Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog:
Schooling in the Ownership Society
Schooling in the Ownership Society
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk
Schooling in the Ownership Society
IEA backs Dillard. He ALEC's go-to guy in IL
The union gave Dillard’s campaign $250,000¿ along with a cadre of political foot soldiers.Yes, you're reading this right. The Chicago Tribune reports that the IEA is backing Kirk Dillard, ALEC's top guy in Illinois, in the Republican gov's race? You shouldn't be surprised. They endorsed him last time around as well.Yes, I know, I know, he's "not as bad as Rauner" (really?), Rutherford is
FEB 13
On the Wolverine
Heading for Detroit on the Wolverine for the NDSG meeting. I love trains. A ticket to Motown -- $28 each way. Plus I got free upgrade from previous trips. I can't drive it for that and the travel time is about the same. Wish we had high-speed rail with a Chicago hub. I'd hardly ever fly.Detroit power outage. A metaphor?Power Struggle… Detroit schools continue to be a disinvestment basket case, eve
FEB 12
Rahm and Byrd-Bennett lied about shrinking suspenstion rate. It's worse than ever.
Rahm & Byrd-Bennett claim a 23 percent drop in suspensions. Really? I didn't think it could get any worse. I thought the Daley/Duncan era of schoolhouse-to-jailhouse, Zero Tolerance and mass suspensions of African-American children in Chicago was drawing to a close. Why did I think that? Because the Mayor and his schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett told us so just yesterday and you know that Rahm
FEB 11
CTU PRESS RELEASE -- We won't negotiate ‘at the point of a gun’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Stephanie GadlinFebruary 10, 2014 Desk: (312) 329-6250 THE GREAT CHICAGO PENSION CAPER IS UNDERWAYChicago’s public school educators will not negotiate ‘at the point of a gun’ CHICAG
De Blasio Leading The Way On Income And School Inequality
Mayor de Blasio delivers his first State of the City AddressN.Y. Mayor Bill de Blasio isn't folding his post-election cards as many predicted, despite stiff opposition from Gov. Cuomo's gang up in Albany and even some attacks from some lefties on his plan for universal pre-K.AP reports:By virtue of a campaign focused on income disparity, de Blasio has become a leading spokesman in the global movem
FEB 10
Weekend Quotables
"Obamacare makes you lazy!" - Roy Blunt, US Senator, who will only work 126 days this year.Lorna Brett Howard, N.Y. Democratic activist...dismissed concerns that the tax increase [for Mayor deBlasio's proposed universal Pre-K] — a difference of $530 for every $100,000 in income over the threshold — was burdensome. “That is one trip on your private plane to St. Bart’s,” she said. -- NY Ti
FEB 07
Jay Travis is the real deal.
At Travis fundraiser last night. I got to meet 26th Dist Rep. candidate Jay Travis at a campaign fundraiser for her last night. I came away thinking, she's the real deal. She previously worked as the executive director of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO), which has been in the forefront of the battle to save public education in Chicago. She's solid in her defense of retirees pensi
Why Cerf jumped ship in N.J.
Cerf bails on ChristieIf Jersey Jazzman tells me that the Christie's Bridgegate scandal has nothing to do with the timing of Chris Cerf's jumping ship and heading for Murdoch (see comments) I believe him. There's no one who knows N.J. ed politics better than JJ.I never meant to imply that the bridge scandal and Christie's zero chances of running for president in 2016 were the main reasons, anyway.
FEB 11
Chris Cerf quits N.J. Goes to work for Murdoch
Cerf hooks up with MurdochDarling of scandalized Gov. Chris Christie and the state's corporate school "reformers," Chris Cerf is out as New Jersey schools chief. Cerf said Monday he will leave his $141,500-a-year job on Feb. 28 to become chief executive of international criminal Rupert Murdoch's Amplify Insight ed tech firm. He's following his old boss, Joel Klein, who was New York City
FEB 07
Billionaire corporate school reformer Mandel, buys a 'pipeline' to CT Governor
Stephen Mandel, Jr. Net Worth $1.8 B (Forbes)If you're a billionaire hedge-funder and corporate school reformer like Stephen Mandel, and you want a direct line to the governor's office, you buy one. Mandel, the founder of the Lone Pine Capital hedge fund in Greenwich, is one of the biggest financial backers of CT Gov. Malloy, having spentwho spent over $500,000 supporting the governors agenda. He'