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Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Brill-iant | Intercepts

Brill-iant | Intercepts

Brill-iant

Last year, Steven Brill caused a commotion with his exposé of New York City’s rubber rooms. Some have credited Brill with providing the impetus for getting them closed.
Now Brill is at it again, with a piece for the New York Times Magazine headlined, “The Teachers’ Unions’ Last Stand.”
It’s a meaty article, but the part that is already receiving attention comes at the very beginning, when Brill is interviewing United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew.
Next to Mulgrew was his press aide, Richard Riley. “Suppose you decide that Riley is lazy or incompetent,” I asked Mulgrew. “Should you be able to fire him?”
“He’s not a teacher,” Mulgrew responded. “And I need to be able to pick my own person for a job