I would simply like to offer Elizabeth, Philissa, and Anna a sincere thank-you. Enjoy the weekend.
Michael M.
(Cross-posted at WNYC)
I’m sorry. This deal may be advertised as a face-saver for the politicos, but it is an outright victory for Bloomberg and Silver — and a cold SLAP in the face to parents by State Senators declaring “peace in our time.”
Point by point:
1) Better-trained parents can be ignored as easily as less-trained parents. District 2 (Lower and Midtown Manhattan, and the UES) is proof. Meaningless.
2) I am glad to see support for the arts. But a committee ain’t funding. Meaningless.
3) The role of Superintendents was clearly stated in the prior “Mayoral Control” law that expired on June 30. No matter. Klein ignored it for years. Oversight of principals was but one part. This is a gutting of the prior law’s vision of a Superintendent. One step. Many were needed.
4) Police in the schools is a system-wide and policy issue. This is a cave-in. Less than meaningless.
Has the Assembly (aka Silver et al) even agreed to this 4-part Amendment? Or is part of the back-room face-saver simply a way for the Senate to say, “We tried?”
Parents vote. And we’ll be voting in November while this cave-in is still fresh.
During the Bush II administration, more than one highly publicized statements of protest were presented to the president objecting to his stifling and twisting of solid science, signed by long lists of internationally renowned scientists.
Has anything like that been presented to Obama? Anything in the works? If I had the knowhow, contacts and credentials, I’d do it myself, but I don’t — others reading this do.
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