Comments on: Communities must be involved in school governance, group says http://gothamschools.org/2009/02/06/communities-must-be-involved-in-school-governance-group-says/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:04:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: A Roadmap to School Governance, with Potholes, Bumps, Curves and Spins to “Victory for All Children and Families,” Whatever That Is … « Ed In The Apple http://gothamschools.org/2009/02/06/communities-must-be-involved-in-school-governance-group-says/comment-page-1/#comment-113229 A Roadmap to School Governance, with Potholes, Bumps, Curves and Spins to “Victory for All Children and Families,” Whatever That Is … « Ed In The Apple Wed, 06 May 2009 02:02:38 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=9089#comment-113229 [...] Scott Stringer, Jim Brennan, Marty Dilan, ICOPE, UFT, Independent Parents Commission, CSA, the Campaign for Better Schools  the “sun setters, and the “make governance permanent”  crowd. Did I leave any [...] [...] Scott Stringer, Jim Brennan, Marty Dilan, ICOPE, UFT, Independent Parents Commission, CSA, the Campaign for Better Schools  the “sun setters, and the “make governance permanent”  crowd. Did I leave any [...]

]]> By: Gotham Gazette - The Wonkster » Blog Archive » School Control: Where Things Stand http://gothamschools.org/2009/02/06/communities-must-be-involved-in-school-governance-group-says/comment-page-1/#comment-79239 Gotham Gazette - The Wonkster » Blog Archive » School Control: Where Things Stand Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:58:58 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=9089#comment-79239 [...] - Campaign for Better Schools, descirbed here. [...] [...] – Campaign for Better Schools, descirbed here. [...]

]]> By: Ellen McHugh http://gothamschools.org/2009/02/06/communities-must-be-involved-in-school-governance-group-says/comment-page-1/#comment-29371 Ellen McHugh Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:07:06 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=9089#comment-29371 I have no reason to believe that the current system is improving education for all children. In the past 5 years NYC has examined services for students with special needs at least 5 times....Hehir, Hevisi, Di Napli, Council of Great City Schools, Thompson. In that time there has been no improvement in the graduation rates for students with IEPs (Inividualized Education Plan). 18% of students with IEPs graduate with a diploma. After another 2-3 years, 24% of students graduate. Post school numbers are not much better as 33% of individuals with disabiilties are employed. Of that 33% fully 66% are under employed. Now an individual with no classroom or education experience will examine programs for students with special needs again...... for efficiency's sake. A quote from David Cantor of the NYC DOE press/war room, "The reorganization is “most definitely related” to the current budget conditions, Cantor said, because it is laying the groundwork for the department to eliminate positions. But he said, “Garth’s mandate is not to go in to save X amount of money or any amount of money. His mandate is to go in and efficiently organize the special education office.” Efficiency was also the goal of the old soviet republics. How did that work? I have no reason to believe that the current system is improving education for all children. In
the past 5 years NYC has examined services for students with special needs at least 5 times….Hehir, Hevisi, Di Napli, Council of Great City Schools, Thompson. In that time there has been no improvement in the graduation rates for students with IEPs (Inividualized Education Plan). 18% of students with IEPs graduate with a diploma. After another 2-3 years, 24% of students graduate. Post school numbers are not much better as 33% of individuals with disabiilties are employed. Of that 33% fully 66% are under employed.

Now an individual with no classroom or education experience will examine programs for students with special needs again…… for efficiency’s sake.

A quote from David Cantor of the NYC DOE press/war room, “The reorganization is “most definitely related” to the current budget conditions, Cantor said, because it is laying the groundwork for the department to eliminate positions. But he said, “Garth’s mandate is not to go in to save X amount of money or any amount of money. His mandate is to go in and efficiently organize the special education office.”

Efficiency was also the goal of the old soviet republics. How did that work?

]]> By: April, Campaign for Better Schools http://gothamschools.org/2009/02/06/communities-must-be-involved-in-school-governance-group-says/comment-page-1/#comment-29357 April, Campaign for Better Schools Sun, 08 Feb 2009 15:59:46 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=9089#comment-29357 Campaign for Better Schools is NOT suggesting we go back to the old system. Our proposal would have the mayor directly appointing the chancellor, which is a significant difference from the old system where the Board of Ed appointed the chancellor. In addition, even though the mayor wouldn't have a majority of appointees on the PEP, he would have more than he did on the former Board of Ed and the difference would be much closer (say 6-7) so that he would only have to convince one or two other appointees on the merits of his proposals. If he can't do that, I think it's fair to expect him to reconsider his strategy. Allowing the continuation of autocratic rule by the mayor would be tantamount to saying that parents should not have any say in decisions that affect the quality of their children's education, because that's the way things currently are. That is not the way the legislature envisioned mayoral control working in the first place, and it was because of the potential for unforseen issues like this that the legislature put the sunset provision in the original mayoral control law. They new things weren't working and needed a major change, but they weren't sure they'd get it 100% right the first time around. That was very wise of them, because they didn't get it 100% right. Steve Sanders as much as admitted that at the hearing on Friday. To suggest that there should be no changes what-so-ever is not only a slap in the face to parents, it is also an acceptance of mediocrity from our schools. Even though schools have improved by some indicators, there are many indicators that show NO improvements under mayoral control. Should we be happy even with minor improvements over the previous system? I say no, parents say no. We still have half of students not graduating, most of them African American and Latino students. How we we say that's a success? I think we can do much, much better. Parents and students NEED us to do much much better. Campaign for Better Schools is NOT suggesting we go back to the old system. Our proposal would have the mayor directly appointing the chancellor, which is a significant difference from the old system where the Board of Ed appointed the chancellor. In addition, even though the mayor wouldn’t have a majority of appointees on the PEP, he would have more than he did on the former Board of Ed and the difference would be much closer (say 6-7) so that he would only have to convince one or two other appointees on the merits of his proposals. If he can’t do that, I think it’s fair to expect him to reconsider his strategy.

Allowing the continuation of autocratic rule by the mayor would be tantamount to saying that parents should not have any say in decisions that affect the quality of their children’s education, because that’s the way things currently are. That is not the way the legislature envisioned mayoral control working in the first place, and it was because of the potential for unforseen issues like this that the legislature put the sunset provision in the original mayoral control law. They new things weren’t working and needed a major change, but they weren’t sure they’d get it 100% right the first time around. That was very wise of them, because they didn’t get it 100% right. Steve Sanders as much as admitted that at the hearing on Friday.

To suggest that there should be no changes what-so-ever is not only a slap in the face to parents, it is also an acceptance of mediocrity from our schools. Even though schools have improved by some indicators, there are many indicators that show NO improvements under mayoral control. Should we be happy even with minor improvements over the previous system? I say no, parents say no. We still have half of students not graduating, most of them African American and Latino students. How we we say that’s a success? I think we can do much, much better. Parents and students NEED us to do much much better.

]]> By: KitchenSink http://gothamschools.org/2009/02/06/communities-must-be-involved-in-school-governance-group-says/comment-page-1/#comment-29090 KitchenSink Sun, 08 Feb 2009 05:59:02 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=9089#comment-29090 These proposals are good in theory - it's all well and good to want parents to have a greater voice in school decision-making. But going back to a system where no one is in charge does NOTHING to increase this role for parents. I'd like to see reasoned arguments contesting this one man's experience: http://www.learn-ny.org/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=cmpNews&show=viewpoints&s=learnNY. These proposals are good in theory – it’s all well and good to want parents to have a greater voice in school decision-making. But going back to a system where no one is in charge does NOTHING to increase this role for parents.

I’d like to see reasoned arguments contesting this one man’s experience: http://www.learn-ny.org/main.cfm?actionId=globalShowStaticContent&screenKey=cmpNews&show=viewpoints&s=learnNY.

]]> By: Anonymous http://gothamschools.org/2009/02/06/communities-must-be-involved-in-school-governance-group-says/comment-page-1/#comment-28713 Anonymous Sat, 07 Feb 2009 20:38:10 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=9089#comment-28713 <strong>Mom Blogs - Blogs for Moms...</strong> ... Mom Blogs – Blogs for Moms…

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]]> By: Ellen McHugh http://gothamschools.org/2009/02/06/communities-must-be-involved-in-school-governance-group-says/comment-page-1/#comment-28678 Ellen McHugh Sat, 07 Feb 2009 17:11:58 +0000 http://gothamschools.org/?p=9089#comment-28678 At the hearing on Mayoral Control, Assemblymember O'Donnell used a quote from Shakespeare "First we kill all of the laywers". It might be the real cost savings at the DOE. At the hearing on Mayoral Control, Assemblymember O’Donnell used a quote from Shakespeare “First we kill all of the laywers”. It might be the real cost savings at the DOE.

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