Comments on: Geoffrey Canada draws the line at taking money from rappers http://gothamschools.org/2008/12/03/geoffrey-canada-draws-the-line-at-taking-money-from-rappers/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:27:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Paula Clay http://gothamschools.org/2008/12/03/geoffrey-canada-draws-the-line-at-taking-money-from-rappers/comment-page-1/#comment-2400 Paula Clay Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:11:05 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=5706#comment-2400 Canada should be US Sec. of Education, the public education system needs major reform. Canada should be US Sec. of Education, the public education system needs major reform.

]]> By: April Humpbhrey, Campaign for Better Schools http://gothamschools.org/2008/12/03/geoffrey-canada-draws-the-line-at-taking-money-from-rappers/comment-page-1/#comment-2016 April Humpbhrey, Campaign for Better Schools Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:55:51 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=5706#comment-2016 Brian is right, we need to have a serious discussion about what has worked and what hasn't worked with mayoral control - a discussion that will take more than 10 minutes! I would like to invite anyone who wants to be part of the discussion about how mayoral control has impacted schools to come to a Speak Out about Mayoral Control this Saturday at Hunter College, 1 -3 pm. See the Gothamschools.org calendar for more information. We will have 2 hours to kick off our public debate, focused on how parents and students feel things are going, followed by a series of local forums starting in January. Brian is right, we need to have a serious discussion about what has worked and what hasn’t worked with mayoral control – a discussion that will take more than 10 minutes! I would like to invite anyone who wants to be part of the discussion about how mayoral control has impacted schools to come to a Speak Out about Mayoral Control this Saturday at Hunter College, 1 -3 pm. See the Gothamschools.org calendar for more information. We will have 2 hours to kick off our public debate, focused on how parents and students feel things are going, followed by a series of local forums starting in January.

]]> By: Leonie Haimson http://gothamschools.org/2008/12/03/geoffrey-canada-draws-the-line-at-taking-money-from-rappers/comment-page-1/#comment-2003 Leonie Haimson Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:26:30 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=5706#comment-2003 Dear Brian: Geoff Canada " has spent 25 years watching as chancellor after chancellor has been unable to make substantial progress for our kids because the system was lacking the necessary accountability standards."? Just recently, according to GothamSchools, Canada publicly proclaimed that the increased emphasis on test results hurts poor kids, and that "the emphasis in recent years has turned so squarely onto results — usually in the form of test scores — that programs that don’t demonstrate a clear academic benefit are in jeopardy, even when they are valuable, he said." Indeed, the administration's insistence on the use of high stakes tests over every other measure of student engagement or achievement has led to fewer children of color in our gifted and talented programs, and fewer of them admitted into our selective HS as well. Nevertheless, I am pleased to hear that Geoff Canada and others at Learn NY realize the need "to increase transparency, engage parents on major decisions, and to provide parents with more information on their children and their schools." We would love to hear your substantive proposals on this. The Parent Commission on school governance is holding a public forum on Dec. 19 at Judson church on the need for transparency, accountability and checks and balances under Mayoral control, and would love to have you or someone else from your organization to speak at this event. More info is available on our parent blog at http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2008/12/mayoral-control-need-for-accountability.html Please let me know if this would be possible. Hoping to hear from you soon. and thanks! Leonie Haimson Dear Brian:

Geoff Canada ” has spent 25 years watching as chancellor after chancellor has been unable to make substantial progress for our kids because the system was lacking the necessary accountability standards.”?

Just recently, according to GothamSchools, Canada publicly proclaimed that the increased emphasis on test results hurts poor kids, and that “the emphasis in recent years has turned so squarely onto results — usually in the form of test scores — that programs that don’t demonstrate a clear academic benefit are in jeopardy, even when they are valuable, he said.”

Indeed, the administration’s insistence on the use of high stakes tests over every other measure of student engagement or achievement has led to fewer children of color in our gifted and talented programs, and fewer of them admitted into our selective HS as well.

Nevertheless, I am pleased to hear that Geoff Canada and others at Learn NY realize the need “to increase transparency, engage parents on major decisions, and to provide parents with more information on their children and their schools.” We would love to hear your substantive proposals on this.

The Parent Commission on school governance is holding a public forum on Dec. 19 at Judson church on the need for transparency, accountability and checks and balances under Mayoral control, and would love to have you or someone else from your organization to speak at this event.

More info is available on our parent blog at http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2008/12/mayoral-control-need-for-accountability.html

Please let me know if this would be possible.

Hoping to hear from you soon. and thanks!

Leonie Haimson

]]> By: Brian Keeler, Learn NY Online Representative http://gothamschools.org/2008/12/03/geoffrey-canada-draws-the-line-at-taking-money-from-rappers/comment-page-1/#comment-1996 Brian Keeler, Learn NY Online Representative Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:43:50 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=5706#comment-1996 It's time that we have a honest discussion about both the large-scale improvements we've seen since Mayoral Control was passed, as well as seriously listen to the individual concerns of parents and teachers in an effort to improve the law when it comes up for renewal in 2009. I think everyone would agree with me that 10 minutes on public school education and a program as impactful as Mayoral Control isn't nearly enough. There are large and important issues to consider in this debate and Geoff is a leader when it comes to NYC education issues; he has spent 25 years watching as chancellor after chancellor has been unable to make substantial progress for our kids because the system was lacking the necessary accountability standards. I'm sure viewers would have liked to have heard more about Geoff and Learn NY's calls to increase transparency, engage parents on major decisions, and to provide parents with more information on their children and their schools. It's time parents have access to as much information as possible and that we have a serious conversation about an issue that is having a major impact on NYC families. That's why we set up www.Learn-NY.org and www.Learn-NY.org/Blog. I'd invite any parents who want to get detailed information about Mayoral Control, or are interested in joining Learn NY to help improve the law, to visit our website or email us. It’s time that we have a honest discussion about both the large-scale improvements we’ve seen since Mayoral Control was passed, as well as seriously listen to the individual concerns of parents and teachers in an effort to improve the law when it comes up for renewal in 2009. I think everyone would agree with me that 10 minutes on public school education and a program as impactful as Mayoral Control isn’t nearly enough.

There are large and important issues to consider in this debate and Geoff is a leader when it comes to NYC education issues; he has spent 25 years watching as chancellor after chancellor has been unable to make substantial progress for our kids because the system was lacking the necessary accountability standards. I’m sure viewers would have liked to have heard more about Geoff and Learn NY’s calls to increase transparency, engage parents on major decisions, and to provide parents with more information on their children and their schools.

It’s time parents have access to as much information as possible and that we have a serious conversation about an issue that is having a major impact on NYC families. That’s why we set up http://www.Learn-NY.org and http://www.Learn-NY.org/Blog.

I’d invite any parents who want to get detailed information about Mayoral Control, or are interested in joining Learn NY to help improve the law, to visit our website or email us.

]]> By: John http://gothamschools.org/2008/12/03/geoffrey-canada-draws-the-line-at-taking-money-from-rappers/comment-page-1/#comment-1976 John Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:37:42 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=5706#comment-1976 I really respect what Canada is doing with his Harlem Children's Zone. However, he's kind of an ironic choice to be advocating for the continuation of mayoral control. While he and his organization have certainly benefitted from the Bloomberg/Klein administration, as someone who operates a charter school he's been largely free from the actual control exercised by the mayor. I really respect what Canada is doing with his Harlem Children’s Zone. However, he’s kind of an ironic choice to be advocating for the continuation of mayoral control. While he and his organization have certainly benefitted from the Bloomberg/Klein administration, as someone who operates a charter school he’s been largely free from the actual control exercised by the mayor.

]]> By: Leonie Haimson http://gothamschools.org/2008/12/03/geoffrey-canada-draws-the-line-at-taking-money-from-rappers/comment-page-1/#comment-1967 Leonie Haimson Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:11:49 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=5706#comment-1967 Well, Canada's charter schools have extremely small classes. If he disagrees with Klein and the Mayor on the importance of class size, he should speak up. I don't recall him ever having done so. Well, Canada’s charter schools have extremely small classes. If he disagrees with Klein and the Mayor on the importance of class size, he should speak up. I don’t recall him ever having done so.

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