Perdido Street School:
Education Reform's Dirty Secret: Reformers Target Black And Brown Teachers For Replacement
Why Won't Campbell Brown Reveal The Donor List To Her Education Reform Advocacy Group?
7% Of FOX 5 NY On Air Personalities Have Been Accused Or Convicted Of Sex Crimes In Past Four Years
Perdido Street School Week
Education Reform's Dirty Secret: Reformers Target Black And Brown Teachers For Replacement
Glenn Sullivan, a recent graduate from New Orleans’ Lake Area New Tech Early College High School, writes the following in the Washington Post:In my school, as in many schools — especially in reform-oriented school districts — a lot of the good, black teachers have been replaced by younger white teachers. Before Hurricane Katrina in 2005, nearly 75 percent of the city’s public school teachers were
Why Won't Campbell Brown Reveal The Donor List To Her Education Reform Advocacy Group?
From David Callahan at Inside Philanthropy:When queried by a reporter for Politico, Brown declined to name the donors to the advocacy group she's started, the Partnership for Educational Justice, except to say that they come from both political parties.Carl Korn, a spokesperson for New York State United Teachers, told Politico that PEJ was an "astroturf" group funded by right-wing “extre
7% Of FOX 5 NY On Air Personalities Have Been Accused Or Convicted Of Sex Crimes In Past Four Years
I posted earlier about former Fox 5 NY reporter Charles Leaf getting sentenced to 26 years in prison on child molestation charges.In the post, I wondered about the following:Why isn't Campbell Brown screaming about the Leaf case and wondering aloud how many other Fox News employees are pedophiles? Now Leaf is the only convicted pedophile that I know of at Rupert Murdoch's FOX News and and FOX affi
Fox 5 Reporter Sentenced To 26 Years In Prison For Child Molestation Charges
But Charles Leaf, the former Fox 5 reporter sentenced to 26 years in prison for child molestation and child porn, continues to deny the charges:The former television reporter convicted of molesting a 4-year-old girl defiantly maintained his innocence for nearly half an hour in a packed courtroom before a judge sentenced him to 26 years in prison on Friday.“I can’t stand before you and say I’m sorr
YESTERDAY
Fox 5 New York Brings Joel Klein Onto "News" Show To Peddle Amplify Tablets
From MyFoxNY.com back in March: Former New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein is now the Executive Vice President for News Corporation (parent company of FOX 5). Klein visited the set of Good Day New York on Tuesday to discuss the new Amplify tablet. The device is designed for teachers and students."Teachers love it; students love it. The teacher can personalize (the tablet.) A teache
FBI Seizes 80,000 Emails From News Corporation Servers
Interesting news: The FBI has seized 80,000 potentially damning emails from Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., giving the media titan worries on both sides of the Atlantic in the ongoing phone hacking scandal. While Murdoch was in London on Thursday facing the fallout from the conviction of one of his former star editors, it was disclosed in the U.S. that the FBI took and shared the mountain of emails
Westchester Residents Demand Tax Deadbeat Governor Cuomo Submit To Tax Assessment
Tax deadbeat Governor Cuomo and his consort Sandra Lee have refused to let the tax assessor into their Westchester home in order to avoid a property tax increase.That move is not playing well around Westchester - so fellow Westchester residents have decided to follow suit and refuse to let the assessor into their own properties:Westchester County residents joined gubernatorial candidate Rob Astori
The UFT MUST Endorse Andrew Cuomo For Governor
I am calling for the UFT to enthusiastically and vocally endorse Governor Andrew M. Cuomo for re-election this November.Sure Cuomo has shown himself to be anti-union, anti-teacher and anti-traditional public schools during his tenure as governor.And sure it makes no sense that a teachers union would continue to support a politician who hates unions, teachers and traditional public schools, as the
UFT Planted "Kiss of Death" On Espillat With Union Endorsement
From State of Politics:In a statement sent out this afternoon, Sen. Adriano Espaillat conceded the primary for the 13th congressional district to incumbent Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel. He also declared his candidacy for re-election to the state Senate. Espaillat had held off on conceding to Rangel, saying he’d wait until “every single vote” was counted before admitting defeat. This comes after
JUN 26
RIP: Teenie Hodges
From the NY Times:Teenie Hodges, a guitarist and songwriter whose lithe touch on songs by Al Green and others helped shape the sound of Memphis soul in the 1970s, died on Sunday in Dallas. He was 68.The cause was complications of emphysema, his daughter Sheila said.Along with his brothers Leroy, on bass guitar, and Charles, on organ, Mr. Hodges was part of the celebrated house band at Hi Records i
Support For Common Core Among Parents Of School Age Children Hits New Low
From Rasmussen:Support for Common Core among Americans with school-age children has fallen dramatically, as more now question whether the new national education standards will actually improve student performance. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 34% of American Adults with children of elementary or secondary school age now favor requiring all schools nationwide to
Pacific Ocean Blue
If you've never heard Dennis Wilson's solo album "Pacific Ocean Blue," you owe it to yourself to give it a listen - especially if you love the Beach Boys.I think "Pacific Ocean Blue" is the best solo album by any Beach Boy - including all of Brian's records over the years.If you have some time this summer, give it a listen.
LIRR Unions Do Not Take Kindly To Newest MTA Offer, Negotiation Strategy
From the Daily News:The MTA’s decision to publicize its newest contract offer to LIRR workers — who are threatening a strike next month — has union leaders considering whether to ditch a new round of negotiations set for Friday.Anthony Simon, a spokesman for a coalition of Long Island Rail Road unions, which can legally strike as early as July 20, faulted the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
People In Westchester Demand Tax Deadbeat Governor Cuomo Open His Home To The Tax Assessor
From State of Politics:At 10:15 a.m., “irate” Westchester homeowners will announce a strike against opening their homes to tax assessors until Cuomo does the same, New Castle Town Hall, 200 South Greeley Ave., Chappaqua. This tax issue is going to become a very big issue for Andrew M. Cuomo.Astorino is using it against him already and whenever Cuomo decides to run for higher office, it will follow
Open Thread: Last Day Of School
Here we are - the last day of school.Your thoughts as you head off to work it?(And yeah, I'm totally burnt from Regents grading and the rest of the end of the school year shenanigans, so what better to post than an open thread...)
JUN 25
What Happens To Rupert Murdoch And News Corporation After Brooks/Coulson Verdict?
Daily News reports the upside: A lawyer for Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp pleaded with British police and prosecutors not to file corporate charges in a phone-hacking scandal, arguing it would be “apocalyptic” for the company, according to a report. News Corp brass so feared prosecutors would hold the company liable for the phone-hacking mess, they ordered up an analysis that showed such a move would
This Guy Makes NYSED Commissioner John King Look Good
From Political Wire:"Pressure on the state's top school official to resign continued to mount Monday as more anonymous blog posts from John Huppenthal (R) emerged. Using an online alias, the superintendent of public instruction posted several comments on a conservative-leaning website calling for no Spanish language in the state," KTVK reports.Wrote Huppenthal: "We all need to stomp
Rupert Murdoch To Be Interviewed By Scotland Yard In Hacking Case
From the Daily News: Scotland Yard detectives plan to interview media mogul Rupert Murdoch about a phone-hacking scandal that led to one of his former top honchos being convicted Tuesday on criminal charges. Detectives have informed the 83-year-old Murdoch he’ll be grilled “under caution” — a warning given to suspects, according to The Guardian. The interview is expected to take place in Britain
Top Christie Aides In Constant Contact With Port Authority Chairman During GWB Closures
More evidence that the squeeze is being put on former Port Authority chairman David Samson to give up Chris Christie or die in jail:The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s former chairman maintained constant contact with top members of Gov. Chris Christie’s administration during the week lanes to the George Washington Bridge were shut down, newly released phone records show.David Samson, w
JUN 24
How Many Teachers Voted For Obama In 2012?
I didn't - not after Race to the Top and Arne Duncan and the Rhode Island teacher firings that Obama applauded.But I bet lots of teachers out there still voted for Obama because they were scared that Mitt Romney might get elected.Well, here's what Obama and his people are doing now, teachers:Teachers unions are girding for a tough fight to defend tenure laws against a coming blitz of lawsuits — an
How Many Christie Scandals?
Lots - as noted by a commenter at the NY Times:So we can tack this investigation onto the original GWB lane closures, the Hoboken extortion accusations from Mayor Zimmer, the mis-use of Hurricane Sandy funds to for unrelated projects, and the numerous conflicts of interest by David Samson in his Port Authority role. Have I missed any? Mr. Fishman is going to have a full-time job just investigating
Just Make Every Student A Former ESL Student And You'll Magically Raise Your Test Scores!
In case you missed this story in the NY Post:Students at the troubled William Cullen Bryant High School in Queens were falsely labeled as not fluent in English — to grant them extra time to finish last week’s Regents exams, The Post has learned.More than 100 teens in one teacher’s English classes were recently marked “FELL,” for “former English language learner.” The label grants students exam “ac
Chelsea Clinton Is As Full Of Shit As Her Parents
From The Daily News:Hillary Clinton insists she isn’t “well-off” and now daughter Chelsea, according to a recent interview, claims she couldn't care less about money.“I was curious if I could care about (money) on some fundamental level, and I couldn’t,” she told Fast Company in an interview that ran in the magazine's May edition, explaining why she gave up lucrative gigs to join her family’s phil
WSJ: Campbell Brown Is Aiding Parent Group For Tenure/Seniority Lawsuit
Not a surprise:A new advocacy group is helping parents prepare a challenge to New York's teacher tenure and seniority laws, contending that they violate children's constitutional right to a sound basic education by keeping ineffective teachers in classrooms.Campbell Brown, a former CNN anchor who has been a critic of job protections for teachers, launched the group, Partnership for Educational Jus
Chris Christie Has Second Bridge Scandal On His Hands
From the NY Times:Investigations into the Christie administration and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have zeroed in on possible securities law violations stemming from a $1.8 billion road repair agreement in 2011, according to people briefed on the matter.While the inquiries were prompted by the apparently politically motivated lane closings at the George Washington Bridge last year
End Of The Year Meetings
We're having lots of end of the year meetings that make me want to stick a pencil through my eye and have to be taken to the hospital.I guess sitting at these meetings making it look like I actually give a shit about the nonsense they're talking about is good practice for the weekly PD crap that's coming at us via the new UFT contract.How about you - are you having a decent end of the year week or
JUN 23
No Wonder The Parcc Consortium Has Lost So Many States
A comment left at the Worcester Telegram and Gazette:Why it may not be a great idea to take PARCC this year: 41% of students who took the pilot reported it was hard to type their answers. 46% of students reported technology problems when taking the math test teachers reported that 72% of students needed more time than the test recommended (suggesting a gross misjudgment of the time requirement)
The Problem With Education Reform Centers On The Education Reformers Themselves
An editorial in The Worcester Telegram and Gazette:We're all for quality and high standards in public education. But the taxpayers of Massachusetts should be asking some hard questions about the cost of and need for revamping the state's standardized testing system. For the coming year, at least, school districts will be permitted to choose between the familiar Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessme
How Crooked Are Andrew Cuomo And Sandra Lee?
From Fred Dicker at the NY Post:State Republicans want to know if Gov. Cuomo’s live-in girlfriend, “Semi-Homemade’’ celebrity chef Sandra Lee, is subsidizing his living expenses with income from companies doing business with the state, a possible “gifts law’’ violation, The Post has learned. Republicans — who recently accused Lee, owner of the $1.2 million, six-bedroom, Westchester home where the
NYCDOE Should Expand Composting Program To Include Common Core/EngageNY Modules
From the Times:New York City’s school composting program, kicked off just two years ago by parents on the Upper West Side, is now in 230 school buildings in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island, and is expected to more than double in size and reach all five boroughs in the fall, with an ultimate goal of encompassing all 1,300-plus school buildings. Depending on where the school is, the uneaten an
JUN 22
This Must Be The Fault Of Teachers And Public Schools
From the Murdoch Post:Life’s traditional milestones of marriage, home and children do not hold any currency for today’s millennials due to lack of cash.Many young adults, facing a difficult job market, suffer from a failure to launch their lives and leave the safety of the family home. Many must continue to rely in some part on parents for financial support, according to the findings of a new surv
Bill Gates And His Super Banana
Evil genius Bill Gates doesn't just experiment on other people's children in education policy - he also experiments with genetically modified food that he would NEVER feed himself or his kids but is supersure is "safe" for other people's consumption.To whit, his "Super Banana" - here's a propaganda piece from the Washington Post that is so breathless in it's desire to only say
Regents Grading
Bleary-eyed teachers in different places around the city are grading Regents exams this weekend - including this bleary-eyed teacher at Perdido Street School.That so much is riding for students, teachers and schools on a grading process that has exhausted teachers working through the day, then grading at night and on weekends, really ought to trouble any fair observer of education policy.That's al
JUN 21
Cuomo Claims APPR Should Be "100% Accurate"
The statement came in the "fix" he pushed for teachers who are rated on the CCSS tests:After negotiating with lawmakers and teachers' unions, Cuomo released a bill that aims to provide a “safety net” for teachers and principals who would be at risk of losing their jobs because of students' low scores on Common Core-aligned tests. Under the proposal, educators who earn “developing” or “in
Andrew Cuomo And Michael Mulgrew Still Love The Common Core
Students, aprents and teachers all over the country are turning against the Common Core.Protests have risen up in many states, three states have already pulled out of the Core (Indiana, Oklahoma and South Carolina) and two more are on the cusp of going (North Carolina and Louisiana.)Here in NY State, a mass movement of students, parents and teachers is rising up against the Core and the ancillary
How Would The Education Reformers Solve This Mess?
From the NY Post, in full:A Bronx principal hid in shame on Friday rather than explain why she ignored pleas from a bullied teen’s dad to have the kid removed from the school before the torment drove him to kill.Delise Jones darted out of IS 117 at dismissal and shielded her face with her car’s sun visor rather than answer questions about the transfer request from the father of alleged killer Noel
Time To Go After Tenure For CEO's
The noted Communists at Forbes say the higher paid a CEO is, the worse that CEO's company performs:Across the board, the more CEOs get paid, the worse their companies do over the next three years, according to extensive new research. This is true whether they’re CEOs at the highest end of the pay spectrum or the lowest. “The more CEOs are paid, the worse the firm does over the next three years, as