Big Education Ape: Duncan: “Emergency action” needed now to avoid teacher layoffs

Duncan: “Emergency action” needed now to avoid teacher layoffs
by Maura Walz
A first-grader at Brooklyn's P.S. 214 told U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan about the story of Rumplestiltskin today.
City, federal and union officials clash on the best way to lift the state’s charter school cap. They dispute the fairest way to lay off teachers. And they could barely agree on what school U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan should visit today.
But brought together for that visit, Duncan, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and teachers union president Michael

by Maura Walz

Ed Sec Arne Duncan visited three city schools. (GothamSchools, Times, Post, Wall Street Journal, NY1)
Duncan said the state could up its Race to the Top chances by lifting the charter cap. (Albany Times Union)
Gov. Paterson says he’s relying on “the power of persuasion” to get the charter cap lifted. (Daily News)
The state teachers union is offering $200,000 to anyone who will run against Sen. Craig Johnson. (Post)
Duncan’s visit shows that charter schools have won the choice wars, writes Errol Louis. (Daily News)
The Post says Randi Weingarten’s input into Duncan’s school selection shows the union’s priorities.
Post columnist Andrea Peyser says the union acted like children over the school visit dust-up.
UFT President Michael Mulgrew says again that a retirement incentive would avert layoffs. (Daily News)
The DOE mistakenly told UWS families they’d gotten into two hot schools. (Post, Wall Street Journal)
An investigation found that many Head Start centers fraudulently enroll extra children. (Times)

by Maura Walz

The state education dept. pushed back the release date of test scores by a month, to July.
More than 50 parents of wait-listed kindergartners were mistakenly told they were into P.S. 87.
A group of charter and district school parents waited in vain in the rain to talk to Duncan.
A charter school student told Duncan today he gets a lot of homework, but that’s “awesome.”
UFT President Michael Mulgrew said it’s “no one’s fault” if the state loses Race to the Top.
Peter Murphy argues Speaker Sheldon Silver now has political cover to support a charter cap lift.
A new report by the Casey Foundation serves as a reminder that students’ poverty does matter.
A high school slated to move into space at a closing school faces an uncertain future.
The DOE posted openings for executive principals, the high-paid positions in troubled schools.
The teachers unions are protesting five State Senators tomorrow for voting for school aid cuts.
A group of testing companies formed a coalition to help states develop standard assessments.
And here is a horrifying way to teach geometry.