Ed Notes Online
Inside UFT Chapter Leader Training: Mulgrew Reacts to Unity Rejection of MORE "Bully Principal" Reso at DA by ....
.... talking about picketing in front of schools with abusive administrators and the UFT PINI list! Principal's in Need of Improvement.... Classify this in the category of: Not an original thought in their heads. Or: too little too late.At the ICE blog read all about the DA and how top UFT official Emil Pietromonaco said people had enough protections - and the Unity slugs agreed. (UNITY TURNS DO
Support Suan Ohanian on White House Petition
Please don't send me 'excuses.' I've heard them already--from union officers who tell me they have other fish to fry, teachers who insist putting initials on a petition will cost them their jobs, etc. etc. .. Susan OhanianI hate petitions and think they do little good. But when Susan Ohanian speaks I listen. Here is the link: http://wh.gov/lV7q7White House Petition Although I have strong reservat
So Goes the UFT, So Goes the NYSUT Election?
Impressive piece from The Pen is Mightier Than the Person blog.http://sullio.blogspot.com/2014/03/so-goes-uft-so-goes-nysut-election.html?showComment=1395496206993#c2879941464069803929Friday, March 21, 2014So Goes the UFT, So Goes the NYSUT Election? Amid an outcry from members over the sale of public education to plutocrats, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has stopped accepting donatio
LA Teacher Union Election Wrinkle in Time
At the presidential forum...., where the issue was first made public, Caputo-Pearl defended his school site visits. “It’s a way to level the playing field [with Fletcher] who is allowed to be out there, talking to teachers everyday,” he said in an interview with LA School Report. He also said he made all necessary provisions to ensure his students would not be affected. Caputo-Pearl said the distr
YESTERDAY
Insurgent Slate Wins Big in Leadership Race for L.A. Teachers Local
We heard from people who kept telling us to chill the social justice stuff here in NYC. Yet social justicy people like Alex Caputo-Pearl seem to be winning urban teacher union elections like in Chicago, Milwaukee, a good showing in Newark, people running in Seattle and Portland and probably other places I am leaving out. Unions are getting killed no matter what but the best chance to have a glimme
Fred Smith: Parents Should Say NO to Field Tests
Fred is our testing guru - field tests have no purpose for kids or teachers or schools -- they are used by the testing companies to make new tests and use kids as guinea pigs. Fred has led the revolt against field tests. There is no penalty to a school to refuse to take them -- but sometimes there are bribes - like free ipads. Either boycott or hold out for a big bundle -- and pay the kids back by
MAR 20
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
MAR 19
A PEP Lovefest; I Compare Eva Moskowitz to Global Warming
Last 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 defend the autistic and other special ed kids at the Mickey Mantle school fro
Teachers - Inform Potential Opt-Out Parents About Change the Stakes - Friday - Last General Meeting Before ELA
The growing opt-out movement is a major weapon in our arsenal to fight the deformers. In fact it is the single most threatening thing to them and just watch them and their lackey NYC press corps hammer people and try to blame the UFT, which in fact won't really touch this issue by truly supporting it. In Chicago the CTU has gone all out to deny them the data.If you want a flyer for parents at your
MAR 18
Fascinating Video: See a 1000 years of European Borders Change
A very apt app for today's events. Great to use with your classes.http://loiter.co/v/watch-as-1000years-of-european-boarders-change/
NYSUT: MORE Challenges Unity, VP Candidate Arthur Goldstein to Appear at PSC Candidate Forum Tonight
Overall, Revive did not look ready for prime time. If this is the best they can do, then we may be in even more peril than now if they take over NYSUT in April. The four incumbents in Stronger Together and Arthur Goldstein looked very comfortable up on the stage while Pallotta and his Revived challengers appeared to be overmatched at times... James Eterno report on Long Island Candidate ForumTo
MAR 17
PEP Tuesday Night/CEC Members/Parents Urge Tish James to Press Co-Loco Law Suit
I am going to be there and film. Rumor is that Eva is bringing the Success people out to enforce the idea that their 194 kids are more important than autistic kids they want to throw out at PS 149 and the Mickey Mantle special ed school -- and backed by millions of dollars for commercials - which could have been used to get the 194 kids a building of their own.This was just sent by Leonie Haimson:
Evaluation Law Suit on Poverty: NYSUT Leadership Supports Rochester TA
Interesting news here given that Adam Urbanski is supporting the Mulgrew/Revive takeover of NYSUT. Will Rochester delegates to the April 5 NYSUTRA vote for Iannuzzi/Stronger Together because of this support? Ravitch reports:Rochester Teachers Sue State Over Teacher Evaluationsby dianeravitch The Rochester Teachers Association is suing the state over its teacher evaluation system, alleging that it
MAR 15
Change the Stakes Explains Opt-Out at District 14 High Stakes Testing Town Hall - Wed. March 19
Janine Sopp, David Dobosz, Brian DeVale, Brooke Parker and Esteban Duran -- Oh what a night this will be --- , Do you know what High Stakes Testing means for your children, their teachers and our schools?The Community Education Council for District 14TOWN HALL MEETINGWednesday, March 19, 2014Where: 215 Heyward StreetLocation: AuditoriumTime: 6:00pm – 8:00pmPanelists are:· Brian DeVale, Princ