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Chancellor Walcott’s claim that “[g]raduation rates are up to an all-time high of 65 percent” is a lie. The Chancellor knows that the 65 percent boast is significantly inflated by widespread Regents tampering as exposed in an unchallenged the Wall Street Journal exposé headlined (“Students’ Regents Test Scores Bulge at 65” (February 2, 2011).
Former Chancellor Klein confirmed the WJS’s story when he refused comment on its devastating analysis of the integrity of his leadership.
Klein was aware of the routine principal and teacher Regents tampering in city high schools, but did nothing to prevent or punish it.  “There better not be any fudging on the Regents numbers,” he winked in the New York Post the day after the paper’s earlier exposé  headlined “Teacher’s Cheat” (January 26, 2004).
Chancellor Walcott and the Mayor must stop repeating the 65 percent grad rate lie and admit that the DOE has covered up the crimes of Regents tampering and thereby cheated thousands of students, mostly black and brown, of valid diplomas.

Blah, blah, blah… More fertilizer to sow the crops of private no bid contracts.  Every “reform initiative” in this city has had only one result:  To line the pockets of some private individual or company boosting the lates reform flavor of the year.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg/Walcott/DOE avoid the true solutions to middle school problems:
1) Smaller class sizes
2) More non academic classes to help children develop their minds
3) Increased enforcement of discipline

Instead, they shove more kids into the rooms, cut all electives, and discourage effective discipline by penalizing principals for reporting infractions.
When are these incompetent buffoons leaving????????

You only need 4 weeks of training to be a Principal in NYC? NYC- what are you thinking. That Masters in Ed. Leadership/Admin is no longer needed or required? Is TFA’s model is more effective and intellectually challenging and rigorous? Really? Most TFA’s hang around for two years. Walcott is truly disgracing the education profession. There was a time when you needed 3-5 years to be considered for an administrative job. Now only two? Truly shameful. I would hate to be a student, parent, or teacher who had to live under that regime. To put it in perspective, Wal-Mart generally requires more experience to manage a store, than NYC DOE requires of its Principals.

Thanks to those of who are continuing the discussion on such a
critical issue. Stay tuned for a follow up summary of important themes
and lessons that emerged from the rest of the conference on our website: http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/research_alliance/

You may also find our recent publications on the middle grades and other topics here: http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/research_alliance/publications