What Comes After Chicago Teachers Strike?
Remember this scene from A Bug's Life?
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You let one ant stand up to us, then they all might stand up! Those puny little ants outnumber us a hundred to one. And if they ever figure that out, there goes out way of life!Does anyone really believe that Jonah Edelman's backers put up millions of dollars so they go slink off with their tails between their legs after losing to the unions during strike?
This is far from over. All hands on deck.
In the Education Wars, Reason Dies
Duke at Jersey Jazzman - 14 hours ago
I've written before about the disturbing trend of "data abuse" we've seen in both Jersey and the nation during our protracted education wars. A few more examples came up this week; let's start with Mike Paarlberg's takedown of the *Washington Posts's* Dylan Matthews: In a Sept. 14 post, Matthews argued that union seniority rules for teachers (the "last in, first out" rule for layoffs) hurt student achievement. This is a mantra of school-reform proponents, who argue seniority protects bad teachers. Teachers unions see the push to end seniority as a pretext for budget-slashing school ... more »
"Won't Back Down" Panels Snub Teachers
Duke at Jersey Jazzman - 1 day ago
Around the country, there have been a slew of "special screenings" of *Won't Back Down*, the corporate reformers' latest piece of propaganda. As a special treat, StudentsFirst and other reformy organizations have been organizing panels of "experts" to discuss the film. Guess which experts have been excluded? Newark (from the great education student and blogger Stephanie Rivera): *In addition to the movie screening, B4K provided a panel at the event. It was definitely an intense one. A lot of hostility, frustration, and anger:* *Moderator:* Tom Moran, The Star-Ledger *Panelists:* ... more »
The Strike Is Dead; Long Live the Strike!
Duke at Jersey Jazzman - 3 days ago
There's one thing I've learned about Chicago during the teachers strike: the *Tribune* is a rag. So I'm linking to the *Sun-Times* for news about the suspension of the strike: The Chicago Teachers Union’s House of Delegates voted Tuesday to end its strike after seven days, meaning classes will be in session Wednesday for 350,000 Chicago Public Schools students. “Everybody is going back to school,” said Jay Rehak, a delegate from Whitney Young High School. Delegate Mike Bochner said “an overwhelming majority” of delegates voted to suspend the strike on a voice vote. It's going to ... more »
Why Chicago Strike Makes Reformies Nervous
Duke at Jersey Jazzman - 3 days ago
Uh-oh; the teachers in state-controlled Paterson are getting kinda... * uppity*. Watch Paterson Education Assoc. President Hopes to Avoid Walkout on PBS. See more from NJToday. Only working contract hours is called "work-to-rule." It is not pleasant; but in a state like New Jersey, where it is for all intents and purposes illegal to strike, it's one of the few options available. My guess is that the Paterson teachers and the union local are looking at the hit Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is taking from the strike, and they feel emboldened about taking action. The fact that Pat... more »
A Mess In Perth Amboy
Duke at Jersey Jazzman - 3 days ago
And the battle between the Perth Amboy school board and Superintendent Janine Caffrey grinds on and on... Watch Perth Amboy Superintendent Defends Job on PBS. See more from NJToday. First of all, others would take exception with Caffrey that the opening of schools was "incredibly smooth": Chiera and other union members said some high school students had schedules that didn’t match the academies where they were assigned. She also heard reports there were nearly 500 students at Shull Middle School who didn’t have schedules and had to stay in their homeroom all day. She said t... more »
Let's Tax Rhee's Dream Team
Duke at Jersey Jazzman - 4 days ago
Michele Rhee's motto: If you're going to improve schools, get together a bunch of people who know nothing about how they are run. At long last, the education advocacy group begun by former D.C. Chancellor Michelle Rhee has named a new, permanent board of directors. In addition to Rhee herself, the board members include: • comedian and school choice advocate *Bill Cosby*; • decorated television journalist *Connie Chung*; • *Jennifer Johnson*, an executive vice president and CEO for Franklin Resources, an investment-management organization; • former New York City schools chancellor *Jo... more »
Merit Pay Fairy Sighted in Newark!
Duke at Jersey Jazzman - 4 days ago
The Merit Pay Fairy has landed in Jersey! New Jersey and the Newark Teachers Union are negotiating a form of merit pay in the state-run district that would block poorly rated teachers from receiving automatic annual salary bumps that are now based solely on years of experience, union officials said. Only teachers evaluated as "effective" or "highly effective" on a new four-tier scale would be eligible for pay increases that are now tied to how many years they have worked, union President Joe Del Grosso said. Teachers rated "partially effective" and "ineffective" would still receive... more »
The Many Faces of Cory Booker
Duke at Jersey Jazzman - 5 days ago
*Cross-posted at Blue Jersey.* Cory Booker on vouchers: As for vouchers, which give people tax money to spend in private schools, Booker said he “doesn’t care” if districts are upset. “I don’t think vouchers are the solution, but how can I tell a parent that they have to stay in a failing system,” he said. “These kids are locked in a prison. Am I supposed to tell a parent, ‘You just wait until we get this figured out?’” Newark Mayor Cory Booker on vouchers: But Green built the momentum up to the main event: the mayor from Newark, who was the only New Jersey Democrat allowed on ... more »
Reformy Steve Perry Strikes Again
Duke at Jersey Jazzman - 5 days ago
Dear lord: He's not an educator; he's "delivering a product," like a used car salesman. So he says you should pay teachers what they're worth, but then immediately says you should pay them "what you can afford to pay." You know, like a car: "Hey, I'll take that Lamborghini! I can afford to pay $500 for it, OK?" Does this man really think the world works this way? Reformy Steve says he can only make as much, in his capacity as a principal, as the community can afford to pay him. But he misses the question of whether our society is capable of putting much more money into education... more »
Are You a Racist? Take the Quiz!
Duke at Jersey Jazzman - 6 days ago
*Warning: heavy sarcasm ahead. Proceed at your own risk.* In today's complicated world, it's hard to know if you are a racist. For example, you'd be surprised at how many people who actually work with kids in poverty believe that those kids can't learn. Yes, shocking, I know, but rich people have confirmed this, and rich people are so very smart, so... As a public service, I've put together a simple quiz to determine whether or not you are a racist. Get out your #2s! Ready? BEGIN EXAM Please read the following description of a school in Chicago: *Some 90.8 percent of the 325 pre... more »
Chicago Teachers Making Reformies Nervous
Duke at Jersey Jazzman - 6 days ago
Reformy eyes from all over the country are looking at the Chicago teachers strike; do they like what they see? Newark teachers, in the thick of their own contract negotiations, are closely watching the developments in the Chicago teachers strike. Several issues under negotiation in Newark — where teachers have been without a contract since 2010 — are the same as the sticking points in Chicago, including new teacher evaluations and pay based on experience and degrees, said Joe Del Grosso, the Newark Teachers Union president. He said his members could be swayed by the outcome in C... more »
Who Cares What Whitney Tilson Thinks?!
Duke at Jersey Jazzman - 6 days ago
What bizarre sort of logic does CNN use to select their guests? Whitney Tilson is not an educator. He has no degrees, experience, or training in education. He has no labor relations background. He is completely unqualified to discuss the topic in any meaningful way. Why, then, would CNN think he was a good guest for a segment about the Chicago teachers strike? Both he and Christine Romans are an embarrassment here. For example: - Romans's xenophobic worry about China's and India's alleged large numbers of engineers is totally misplaced. The US dominates the world in true e... more »
