Perdido Street School:
Complete List Of De Blasio Inaugural Committee Members
Leadership Of AFT Are Full Of Crap As Usual
On The Commons: Bll Gates Is Responsible For The Teacher Evaluation Mess
What Will You Miss Most About Bloomberg?
BBC Story On Amazon's Warehouses
Perdido Street School
Send Your Kids To Public Schools, Mr. President
POTUS might keep kids is Sidwell after his term is up. Why not a public school w/ CCLS & hi-stakes testing? http://t.co/aF1AUnON7z— Chris Cerrone (@Stoptesting15) November 30, 2013Of course we all know why he wouldn't send his girls to public schools with all the Common Core "rigor" and high stakes testing.Because that stuff is for other people's kids...
Complete List Of De Blasio Inaugural Committee Members
Here's the list, via Politicker:MEMBERS OF THE INAUGURAL COMMITTEE Gabrielle Fialkoff, Chair of the InaugurationEugenia Acuna, Former Director, Adolescent Reproductive Health Programs, Consultant at NYC Department of Health and Mental HygieneYvette Aguirre, Retired Principal, P.S. 24Marisol Alcantara, District LeaderJordan Barowitz, Director of External Affairs, The Durst OrganizationHarry Belafon
De Blasio Puts Diane Ravitch On Inaugural Committee
This is a good sign:.@deBlasioNYC puts @DianeRavitch on his inaugural committee— Lisa Fleisher (@lisafleisher) November 30, 2013Again, putting a few pro-traditional public school advocates on his transition team and inaugural committee does not guarantee a pro-traditional public school agenda for his administration, but it surely is a good sign.He could have put a DFER like Resham Saujani (whom he
Leadership Of AFT Are Full Of Crap As Usual
This tweet from the AFT set me off:December 9th is the Day of Action to Reclaim the Promise of Public Education: http://t.co/m4hlAgtUPs #reclaimit— AFT (@AFTunion) November 30, 2013My response: @AFTunion @gailDrich Start w/ not taking $11 million in Gates Foundation cash into AFT coffers http://t.co/Ut8GINitDA— realitybasededucator (@perdidostschool) November 30, 2013I added another tweet asking j
mark as read
Nice post that puts all the pieces together - the VAM, the bell curve that ensures a certain number of "ineffectives" every year, how the new teacher evaluation systems are based on Microsoft's stack ranking system, how destructive stack ranking has been to Microsoft, how Microsoft just got rid of stack ranking because it is so destructive but how school districts all across the country are stuck with stack ranking for teacher evaluations:Just as public school systems have widely adopted the Microsoft model in order to win the Race to the Top, it turns out that Microsoft now realizes
Just one month until the Mayor of Money flies off to Bermuda one last time as mayor.I think what I'll miss most about him is the imperial tone he uses as he talks on his radio show or the annoyance that he shows when a reporter, rarely enough, challenges him on his b.s. at a press conference.Following a close second is the insane reliance on ever-improving statistics so that every piece of data that emanates from government these days is phonied up - from the graduation rates to the emergency response times to the crime stats.You know, I second thought, I won't miss any of that.How about you?W
From the Times:The recession might have cut deeper in Europe, making the question of new jobs even more crucial, but the attitude there is much cooler toward Amazon and its high-tech ways. In Germany, there is continuing labor strife. France is erecting barriers against the company’s aggressive discounting. And in Britain, the warehouses that so impressed President Obama have been compared, in a February story in The Financial Times, with a “slave camp.” That shocking charge resurfaced in the latest investigation, when a BBC reporter, Adam Littler, went to work briefly at Amazon’s Swansea ware
YESTERDAY
If Bratton Replaced Kelly As NYPD Commissioner
Interesting piece from City-Journal about William Bratton's time at the LAPD.Dunno what de Blasio's thinking on NYPD commissioner is, but whomever he picks must be less contemptuous of people of color than Ray Kelly is.De Basio also must choose someone who will be someone strong enough and savvy enough to handle the pro-Kelly propaganda that will come his way as criticism from the likes of Mike Lu
Chancellor Pick Announcement May Come By End Of Next Week
From Politicker:Mr. de Blasio said Wednesday that he’ll soon announce some hires for his new administration. “You can safely assume that there will be be announcements by the end of next week,” he offered, denying a report he’s already selected Bill Bratton as his police commissioner. “I’ve said this many, many times. When I pick someone, you’ll know.”
NOV 28
Black Friday
Murdoch Post running some crap about how to "win" at Black Friday.I plan on "winning" at Black Friday by not buying anything either in person or online.How about you?Anybody going to the mall for the Thursday evening "doorbusters"?
Pope Francis
I am told by my Catholic relatives that this pontiff is not liked very much by some of the more "conservative" members of the church.If Pope Francis keeps writing the kinds of things he's been writing about the global financial system and capitalism, keeps calling the fat cat RC bishops/cardinals out for spending millions of euros on their palaces, I wonder how long it will be until he c
Sick Of Self-Serving Celebrities, Politicians And Media
Errol Louis patting himself on the back for serving food at a mission on ThanksgivingComptroller @JohnCLiu and I both brought our sons to serve meals this morning. 10 am seating was full. pic.twitter.com/ISgwzdbUTd— Errol Louis (@errollouis) November 28, 2013My response:@errollouis @LindseyChrist @JohnCLiu We need a society where people have jobs that allow them to feed themselves— realitybasededu
Mayor Bloomberg And Commissioner Kelly May Go On Trial Just Yet
From the Daily News:AN NYPD supervisor has lost his bid to countersue whistleblower cop Adrian Schoolcraft. Deputy Inspector Steven Mauriello alleged that Schoolcraft — who has a pending $50 million lawsuit against the city — concocted bogus complaints about wrongdoing in a Brooklyn precinct in order to ruin his boss. But Manhattan Federal Court Judge Robert Sweet has denied the deputy inspector,
NOV 27
Came Home To This
We live down the street, got some smoke into the building, but nothing like people who live on Grove Street, especially those in adjoining buildings.One fireman told me when the fire got out of control they were having a difficult time battling the smoke, so they pulled back from the buildings and went with a "Surround and Drown" strategy.It's a mess - they're still pouring water on it n
63% In NY State Back De Blasio To Raise Tax On Wealthy For Pre-K
David Dinkins called fora return to the regressive commuters tax to fund universal pre-K in NYC, saying the measure will not be popular in Albany, but state voters overwhelmingly back de Blasio's plan:Meanwhile, 62 percent of New York state voters back New York City Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio’s plan to raise income taxes on the city’s wealthy in order to fund universal pre-kindergarten. The plan,
NYSED Commissioner King Shouted Down At Common Core Meeting In Suffolk
Okay, you know the drill on this already.Hundreds of parents, teachers and administrators criticize the Common Core, the Common Core implementation, the Common Core tests, the teacher evaluation system tied to those tests, and the inBloom data project at the latest Common Core forum with NYSED Commissioner John King.King says he's listening but vows there will be no major changes to the state's ed
Chicago Tribune: Illinois Gubernatorial Candidate Full Of Crap
Once in a while, a political figure gets called on his bull@#$% (via Political Wire):Illinois gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner (R) has a new TV ad "showing off his modest watch, a symbol of his down-to-earth frugality," the Chicago Tribune reports. Says his official bio: "Bruce has never let his success change him. He still drives a 20-year-old camper van, wears an $18 watch, an
NOV 26
Cuomo Warns Unions They Need A "Reality Adjustment"
Colby Hamilton at DNAinfo:MIDTOWN — Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned the city’s municipal labor unions Tuesday that they should be prepared to signficantly manage expectations as they prepare to sit down and negotiate new contracts with soon-to-be-mayor Bill de Blasio.While he praised the unions for their “superb” willingness to help the city during tight times in the past — most notably during the fiscal
“Tell The Assembly We’re Coming For Them. We’re Coming For Them, We’re Angry And We Vote!” - Parent At Common Core Forum
More protests on the Gospel of the Common Core tour:BINGHAMTON — Bearing signs reading “We are human, not machines,” “Oust the King” and “End Fed Ed,” Binghamton area residents let state Education Commissioner John King see — and hear — their discontent with Common Core state standards.“Tell the assembly we’re coming for them. We’re coming for them, we’re angry and we vote,” said Christina Bangel,
Cuomo's Job Performance Ratings
After a Siena poll showed Andrew Cuomo with a 44%-56% job performance rating last week, a new Quinnipiac poll released today shows a different story:New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who saw his job approval rating drop in Quinnipiac University polls in the first six months of the year, opens his reelection bid with a 62 - 25 percent approval rating today. Marist released a poll yesterday finding
NYSED Commissioner John King: Elementary School Teachers To Blame For Common Core Opposition
First, he said there is no turning back:State Education Commissioner John King defended the Common Core curriculum during a tour of the Binghamton region on Monday while acknowledging some difficulty in rolling out the standards.“Any time you try to raise standards across 45 states, it’s going to be a complicated process,” King said.King is traveling throughout the state to explain the initiative
Merryl Tisch Get A Subpoena From The Moreland Commission Yet?
Of course she hasn't - but she should.We learned on Sunday that Regents Chancellor Tisch paid out of her own pocket for private employees to run NYSED offices - at least the first million came from the Tisch family fortune.Millions more came from the Gates Foundation, General Electric and a bunch of other corporate entities - $19 million in total from more than two dozen private employees.These pr
NOV 25
De Blasio: No Chancellor Pick Yet
And so, if you're interested to see which direction de Blasio takes the schools system in, the wait goes on:Nearly three weeks after his election, Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio has yet to decide who will run the city’s public schools. Asked for a status update today during a rare public appearance, Mr. de Blasio offered reporters eager for any tidbits about his transition efforts few hints. “I will s
It's Official: NYSED To Change Name To Gates Foundation
With the news that Gates Foundation employees, paid for by Gates Foundation grants and/or cash from corporate entities, are acting in official capacity at the NY State Education Department to develop, implement and enforce policy, Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch announced today that she is just going to dispense with the sham and rename the NY State Education Department the "Gates Foundation:
Tisch, King, Gates Foundation Should Be Investigated By Moreland Commission
With the news that Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch has hired private employees from the Gates Foundations and other education reform groups to privatize the New York State Department of Education where they develop policy, implement those policies and just generally order the state employees around to do their bidding, we can see why neither she nor Commissioner King will allow any significant cha
Cuomo's Education Reform Agenda Exposed
Tim Farley wrote a letter to Governor Cuomo, part of which made it to the Times Union.In it, Farley shows just how much of the NY State reform agenda is Cuomo's agenda.He notes how Cuomo has been trying to distance himself from the state reform agenda in recent days, as public outrage over the reforms has grown, then writes: This seems different from two years ago, when he wrote Board of Regents
Governor Cuomo Must Be Called To Account For The Corruption At SED, Board Of Regents
The bombshell report in the Times-Union that private employees, paid for by the Gates Foundation and other corporate funds, are running NYSED, implementing policy and ordering around the state employees to do their bidding, has already led me to call for Regents Chancellor Tisch and NYSED Commissioner King to be forced from power.Tisch supplied the first $1 million in grant money to hire the priva
NOV 24
Regents Chancellor Tisch, NYSED Commissioner King Must Be Forced From Power
The Times Union report on the Regents fellows - private employees (paid for by the Gates Foundation and other corporate philanthropists) who are running the state education department from within, making policy and ordering around the government employees to do their bidding - goes to show what a corrupt government Andrew Cuomo is running here in NY State.Truth be told, I bet there are similar arr
Andrew Cuomo MUST Be Held Accountable For InBloom
NY on the state's forced data plan for all NY State school districts:Big record-keeping changes are coming to schools across the state.Under a new plan, public schools will be required to send student data, such as grades and attendance records, to a cloud-based data storage company sometime after the new year.New York is the first state to make a full commitment to the program created by the Atla
Frank Bruni LOVED "Won't Back Down"
Frank Bruni has some propaganda piece out about the Common Core State Standards in the Times that equates critics of the standards as purveyors of the self-esteem movement in which every child is a winner and everyone gets a trophy no matter how they do in life's competition.Alas, before we take anything Bruni writes seriously, let us remember how much he enjoyed the propaganda film "Won't Ba
Perdido Street School Blog Finally On The Twitter
Here - realitybasededucator@perdidostschool Still holding out on the Facebook though.Screw Zuckerberg.
New York Only State STILL Committed To InBloom Data Program
The Associated Press covers the inBloom mess in New York State:NEW YORK (AP) — After months of debate about the risks of storing student data in the cloud, New York is pressing ahead with a plan to create a statewide database for every public school student's grades, tests scores and attendance records — a tech startup proposal that drew interest from several other states that have now reconsidere
NOV 23
Michael Pollan Knows Nothing About Mayor Bloomberg
.@michaelpollan @paultough NOT a good idea; Bloomberg has been a disaster when it comes to instituting tech systems; witness CityTime— leonie haimson (@leoniehaimson) November 24, 2013Apparently Michael Pollan missed not only the news about CityTime scandal - the worst fraud ever perpetrated against NYC - but also the 911 system overhaul mess that has seen Bloomberg spend over $2 billion dollars i
Holding Andrew Cuomo Accountable For His Common Core/Testing Agenda
Great piece from Karen Dewitt at WXXI:Everywhere Governor Cuomo goes these days, he’s dogged by questions from reporters about what’s widely perceived as a rocky start up of New York State’s adoption of the new national Common Core standards for school children. Cuomo was asked essentially the same question in recent days in stops from Buffalo, to Lake Placid. “Can you talk about the common core,
Mayor Bloomberg Makes Incoherent Statement Defending Common Core
On the heels of John King calling critics to the Common Core "special interests" and Arne Duncan insulting critics to the Common Core of being "white suburban moms" who are mad because their kids aren't "as brilliant as they thought" comes this doozy from Bloomberg:Mayor Michael Bloomberg doesn't understand what all the fuss is about over Common Core, the more rigoro
Education Reformers Grilled Over Common Core, Testing, And Evaluations
From the Baltimore Sun:A panel of state lawmakers grilled Maryland's top school officials Thursday over whether education reforms are being executed too quickly and putting undue stress on teachers.Senators on the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee told state schools Superintendent Lillian M. Lowery that they have been bombarded by concerns from teachers and parents.Many, they s