Comments on: Klein’s inner circle will include 4 educators this fall, up from 2

By: Danny

Danny — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:51:11 +0000

The presence of a handful of specific DoE bureaucrats may account for a slight variance in the outcomes that are most important to students and their families. Achievement in school may be easy to measure but hard to understand. Statistics such as SAT scores, dropout and graduation rates, and college entrance and college completion percentages can give the public a gross understanding of what happens to 1 million of our children each year. When trying to understand the state of the schools, some personal questions may carry the most value, such as:
1) What did you and your teacher talk about today?
2) Did you participate in an exciting activity? (3) What are you looking forward to this school year? (4) Are you happy with the friends you made and with the overall school environment? (5) Are there family members, reserved times, adequate space and a computer at home that can support your homework efforts? (6) Do you have realistic career options in mind? (7) Do you know what the paths are to achieve your possible career goals, and what the obstacles may be? (8) What proficiencies, attitudes and habits do you see in students who typically perform well in high school and college?
(9) Do you feel confident that you can become one of those success stories? (10) Do your teachers or your principal know when you are struggling in a class and provide additional opportunities for you to learn the topic?
(11) How does your school recognize and publicize your talents and achievments? At the end of the day, what probably matters to each of us is the success and happiness of the children and students who are part of our lives.

By: Pogue

Pogue — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:56:12 +0000

Fiirst, if you don’t mind, I’m going to congratulate and give YOUR SON the credit for a splendid academic career. I will give you an assist, though. Second, I don’t think anyone is looking the other way on dropouts. School is there, programs have been implemented, and attendance personnel are now a big part of a public school staff. Still there are many dropouts. Now, what would you do to face this dropout problem? I am incredibly curious.

By: QueensParent

QueensParent — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:45:39 +0000

In fact, I’m responsible for one successful public school and Ivy League graduate, my son! His success was certainly not due to the low expectations of minority students held by most of the teachers that taught him, however. And I’ve got another in the system. And Pogue, you look the other way at the hundreds of thousands of dropouts NYC schools have produced over the years?

By: Pogue

Pogue — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:32:16 +0000

Boy, QP, you’re crappin’ on a whole lotta’ successful public school graduates. Thus…A. Are you sure you’re a a parent? And, B. are you sure you’re from Queens?

By: QueensParent

QueensParent — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:01:11 +0000

Proof’s in the pudding folks. “Educators” ran NYC public schools for decades and even had such titles as “Deputy Chancellor for Instruction” if I recall, and what do New Yorkers have to show for it? Absolutely nothing. Again, proof’s in the pudding. So I’m willing to try other approaches after decades upon decades of abject failure.

By: Ellen McHugh

Ellen McHugh — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:54:05 +0000

Calling General Mills? General Foods?

By: Norm

Norm — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:54:38 +0000

That’s what we need running schools – gemerals. And when the army generals screwed up in Iraq that allows educators to swap places and run the war. And when there’s high crime, let’s put teaches in charge of the police force. And when people are getting sick in hospitals we just put Pogue in charge as he wants.

By: canwetalk

canwetalk — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:53:44 +0000

To Anonymous #2, I would you to know I have many colleagues who are principals and have taught for over 20 years. Not 5 years or 10 years in the classroom, but over 20 years! Once principal taught for 27 years FIRST and then became an A.P. and then a principal. They are fantastic administrators because they were master teachers. I defend those education leaders who demonstrate that they have the ability to lead because they had the ability to teach. I can tell, by the comment you made, that you are an administrator, too. I’ve seen too many administrators with very few years in the classroom or no teaching experience at all. If you want success in the classroom, then Klein needs to have master teachers that are National Board Certified working in Tweed as pedagogical consultants. Unless Taveras and Nadelstern have National Board Certification. If they have those certificates, then and only then you may call me an imbecile. In the meantime, my rubbish speaks truth.

By: Pogue

Pogue — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 00:18:04 +0000

Right on, QP! Now, Joel Klein is a lawyer and was given a waiver to run this school system. I am a teacher and I want a waiver to be president of the American Medical Association. C’mon, people, let’s do this! And, I got QP to back me up!

By: QueensParent

QueensParent — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:55:25 +0000

And oh yeah, people like Rudy Crew, Cortines, Green, all educators, they did a really great job with the schools and the Board of Education. Can we just end this “educator knows best” stupidity, because that’s exactly what it is. A degree in education is worthless. I’d rather have someone with a backbone, like a military general, running the public schools. At least they would understand they have to be accountable for results and not resort to this mindless “edu-talk” that doesn’t get anything done for students. We have decades worth of educator’s failures in New York City as ample evidence of that.

By: inexile

inexile — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:27:12 +0000

When I worked at the International Schools all Eric could talk about was how standardized testing was bad for kids. He was totally against the Regents exams, in fact, the partnership schools had a waiver and didn’t take Regents – graduation was determined by portfolios. All everyone talked about at the Internationals was authentic assessment. What happened? The policies of Eric Nadelstern the principal and educator seem out of step with this mayor and chancellor.

By: Pogue

Pogue — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:19:12 +0000

A.P.’s should have to teach for ten years before they become A.P.’s, Principals should have to be an A.P. for five years before they become a Principal. Superintendents and DOE consultants should have to be a Principal for five years before they ascend to those positions. Experience is a good thing.

By: Anonymous #2

Anonymous #2 — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:42:17 +0000

what complete rubbish! Put Santiago or Nadelstern back in the classroom and you would see master teachers. Why do imbeciles like you assume that administrators weren’t master teachers before they decided to lead schools.

I think you need to talk to someone as you have been clearly talking to yourself too much.

By: canwetalk

canwetalk — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:39:03 +0000

When Klein stated that he increased the number of “educators” from two to four, I really thought he was talking about master teachers who are still teaching and who are NOT administrators. An educrat is NOT an educator! How many years has it been since Nadelstern was in a classroom as a teacher? He has been an administrator for too many years and he’s too detached from teaching to understand teachers. Santiago only taught for several years before becoming an administrators. Why isn’t Klein recruiting master teachers with 20+ years of experience to be pedagogical consultants? Once again Klein is keeping his office staffed with educrats who will bend to his will and he will allow the cycle of status quo to continue. Klein can fool those two educrats to think they’re educators, but he cannot fool the public and teachers.