Los Angelos Teacher Union Election: Union Power Slate Dominates
TFA grad in position to run LA teachers union --- but don't get frightened kiddies. Urban social justice unionism keeps growing.Alex-Caputo Pearl with 48% against 21% for incumbent Warren Fletcher. I've met Alex a few times - this past summer in Chicago and 5 years ago in LA when he invited a bunch of Chicago CORE people over for breakfast and I clung to the back of the car -- didn't want to miss
The Wave: Memo From the RTC: How To Survive Three Shows in 24 Hours
My column published today in The Wave. Memo From the RTC: How To Survive Three Shows in 24 HoursBy Norm ScottAfter months of work, the RTC production of “How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” opened last Friday night in shipshape condition, followed by both a Saturday matinee and evening performance, with servings of pizza in between. Phew! Sunday was a day of rest.As I wrote last wee
Rockaway Theatre Update: Good News for the Theater, I'm Not a Musical Comedy Star -Yet
Well, since my last report (How to Make a Fool Out of Yourself: I Do It the Company Way at Rockaway Theatre Production of “How to Succeed…) last weekend we made it through the first 3 performances of the Rockaway Theatre Company production of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" in pretty good shape. I managed to deliver my 4 lines through the play and show up in the spots
Newark Teacher Endorses Ras Baraka and Slams David Brooks for Jeffries Endorsement
David Brooks: Drive By Newark Mayoral EndorsementDavid Brooks endorsed Newark mayoral candidate Shavar Jeffries in his New York Times column "How Cities Change." Brooks judiciously devoted seven paragraphs to Jeffries' biography and none to his opponent Ras Baraka. Indulge me while I fill in some gaps.Ras Baraka was born in Newark in 1970. He is the son of the late poet and activist Amir
UFT Charter School Report: Note the Management Fees
In 2013, the Success Network requested and received a raise in management fees to 15 percent of the per-pupil funding it receives from the state and city. The total amount of management fees charged by just four of the city’s charter chains in 2011-12 — Success, Uncommon, Achievement First, and KIPP — was over $12 million. This is a pretty good report from the UFT on the charter scam. While it tou
The Lies Eva Moskowitz Tells: More Destructive Than Global Warming
In my speech at the PEP the other night I didn't have time to make a better case against the Success Charter scam. I wanted to quote from a Ravitch post (Fact-Checking Eva’s Claims on National Television) exposing the lies. The Moskowitz machine has rolled de Blasio, with 3.5 million bucks spent on commercials, enough to buy space for Eva's so-called scholars. At least I have The Wave to try to in
3-19-14 Ed Notes Online Week
Ed Notes Online: A PEP Lovefest; I Compare Eva Moskowitz to Global WarmingLast night I attended my first PEP meeting under the new administration and it was quite a lovefest directed at Carmen Farina, even from critics. Even my usually sour presentation was tempered. The meeting was sparsely attended and there were critics there, but even they thanked Farina for at the very least, the stand to def