Queens Teacher: Open Letter to Ms. Black

Queens Teacher: Open Letter to Ms. Black

Open Letter to Ms. Black

by Queens Teacher

Dear Ms. Black,

Please do the right thing and withdraw yourself from the fray.

You will be vilified by the public, not taken seriously by educators & parents and tossed aside when Bloomberg is done with you.

Why be known as Bloomberg’s sycophant and tool in destroying public schools? Did you not see what happened

Black will receive waiver after city vows to promote Suransky | GothamSchools

Black will receive waiver after city vows to promote Suransky | GothamSchools

Black will receive waiver after city vows to promote Suransky

by Elizabeth Green

Cathleen Black will receive the state waiver that lets her become the next New York City schools chancellor, following a Thanksgiving deal between the city and the state. The deal calls for the Bloomberg administration to give a major promotion to Shael Polakow-Suransky, an education official who has frequently sparred with Chancellor Joel Klein and his top deputies, even while working alongside them.

State education officials had been wary to offer Black, Mayor Bloomberg’s surprise choice to succeed Klein, the

Supplemental SED Letter 11-26-10

Supplemental SED Letter 11-26-10

Supplemental SED Letter 11-26-10

City, state reach deal on schools chancellor Cathie Black; Shael Polokaw-Suransky tapped to help her

City, state reach deal on schools chancellor Cathie Black; Shael Polokaw-Suransky tapped to help her

BY KATHLEEN LUCADAMO AND RACHEL MONAHAN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Saturday, November 27th 2010, 4:00 AM

Santos for News

Media exec Cathie Black, who has no education background, will get a second-in-command with experience in city schools so that she can receive a waiver from the state.

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City and state officials have reached a deal so Mayor Bloomberg's pick for schools chancellor can take the post, sources said.

Media exec Cathie Black, who has no education background, will get a second-in-command with experience in city schools so that she can receive a waiver from the state.

Shael Polokaw-Suransky, a former principal who is currently the deputy chancellor for accountability, will become Black's chief academic officer.

The mayor announced Black would replace outgoing Schools Chancellor Joel Klein on Nov. 9.

But since then, the outrage over her lack of education experience has produced an outcry across the city. And earlier this week, an advisory panel to State Commissioner

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/11/26/2010-11-26_city_state_reach_deal_on_schools_chancellor_cathie_black_shael_polokawsuransky_t.html#ixzz16QoDVsC6

Exclusivity of Greeley charter schools debated - The Denver Post

Exclusivity of Greeley charter schools debated - The Denver Post

Chicken coop brings lessons to Denver school11/21/2010Students at Denver's Park Hill School are ready to learn some lessons from two clucking, feathered teachers.

Exclusivity of Greeley charter schools debated11/21/2010 - A showdown is brewing over charter schools' responsibility for educating low-income children.

Threats of student walkout, recall follow DPS approval of Montbello High turnaround11/19/2010 - Tears fell down the faces of Montbello High students in the early morning hours Friday after the Denver school board voted 4-3 to approve a plan to reconfigure their school and its feeder schools.

Denver school board OKs Montbello restructuring plan11/19/2010 - Fiery speeches, impassioned pleas and heartfelt statements were aired for hours Thursday night before the Denver school board approved the largest school turnaround plan in district history.

Montbello school-reform plan expected to be approved Thursday11/18/2010 - The largest school reform plan in Denver's history will come down to a contentious vote tonight at a school board meeting that is expected to be preceded by emotional pleas from supporters and foes.

Eduwonk » Blog Archive » Black Friday

Eduwonk » Blog Archive » Black Friday

Black Friday

by arotherham

Looks like a deal has been struck in Gotham and Albany on the Cathie Black waiver.

Queens Teacher: Steiner Needs to Grow a Pair

Queens Teacher: Steiner Needs to Grow a Pair

Steiner Needs to Grow a Pair

by Queens Teacher

Mayor and State Reach Deal To Pave Way for Schools Chief
By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ

The state’s education commissioner, David M. Steiner, and the Bloomberg administration have reached a deal that will allow Cathleen P. Black, a media executive, to become the next schools chief.

A top education official in the city’s schools system, Shael Polakow-Suransky, the chief accountability officer, will be named the chief academic officer to serve as the No. 2 to Ms. Black, according to a person with

Schools Matter: Steiner Proves Just Another Bloomberg Flunkie: Accepts Broadie as Black's # 2

Schools Matter: Steiner Proves Just Another Bloomberg Flunkie: Accepts Broadie as Black's # 2

Steiner Proves Just Another Bloomberg Flunkie: Accepts Broadie as Black's # 2

by Jim Horn

As I surmised, it was all Kabuki theatre, and in the end, the same fool who spouts the right-wing fantasy that Dewey recanted his lifelong work for democratic schools, offers a wave-through for Bloomberg's corporate bulldozer that will be driven by bleary-eyed party bud, Cathie Black, with the help of Klein's man in charge most recently of sheltering the big lie on NY City student test scores.

Shael Polakow-Suransky

The Broad Superintendents Academy Class of 2008
Deputy Chancellor for Performance and Accountability

This Week In Education: "Stray Dogs" Update: Amazon Page & Official Pub Date

This Week In Education: "Stray Dogs" Update: Amazon Page & Official Pub Date

"Stray Dogs" Update: Amazon Page & Official Pub Date

by Alexander Russo

We still don't have a final cover for my book but there's already an Amazon pre-order page and an official publication date in April. You can check it out here if you're really that determined to avoid doing anything today. The book should actually be available well before the official date, and in fact I've gotten a couple of nice emails from ed school types interested in using

This Week In Education: NYC Schools: Sexism Underneath The NYC Superintendent Debate

This Week In Education: NYC Schools: Sexism Underneath The NYC Superintendent Debate

NYC Schools: Sexism Underneath The NYC Superintendent Debate

by Alexander Russo

I can't be the only to wonder whether some the hullabaloo surrounding the proposed appointment of Cathie Black to head the New York City public schools has something to do with her being, well, you know -- a woman. Sure, there are substantive arguments against her. Yes, it's fun to bloody Mayor Bloomberg's nose once in a while (a couple of years ago it was congestion pricing). I get it that the only person less sympathetic to be proposed for the job might be Davis Guggenheim, the director of Waiting For Superman. But, come on now, it seems suspicious to me that this issue o

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The Vitamin D Gap

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: The Vitamin D Gap

The Vitamin D Gap

by Mike Klonsky

A good reason to keep and expand health care reform

Severe Vitamin D deficiencies may cause cognitive impairment, missed school days, and affect a student's academic ability. More importantly it can also lead to high risks of death from cardiovascular disease, asthma, cancer, diabetes and other serious physical and mental health problems. It, along with other elevated health risks for African-American children may provide reasons for the widening so-called "achievement gap" in standardized test results.

Recent studies find 98% of African-Americans and 90% of Mexican-Americans are Vitamin D deficient. That compares with 72% of whites. Of those, 27% of African-Americans and 8.5% of Mexican-Americans suffer from severe Vitamin D deficiency as

Disservice to Pre-service Teaching « My Island View

Disservice to Pre-service Teaching « My Island View

Disservice to Pre-service Teaching

by tomwhitby

I recently read in the Washington Post that the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education issued a report recommending that students preparing for a career in teaching should spend less time in course work and more time in real classrooms for clinical practice. According to the article, the report states that this would be more in the model used for medical Doctors. The report advocates less coursework and more practical experience for pre-service teachers. Of course the overriding theme of this article implies that the failure of our system is with the failure of the teachers, so it must be the failure of the way that teachers are prepared.

I see an additional problem in that the report in the recommendation for evaluating the student teacher on the performance of their assigned students on standardized tests.

“All programs held to same standards; data-driven accountability based on measures of candidate performance and student achievement, including gains in standardized test scores. Data drives reform and continuous improvement.”

This however, will require the attention of a second Post at another time.

Before any committee recommends less time in course work and expanding time in the classroom experience

Catalyst’s Analysis of Arne Duncan’s Renaissance 2010 | Seattle Education 2010

Catalyst’s Analysis of Arne Duncan’s Renaissance 2010 | Seattle Education 2010

Catalyst’s Analysis of Arne Duncan’s Renaissance 2010

by seattleducation2010

Over this holiday weekend, I would recommend going through Catalyst’s In-Depth report of Arne Duncan’s Renaissance 2010, the plan for Chicago schools that he rolled out as CEO of the Chicago Pubic School system. He heralded his plan as a success and his appointment to Secretary of Education was based on this so-called “success”.

He then took that model of Renaissance 2010 and projected it onto school districts around the country re-titling

NYC Public School Parents: Tone Deaf Mayor Turns Cathie Black Appointment into a Public Relations Train Wreck

NYC Public School Parents: Tone Deaf Mayor Turns Cathie Black Appointment into a Public Relations Train Wreck

Tone Deaf Mayor Turns Cathie Black Appointment into a Public Relations Train Wreck

by Steve Koss

If the recent uproar over Cathleen Black's appointment as NYC Schools Chancellor has shown anything, it has been the growing tone deafness of Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The man who once ran roughshod over the city's term limits laws and then quite literally had to buy his way into a third term subsequently promised not to fall into the historical trap of third term ineffectuality. Yet he is now wearing out his welcome at an accelerating pace, doubling down on bad decisions and lashing out at everyone who disagrees with him. Well known for lacking the common touch, the Mayor has never seemed more distant from everyday New Yorkers and more tin-eared in his behavior.

The Mayor’s most recent spate of tone deafness began with his behind-closed-doors decision to appoint an unqualified magazine publishing executive to replace outgoing schools chancellor Joel Klein. Ms.

What the hell are you doing reading this? « Fred Klonsky's blog

What the hell are you doing reading this? « Fred Klonsky's blog

What the hell are you doing reading this?

by Fred Klonsky

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, what the hell are you doing reading this blog? And why am I posting?

You should be with your family. Or reading a book. Or watching an old movie on AMC or TMC.

I’m going to drop the car off at George’s garage. The traction light on my Mini stays on and since George is actually working today, he’ll take a look at it an noon. I love George.

Then maybe we’ll take in a movie (the girls want to see Burlesque) and figure out whether we are eating leftovers or going out for dinner.

Yesterday was really good. First time for jello shots at a Thanksgiving dinner. Awful. The pies were great thanks

Quote: Tim King Explains Urban Prep Attrition (Sorta) - District 299: Chicago Public Schools Blog

Quote: Tim King Explains Urban Prep Attrition (Sorta) - District 299: Chicago Public Schools Blog

Quote: Tim King Explains Urban Prep Attrition (Sorta)

by Alexander Russo

"At Urban Prep we are firm, firm believers in not throwing kids away. We look really hard with even the most challenging discipline issues and

AM News: Emanuel Weighs In With Education Ideas

by Alexander Russo

Emanuel: New Curriculum By End of First Term: Mayoral candidate Rahm Emanuel made a campaign promise this week to implement a new math and English language curriculum in Chicago's public schools by the end of his first term... Del Valle Higher Ed Plan Focuses On Accessibility, Student Debt Progress IL: ecent data estimated that students who graduated from public and private four-year institutions in Illinois emerged with an average of more than $22,000 in debt... CPS leaves Smyth off upgrade plans | News | Chicago Journal Chicago Journal: In the board's Nov. 17 packet was a recommendation that Chicago Public Schools expand the Andrew Jackson Language Academy, 1340 W. Harrison, into a campus south of the Eisenhower Expressway, increasing the number of available magnet school seats in K-2 classrooms... Manager-educator pairings: A look at three other cities Gothamschools: Unlike in New York, where the chancellor can decide the titles and job descriptions of his (it's always been a "he") deputies, these positions are cemented in the law in Chicago. Chicago's CEO can change the responsibilities that fall under each officer, but the city is legally required to have an educational expert... Huberman's incompetence shows everywhere Substance: Even as Huberman was halfway out the door, Board refused to provide list of all the schools and each of the areas despite a $58 million increase in area office budgets this year... the Board also approved the appointment of a new "Chicago Area Officer" recommended by Huberman.

Education expert has suggestions for Black > YourNabe.com > Queens

Education expert has suggestions for Black > YourNabe.com > Queens

Education expert has suggestions for Black

By Anna Gustafson
Friday, November 26, 2010 11:10 AM EST

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Diane Ravitch, an educational historian, poses with her best-selling book before speaking at St. John's University this week about Cathie Black, who was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to be the next schools chancellor. Photo by Anna Gustafson

Diane Ravitch, a leading educational historian who spoke at St. John’s University this week, had some advice for the woman selected to be the city’s next schools chancellor.

Respect teachers, work closely with parents, do not close schools and do not locate charter schools inside current school buildings were some of the actions Ravitch urged Cathie Black to undertake in her remarks to the St. John’s biannual Carol Gresser Forum Lecture Monday.

“She has to listen beyond the circle of people around the leader who tend to be yes men and women,” Ravitch said, referring to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who chose Black. “You must listen to these parents and guardians and hear what they have to say. You work for them now, you don’t work for the mayor anymore.”

More than 300 people packed into St. John’s D’Angelo Center to hear Ravitch, whose most recent book, “The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education,” has landed on The New York Times’ best-seller list.

Ravitch, a historian of education, has written 10 books on education and from 1991-93 was the assistant secretary of education and counselor to U.S. Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander in the first President George Bush’s administration. She is now a research professor of education at New York University and serves as a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization in Washington, D.C.

The Carol Gresser Forum Lecture is named for the former president of the city Board of Education and a Douglaston resident

Mounted Police charge protesters at Whitehall 24 November

I wasn't planning on uploading this, I assumed the BBC would mention it along with their coverage of all the other protests, they haven't.

These protesters are not those who were kettled outside the treasury building, we weren't allowed in for that, after some kids had started fires and thrown some sticks n junk at the police lines separating us from the main protest they began to move forward.


This happened about an hour and a half after police started pushing us back, they had already deployed the cavalry 3 times, although those instances were less aggressive than this one.

I have decided to follow the anticuts campaign and make a documentary out of all the footage I gather, so this will eventually be in there.

Keep Your Eye on Michael Gove - Op-Eds - Israel National News

Keep Your Eye on Michael Gove - Op-Eds - Israel National News

Keep Your Eye on Michael Gove

by Dovid Efune, Dir. Algemeiner Journal

Follow Israel opinion on and .

Michael Gove, UK Secretary of State for Education in the UK, a man of integrity, is not as yet world known, but perhaps it is time for him to shine.

On Facebook there is only one politician whose fan page I have joined, his name is Michael Gove; he is the Secretary of State for Education in the United Kingdom.

Gove is not well known in the US, as is apparent from his Facebook fan page that currently has only 106 other members. However, this week he was featured prominently in a high profile story that was broken by the BBC and widely circulated internationally. The Panorama special report, found that more than 40 Saudi Student Schools and Clubs in the UK are teaching the official Saudi national curriculum to about 5,000 pupils.

The program quoted textbooks as saying that Jews “looked like monkeys and pigs,” and that Zionists set out to achieve “world domination.” It also quoted a separate part of the curriculum — for children as young as 6 — saying that a non-believer in Islam at death would be condemned to “hellfire.”In a book for 14-year-olds, Sharia law and its punishment for theft are explained, including detailed diagrams about how hands