Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, January 18, 2014

1-18-14 Ed Notes Online Week

Ed Notes Online
Ed Notes Online





EIA Picks up Our NYSUT Story
This is a BIG DEAL because NYSUT not only ran a $24 million deficit in 2011-12, but the largest state union affiliate in the nation has a net worth of negative $303 million. If Revive NYSUT is telling the truth, there ought to be red flags going up from Albany to Washington, DC. New York State United Teachers budget deficit-$24,065,575 -$302,863,241.. Educational Intelligence AgencyIs “Revive NYSU
Looming Battle: Mulgrew vs Iannuzzi For NYSUT Leadership - Split Over Cuomo Endorsement?
Oh, the tangled web at NYSUT and the UFT. A very intriguing story is emerging in what has been viewed as a monolithic UFT dominated NYSUT (NY State United Teachers). Some of this is hearsay and we may have follow-ups with new information and new interpretations over the next few days. But here is what we have heard so far. (WARNING- YOU MAY HAVE PROBLEMS WADING THROUGH THIS WEB -I'M STILL WORKING
My Old District in the News
Oy, the stories I could tell. There was a time when some people urged me to start my car by remote control.But these stories are a bit beyond the pale and surprised even jaded old me --- except .... never mind.Educator Who Allegedly Sexually Abused Students Ran for City CouncilBy Meredith Hoffman on September 9, 2013 9:19am @Merhoffmanhttp://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130909/east-williamsburg/educ

PS 106 Update: Retired Teacher Writes to Farina About Principal Marcella Sills' Leadership
When will Farina end the misery? If this were about teachers they would be out of there in the blink of an eye. Let me point out once again, that this information has been out there for many years and the NY Post missed it -- until their pals BloomKleinCott were gone. And by the way, that licensed librarian who put so much into the library and the school and was a wonderful teachers is a friend of

JAN 16

PS 106 Update: Why There's No Payroll Secretary
Who is responsible from above Marcella Sills after a decade of this kind of stuff? Will the NY Post blame Farina?From a source:Our last payroll secretary who had retired teturned to PS 106 part time after being begged by [Principal] Sills to return. But Sills was so nasty to her and treated her with gross disrespect. Finally the payroll secretary told her she was leaving due to the way Sills treat
Press Advisory from City-As-School present recommendations on the future of NYC education for Mayor Bill de Blasio at “Performance-Based Education”
This was organized by my friend and fellow MORE steering committee member John Antush. John's mind never stops working. City-As-School High School 16 Clarkson Street  New York NY 10014 Alan Cheng, Principal For Immediate Release: January 8th, 2013 Contacts:  Kimberly Acosta (student): kimberly.acosta.13@cityas.org Naomi Richards (student)John Antush (Teacher): Johna@cityas.org Tel: 212.337.6884 P
The Daily Howler On NY Times Confusing Farina Story
Do you understand that story? We don’t! If the school [PS 6] was so good when Farina was assigned there, why did it need a “renaissance” or an “upward swing?” If Farina was tasked with bringing the school “to an even higher level of performance,” why did it need to “blossom?”... Daily HowlerWhile I generally liked the Javier Hernandez story on Farina, I to was puzzled by this contradiction the How
Leonie on MSNBC On Why Charters Should Pay Rent
My appearance on MSNBC and Daily News oped: Why de Blasio is right to charge rent to co-located charters: A  shortened version of the oped below is published in today's Daily News; along with the StudentsFirst opposing view. Also below is my brief appearance Saturday on Melissa Harris-Perry Show  on MSNBC. --Leonie HaimsonDuring his campaign for mayor, Bill de Blasio promised to focus the city’s

JAN 15

NY Post Editorial Tries to Shift Blame for PS 106 From Bloomberg to de Blasio
It was pretty clear to me that with the history of PS 106 having been out there (on ednotes and The Wave) for over 6 years) Sue Edelman and the Post waited until the real culprits were out of office and could no longer be held accountable.Mike Bloomberg’s education policy wasn’t perfect, or PS 106 wouldn’t have fallen through the cracks as long as it did. But Bloomberg was pretty clear about what
PS 106: Telemundo Video Report - Including Me Not Speaking Spanish
Reporter Pablo Gutierrez got in touch after googling my articles on PS 106 from 2008 (something Sue Edelman of the Post didn't do) and since he and his cameraman were on the way out to Rockaway they stopped over at my house to interview me. Then these hard-working guys spent the rest of the day around the school and caught Marcella Sills leaving. I can't understand Spanish but they got a bunch of
PS 106 Update: The Network Up to Ears in Coverup With a Tisch on the Chain
In addition to the Mayor in control of our schools, his appointed Chancellors, Deputies and Sups, what about the Networks that provide support and oversight, in al things pedagogical and not in the current operational structure? Bill Colavito is the NL of the old PSO CEI-PEA whose Board includes:Seymour Fliegel and Ann Rubenstein Tisch.... Lisa DonlanLisa Donlan has the scoop on the PS 106 the net

JAN 13

Videos: PS 106
The fancy prom.video I shot at the school on Jan. 13, 2014
Farina Punts on PS 106 Story
Teachers ought to try working the hours PS 106 principal Marcella Sims did and see if they get the same reaction from Farina. What I find outrageous by the coverage is the ignoring of the way Sills destroyed the careers of teachers. Once again the DOE seems to be sliding into a "defend principals" at all costs. Shame. Where is the accountability of Superintendent Lloyd-Bey who covered up
PS 106 Update: Councilman Donovan Richards Blames Sandy in Attempted Sills Coverup
Reporter to parent: Do you know the principal?Parent: I've never seen her.Reporter: You've never seen her? How long has your child been in the school?Parent: Over a year.Reporter turns to me and shakes his head with an incredulous look..... Ed Notes/WAVE coverage, Jan. 13, 2014BloomKlein empowered principals. So, what’s a little forgery? ... Ed Notes/The Wave, Feb. 2008PS 106: Desolation RowI just
Exclusive: PS 106 Library Funds Diverted by Sills as Llloyd-Bey Ignored Complaints
I'm heading down to PS 106 right now for The Wave - I was just interviewed in my house by Telemundo who sent their truck over to the school. I just got a call from a teacher who told me how the school was allocated about 3 grand a year for books but the books never arrived. Someone complained to Superintendent Michelle Lloyd-Bey every year and she did nothing. So no wonder there is no functioning
Farina Responds to NY Post on PS 106 Rockaway Story Which Was 6 Years Behind Ed Notes/WAVE Stories
Capital NY is reporting that Carmen Farina is already responding to the Post story on PS 106 in Rockaway (see below) in contrast to how Tweed, Region 5 and Superintendent of District 27 Michelle Lloyd-Bey not only ignored but protected Marcella Sills when we wrote about PS 106 and its Leadership Academy principal in the past - March 11, 2008.One of the stories about Sills I wrote about was her for

JAN 12

My Comment on Ravitch Defense of Randi
Diane,I support your choice in defending Randi (Why I Defend Randi). When you changed your mind the turnaround has had an immense impact. But you as an academic affected policy. Randi's positions had a direct impact on the working conditions of teachers. As a union leader her pushing of positions that turned out to be wrong emasculated the union membership's ability to fight back against the force

JAN 11

Susan O's Saturday Night Special
Just made my self-imposed deadline to try to post an Ohanian piece on Saturdays.We have a couple of cartoons:Get on the Bus!http://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=871Love of Books Never Stopshttp://susanohanian.org/cartoon_fetch.php?id=870Susan\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Data Amok: Pearson's aimsweb Behavior ModuleJim Horn  and Susan OhanianSchools Matter2014-01-05http://susanohanian.org/

JAN 10

Sexy Bitch-gate: Fred Smith - A Sonnet on SED’s Glorious Ineptitude
King's Sexy Bitch Quizzes are to NY what Christie's Traffic Problems are to NJ!.. CTS listserveJust when you think it can't get any better after the NYSUT call for a no confidence vote on John King, it does.Leonie wrote:Yesterday a parent, Anna Shah, found a link on the NYSED Resources page to a series of tests, including one called the "Sexy Bitch" exam, and blogged about it here. Beloq
Is Mulgrew Left Twisting in the Wind With NYSUT/Iannuzzi Move for No Confidence in John King?
Is NYSUT/Iannuzzi a stalking horse for UFT/Mulgrew?[NYSUT President Iannuzzi] said the NYSUT Board of Directors will meet within the next two weeks, and he feels confident they will approve his request. The resolution will then go before the union’s full representative assembly in April – assuming, Iannuzzi said, that if by that time its call for a three-year moratorium on using Common Core exam r
Video: Diane Ravitch at PS 15 in Red Hook, December 11, 2013
Here is the release of the video shot by Darren Marelli of this wonderful event.A Conversation with Dr. Diane Ravitch at Red Hook's PS 15, December 11, 2013 with an introduction by Carmen Farina.The PS 15 community was so thankful for Diane Ravitch having taken the time to speak and it highlights her deep commitment to neighborhood schools. While she has recently come under criticism for not offer
Lisa Donlan on Charter Co-Locos, Rent and More
"The Republican Democratic agenda in Washington doesn't even scratch the surface of the inequities facing more than a million children in our public schools," de Blasio DID NOT say in a statement after Cantor's remarks. In his statement, de Blasio DID NOT call the national Republicans' Democrat's stance on education a "dangerous philosophy that turns its back on public education, an