GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took questions from Manhattan Charter School schools before watching President Obama's speech.(Image via GS)

Students at Manhattan Charter School peppered Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with questions this morning during her visit to introduce the president’s education speech.

Clinton is one of several Cabinet members dispersed at schools across the country today to remind students to work hard in the upcoming year, no matter the personal and economic obstacles they face. She exhorted the audience of rapt elementary school students to draw inspiration from President Barack Obama’s life story.

“Ultimately, how much you learn, how you feel about yourself, is really up to you,” she said.

For the bulk of her hour-long visit, Clinton fielded questions from the students, who had come prepared with handwritten notecards they waved in the air, sat on, or curled in nervous palms.

“If you had become president, what changes would you have made?” asked one student, while another wondered if the Secretary has ever walked her dogs in Central Park (she hasn’t). (more…)

Sec. of State Hillary Clinton campaigning for Obama at a New Hampshire high school (image via Flickr)

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will watch President Obama’s back-to-school speech from a seat in Manhattan Charter School, school officials confirmed today.

Though districts across the country are grappling with how to handle the mass-viewing of the president’s speech, New York City is not among them. That’s because the district public schools will open their doors on Wednesday, not Tuesday (take note, parents!), as a result of a deal between the city and the teachers union.

However, many of the city’s charter schools are already open, including Manhattan Charter School — the elementary school held its first day on August 31. At least one other charter school, Democracy Prep, definitely, and enthusiastically, plans to watch the speech.

A school official said that Clinton would arrive around 11 a.m., briefly address the students in the auditorium, and introduce the president’s speech.

Randi Weingarten (via Flickr)

Liz Benjamin reports that teachers union president Randi Weingarten has talked with Governor Paterson about possibly taking over Hillary Clinton’s senate seat:

Two sources confirm that “talks” have been had by the Paterson administration and Weingarten about whether she might be interested in joining the nation’s most exclusive political club.

O.M.G.!! This would allow a whole new who’s-the-next-Weingarten search. But Liz deflates with this statement from Weingarten:

UPDATE: Weingarten forwarded over a statement saying she is “very flattered and honored” to hear her name mentioned “given how many qualified candidates are under consideration to replace our great junior senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton,” and adding:

“However, I have a great new job that I am very engaged in – fighting for schools, kids and working people in the middle of the worst economic downturn of our lifetime.”

I’m very skeptical. I just got off the phone with a union insider who would almost definitely know if this was going to happen — and hadn’t heard a thing.

UPDATE. Weingarten’s full statement is below the jump. Suddenly I get the feeling Weingarten does not want the story to die completely. (more…)