Ed Notes Online
Audio: Jaisal Noor and Lois Weiner on the State of Teacher Unions
Mary Compton who is mentioned in this interview may be making an appearance at the April 7 Don't Tread on Educators event at Paul Robson HS - look for details here and on their blog.Eterno at the ICE blog touches on this interview:LOIS WEINER SUMS UP TROUBLES OF US TEACHER UNIONS - http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=11648Lois We
Town Hall meeting at PS 30X re co-location - Monday March 31st, 6PM
See attached flyer and please share with your network, asociates, advocates & colleagues. Thank you!In solidarity,Carlos M. LopezPS 30x UFT Rep, SLT & Safety Chair.Please pass this info to your advocates. Town Hall MeetingMonday March 31st, 2014PS 30 Auditorium @ 6:00PM The Deputy Chancellor of the NYC DOE will like to hear your opinionsabout a Charter School being located in our building
Norm in The Wave: Countering the Propaganda About Eva Moskowitz Success Charters
Published Friday, March 28, 2014 Countering the Propaganda About Eva Moskowitz Success ChartersBy Norm ScottIf you happened to read Peter Stubben’s ridiculously misinformed pro-charter article in last week’s Wave, you might ask Stubben why he wants to throw autistic children into the street. Because that is exactly what would result if Eva Moskowitz, who makes almost half a million dollars a year
De Blasio Rolled - Say no to this budget deal; call the Speaker & your Assemblymember NOW!
I hate to tell you I told you so, but I told you so. That Eva would never pay a dime in rent.Not only that but now de Blasio will have to pay her rent. Here's the lesson boys and girls. We can't beat the 1% in the political arena. Massive grassroots organizing is what it would take. And having a tepid UFT not being able to lift a finger in opposition leaves us defenseless.Even though I voted for d
MAR 27
Refuse the Tests: Change the Stakes Releases Video
Amazing - Lisa Donlan, parent, CEC 1 Join the hundreds of NYC parents -- let's make it thousands -- who are refusing to let their children take the NYS tests, which begin April 1st! Watch our powerful new video where parents explain why they're opting out! Visit the Change the Stakes website to view the video and access information that tells you how to opt your child out of the tests. If you have
CEC 21 (Brooklyn) calls on Farina and de Blasio to reverse co-location plan for I.S. 281, Joseph B. Cavallaro and I.S. 96, Seth Low
I was at the rally this afternoon - Tish James and other politicos came down - I have some video - will update this space when processed. Officers: Heather Fiorica, President · Anna Lembersky, 1st Vice President · Joyce Finger, 2nd Vice President ·Linda Dalton, Recording Secretary ·Randi Garay, TreasurerMembers: Muneer Abualroub ·Mohammad Akram ·Sean Chin ·Maria Di Graziano ·Yoketing
WAGPOPS, District 14 Resources for Opt-Outers
My old district where I worked for 35 years is beginning to come up big time in the opt-out movement -- and new alliances are being built with parents, some principals and the Superintendent -- many people I've known for decades plus the newcomers.Below is a letter from parent activist Lorna. I taped the town hall last week. Link: https://vimeo.com/90159926Hello Parents -- As you know, the state t
WPIX Video: Opt-Out, Test Resistance Breaks into Mainstream -
Jeannette Deutermann of Long Island Opt out, Lisa Rudley of NYSAPE and Diana Zavala of Change the Stakes on WPIX this morning.Yay for our own Diana, former NYC teacher and parent activist supreme.Finally, the key to the ed deform movement - high stakes testing for kids and teachers - is beginning to come apart. Even that bastion of media ed deform - NBC - The Today Show - did a segment the other d
Change the Stakes Press Release: Number of NYC Parents Refusing State Tests Expected to Triple in 2014
Change the StakesChangethestakes.orgFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 26, 2014CONTACT: Janine Sopp, 917-541-6062, janinesopp@gmail.comNancy Cauthen, 646-438-1233, nkcauthen@earthlink.net Number of NYC Parents Refusing State Tests Expected to Triple in 2014New York City –What began two years ago as a small pocket of resistance has burgeoned into a
The End of My Brief Acting Career: How to Succeed... Heads for Final Weekend
So I am a few days away from ending my preoccupation with this once in a lifetime theater experience, so bear with me. Even though in the play, I've managed to do a bunch of video. Here is one I shot Sunday when I had to miss the performance due to a party but got there in time to shoot part of Act II. Here is the big number - missing me of course.https://vimeo.com/90084496 RTCBRotherMar 23 2014 f
MAR 26
Emergency Education Rally (Thursday) Noon at Tweed
From Noah GotbaumAnyone who can make it should do so. The state budget is hitting crunch time, with the Charter lobby spending millions on behalf of privatization and the 3% in charters, while firmly controlling both the Governor and the State Senate. Support must be given to Speaker Silver and the Assembly Dems to hold fast for the 97% of our kids in public schools and for public education, and
Time to put an end to The Discontinued - Dreaded D Teacher Blacklist at NYCDOE
Ed Notes has been covering the story of the Dreaded D - Discontinue - since teachers who have been blackballed by the vicious act of principals who were handed a loaded gun by the DOE without a peep from the UFT. Only non-tenured can be discontinued - where a mark is placed in the computer system and even if another principal wanted to hire them they couldn't.The teacher is out of your school, so
MAR 25
A Newark Teacher on Randi's Support for Common Core
The woman changes colors more often than a chameleon!... Newark TeacherBreaking News: AFT President Randi Weingarten continues to advocate for Common Core State Standards and now opposes standardized testing and VAM.I am sitting here reading my American Educator/Spring 2014 magazine and I cannot believe my eyes. I have reread Randi's column Teaching and Learning over Testing so many times I am get
Rally Against Charter Invasion, Thursday Sept. 27 3:30PM
RALLYatCAVALLARO IS2818787 24TH Avenue Thursday, March 27th 3:30 pmCome show your support for Cavallaro and tell the Mayor to reverse the Coney Island Prep Charterco-location!
Liz Krueger Slams Ed Tax-Credit Scam for the Wealthy - another death-knell for public education
Statement from State Senator Liz Krueger on Education Tax-Credit Scam Endorsed in Daily News EditorialFor Release: March 24, 2014 Please Contact: Andrew Goldston | agoldston@gmail.com | 917.720.7895 Statement on Education Tax-Credit Scam Endorsed in Daily News Editorial Albany, NY – The following statement is attributable to New York State Senator Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan): "With respect to
MAR 24
CCC 13 (Brooklyn) - High-Stakes Testing: “How Does It Impact Our Students?" Tues. Mar. 25 6:30PM
Bringing the opt-out movement to the communities.Last week I was at the CEC 14 similar event - still working on the video. High Stakes Testing Forum Meeting WHEN: Tuesday, March 25thWHERE: PS 133- 610 Baltic St, 11217 , 2014 TIME: 6:30pm-8:30pm Entrance on Baltic & 4th Ave High-Stakes Testing: “How Does It Impact Our Students?" ► How to help your child with test anxiety ► How test sc
As the NYSUT World Turns: Some NYC Unity Caucus Delegates May Bolt and Vote Stronger Together
Leroy Barr Offer to Unity RA DelegatesReports are surfacing that a small faction of Unity may just vote their conscience and damn the consequences at the April 5 NYSUT Representative Assembly.Unity Caucus held a meeting at 52 Broadway (UFT HQ) after last Wednesday's (March 19) Delegate Assembly - with dinner served (were they using our dues money - did they pay rent? Can MORE hold caucus meetings
MAR 23
Newark Teacher Gives Thanks and Advice to Ravitch
"Here is my advice to teachers who are unfairly rated by the spurious method called 'value added assessment': Sue them."....Diane Ravitch: From One Teacher to Another: VAM is Junk ScienceWhen your union cannot/will not back you up and in fact cooperates with the people looking to kill you, it makes fighting back for most people very difficult. Diane Ravitch never puts herself in a positi
South Bronx School Blogger Joins Opt-Out Movement
For those that want more information, follow NYS Allies for Education for how the "How to Opt Out" primer. It can be done, it should be done! ......I asked [my son] would he feel bad if he didn't take the exams and would the other kids make fun of him. His reaction was that he would not feel bad and that the other kids would want to know where they can sign up to miss the exams. In fact
Video: 12 Days to Being Tossed Out By Eva Moskowitz Success Charter
Interview with former Success Charter parent exposes shady tactics.Great work by GEM's Darren Marelli.An interview with New York City Parent Karen Sprowal. Ms. Sprowal tells the story of her kindergarten son's 12 days at Success Academy Charter School. Ms. Sprowal describes how her son was pushed out of the charter school and eventually embraced by a neighborhood public school, PS 75.https://vime
MAR 22
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