Perdido Street School:
Chris Christie Has A Very Bad Saturday
Christie Can No Longer Use Hurricane Sandy To Innoculate Himself From Criticism
Daily News: Bully-Boy Christie Sends "Sopranos-Style Shakedown Message" To Hoboken Mayor in A Parking Lot
State Senator Greg Ball's Petition To End Common Core In New York State
Perdido Street School Week
Chris Christie Has A Very Bad Saturday
The Times covers Governor Chris Christie's very bad day:ORLANDO — A swing through Florida proved no sunny retreat for Gov. Chris Christie on Saturday, as well-organized protesters hounded him outside a Republican fund-raiser here, a powerful ally in the New Jersey State House rebuked the governor’s office and new allegations emerged that his administration tried to intimidate a New Jersey elected
Christie Can No Longer Use Hurricane Sandy To Innoculate Himself From Criticism
When the going gets tough, Chris Christie wraps himself in Hurricane Sandy, surrounding himself with people who suffered from the storm last year and generating good publicity for himself in the news cycle.But with today's bombshell that he allegedly had two cronies, including his Lieutenant Governor, Kim Guadagno, deliver extortion threats to Hoboken mayor Dawn Zimmer that she either conceded to
Daily News: Bully-Boy Christie Sends "Sopranos-Style Shakedown Message" To Hoboken Mayor in A Parking Lot
This Hoboken/Sandy relief story was first broken by Steve Kornacki at MSNBC, then picked up by the NJ papers.Now the New York Daily News is covering the story - and take a look at how Zuckerman's paper writes it up: A pair of bully-boy Gov. Chris Christie’s top lieutenants delivered a “Sopranos”-style shakedown message to the mayor of Hoboken, MSNBC reported Saturday. Mayor Dawn Zimmer, in an excl
State Senator Greg Ball's Petition To End Common Core In New York State
From State Senator Greg Ball's site:According to the federal government, Common Core was designed to provide a uniformed standard for students, preparing them for college and careers. Regardless of the good intentions, Common Core has become an Uncommon Disaster. To their credit many students, teachers and parents have raised significant concerns with the new program and its implementation. We mus
Christie Administration Withheld Sandy Relief Funds From Hoboken In Retaliation Over Real Estate Project
From Steve Kornacki at MSNBC:Two senior members of Gov. Chris Christie’s administration warned a New Jersey mayor earlier this year that her town would be starved of hurricane relief money unless she approved a lucrative redevelopment plan favored by the governor, according to the mayor and emails and personal notes she shared with msnbc. The mayor, Dawn Zimmer, hasn’t approved the project, but sh
Michael Bloomberg Looks To Influence News Coverage At Bloomberg News
From the NY Times:At editorial meetings in Bloomberg L.P.’s headquarters this week, Michael R. Bloomberg gave clear signs that he would not be taking a hands-off approach as he returned to his old company.Just two week’s removed from City Hall, and in his first days back at the media giant that he owns and that carries his name, Mr. Bloomberg surprised many employees by showing up at all of the 7:
Andrew Cuomo's Teacher Evaluation Staw Man
Sheriff Andy yesterday:Cuomo said his decision to tie state funding to the evaluations furthered accountability in schools where it had been resisted.“The system, while it has been asking for more money, has steadfastly refused any evaluation, which is really an interesting confluence,” he said. “Look at what Albany does: It gives them more money, because their lobbyists are good. Their lobbyists
YESTERDAY
Cuomo Says There Will Be NO Changes To The APPR Teacher Evaluation System
From Jessica Bakeman at Capital NY:Addressing other education-related questions, Cuomo said he has heard widespread concerns about the state's implementation of the rigorous Common Core standards, and he expects lawmakers will discuss legislative action this session. “The Common Core has really raised concerns, and I've heard them all across this state,” Cuomo said. “And this is upstate-downstate,
Norm Scott: UFT's Mulgrew Waging Guerilla War Against NYSUT's Iannuzzi
Norm Scott writes that Mulgrew and his UFT allies have the knives out for NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi over a 2014 Cuomo endorsement, Iannuzzi's call for a "no confidence" vote on NYSED Commissioner King and NYSUT criticism over APPR, the CCSS iomplementation and other elements of the SED/Regents reform agenda:Word is that Mulgrew is backing a slate to run against Iannuzzi and all the V
State Senate Greg Ball Calls For State To Get Rid Of Common Core
Jessica Bakeman at Capital NY:The Senate Education Committee on Tuesday passed the four bills introduced by its chair, State Senator John Flanagan, a Long Island Republican. The measures would ban testing in early grades, require the state to redesign exams so they're more closely aligned with what students are learning, eliminate excess testing from teacher evaluation plans and increase penalties
Fifth Grader Reads Letter Addressed To NYSED Commissioner King
At a Common Core forum organized by State Senator Greg Ball:Olivia Vataj, a fifth-grade student at Austin Road Elementary School in Mahopac, read out a letter addressed to King.“Are you the musher and are the students just dogs pulling the sled, trying to get to the finish line of knowledge which we will never cross?” she asked. “We are too tired of the Common Core to keep pulling.”“I have so many
JAN 16
National Review: Common Core Rebellion Gaining Steam
Good piece at NRO from Lance T. Izumi, senior director of education studies at the Pacific Research Institute, on the Common Core rebellion:When federal and state-government elites quietly combined to enact the Common Core national education standards, they thought that the train had left the station and that this radical reordering of American public education was an over-and-done deal. They thou
Andrew Cuomo To Run For Re-Election As A Republican
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo stunned his audience at a speaking enggagement at the Harvard Club today when he announced he will be running for re-election as a Republican.Cuomo, speaking to a sparse group of financiers and GOP powerbrokers including John Catsimatidis, the supermarket magnate who ran for mayor in the NYC Republican primary last year, said that he has decided to dispense with the sham o
Sen. Lee Zelden: "Our Students Are Not Guinea Pigs...Delay The Common Core"
From Newsday:State Sen. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) wants to delay implementing tough, new academic standards known as the Common Core, calling its rollout "terribly executed."The education program, adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia, was created with the goal of better preparing students for college and the workforce.But thousands of Long Island parents told state education le
Why The UFT Will Probably Back Cuomo
James Eterno at ICEUFT today:Michael Bloomberg, the anti-public education mayor, has left office after twelve years where he almost destroyed our public schools. An anti-public education, anti-worker governor of New York State, Andrew Cuomo, is up for reelection later this year. On Wednesday at the UFT Delegate Assembly, I introduced a resolution for the UFT to outright reject any possible Cuomo
There Needs To Be A Moreland Commission To Investigate Andrew Cuomo
Sheriff Andy used the Moreland Commission as a bludgeon against the Legislature, saying in effect it is a cesspool of corruption where private interests hand over campaign donations (or bribes) and get favors and/or policies in return.But take a look at how much money Cuomo takes in, just where he takes it from and who gets favors in return:ALBANY – He may be promoting a taxpayer-funded campaign s
Governor Cuomo On The Take
Capital Confidential:Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has filed its six-month report with the Board of Elections, which is due today. The raw numbers:Opening Balance: $27,811,546.11Total Receipts: $7,019,967.87Total Expenses: $1,507,972.95Total On Hand (End of Period): $33,323,541.03Whomp! By way of comparison, consider Cuomo’s previous five January filings:2009: $5.6 million2010: $16.1 million2011: $4.2 mill
JAN 15
Fort Lee Teachers Union Calls For Christie Ally To Apologize To Fort Lee Children
A statement from the Fort Lee Education Association:The Fort Lee Education Association is deeply offended by the disparaging remarks made about our students by David Wildstein, the childhood friend of Governor Chris Christie who worked at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. When members of the Christie Administration callously created a traffic nightmare in our community, Mr. Wildstein
Quinnipiac Poll Finds Most New Jersey Voters Believe Christie Is Not A Bully
From Political Wire:A new Quinnipiac poll finds New Jersey voters believe Gov. Chris Christie (R) is more of a leader than a bully by a 54% to 40% margin -- one of his lowest "bully" scores since the question was first asked in 2010.In addition, voters who have heard about the George Washington Bridge controversy say by 66% to 22% that the governor did not personally order the traffic ja
Eva Moskowitz's "Middle East War"
Rachel Monahan and Ben Chapman in a piece about Eva Moskowitz and her charter school company have this doozy: For eight years, she’s been the lightning rod of the charter movement, raising millions from hedge funders and foundations as she aggressively worked her close connections to the Bloomberg administration to take over space in public schools. She has compared that battle for space to a “Mid
JAN 14
Shelly Silver Backs John King, Says He "Has Confidence" In Merryl Tisch
So much for relying on the Legislature to put a stop to the ravages being caused by the SED/Regents reform agenda:Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver told reporters in Albany on Tuesday there should be a slower implementation of the Common Core standards, but declined to say if there should be a legislative fix to its issues. Rather, the speaker said he is waiting to see the implementation recommendat
Surprise, Surprise - Cuomo's Ed Reform Committee Calls For Cuomo's Preferred Reforms
From Jessica Bakeman at Capital NY:A panel of education experts recommended expanding pre-kindergarten, boosting technology in schools and rewarding high-performing teachers with financial incentives in a long-awaited report commissioned by Governor Andrew Cuomo.Cuomo designed his education priorities last year and this year based on the commission's recommendations. The final report is four month
Christie Calls For Longer School Days, Longer School Year
From Capital NY:Christie, addressing the 216th session of the legislature in the Assembly Chambers of the State House in Trenton, will argue that despite improvements in the troubled schools of Newark and Camden, the state needs to take bigger and broader steps to adjust its approach to K-12 education to address the new competitive world. He’ll say that the school calendar is antiquated, both educ
Did Merryl Tisch Just Refuse To Back John King?
Dunno, maybe I'm just cynical, but what I didn't hear in these Tisch statements sounds louder to me than what I did hear:ALBANY—State Board of Regents chancellor Merryl Tisch won't “dignify” a response to whether she supports state education commissioner John King, calling a statewide teachers' union's plan to take a no-confidence vote against him “politics” and a “sideshow.” At a Regents meeting
JAN 13
Cuomo Education Reform Panel Still Not Done With Their Report
Jessica Bakeman at Capital NY:ALBANY—A panel of education experts tasked with making recommendations to Governor Andrew Cuomo for how to improve student performance is months late releasing its final report. The commission even missed last week's State of the State address, during which the governor laid out an ambitious schools agenda for the year. Cuomo empaneled his Education Reform Commission
Corproate Education Reform Proponent George Miller To Retire From Congress
The corporate education reform movement and for-profit post secondary school industry lost a reliable shill:California Rep. George Miller, Nancy Pelosi’s strong right arm and one of the top Democratic legislators of his generation, is stepping down at the end of this year after four decades in Congress. Miller informed Pelosi, the Democratic leader, of his decision last Wednesday and began telling
Common Core And Testing Go Hand-In-Hand
There has been a lot of debate over Randi Weingarten's publicly announcing that she wants to "de-couple" the Common Core State (sic) Standards from high stakes testing.Alas, the CCSS were meant to go with high stakes testing, teacher evaluations based in part upon student test scores and data collection projects like inBloom that will track all the statistics and scores.All three go toge
Troubles Mount For Chris Christie
I've written more than once that Chris Christie is a dirty guy, a crooked guy, and once he starts to get scrutiny at a national level as a presidential contender, stuff is just going to come out that will, in the end, destroy his presidential ambitions.BridgeGate has become a major problem for him, with new subpoenas being issued today:The chairman of the Assembly committee investigating the Georg
NY Post: De Blasio Picking Up Where Bloomberg Left Off On Court Cases
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss:Mayor de Blasio is tossing his “tale of two cities’’ mantra out the window this week, as his Law Department begins defending two hallmarks of the Bloomberg legacy in court.One case involves park activists who first sued the city in 2008, alleging that an upscale restaurant concession serving $18 omelets in Union Square would violate rules about profit-making
Again I Ask, Why No Blame For Bloomberg And Walcott?
The Post does another story on horror school PS 106 this morning:Kids at Queens’ notorious “School of No” have been forced to pay for a bizarre fifth-grade party at which their principal makes them dress up as little brides and grooms, The Post has learned — as the DOE announce that it would probe conditions at the school. PS 106’s fur-clad principal, Marcella Sills — who is known for frequently b
JAN 12
Why Doesn't Bill Gates Try To Fix Microsoft And Leave Public Education Alone?
Didn't get a chance to blog this back in September when it first occurred - another Microsoft screw-up:Computerworld - Microsoft yesterday acknowledged yet another problem with its Sept. 10 updates, confirming that one of those fixes broke Office 2010 Starter Edition by changing the file associations of already-created documents."After installing this update, some users have reported they are
Inherit The Wind
From Political Wire:"We know we didn't come from monkeys! Ladies and gentlemen, they're using your tax dollars to brainwash our children into socialist issues and ideas and it is time for it to stop."-- Texas Board of Education candidate Lady Theresa Thombs (R), quoted by the Dallas Observer, on science education.From Inherit The Wind:
Times Unions Calls Cuomo On His State Of The State Speech
Nice editorial yesterday in the Times-Union, calling Cuomo on his funding for public education, his refusal to either increase funding or reduce state mandates that tax districts to stretching point, and his failure to acknowledge the problems with the state's CCSS implementation and the Endless Testing regime that is in part required by his APPR teacher evaluation system.The editorial writer note
What Was Andrew Cuomo's Involvement In The Christie BridgeGate Scandal?
From Maggie Haberman at Politico:The Wall Street Journal, ahead on the Bridgegate story throughout the scandal, reported in December that Christie reached out to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who co-controls the Port Authority, to ask him to turn down the heat on the internal review of what happened. It was Cuomo’s appointee, Port Authority Executive Director Patrick Foye, who called out the Christi
Why Aren't Bloomberg And Walcott Blamed For This?
We always hear how great Mayor Bloomberg was for the school system, how much better things were after his 12 years of reign than before he took over.Then you get this kind of story from the Post that sounds very much like a school from the "bad-old days":Students at PS 106 in Far Rockaway, Queens, have gotten no math or reading and writing books for the rigorous Common Core curriculum, w
JAN 11
Cuomo's Silence On Common Core Speaks Volumes
Jessica Bakeman at Capital NY:ALBANY—Governor Andrew Cuomo featured education initiatives prominently at his State of the State address Wednesday, but never mentioned the controversial Common Core curriculum standards and the growing unrest among teachers and parents over how the state rolled them out. “The biggest education issue that concerns parents and teachers and students is the Common Core,