Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Remainders: Four ways to do layoffs, and no clear favorites | GothamSchools

Remainders: Four ways to do layoffs, and no clear favorites | GothamSchools

Remainders: Four ways to do layoffs, and no clear favorites

No charter cap deal today; teacher eval bill’s fate also unclear

There won’t be a deal to allow more charter schools in New York today, either, our sources on the train back from Albany report.
That leaves tomorrow and Friday for lawmakers to figure out a way to boost the state’s chances in the Race to the Top competition — without throwing away their concerns with charter schools. The final deadline for submitting an application is June 1, next Tuesday. Lawmakers have Monday off for Memorial Day.
As the deadline nears, a standoff is developing between the state Senate and the Assembly. Each chamber has passed its own legislation tied to Race to the Top: The state Senate already passed a bill that would raise the


Door to door in Crown Heights with a charter school foot soldier

Bianca Blake (check!) and George Banning in Crown Heights, Brooklyn
George Banning canvasses for charter school advocates in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
As next week’s Race to the Top deadline approaches, pro-charter advocates are marshaling all their resources to lift the state’s cap on charter schools. George Banning is one of their foot soldiers.
It’s been hard to miss the advocacy group Education Reform Now’s pro-charter, anti-teachers union ad blitz. The group, backed by millions of dollars raised largely from hedge fund managers, spent $750,000 on a television ad buy last week, for example. Its web ads plaster Google, Facebook and news websites.
But the group is also trying to rally support for its efforts in Albany by sending roughly 40 canvassers like