Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog:
Schooling in the Ownership Society
Schooling in the Ownership Society
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk
Schooling in the Ownership Society
Calif. pension battle brewing. Sounds eerily familiar.
UC service workers, members of AFSCME Local 3299, picket at UC Irvine Medical Center. The union has scheduled a five-day walkout starting March 3. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times). IN L.A. THIS WEEK… The weather's different, but the education issues sound pretty much the same her in Cali as they do in the IL tundra. The proposed so-called "pension reform" out here sounds eerily famili
FEB 20
Tough road ahead but things are picking hop
The way schooling is supposed to be-- I'm in L.A. taking a few days off from Chicago tundra, watching a school field trip to Leo Carrillo State Park. I'm out in L.A. this week but envious (no really) of those who got to join the UIC picket lines or march in Springfield in defense of public employee pensions. This show of strength, especially in anticipation of upcoming state and local elections is
FEB 19
Uic Strike, Day 2. Buses Role To Springfield
Hundreds of classes at the University of Illinois at Chicago were canceled Tuesday as part of the first faculty walkout in the school's history.While faculty march outside UIC, busloads of teachers, cops, firefighters and other public employees are on their way from Chicago to the state capital this morning to confront legislators over their unconstitutional attack on our pensions. The mass prote
FEB 18
Lesser-of-two-evils theory on crack
Lesser-of-evils theory on crack. IEA Pres. Klickna endorses ALEC leader Dillard for governor.The union is understandably worried about a Rauner victory. But still... The union gave Dillard’s campaign $250,000 along with a cadre of political foot soldiers. "These are dark days for active and retired Illinois teachers. Sad, dark days," says blogger Ken Previti. Brother Fred writes:I truly
FEB 17
The Great Chicago Pension Caper
CTU PRESS RELEASE:New CTU study shows disparate impact of slashing teacher pensions in an age of austerity CHICAGO – The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) today released a report examining the true impact of pension cuts on the public sector workers living in our city’s neighborhoods. Three of the top four employers in Chicago are the City itself, the Chicago Public Schools and Cook County. These three
Weekend Quotables
Jordan Davis' mother, Lucia McBath leaves the courtroom with her husband Curtis McBath.Ta-Nehisi CoatesThe most mendacious phrase in the American language is "black on black crime," which is uttered as though the same hands that drew red lines around the ghettoes of Chicago are not the same hands that drew red lines around the life of Jordan Davis, as though black people authored North L
FEB 14
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
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'