself, I was not so sure. So I entered the theater with an attitude of doing my duty. I left a riveting hour and a half later feeling I had had one of the great theatrical experiences. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard an audience applaud at the end of every single scene.

The play itself is way more complex than I thought, with the older traditional hard-ass nun pointing to a number of instances of the oppression of women by the male church hierarchy where even the progressive young priest tries to take advantage of male privilege. And then there is the race issue where the parent of the one black child in the school scoffs at some of the automatic assumptions being made. Thus Doubt is very contemporary despite taking place in 1964, not long after JFK’s assassination.

Kudos to directors David Risley and Jodee Timpone and stars Susan Corning, Frank Caiati, Ashley Ann Jones and Billyn Tarplain. We all know the outstanding work of RTC mainstays Frank Caiati and Susan Corning as actors and directors. Ashley Ann Jones has been a major dancer at RTC musicals since “A Chorus Line” but I’d never seen her in a dramatic role. And as the young nun she was superb. And newcomer Billy Tarplain in her one scene, blew everyone away.

Last week I wrote, “Call me prejudiced but I see this cast as capable of winning Tony Awards as well as any pros - if a Tony was given for community theater (there’s an idea!)”. Well, I truly believe that every one of the four performers deserves a Tony.

Doubt is a limited run production- there are only 7 chances to see it! Reserve tickets online at www.RockawayTheatreCompany.org for best seats. May 31/ June 1, 6, 7, 8 at 8 PM and June 2, 9 at 2 PM.

The directors of the summer blockbuster musical Newsies have offered me a small role where I get to run around the stage chasing some young people. I will be lugging my own defibrillator.

Norm’s other WAVE column is School Scope and he blogs daily at ednotesonline. com


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Monday, June 3, 2019

Ben Sherman Out at FHHS

Give the UFT some level of credit for this. They will be partying tonight at the Ex Bd meeting. Hope they have beer. Hey, I didn't know Sherman is a Rangers fan. No wonder they have won much lately.

UPDATE: Queens Chronicle: https://www.qchron.com/editions/queenswide/principal-at-fhhs-goes-up-in-smoke/article_b3f66fa1-878d-5d51-8172-341ccab825c2.html

Arthur has a post:

http://nyceducator.com/2019/06/uft-and-community-prevail-at-forest.html

Dear friends in the media:
We are happy to inform you that Principal Ben Sherman resigned as Principal of Forest Hills High School effective 2:20 pm, today.  We know that there is no way we could have accomplished this without your persistence and advocacy.  I don’t know what will be held on Thursday to replace the protest, but at this point, I don’t care.  I am hoping that we may have established a blueprint for the removal of Principals with no principles.   Hopefully, more schools will involve the media and perhaps stage “no confidence votes of their own.
Again, thanks for all you’ve done,
James C. Hogue
Jennifer G. Hogue
Forest Hills High School
Below is a copy of the resignation letter

Sent on Behalf of Mr. Sherman and Dr. Davenport

OR


Oberhaus Richard

Mon 6/3/2019 2:20 PM
  • Oberhaus Richard
Dear Teachers, Administrators, and Staff,
It has been my pleasure to work with you here at the great Forest Hills High School. Together, we have built on the fine traditions of our school to support the students of our community.
When I arrived here in April 2017, I immediately considered Forest Hills my home.
I appreciate the opportunity to work with some great educators, especially my cabinet team. Collectively, we have increased our graduation rate, the number of advanced placement courses offered and passed, as well as parent and community empowerment.  We have accomplished a lot.
While I love Forest Hills very much, I must inform you with a heavy heart that I have decided to transition to another leadership role.  It has been a pleasure to work with you for the past two years and I am confident that Forest Hills will continue to grow and develop.  I encourage you to always make decisions that are in the best interest of children.  I know that you will continue to partner with one another and our elected officials and school community to support Forest Hills. 
I have been inspired every day by the great lessons in classrooms, amazing afterschool programs, and the dedication of the Forest Hills team.  I know that you will continue to demonstrate professionalism and dedication to every scholar.
Go Rangers!
Ben Sherman
Principal
Sean L. Davenport, Ed.D.
Supervising Superintendent
Office of The First Deputy Chancellor
#ChampionsForChildren
52 Chambers Street
New York, NY 10007

LaGuardia HS and the UFT: Late to the party

UPDATE - Parent Protest at LaGuardia at 2 PM, Monday June 3.

I know a number of fairly recent LaGuardia grads from my theater work and they have been telling me this stuff for years and have not been happy but had no mechanism to organize around.The LaGuardia HS alum could be a powerful force but the UFT was the only agency with the money and outreach to do it. They didn't.... LGHS Principal Lisa Mars is an apparatchik - she has that in common with most people in Unity Caucus.  
See Daily News coverage here: https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-laguardia-sit-in-20190531-ijkweesh4nbbbe3zsd7rbk4swm-story.html

The UFT is too big a player to absolve itself 

The timidity of the UFT/Unity Caucus leadership is infuriating. The UFT was pretty silent when Bloomberg destroyed most of the vocational ed programs and closed down school after school. Entire shops were tossed out in the street.

The UFT leadership seemed to philosophically agree with the DOE that voc-ed was somehow racist - that academics and college were the way to go.


LaGuardia is one of the few trade schools left where skills trumped academics. That doesn't make it an easy school to manage - many of the students are flamboyant and "active." So Lisa Mars was sent in by Farina to tighten it up and raise the academic standing at the expense of the talent. This is right in line with the policies of the past 2 decades.