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We're getting into the habit of posting an Ohanian compendium every Saturday morning so we all have stuff to read in all our spare weekend time. As usual, she tears up the common core.We're serving Thanksgiving lunch at the Senior Center today. Turkey and all the trimmings.There are new cartoons, but I'm in a rush. You can find them on the home page. Two categories: Cartoons and NCLB Cartoons.Yesterday was the anniversary of Joe Hill's death by firing squad. Listen to all the versions of 'Joe Hill' for which I've posted hot links. Very moving. I was especially moved by what Paul Robeson did i
Yes, I can't resist the call. I was an 18-year old sophomore at Brooklyn College, living at home in a quickly changing East New York section of Brooklyn. I finally had my driver's license and didn't have to take the train from Pennsylvania Ave., change at Franklin for the Flatbush line - an hour trip. By car I had a special route that got me to BC in 17 minutes. Followed by a half hour looking for parking.Fridays were a special day for me. For some strange reason, I was an Air Force ROTC 2nd-year cadet and Fridays we had to wear our uniforms because we marched and did drills for 50 minutes at
Jim Vail poses an interesting question at Second City Teacher along with an interesting analysis. I missed Karen at Brooklyn College the other day. Might have been a fun question to ask.Chicago Mayor Karen Lewis? Should Karen Lewis Run for Mayor?By Jim VailWhen it comes to politics, it's pretty dismal.The reason we the workers are losing, and they the 1% are winning is because they control the political world.Who do you think chose Obama to be president - the people, or billionaires like the Pritzkers who now have coveted government posts and see laws passed in their favor. The banks got big
NOV 21
Mitoko Rich, Still Clueless at the NY Times, New Recruiting Campaign: Is TFA Losing Campus Status?
If teaching is such a wondrous profession, why is the inspirational [Taylor] Mali a former teacher?.... The Department of Education is unveiling this plan in partnership with Microsoft, State Farm Insurance and the Advertising Council? Everyone knows that Microsoft now rules the world of education. That said, what in the world does State Farm Insurance have to do with public school issues? ..... W
UFT Delegate Assembly: MOREistas Comment and MORE
Lets just say the truth. Our union leadership has turned their back on it's members. It rules in a non-democratic fashion. Unity, randi, aft, mulgrew openly advocate for common core, Danielson, and test based evals- NOT ONE teacher I have ever spoken to feels the same.... A MORE Delegate------ When I was elected by my colleagues to serve as a delegate to the UFT Delegate Assembly, I believed that
NOV 19
Karen Lewis at Brooklyn College Today, 4PM
Sorry I can't make this. I've got to head down to Philly and get back in time to go to a Broadway show tonight -- reviewed in the Times yeterday -- a guy kills off all the people in front of him for an inheritance. And it's a musical comedy.Karen Lewis, president of the Chicago Teachers Union, will be speaking on "Solidarity, Community, and the Struggle for our Public Schools" at Brookl
NOV 18
Hardcore Uft Contract Training Committee
Are you sick of going to your district rep monthly meetings and getting the UFT jive stuffed down your throats while you have little or no input?Like not getting to talk about how your principal violates the contract daily and you are left helpless?We have decided to follow in the footsteps of my esteemed colleague, George Schmidt of Substance and Chicago fame, and organize Hardcore Contract Train
Portelos Update: Supreme Court Rules Against DOE Refusal to Recognize Him as Chapter Leader
New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) filed a Motion to Confirm the arbitration. Today we just found that Supreme Court Judge Joan B. Lobis confirmed the arbitration award. The DOE lawyers will have a chance to appeal and most likely they will try.... This win should set precedent for all targeted chapter leaders. If someone thinks they can attack a chapter leader and wrongly accuse them so they
Scum of the Earth Tim Daly Pulls the Race Card
“This is the first African-American leader of the State Education Department,” he said. “And to watch him be shouted at and insulted by largely white audiences in the suburbs is discomforting and it is jarring that, not only has it happened, but it has happened repeatedly.” ... Tim Daly, TNTPIs there a more insidious operation than Tim Daly's scam organization The New Teacher Project? I won't go
MORE Update: Come out to the Delegate Assembly to Take a Stand against the New Evaluation System!
There is no question in my mind that the MORE initiatives and organizing efforts have pushed the UFT leadership -- but I view recent moves as an attempt to co-opt, not a real change in policy. Support for common core? Check. Support for teacher ratings based on VAM? Check. And so on. It's all about lousy and incompetent implementation, blah, blah, blah.At the first MORE meeting in September a new
NOV 17
Have Fun With MOREistas at the Holiday Party, Dec. 6
Thank goodness. A party instead of a meeting in December. Here is your chance if you haven't touched base with us to eat, drink and be merry. And you don't even have to say the magic words: social justice. But you can bitch all you want about the UFT, Advance, ed eval, Randi, Mulgrew, etc. Or not. Just have some fun -- even if you're in Unity or New Action --- just parteeeeeee!MORE Holiday Party 1
MORE Comes to QUEENS! FRIDAY 11/22 5PM ASTORIA
***PLEASE FORWARD***Are you...Nervous about the implementation of a new teacher evaluation system?Outraged that teachers are evaluated on tests for subjects they don't even teach?Eager to organize resistance to the new teacher evaluation system?The MORE Chapter Organizing Committee invites educators, parents and students to our Queens Happy Hour:The Movement of Rank-and-file Educators Chapter Orga
Arne Duncan Grounds Ed Deform Ship of Fools
At the Answer Sheet, Valerie confirms Arne Duncan outrageously condescending statement on the resistance to the Common Core: "It’s fascinating to me that some of the pushback is coming from, sort of, white suburban moms who — all of a sudden — their child isn’t as brilliant as they thought they were and their school isn’t quite as good as they thought they were, and that’s pretty scary."
NOV 16
[News from Susan Ohanian] New Content at SusanOhanian.Org!
News from Susan is becoming a weekly Saturday event here at Ed Notes. I disagree with her pessimism. The tide has turned. I think forces opposed to ed deform are building gale-force winds as the Obama ed program, driven by the same neo-liberal forces as Obama Care, with the same disastrous results come down on their very big ears. How interesting that elements of both left and right see the light.