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carrying the torch

August 31, 2009

Advocacy group vows to carry control fight into new school year

by Maura Walz, at 6:17 pm

The fight over mayoral control isn’t over, according to a stalwart group of activists who convened a meeting Saturday to plan how to increase local control of city schools.

Comptroller candidate John Liu and mayoral candidate Tony Avella joined an energized and sometimes raucous crowd of around 70 public school parents, teachers and advocates at the launch event for the Coalition for Public Education, held at the lower Manhattan headquarters of the municipal union District Council 37.

The coalition could be one legacy of this spring’s protracted debate over school governance. That debate was finally settled, at least for the next six years, when Gov. Paterson signed into law a new bill that continues a modified version of mayoral control. Vowing to keep the fight against mayoral control going into the new school year, coalition organizers announced rallies in four boroughs for the first day of school next week.

“The struggle continues on this battle,” said Esmeralda Simmons, director of the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College. “Do not be fooled into thinking that because something has happened in Albany, there’s nothing else that can be done.”

Conference organizers were joined by two of the state legislature’s staunchest mayoral control opponents, Senators Bill Perkins and Eric Adams.

Avella and Frances Villar, another mayoral candidate, also called for greater checks on mayoral power and for the phasing out of the city’s charter schools. Liu and public advocate candidate Norman Siegel made pitches for greater transparency and oversight of the Department of Education.

By the end of the afternoon, small groups of parents, teachers, students and activists had developed broad guidelines for the coalition’s continued work. Most recommendations revolved around the need for an independent parent union and more well-developed teacher training.

But, organizers said, if changes to school governance structure don’t happen soon, they will take increasingly vocal action. Organizers are already planning rallies at four schools around the city on the first day of school, though they have yet to decide the exact locations.

City Council member Charles Barron asked the audience to continue lobbying politicians for change in school governance. But if major change doesn’t come, he said, activists should organize massive nonviolent resistance to schools controlled by the mayor.

More audio highlights from the event are below:

The smooth stylings of the “Say No to Mayoral Control” rap greeted parents and teachers as they arrived at the meeting:

Democratic mayoral candidate Tony Avella said that he would choose the next schools chancellor based on his or her experience as an educator in New York City schools:

Avella also argued that charter schools are a diversion from the real task of improving all of the city’s public schools:

Frances Villar, the 26-year-old Party for Socialism and Liberation mayoral candidate, explained why she also opposes charter schools:

Comptroller candidate John Liu praised the new school governance bill for granting the comptroller greater oversight over Department of Education contracts and said that he was eager to exercise that power:

Public advocate candidate Norman Siegel called for greater oversight of the Department of Education.

New York State Senator Eric Adams discussed the role parent involvement should play under the new school governance structure.

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  • http://Gothamschools.org Lucky Star

    I attended this event and there were more than 70 people. There were actually 250 attendees.

  • http://blackeducator.org S E Anderson

    Absolutely right! There were far more than 70 folk! I think the reporter left when the politicians left… and did not see the growing numbers coming in for this gathering! It looks like even “progressive” reporters can fall into the trap of not following up to check out how many folk actually came to the event.

    This report also gives the impression that it was a rally for elected offices to vent rather than a convention to build an organization and enact a series of actions via the various caucuses. Again, another indication that the reporter DID NOT stay for the duration… or did and felt the politicians were more important than grassroots organizers and parents and educators and youth working together to build a united front to defeat Bloomberg and Mayoral Dictatorship in all forms.

  • Maura Walz

    Thanks for the feedback — I’ll get the confirmed number of attendees into the post as soon as possible!

  • Greg

    I wonder how many of these charter school critics have actually visited one. They serve more Black and Latino, More Low-Income students than NYC public schools and get dramatically better results. As to the argument that they take money away from zoned public schools: 1) they are public schools and 2) they actually get less money than the traditional schools and no guarantee of public space.

    We need more charter schools not fewer. Mr. Avella, Mr. Liu, and Mr. Siegal just LOST my vote.

    Seth

  • http://blackeducator.org S E Anderson

    Seth,

    Charter schools in NYC and elsewhere are either no better than or even worse than regular public schools. See the analysis at: http://www.bnyee.com/charterschoolwars.htm

    I also have several reports that I can email you from different states as well as national assessments on charter schools.

    Under Bloomberg’s charter school dictatorship, charters are receiving a disproportionate amount of public school space– often to the detriment of a good neighborhood public school.

    Besides, if charters are so wonderful, why aren’t they sprouting up in Douglaston or Whitestone or Riverdale or Sheepshead Bay or Bensonhurst or the Upper east Side of Manhattan?

  • http://VotePSL.org Frances Villar

    First of all, congratulations to the Coalition for Public Education on your founding conference. I just want to add two small points to the discussion.

    First, this is not just about Bloomberg. He’s not the only billionaire behind this plan to control our children and our young people. Billionaire Bill Gates also funneled $4 million to the so-called “Learn-NY” lobbying project to get mayoral control renewed. That’s not counting the $150 million his foundation has spent on the charter school movement.

    Real estate billionaire Eli Broad also put millions into Learn New York.

    Why are so many members of the country’s ruling class so interested in keeping power out of the hands of parents, teachers and students? What are they afraid of?

    Second, this struggle against the dictatorship of the billionaires shows the need for greater and greater unity in struggle. Last year was the 40th anniversary of the 1969 Ocean Hill Brownsville struggle. That struggle for real community control of our schools was betrayed by the racist leadership of the teacher’s union. Let’s say it like it is.

    Ever since then, the UFT leadership has been struggling for better conditions for their members almost completely divorced from the struggles of our communities, parents and students, for better and more democratic education.

    I want to thank all the UFT members who are here today that are struggling inside the teacher’s union for turning around the direction of that great union. Only with a solid alliance with the Black and Latino communities of this city—as well as all the other oppressed nationalities in New York—will we be able to turn the tide against the mayor’s anti-union, anti-people dictatorship. I can tell you that my comrades are struggling with you in that great and historical struggle.

    Many of you may be hearing about my mayoral campaign for the first time today. Even though I’ve been featured numerous times in El Diario/La Prensa and other major Spanish-language media, most of the big-business media is trying hard to ignore my campaign.

    My campaign is about building the movement of poor and working people against the billionaires. This struggle against mayoral control is a key part of that fight. Because as long as the billionaires can have our people thinking that they are acting in OUR interests, we won’t be able to win the struggles we are waging.

    As a CUNY student, I ask you all for your support in the fight to push back the tuition hikes and to make CUNY free again, like it was before the great struggles for community control won open access to CUNY for ALL the poor and working people of the city.

    As a tenants’ rights activist, I ask for your support in building the fight to roll back rents in this city! We need a movement to take the power out of the hands of the big landlords, the modern-day feudal princes who steal our wealth.

    As an activist against the racist NYPD, I ask you to keep up the struggle to get the cops out of our schools!

    Please let me offer my support and the support of my campaign to help you advance this important struggle against the billionaires and their control of our schools.

    Thank you.

    -Frances Villar
    Party for Socialism and Liberation
    NYC Mayoral Candidate

  • http://www.radiorahimeducationproject.ning.com Radio Rahim

    I DID SEE MORE THAN 250 PEOPLE AT THE FOUNDING CONVENTION AUG 29, 2009″ Why is Mayor Michael Bloomberg seeking state legislation allowing him to continue his control over the brainwashing of Black and Latino children while the NYC Charter prevents him from having any say in the internal operation of the New York Police Department?
    White minority rule operates in New York City like it operated in South Africa. It takes both brainwashing and repressive laws to maintain control of a majority population. Whites are only one-third of the population of New York City but they control all three branches of government in New York City. They also control FIRE.

    The New York Legislature must consider if it will extend mayoral control in New York City past June 30, 2009. Since 2002, there has been a 25% decrease in the ranks of Black and Latino teachers in New York City. Many of the Black and Latino teachers, still remaining on the payroll, are being detained daily in the infamous “Rubber Room.”

    Joel Klein became the NYC Schools Chancellor after he convinced the U.S. Department of Justice to approve a plan which would disenfranchise Black and Latino parents who must send their children to public schools. The Justice Department had previously employed Klein, who lacks the educational background to be shaping our children’s minds, to look the other way on civil rights.

    White paternalism is in full effect and self-determination is a mirage in New York City. Our parental status today mirrors the status of our enslaved, revered ancestors before the Civil War. Instead of the slaveowner, the NYC Department of Education and the criminal justice system now have primary control over our children.

    Why do President Barack Hussein Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan refuse to send their children to public schools? President Jimmy Carter was the last commander-in-chief who would allow his child to attend the predominantly Black school system in the District of Columbia. “

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  • Despite some tense confrontations between protesters and police, nothing ever got physical and a lieutenant just said there were no arrests. 1 hr ago
  • He's been frozen in that stoic position all night MT @lisafleisher: A protester speaks with his middle finger. http://t.co/xLar4NRU 1 hr ago
  • Last of the occupy protesters just walked out together, shouting expletives and insults on their way out. #toughcrowd 1 hr ago
  • Frank Thomas, DOE spokesman just told me no arrests have been made tonight at PEP despite confrontation between protesters & police earlier. 2 hrs ago
  • RT @leoniehaimson: It's been shown repeatedly that as one schl closes another overwhelmed w/ high needs kids that small schls won't take 2 hrs ago
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