Comments on: Who will New York’s Race to the Top dream team be?

By: Doug

Doug — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:51:52 +0000

“If they want to add star power then send one of three media darlings: Dave Levin, Geoff Canada, or Eva Moskowitz would be dark horse candidates who could effectively state New York’s case for dramatic reform. Mayor Bloomberg would be a natural pick as well.”

Jeez man, give us a break. Why not just send Derek Jeter instead. [sarcasm]

By: Peter

Peter — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:43:41 +0000

If they don’t take someone from the state teacher organization (NYSUT) they’s be making a mistake. When the dust settles the teachers in the classrooms have to implement whatever is decided in the lofty citadels of power. Teachers turn to their union for advise.

I’d recommend Maria Niera, a NYSUT vice president with a long history of working with the SED on just about all the state intiatives.

By: Dee Alpert

Dee Alpert — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:13:47 +0000

NYSED claimed its RttT application was designed after input from a wide field of stakeholders, including parents. However, examination of the application’s details showed no parents were actually consulted.

Remember the near-riot at a Board of Regents meeting – it was either last year or 2008 – when NYSED had approved some district’s C4E plan without holding public hearings, although such hearings were allegedly legally required?

The NYS Ed. Dept. would rather die than take legitimate parental input into account when it did/does anything. If they did bring a parent to DC for the RttT dog-and-pony show, you can be assured it would be a well-trained one who did nothing unless prompted (or pinched) by a NYSED handler.

NYSED thinks parents are only good for two things: provide its client districts and BOCES with child fodder and pay school taxes without complaint. In fact, from watching its workings for around twenty years now, I feel comfortable saying that NYSED’s real ideal school would be one in an upper middle class white community, fully funded and then some, with no students. All a school is really supposed to do, in NYSED’s view, is pay adults and give out contracts, not all of which have to go to the lowest bidder. Children and their parents are, in this weltgeist, mere inconveniences and distractions on the road to getting more paid adults on staff and giving out even more contracts, not all of which have to go to the lowest bidder.

By: Ellen

Ellen — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:36:06 +0000

Did anyone there ever think that a parent could be part of leadership? Jeez Louise, it’s their kids! for the others, it’s and experiment…a good one, but still an expriement. The NY State PTA has great leadership. Will they think to bring a parent?

By: Jack

Jack — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:10:26 +0000

If they want to add star power then send one of three media darlings: Dave Levin, Geoff Canada, or Eva Moskowitz would be dark horse candidates who could effectively state New York’s case for dramatic reform. Mayor Bloomberg would be a natural pick as well.

By: Dee Alpert

Dee Alpert — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:01:54 +0000

On December 9, 2009, Merryl Tisch, Chair of the Board of Regents, was quoted as follows in the NY Times: “I don’t believe that anyone who looks at these scores, that anyone can say they understand the full picture,” Ms. Tisch said. She said it was particularly frustrating that despite an increase in resources and efforts, black and Hispanic students continued to lag. “Right now it doesn’t look like much of what we are doing has done anything much for our children,” in response to NY’s dismal showing on the NAEP math scores. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/education/09scores.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=tisch&st=nyt

From what I’ve read, USDOE has stacked the deck for the reviews of RttT applications by requiring reviewers to look only at the applications themselves. Given NYSED’s dismal history of spending – or should I say mis-spending – billions of dollars in federal funds designed to improve the objective school performance of children of color, children with disabilities, etc. while accomplishing virtually nothing positive for those kids …

As long as Chair Tisch goes to Washington and tells the truth …

By: Andrew S.

Andrew S. — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:43:00 +0000

The state absolutely should send Dr. John King, owing to the fact that he basically authored the RTTT application for New York State. He might not be the most well-known figure among those being considered, but to leave him out would be foolish with the combination of his law and education experience.