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READ THIS DAILY NEWS ARTICLE ABOUT A BRONX PRINCIPAL
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/bronx-principal-fire-outrageous-machine-comments-photocopier-article-1.1002357

Concerning the Politicker article about the Bloomberg radio show:

1) Mayor Bloomberg has reached a new low of audacity, in fully admitting that the evaluation process is subjective, and that it’s just fine that a principal can target a teacher for constructive dismissal torture techniques just because the teacher doesn’t fit in with the principal’s cronies (or they’re a masters-plus-30 with 10+ yrs. in the system and therefore make more than a newbie) — simply because such practices exist in the private sector.

2) A city school system is a “natural monopoly,” unlike a private business like Bloomberg News Corporation.  In the private sector, if someone is good, but not in-with-the-in-crony-crowd, they can call up a colleague at a competitor across town and have a shot at getting a job there.  But in the NYCDOE, if a principal has it in for you, they can use lies and subjective “evaluations” to ruin your good name forever. No matter how good you are, if you are high enough on the pay scale, you cannot transfer: Even if your best friend was a principal in another boro, that principal’s hands would be tied by DOE policy and they’d risk losing their own job if they hired you.

3) It is one thing to use corporate money to “constructively dismiss” an employee — thoug it is illegal and it can successfully be prosecuted in court, by the way, for civil damages!  It is quite another thing to use taxpayer dollars to spend months and months training principals in the Leadership Academy in how to torture a perfectly good teacher out of the classroom, ruining them in the process and often requiring them to pay the city a fine to boot (if not successful at being vindicated in a 3020A process)! And who ever heard of a private business where a scorned employee had to also pay their employer a fine on the way out, if they’ve done nothing truly objectively wrong but just didn’t “fit in” with the crony network, or just made too much money due to longevity!

4) Some of the stories about this issue make it look like the union is trying to add to teachers’ power, by insisting on the option for an independent arbitrator.  In fact, teachers currently have that option (in the 3020A process, and in the Article 78, via the civil courts, to try to overturn U-ratings that are upheld in DOE’s internal appalling-appeals process). This right is one of the last shreds of job protections left, after so many job protections were traded away for higher pay during Mayor Mike’s first two terms.  We’re just trying to not lose yet another vital job protection.  Without this, tenure means virtually nothing!

5) Next thing you know, we’ll be hearing that CUNY tenure is also a relic of the McCarthy Era!  Mark my words!

6) Oh, yeah — what about the students?  How can all of this possibly be in the best interests of the kids.  Oh, wow — everyone forgot about THEM!

7) UFT, are you listening????????

They must have missed the article …”Bronx principal under fire for outrageous ‘sex machine’ comments about photocopier”There is a major protest rally scheduled for tomorrow afternoon in front of that Bronx school … Look at the flyer 

Disclosing medicaid information is VOLUNTARY on the part of the parent. 
The DOE had to return money a few years ago for billing medicaid for services that were not reimbursable
Medicaid is a constant chopping block item on the part of conservative legislators
Medicaid funding sources could dry up

given the anti government, anti social support environment promoted by folks like Santorum and Paul, and the examples of severe cuts to social services that conservative Republican legislators have already promulgated and enacted in some states, why would any parent with a brain want to hand over medicaid reimbursement ability to a DOE that is a mayoral agency.  Many parents will fear that cross references will occur and their children will be targeted as expensive

The DOE is a Mayoral agency.  If the Mayor wants to do so, s/he could use that medicaid reimbursement money for any NYC government agency and stiff the DOE anyway.  Have you ever seen he complicated twists and turns that are within Mayoral budgets?