Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.:
Fred All Week Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher
Keeping retirement weird. International Women’s Day.
Aunt Mary grabbed the live lake perch out of my hand and said, “You do it like this.” Aunt Mary proceeded to smack the fish’s head against a tree. My brother-in-law and I had been out on Lake Champlain off the Adirondack camp his family owned. We had spent the day of Split Rock fishing. Which, as far as I could tell, was an excuse to go through a case of beer. Or part of a case. I did, however, l
YESTERDAY
Toni Berrios. This is what she calls being responsive to constituents.
Running for her political life, Toni Berrios is trying to to recreate herself into a progressive. But with a 12 year record to run on, that is hard to do. Twelve years of pension underfunding. Twelve years of voting for pension theft. Twelve years of kowtowing to her patrons, Mike Madigan and Big Daddy Berrios. Back in November my wife Anne wrote Representative concerning SB1342. It was a bill th
DFER want to kick Chicago’s ass.
If you don’t know what DFER is, don’t feel bad. They hide in the shadows, known only to a deep-pocketed charter promoters, bought-off politicians who are recipients of their largesse and education geeks. Like me. A few years back DFER Director Joe Williams wrote that he would kick my ass for writing mean things about them. But he didn’t. Or couldn’t. Or something. Anyway, DFER stand for Democrats
Lee Talley. Bruce Rahmer’s tax return.
- Lee Talley is a retired Illinois school teacher. Fred, After watching the March 5th watching the debate for Republican governor I noticed that candidate Bruce Rauner was stumbling over the question posed about his daughter getting preferential treatment for admittance to Walter Payton Preparatory High School. He stated that the family moved downtown to his wife could be closer to her non-profit
MAR 06
Christian Mitchell. $100,000 from anti-public school group.
Subject: NEWS RELEASE: Rep. Christian Mitchell’s Anti-Public Education Platform Rep. Christian Mitchell feted by right-wing, anti-public education groups while parents, students and teachers fought abusive school closings CHICAGO – While thousands of parents across Chicago were fighting school closing, reports indicate deep ties between Rep. Christian Mitchell (26th District) and groups committed
The state union leadership supported Dillard. Throwing good money after bad.
In the weeks and days since the IEA, IFT (minus the CTU) and AFSCME endorsed Kirk Dillard for Governor, Bruce Rauner’s lead has increased by 4% according to just released polls. Dillard stands at 14%. Unless there is video tape of Bruce Rahmer actually stabbing a nursing home patient to death (which I wouldn’t rule out completely), he will be the Republican candidate in the general election. It ju
Dissolving the Illinois charter commission.
Greg Richmond, ALEC’s man on the Illiinois Charter Commission. Several years ago the Illinois General Assembly established the Illinois Charter Commission. The commission has the power to over-rule local communities and school district boards of education in awarding charters to the growing number of privately operated but publicly financed schools. A requirement to sit on the board is that you
Illinois is not too broke to give Exelon a handout.
Illinois is broke cry the corporate Civic Committee CEO’s when they dine over their three martini lunches. Illinois is broke explains Ty Fahner as he secretly meets with the bond rating agencies that then go and lower that state and city ratings, putting pressure on the legislature to cut promised public employee pensions. Which is then what the legislature does, as in Senate Bill 1. But when a
TRS’s missing pension checks.
I received word yesterday that there might be as many as 5,000 retired members of the Teacher Retirement System who did not receive their March 1st check. On Friday all TRS members were notified that because March 1st fell on a Saturday, our checks would not be posted to our accounts until the 3rd if we used automatic electronic deposit. Of the over 100,000 retirees, roughly 5,000 still receive th
MAR 05
Tim Furman. Good job on the charter commission bill, folks. And who are you calling “grizzled”?
- Tim Furman. Rogers Park Neighbors for Public Schools. Dang, we got a lot of hits today, thanks to the help of my grizzled blogger friend and over in Logan Square.* It looks like a bunch of people filled out witness slips. I was fixing computers all day, so I didn’t have a moment to listen to the testimony. Did you? I think it was on the General Assembly’s audio feed. In any event, things are
Has Illinois State Senator Ira Silverstein lost his mind?
If Illinois State Senator Ira Silverstein gets his way, the University of Illinois and other Illinois public universities could lose all their state funding if a professor attended a national conference of the American Studies Association. The ASA is the oldest and largest academic organization in the United States. It has more than 5,000 members. What did they do that so offended Senator Siverst
The Chicago Teachers Union did NOT endorse Kirk Dillard.
From the Chicago Teachers Union: CHICAGO—While the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) has endorsed Republican gubernatorial hopeful Sen. Kirk Dillard in the upcoming primary, the Chicago Teachers Union Local 1 (CTU) has not formerly endorsed any gubernatorial candidate. The decision to endorse the Hinsdale legislator who once served as state chair of the anti-labor American Legislative Exchang
Tim Furman’s Red Alert. Hearing on bill to dissolve charter commission is today. Here’s what to do.
- Tim Furman, Rogers Park Neighbors for Public Schools I’m declaring a red alert. Keep calm and call Springfield. HB3754, which is Linda Chapa LaVia’s bill to dissolve the ALEC-inspired state charter school commission, among other things, has a hearing tomorrow (Wednesday, March 5) at 8:30 AM in Springfield. I see the bill has picked up quite a few co-sponsors, which is good. It’s unfortunate, i
CORE: Huge victory for Saucedo teachers, parents and students yesterday.
Posted on CORE: HUGE VICTORY for Saucedo teachers, parents and students! Although CPS tried to intimidate us by sending 20 CPS security and network minions, we stood our ground. Boycotting teachers were able to teach engaging lessons, such as Gandhi and Rosa Parks’ acts of civil disobedience and non-violent protest. Students, who opted out, were not tormented with the anxiety of testing. Parents
MAR 04
First day of ISAT testing. Boycotting teachers are still in their classrooms.
In spite of threats by CPS CEO Bully Byrd-Bennett that boycotting ISAT teachers would be sent home without pay, those teachers are in their classrooms this morning, not testing. This according to reports in the Chicago Sun-Times. Despite a threat from the Chicago Public Schools chief that teachers who are refused to administer an annual state achievement test would be ordered to leave, boycotting
The schizophrenic Chicago Tribune in the the kingdom of Dick Mell.
Aaron Goldstein. I’m not sure what an endorsement by the Chicago Tribune means in actual votes. I’m sure some professional political operative can write in and tell me. But when the Trib endorsed progressive challenger Will Guzzardi against Toni Berrios, it probably meant more that Berrios is already in trouble and sinking fast. The editorial board of the Trib reads the same polls as Madigan an
Pensions at the polls. The story of Travis and Guzzardi.
Jay Travis and Will Guzzardi. Back in May when the Illinois House voted for Senate Bill 1, many of us called on our union and political leadership to mount primary campaigns against those state representatives who voted to cut our constitutionally protected pensions. Some we would win and some we would lose. Still, the message would be sent that there was a political price to pay for violatin
MAR 03
Chicago Tribune endorses Guzzardi, “though we disagree with his position on pension reform.”
Challenger Will Guzzardi gets an endorsement from the Chicago Trib in spite of his opposition to pension theft. “Proud to disagree with the Trib on pensions, and proud to be endorsed anyway,” responded Guzzardi. 39th District: Will Guzzardi lost the Democratic primary in 2012 to state Rep. Toni Berrios by just 125 votes. Guzzardi is trying again to defeat the daughter of Joe Berrios, the Cook Cou
Fear and loathing in Chicago.
- Chicago Teachers Union CHICAGO—The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) this week continues its steadfast support of the teachers at Saucedo Scholastic Academy and Thomas Drummond Montessori School who are boycotting the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT), but is extremely concerned about the ever-growing confusion generated by Chicago Public Schools (CPS) in its communication to parents regard
The shameless Civic Federation isn’t done with seniors yet. Why not just take it all?
Soup kitchen at Representative Robin Gabel’s office protesting pension cuts Not satisfied with Senate Bill 1 which cut public employee pension benefits, the Civic Federation of Chicago wants pension and Social Security benefits taxes, while reducing personal income taxes on the wealthy and Illinois corporations. Don’t write to me that you’re not surprised. I’m not surprised. It doesn’t mean I’m
Breaking: Pensions suits consolidated by order of Illinois Supreme Court.
Associated Press: SPRINGFIELD, Illinois — The Illinois Supreme Court has ordered that four lawsuits challenging Illinois’ new pension reform law be consolidated. The March 3 order transfers the case filed by a group of retired teachers in Cook County Circuit Court to Sangamon County Circuit Court, where the three other cases were filed. The court says all of the cases will be heard together in Spr
Today is the first day of early voting. I won’t be voting for Kirk Dillard.
Today is the first day of early voting in Illinois. After some coffee and breakfast I will head over to the library on Milwaukee Avenue and vote for Will Guzzardi in the 39th State Representative District. I promised to do that when Toni Berrios voted against our constitutionally protected pensions back in May. If I voted in the 26th district I would be voting for Jay Travis. If I lived in the 40
MAR 02
Raise Your Hand and More Than a Score. For parents who choose opting out.
From Raise Your Hand and More Than a Score, Chicago parent advocacy organizations: There was considerable confusion among many principals this past week over what students who have been opted out of the ISAT should do during the test periods. One account was that students whose parents have opted them out would be forced to sit idly in the testing room. We are pleased to say that this is false.
Skokie Organization of Retired Educators IEA/Retired. March luncheon. WHAT THE BLEEP DO WE DO?—2014/2016 ELECTIONS
S.O.R.E. holds a soup kitchen and serves half a cola outside Representative and pension thief Robyn Gabel’s Evanston office. WHAT THE BLEEP DO WE DO?—2014/2016 ELECTIONS JOIN SORE AS WE TACKLE THIS VITAL TOPIC…With a panel consisting of Will Lovett, IEA Lobbyist, and the League of Women Voters. Hard election choices, and a frank discussion. WHERE? Ruby Tuesday 5203 Old Orchard Road, Skokie 6007
Humans of New York. “God won’t fix it. We’ve got to fix it.”
“Let me tell you what’s happening to me. I’m on the PTA at my child’s school, the Secondary School of Journalism in Park Slope. I’m currently advocating on behalf of my child, and seventeen other children whose parents don’t speak English. These kids are from Ecuador, Peru, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, everywhere. These kids have all done very well on their Regent’s exams– I’m talking
Sunday reads.
12 Years a Slave is my pick for best picture in the Oscars tonight. There’s a Republican Party in Illinois. It’s called the Democratic Party. Rahm should stick to Polar Plunges with Jimmy Fallon and leave the schools alone. Hasn’t he learned? Every time he intervenes, he only make things worse. Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss. Toni Berrios. The more we know the scarier it gets. Network for Public Educa
MAR 01
John Laesch. Carol Ammons in the 103rd.
Carol Ammons is the pro-pension, pro-labor candidate in the March 18th Democratic Primary. Fred, I recently wrote my friend David Johnson, a brother carpenter and Jobs With Justice activist from Champaign-Urbana. The nature of my e-mail was to express disappointment in the Carpenters Union for backing Toni Berrios in the 39th State Rep. race when we have a solid union candidate, Will Guzzardi,
Keeping retirement weird. That video.
You know what I thought as I watched that video of a CPS professional development session? Damn. Why didn’t I ever think of that? Video taping one of the sessions I had to sit through over the past 30 years, that is. We are justifiably outraged watching this. But if you want command and control, this is what you do. Read from a script. Repeat after me. Call and response. The New York Times editor
This video of CPS Professional Development goes viral. PD on crack.
Thanks to the Washington Post’s Valerie Strauss, this video of Chicago Public School ISAT preparation and Professional Development has gone viral. This presenter was one of several consultants flown in from California and the United Kingdom for the Chicago Public Schools’ Office of Strategic School Support Services’ special network. This is a professional development for teachers of Saturday ISAT