GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

Just wanted to point out the “separate and unequal” reporting of coverage by GS and new “reporter” Chris Arp on this charter school rally compared to the recent UFT rally.

Arp falsely reported that there were several hundred people at the UFT rally. He now reports that there were 2,500 people at the charter rally, if accurate, a number significantly smaller than the UFT rally (and that fact is not reflected in his piece).

Still, GS and Chris add a photo gallery to this feature because clearly this rally deserved it unlike the UFT rally.

GS, if you don’t want to be accused of pandering to charters, THEN STOP PANDERING TO CHARTERS!

On a separate note, why are there never any links to the UFT website here? GS can link to E$E propaganda but not to the UFT site? That video of Stringer and Mulgrew condemning DOE consultant fraud yesterday was very newsworthy!

I have been teaching for 16 years in public schools. (I did spend one and half years teaching in a charter school which shall remain nameless for now) Anyway, two points: I did witness the charter school administration constantly “threaten” parents and students with expulsion if they did not follow the mindless rituals and rules of the school. However, I did not actually see any actual “expulsions” and was told that this was due to the fact that the charter school would loose money for each child expelled. Thus, there were numerous empty threats made that never materialized. Second point: The charter school I worked in had only a part-time guidance counselor, no school nurse, and the teachers actually were responsible for painting their classrooms. My one and half years teaching in that sweatshop was a nightmare for both myself and the children that were enrolled there. Oh heck, I’ll give you a hint of the name of that charter school: Kids in Permanent Prison Program. Lastly, that school saw a 50% turnover rate for teachers every year. 

I’m wondering this too. We weren’t able to get an answer immediately but would still love to know. Readers, any thoughts?

At the end of the day everyone is trying to serve the same purpose….providing high level education to our children. I think what the UFT is doing (and has coerced the NAACP into supporting because of their “business” relationship) is just outright SHAMEFUL.

I second this comment.  It was very glaring omission that bordered in outright censorship of the facts when the UFT rally was described to have brought simply “several hundred supporters which was less than 1 block long.”  Give me a break.  

If GS does not want to lose any more credibility amongst teachers as the educated public at large, it should publish facts accurately from both sides of the camp, be it public school sector or semi private/yet publicly funded charters.

I’m a pst above is “only following orders”.  Where have I heard that expression before?  Eva says jump, they don’t say how high, they are looking for a job. 

 ”Unfortunately, adult greed will trump the best interests of my students, once again.”  You are so right.    Greed is Mr. Canada and Ms. Moskowitz taking double Dennis Walcott’s salary  (from taxpayers as charters are public schools) to run a handful of schools (I believe 7 in Ms. Moskowitz’ case)  -  how many smart boards, lunches, and staff can $250,000 buy (and they would still be making more than Walcott who is responsible for 1.2 million students).  That is greed on a Sheriff of Nottingham / Prince John scale.  Greed is appropriating space from a needier population of students and relegating those students to classrooms next to a boiler that have had to be evacuated multiple times.  Greed is using your personal influence with Chancellor Klein to get your enterprise into whatever school you desire and to the dungeons with the bootless and unhorsed.   
http://www.scribd.com/doc/53376897/The-Truth-About-Charters

can someone tell me where the 2500 people are?
 

so let me understand when a charter school provides exemplary opportunities and a family does not support their child in taking true advantage of said opportunities these students should be allowed to stay in this environment of opportunities and deny the space to someone who actually will take advantage of the opportunities what the charter is saying is reality none likes it right they are saying YOU DON’T WANT THE OPPORTUNITY GO WHERE THERE IS NONE and we all know where that is

Is it a first that students were released from schools and instead sent to a rally by an educational corporation instead of continuing with a “rigorous” curriculum?  This from a school system known not to release students from school during blizzards or other hazardous conditions?  Is it conceivable
that the DOE would allow students from traditional public schools to be released from school for a political rally in support of non profit corporations and targeting  a civil rights organization?  Has that ever happened?  Is it ethical that charter teachers, being paid with public funds, should be paid for going to a rally, instead of teaching?  Could this happen in a traditional school?  Doesn’t this, readers, demonstrate that charters are being supported by DOE in a “separate but unequal” manner?

I received a student this year who had been counseled out for committing offenses equal to cutting class nine times.  Can you imagine what PLA HS stats would be like if they could get rid of struggling students in this manner!  And if they could be sent to charters, what their stats would be like? 

why wouldn’t children understand that adults choose to think of them as a sub class because their parents choose another form of free education for them. Furthermore each child did attend school today, classes started at 10AM to allow parents to take their children. No one was paid to attend today’s rally get your facts straight, there are parents who are sick of waiting for their district failing schools to be saved.

Ldbgg226  -  The teachers are usually teaching at 8 or 9 am, are they not?  If they are sent to a rally instead of teaching, that is actually being paid to go to a rally rather than do their jobs. Anyway, the post you are replying to does not in any way shape or form say that people were paid to attend, even if de facto, teachers were.
I did say that kids should have been in school instead of at the rally during school hrs., I did not say that they did not attend school that day.  You need to get your facts straight.  Re; students used as props, do you truly think that elementary school children understand the nuances and subtleties of the issues surrounding colocations, charters, school closures, etc.?  Please.   Was the term subgroup or subclass on one of the signs, a newsletter, or a script, you are the 2nd person from HSA using that term this evening?  I note that you do not dispute that DOE would not allow traditional public school teachers and students to go to a protest during school hours.  Nothing you can say about that, is there? 

Indeed, Gotham’s coverage May 12th was worthy of Pravda in the Brezhnev era.

PAC-

The answer to your question is a resounding YES, that child should be allowed to stay in that environment. Your attitude towards children, families, and who deserves an education is disappointing at best, revolting at worst. You think because a child may have motivational troubles or his family does not support him/her in a way that you approve of, that that child doesn’t deserve a quality education? Are you serious?

Look, those of us who teach in exemplary public schools do our best to find a way to get through to EVERY student, whether their parents are fully supportive or completely uninvolved, whether they are model students or have behavioral/academic difficulties, etc. I teach at a high-performing PUBLIC middle school in the heart of the South Bronx where we don’t get to deny students opportunities, nor would we want to if we could. Instead, we create opportunities for struggling students and spend countless hours finding any way possible to reach them. No elitism, no counseling out, just straight up teaching in the best ways we can. If your school can’t find a way to do the same and work with struggling students to help them take advantage of those opportunities whether they outwardly want to or not, then it’s not even worth putting on the same playing field with those of us who work every day to serve ALL children.

Not in recent history. However, the NAACP, which is NOT an organization founded by Black people, received plenty of criticism from, Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvy and the Nation of Islam. In fact. W.E.B. DuBois and early supporter of the NAACP withdrew his endorsement several years before he died.

regular zoned schools start at what?  830 am and are out by 230pm?  that is a 6 hour day, yesterday the success academy children were in by 10 am and for my son, a kindergardener, he was out at his usual time of 4 pm…. 6 hour day…. 1st grade and up get out later, so by my calculations while they had a shorter day then usual they were still in at least as long as the regular zoned school students.  The scholars at the rally learned invaluable lessons yesterday, a big part was how to stand up for themselves and speak their minds and to fight for what is equality for all.

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/protesters-rally-at-naacp-over-school-lawsuit-20110526

http://www.amsterdamnews.com/news/local/article_34a79c50-87dc-11e0-968f-001cc4c03286.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2011/05/26/2011-05-26_parents_rally_in_harlem_to_protest_naacps_involvement_in_school_closure_lawsuit.html#ixzz1NTQQox3A

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/05/27/parents-teachers-protest-lawsuit-against-charter-schools-in-nyc/

just to name a few

So many of these comments claim that the charter schools are separatist and unequal.  What about the fact that they are taking their THOUSANDS of students and closing the achievement gap.  Separate and unequal across the nation, even city to suburb is okay, but not within the city school district?  Come on!  These schools are working hard to close gaps in education to make these students equals with the private schools and suburban public schools.  We cannot fix the public school system but we are taking steps to make the bigger, national picture a better and MORE equal place for our kids. 

Are you only looking at the adults/parents who were present?  I hope you are also accounting for all the children who were there as well…in that case you would see the 2500 fighting for their rights. 

You’re right, it’s highly unlikely that I’m expressing a genuine viewpoint. That someone could possibly believe in charters is ridiculous. You remark how you’re so sure I will denigrate student opinions and then attack those who oppose yours. Enough.

Moskowitz, presumably in consultation with her funders, handlers, lawyers, liasons at the DOE, marketing/ PR reps and terrorized assistants, decided that it would be a good idea to blast out some talking points and try to gain control of the conversation about charter invasions in another public forum.

Somehow, I just have a feeling that a memo included discussion of the benefits to HSA of increased positive commentary and traffic on this site, the word was passed along to staff and parents, and voila: the past two days at Gotham Schools comments page.

Just for the record before I’m attacked for opposing people’s right to speak, HSA’s supporters of course have every right to post here; I’m just commenting on the coincidence of it all. Their sudden appearance, and their talking points-like tone, just doesn’t have the ring of truly spontaneous public outpouring.

No evidence, just a feeling based on watching this kind of thing for a while, and knowing the cynicism with which the Eva’s of the world operate.

As I wrote earlier, Moskowitz, Canada and the rest are clearly worried about the NAACP’s status as co-plaintiff in this suit, as it represents a highly visible repudiation of their false claims that charters have anything whatsoever to do with the Civil Rights movement. In view of that, they now attack the organization, since it opposes their continuing expropriation of public facilities and the dispossession of the public school students in them.

They should worry: people are starting to awaken to the false premises and false promises of corporate ed deform, and many different people are doing many different things to oppose their hostile takeover of the public schools. 

Moskowitz, presumably in consultation with her funders, handlers, lawyers, liasons at the DOE, marketing/ PR reps and terrorized assistants, decided that it would be a good idea to blast out some talking points and try to gain control of the conversation about charter invasions in another public forum.

Somehow, I just have a feeling that a memo included discussion of the benefits to HSA of increased positive commentary and traffic on this site, the word was passed along to staff and parents, and voila: the past two days at Gotham Schools comments page.

Just for the record before I’m attacked for opposing people’s right to speak, HSA’s supporters of course have every right to post here; I’m just commenting on the coincidence of it all. Their sudden appearance, and their talking points-like tone, just doesn’t have the ring of truly spontaneous public outpouring.

No evidence, just a feeling based on watching this kind of thing for a while, and knowing the cynicism with which the Eva’s of the world operate.

As I wrote earlier, Moskowitz, Canada and the rest are clearly worried about the NAACP’s status as co-plaintiff in this suit, as it represents a highly visible repudiation of their false claims that charters have anything whatsoever to do with the Civil Rights movement. In view of that, they now attack the organization, since it opposes their continuing expropriation of public facilities and the dispossession of the public school students in them.

They should worry: people are starting to awaken to the false premises and false promises of corporate ed deform, and many different people are doing many different things to oppose their hostile takeover of the public schools. 

United Federation of Teachers puts adults first, plain and simple. They are more concerned with their over-inflated salaries, ridiculous pension, and every other self absorbed reason for “teaching” instead of the fact that their schools and classrooms are FAILING children. Guess what?! Your hard earned tax dollars are being spent on people that are not doing their job. For everyone else in this country, you don’t do your job gets you fired. The UFT and their collective bargaining agreement aka union is a joke of an attempt to educate the youth of this nation!!!

United Federation of Teachers puts adults first, plain and simple. They are more concerned with their over-inflated salaries, ridiculous pension, and every other self absorbed reason for “teaching” instead of the fact that their schools and classrooms are FAILING children. Guess what?! Your hard earned tax dollars are being spent on people that are not doing their job. For everyone else in this country, you don’t do your job gets you fired. The UFT and their collective bargaining agreement aka union is a joke of an attempt to educate the youth of this nation!!!