If you are subjected to any actions of a State employee that are outside of their duties and responsibilities and are harmful - as in harming someone, taking money, obstructing justice, tampering with witnesses (or whistleblowers) - then read the law below.
New York State Law
ARTICLE 195
OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT AND OBSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC SERVANTS
GENERALLY Section 195.00 Official misconduct.
195.05 Obstructing governmental administration in the second degree.
195.06 Killing or injuring a police animal.
195.07 Obstructing governmental administration in the first degree.
195.08 Obstructing governmental administration by means of a
self-defense spray device.
195.10 Refusing to aid a peace or a police officer.
195.11 Harming an animal trained to aid a person with a disability
in the second degree.
195.12 Harming an animal trained to aid a person with a disability
in the first degree.
195.15 Obstructing firefighting operations.
195.16 Obstructing emergency medical services.
195.20 Defrauding the government.
S 195.00 Official misconduct.
A public servant is guilty of official misconduct when, with intent to obtain a benefit or deprive another person of a benefit:
1. He commits an act relating to his office but constituting an unauthorized exercise of his official functions, knowing that such act is unauthorized; or
2. He knowingly refrains from performing a duty which is imposed upon him by law or is clearly inherent in the nature of his office.
Official misconduct is a class A misdemeanor.
S 195.05 Obstructing governmental administration in the second degree.
A person is guilty of obstructing governmental administration when he intentionally obstructs, impairs or perverts the administration of law or other governmental function or prevents or attempts to prevent a public servant from performing an official function, by means of intimidation, physical force or interference, or by means of any independently unlawful act, or by means of interfering, whether or not physical force is involved, with radio, telephone, television or other telecommunications systems owned or operated by the state, or a county, city, town, village, fire district or emergency medical service or by means of releasing a dangerous animal under circumstances evincing the actor`s intent that the animal obstruct governmental administration.
Obstructing governmental administration is a class A misdemeanor.
S 195.06 Killing or injuring a police animal.
A person is guilty of killing or injuring a police animal when such person intentionally kills or injures any animal while such animal is in the performance of its duties and under the supervision of a police or peace officer.
Killing or injuring a police animal is a class A misdemeanor.
S 195.07 Obstructing governmental administration in the first degree.
A person is guilty of obstructing governmental administration in the first degree when he commits the crime of obstructing governmental administration in the second degree by means of interfering with a telecommunications system thereby causing serious physical injury to another person.
Obstructing governmental administration in the first degree is a class E felony.
S 195.08 Obstructing governmental administration by means of a
self-defense spray device.
A person is guilty of obstructing governmental administration by means of a self-defense spray device when, with the intent to prevent a police officer or peace officer from performing a lawful duty, he causes temporary physical impairment to a police officer or peace officer by intentionally discharging a self-defense spray device, as defined in paragraph fourteen of subdivision a of section 265.20 of this chapter, thereby causing such temporary physical impairment.
Obstructing governmental administration by means of a self-defense spray device is a class D felony.
S 195.10 Refusing to aid a peace or a police officer.
A person is guilty of refusing to aid a peace or a police officer when, upon command by a peace or a police officer identifiable or identified to him as such, he unreasonably fails or refuses to aid such peace or a police officer in effecting an arrest, or in preventing the commission by another person of any offense.
Refusing to aid a peace or a police officer is a class B misdemeanor.
S 195.11 Harming an animal trained to aid a person with a disability in
the second degree.
A person is guilty of harming an animal trained to aid a person with a disability in the second degree when such person intentionally causes physical injury to such animal while it is in the performance of aiding a person with a disability, and thereby renders such animal incapable of providing such aid to such person, or to another person with a disability.
For purposes of this section and section 195.12 of this article, the term "disability" means "disability" as defined in subdivision twenty-one of section two hundred ninety-two of the executive law.
Harming an animal trained to aid a person with a disability in the second degree is a class B misdemeanor.
S 195.12 Harming an animal trained to aid a person with a disability in
the first degree.
A person is guilty of harming an animal trained to aid a person with a disability in the first degree when such person:
1. intentionally causes physical injury to such animal while it is in the performance of aiding a person with a disability, and thereby renders such animal permanently incapable of providing such aid to such person, or to another person with a disability; or
2. intentionally kills such animal while it is in the performance of aiding a person with a disability.
Harming an animal trained to aid a person with a disability in the first degree is a class A misdemeanor.
S 195.15 Obstructing firefighting operations.
A person is guilty of obstructing firefighting operations when he intentionally and unreasonably obstructs the efforts of any:
1. fireman in extinguishing a fire, or prevents or dissuades another from extinguishing or helping to extinguish a fire; or
2. fireman, police officer or peace officer in performing his duties in circumstances involving an imminent danger created by an explosion, threat of explosion or the presence of toxic fumes or gases.
Obstructing firefighting operations is a class A misdemeanor.
S 195.16 Obstructing emergency medical services.
A person is guilty of obstructing emergency medical services when he or she intentionally and unreasonably obstructs the efforts of any service, technician, personnel, system or unit specified in section three thousand one of the public health law in the performance of their duties.
Obstructing emergency medical services is a class A misdemeanor.
S 195.20 Defrauding the government.
A person is guilty of defrauding the government when, being a public servant or party officer, he:
(a) engages in a scheme constituting a systematic ongoing course of conduct with intent to defraud the state or a political subdivision of the state or a governmental instrumentality within the state or to obtain property from the state or a political subdivision of the state or a governmental instrumentality within the state by false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises and
(b) so obtains property with a value in excess of one thousand dollars from such state, political subdivision or governmental instrumentality.
Defrauding the government is a class E felony.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Event: Fed Up New Yorkers Meeting
Notice from FED UP NEW YORKERS:
The next Fed Up New Yorkers Meeting will be on Thursday, August 19 from 6-7:30 p.m. Please spread the word. Seating will be limited. We have a meeting room (212) at the LGBT Community Center, where we had our last meeting.
Fed Up New Yorkers Strategy Meeting
Where: LGBT Community Center
208 W. 13th St (13th St and 7th Ave)
Room 212
Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
On the agenda: The FUNY Newspaper (Press, Funding, Content and Distribution); Future Events; things we may need to do before the primary and after the primary; Ideas for Fundraising; Community Outreach; other issues members would like to discuss.
Fed Up New Yorkers now has a Web site: www.fedupnewyorkers.org
The paper and coalition has been getting a lot of good press lately.
At this point, the site has pdf copies of the newspaper and online versions of each of the articles. There is also a calendar of events. If there are any events coalition members would like me to include (press conferences, meetings, demonstrations, etc.), please send me the information in an e-mail and I'll enter it into the calendar.
Also, I still have a few bundles of the second issue of Fed Up New Yorkers at my apartment, so if anyone can pick up a bundle, please let me know.
Thanks so much. I hope to see you next week.
Mike Dang
mike@bloombergwatch.com
Fed Up New Yorkers Hit the Streets
posted by Mary Alice Miller, Sat, 08/01/2009 - 9:24pm
LINK
Not the two-legged kind. “Fed Up New Yorkers” is a new tabloid that boldly states its mission: “Because No Third Term Means No Third Term!”
The inaugural issue of FUNY became a collectors item overnight, if only for the cover illustration: full color depiction of a smirking King Bloomberg (Mayor for Life) perched on his throne, Quinn peeking from behind him, with loyal lowly serfs - the NY Times, real estate developers, NYU president, NY civic groups, the Republican and Independent Parties - bowed at his feet, greedy hands reaching for treasure chests full of tax breaks, the Bloomberg Foundation, and campaign cash. The illustration is a classic, suitable for framing.
FUNY's articles are compelling reading. One article takes civil rights gay activists to task for supporting the “anti-gay” Mayor. Another calls Bloomberg's New York a “millionaires playground” at the expense of everyone else. Yet another takes a critical look at charter schools. Editorial cartoons graphically make their point.
Publisher Neil Fabricant said, "We decided to publish Fed Up New Yorkers because that's what we are: Fed Up New Yorkers. The mainstream media and Bloomberg's massive propaganda campaign is fostering the impression that his candidacy is a sure thing, and people should either get on board or not bother to vote. Our impression from talking with real New Yorkers is just the opposite. We had to go beyond the blogs to get the news out that the people who have voted twice against a third time aren't going to stand for it."
(The first edition of FDNY featured articles from some of the city's popular blogs.)
FUNY promises to publish regularly until November's general election.
Issue #1 disappeared into New Yorker's hands as soon as it was published last week. If you did not get your copy of the first issue of FDNY, see the attached pdf.
Or look for it on Ebay.
Queens Crap
You're A Disgrace
Friday, August 14, 2009
Public Outrage Grows Against Mayoral Control of Public Schools
In the article below, focus on the following words:
"closed-door session"; "without the proposed amendments that the New York State Senate added to that bill"; "The four amendments—which still have to be debated and voted on in the Assembly—would create a parent training center, an arts advisory committee, the expansion of superintendents’ roles and required public meetings on school safety."
If the reporters of this article are correct, Governor Paterson signed into "law" a bill that has provisions not debated on by the Assembly or the Senate, and thus not voted in by the full two houses of our State government. So, how could he sign this paper and how could it be legally valid? I'm not an attorney, so maybe an attorney would like to post a comment.
I dont know what powers, duties, or responsibilities the Mayor and the New York City Board of Education have now that Paterson has gone ahead and put his signature on a document that has not been voted in by the New York State House or Senate. It is obvious that the Bloomberg/Klein regime will continue to do whatever they want whenever they want.
Let's remember that Paterson was not voted in, but slid into his current position when former New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer was forced to resign because of his solicitation and transportation of a prostitute across state lines.
David Paterson is in political trouble right now, as in whether or not he can get elected to his current position or any position, in the future.
Whatever the answer to that question is, the fight against the "I don't care what the public says, I'm going to do what I want" public service by public employees has to stop or be stopped. We the people need to get out from under the winds of whim, where politicians can change lives without caring about the consequences.
Put an end to Mayoral control, people!!.
Betsy Combier
'MAYOR’S WIN, CHILDREN’S LOSS’
Sen. Perkins and advocates decry mayoral control of schools
By MARYAM ABDUL-ALEEM and NAYABA ARINDE
LINK
Special to AmNews
Amsterdam News Editor
Published: Thursday, August 13, 2009 12:55 PM EDT
“The mayor’s victory is our children’s loss,” said State Sen. Bill Perkins, (pictured below) who voted against the mayoral control bill twice in the Senate.
“Mayoral control, unfortunately, was renewed when Governor Paterson signed the bill into law on Tuesday, but the so-called amendments were not included. This underscores how in this point in time the parents are still left out; the policing in our public schools will continue to the dismay of parents and educators. Art education and cultural education will continue to not be included and there will not be the type of transparency and accountability that parents demanded and demonstrated on the steps of City Hall for.”
After a stalemate in the New York State Senate over a power struggle and then a deadlock over a vote to extend the Assembly’s version of mayoral control, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has gotten what he wanted and succeeded in getting a large number of legislators to agree with his vision for 1.1 million New York City School students. Mayoral control is back until 2015.
In a closed-door session, at 10:30 on Tuesday morning, Gov. David Paterson signed the 2002 state law that the Assembly overwhelming passed in June—without the proposed amendments that the New York State Senate added to that bill. The four amendments—which still have to be debated and voted on in the Assembly—would create a parent training center, an arts advisory committee, the expansion of superintendents’ roles and required public meetings on school safety.
The bill that the governor signed is very similar to the original version of the 2002 law, except for a few changes that were added to address some concerns people expressed over the mayor’s governance power.
In a released statement, Gov. Paterson said, “It gives me great pleasure today to sign into law an agreement that will secure the future of New York City’s school governance and allow 1.1 million schoolchildren and their families to breathe a sigh of relief. The agreement continues the progress made under Mayor Bloomberg over the last several years, while adding new layers of cohesion, stability and parental involvement. This is great news for all of the students returning to school next month, as they will continue to receive the support they need both inside and outside of the classroom.”
A representative from Paterson’s office could not be reached for additional comments at press time. Out of his eight appointments to the 13-member Panel for Educational Policy, the mayor will now have to name two public school parents, as determined by the bill the governor signed. The mayor will have to hold public meetings and notify parents and the community before the closing of schools; the panel will review no-bid contracts and an independent budget office will have the authority to review data on the performance of students.
News of the governor’s act was expected by many, but disappointing to others. “I am disappointed,” said Jitu Weusi, a long-time educator and member of The Coalition for Public Education. “We hoped that the governor would at least have had a public hearing before signing the bill. It was disappointing that it was not a more democratic process.” But, Weusi said, he knew that the governor was under a lot of pressure by certain forces. “That pressure would make you do a lot of things,” he said.
“We, The Coalition for Public Education, will continue to develop and build a pressure group to end mayoral control at the earliest possible date,” he added.
Sam Anderson, also a member of The Coalition for Public Education, said, “Governor Paterson is part of the problem; it’s official now.” Paterson, Barack Obama and a host of others have fallen for mayoral control of our school system, which is mainly for predominantly Black and Latino people, said Anderson. The governor “has aligned himself up with the right wing of the Democratic party.”
Anderson continued to say that the Coalition for Public Education has now got to be a “formidable” force for more parental and student involvement to mobilize and provide the basic services needed, such as a grievance procedure that will resolve issues for parents in the schools. Anderson said they must now work “school by school, district by district ”to create mechanisms to develop and retain Black and Latino teachers, while continuing to create meaningful change.
Ironically, on Monday, there was a press conference sponsored by The Coalition for Public Education, along with other advocacy and political groups in attendance such as Black New Yorkers for Educational Excellence; Independent Coalition on Public Education; New York Coalition for Neighborhood School Control; and the December 12th Movement that gathered to show their resistance to mayoral control, which they view as an autocratic dictatorship that has no place in a democratic system.
A furious City Councilman Charles Barron fumed, “The people must hold the governor and Senate and assemblymen accountable for mis-education of our children. The mayor been a failure, and it is very disappointing that they can’t see that this mayor, who we’ve invested $130 billion in to educate our children, has failed miserably. And for them to give one person this dictatorial control is incorrigible.”
Barron continued, “We must hold them responsible for endangering our future by putting the responsibility of educating Black and Latino children in the hands of two unqualified individuals such as Bloomberg and Klein.
“Parents have no power; the people have no power. The power was instead kept in the hands of those who are unqualified and uninterested in educating Black and Latino children, in particular, and all children in general. We hope our people have long memories come the election regarding who it was who sold our children out.”
Mayor Bloomberg and Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott were even spotted entering City Hall while the press conference was taking place. The assembly of organizers and activists booed and chanted “no mayoral control” along with “dictator” at the men as they walked by.
The same day that the press conference was taking place, Mayor Bloomberg introduced a proposal to end social promotion in public schools for grades 3–8.
Previously, the mayor instituted the policy for grades 3, 5, 7 and 8, but now has added two more grade levels, saying that the new policy to end social promotion was a step in the right direction for students.
The Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) has to approve that measure. The mayor’s policy on social promotion made headlines when he first promoted the educational reform.
Bloomberg fired members on the panel who had disagreed with him on the issue. This issue of mayoral control and term limits even received the attention of the federal government when Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who is an open advocate for mayoral control and charter schools, sent a letter to an influential educational advocacy group to influence the group to stop fighting for term limits for members of PEP. Even President Obama has made known his admiration for “innovative” practices regarding public education, which includes “schools of choice” that are run independently but receive public money.
Many have expressed their concern for some of the educational initiatives that are being proposed in this season of educational reform, such as paying or firing teachers based on performance and student achievement, and closing down schools that do not make the grade.
All this comes at time when more states with heavy urban populations are transitioning to a mayor-controlled public education system.
Mayoral control is predicated on the premise that the public educational system has failed far too many students, mainly students of color, who are disproportionately affected by high dropout rates and low testing scores and who, many proponents of these educational reforms say, are being left behind in the competitive work force, especially against other students in different countries, along with their European counterparts.
But many opposition groups to mayoral control have asked what will happen when another mayor comes along who is not as vested in public education as their predecessor? Others assert that mayoral control is not about the students, but about politics.
While the Bloomberg administration has said that the achievement gap is closing, graduation rates are climbing and test scores are up since 2002,studies are continuously being revealed that show the measurements the administration are using may not be fully accurate. And others have said that public education is now too focused on showing these “measurable” stats of improvement over the quality of the education that students are exposed to, in addition to making the test easy to pass in the process. They charge that schools have become “testing mills.”
At the press conference on Monday against mayoral control, Weusi read from a paper in front of the podium that stated, “Under dictatorial powers of the mayor—police rule in the schools; criminalization of children; continuation of the classroom to prison pipeline; excessive high stakes testing; crowded classrooms; harassment of veteran teachers; the notorious ‘rubber room’; reckless and excessive spending of public money; using charter schools as a means to privatize public schools creating a three-tier public school system; no discussion, no debate, no democratic tradition; no libraries with books; no science and computer labs in all schools; charters in minority neighborhoods with all-white staffs; no independent parent organization of training establishment of an independent commission to evaluate education; no educational leader of NYC public schools—for all these reasons and more, we say NO to mayoral control.”
Perkins concluded, “We want the people to understand this loss is not the end of the movement to empower our parents and bring transparency and accountability to our schools, bring back art and culture to the curriculum and curb the excessive policing in our schools. The organizing will continue because they are angrier than ever.
“Until our children get the type of education they are entitled to without the fudging of the numbers and the procurement practices and the Bloomberg buddy system are brought to light, the organizing will continue,” said Perkins. “Obviously, the answer is a new mayor who will listen to and bring about the changes that the parents have continued to demand. For parents, this is the most important issue in this upcoming election.”
Betsy Combier
'MAYOR’S WIN, CHILDREN’S LOSS’
Sen. Perkins and advocates decry mayoral control of schools
By MARYAM ABDUL-ALEEM and NAYABA ARINDE
LINK
Special to AmNews
Amsterdam News Editor
Published: Thursday, August 13, 2009 12:55 PM EDT
“The mayor’s victory is our children’s loss,” said State Sen. Bill Perkins, (pictured below) who voted against the mayoral control bill twice in the Senate.
“Mayoral control, unfortunately, was renewed when Governor Paterson signed the bill into law on Tuesday, but the so-called amendments were not included. This underscores how in this point in time the parents are still left out; the policing in our public schools will continue to the dismay of parents and educators. Art education and cultural education will continue to not be included and there will not be the type of transparency and accountability that parents demanded and demonstrated on the steps of City Hall for.”
After a stalemate in the New York State Senate over a power struggle and then a deadlock over a vote to extend the Assembly’s version of mayoral control, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has gotten what he wanted and succeeded in getting a large number of legislators to agree with his vision for 1.1 million New York City School students. Mayoral control is back until 2015.
In a closed-door session, at 10:30 on Tuesday morning, Gov. David Paterson signed the 2002 state law that the Assembly overwhelming passed in June—without the proposed amendments that the New York State Senate added to that bill. The four amendments—which still have to be debated and voted on in the Assembly—would create a parent training center, an arts advisory committee, the expansion of superintendents’ roles and required public meetings on school safety.
The bill that the governor signed is very similar to the original version of the 2002 law, except for a few changes that were added to address some concerns people expressed over the mayor’s governance power.
In a released statement, Gov. Paterson said, “It gives me great pleasure today to sign into law an agreement that will secure the future of New York City’s school governance and allow 1.1 million schoolchildren and their families to breathe a sigh of relief. The agreement continues the progress made under Mayor Bloomberg over the last several years, while adding new layers of cohesion, stability and parental involvement. This is great news for all of the students returning to school next month, as they will continue to receive the support they need both inside and outside of the classroom.”
A representative from Paterson’s office could not be reached for additional comments at press time. Out of his eight appointments to the 13-member Panel for Educational Policy, the mayor will now have to name two public school parents, as determined by the bill the governor signed. The mayor will have to hold public meetings and notify parents and the community before the closing of schools; the panel will review no-bid contracts and an independent budget office will have the authority to review data on the performance of students.
News of the governor’s act was expected by many, but disappointing to others. “I am disappointed,” said Jitu Weusi, a long-time educator and member of The Coalition for Public Education. “We hoped that the governor would at least have had a public hearing before signing the bill. It was disappointing that it was not a more democratic process.” But, Weusi said, he knew that the governor was under a lot of pressure by certain forces. “That pressure would make you do a lot of things,” he said.
“We, The Coalition for Public Education, will continue to develop and build a pressure group to end mayoral control at the earliest possible date,” he added.
Sam Anderson, also a member of The Coalition for Public Education, said, “Governor Paterson is part of the problem; it’s official now.” Paterson, Barack Obama and a host of others have fallen for mayoral control of our school system, which is mainly for predominantly Black and Latino people, said Anderson. The governor “has aligned himself up with the right wing of the Democratic party.”
Anderson continued to say that the Coalition for Public Education has now got to be a “formidable” force for more parental and student involvement to mobilize and provide the basic services needed, such as a grievance procedure that will resolve issues for parents in the schools. Anderson said they must now work “school by school, district by district ”to create mechanisms to develop and retain Black and Latino teachers, while continuing to create meaningful change.
Ironically, on Monday, there was a press conference sponsored by The Coalition for Public Education, along with other advocacy and political groups in attendance such as Black New Yorkers for Educational Excellence; Independent Coalition on Public Education; New York Coalition for Neighborhood School Control; and the December 12th Movement that gathered to show their resistance to mayoral control, which they view as an autocratic dictatorship that has no place in a democratic system.
A furious City Councilman Charles Barron fumed, “The people must hold the governor and Senate and assemblymen accountable for mis-education of our children. The mayor been a failure, and it is very disappointing that they can’t see that this mayor, who we’ve invested $130 billion in to educate our children, has failed miserably. And for them to give one person this dictatorial control is incorrigible.”
Barron continued, “We must hold them responsible for endangering our future by putting the responsibility of educating Black and Latino children in the hands of two unqualified individuals such as Bloomberg and Klein.
“Parents have no power; the people have no power. The power was instead kept in the hands of those who are unqualified and uninterested in educating Black and Latino children, in particular, and all children in general. We hope our people have long memories come the election regarding who it was who sold our children out.”
Mayor Bloomberg and Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott were even spotted entering City Hall while the press conference was taking place. The assembly of organizers and activists booed and chanted “no mayoral control” along with “dictator” at the men as they walked by.
The same day that the press conference was taking place, Mayor Bloomberg introduced a proposal to end social promotion in public schools for grades 3–8.
Previously, the mayor instituted the policy for grades 3, 5, 7 and 8, but now has added two more grade levels, saying that the new policy to end social promotion was a step in the right direction for students.
The Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) has to approve that measure. The mayor’s policy on social promotion made headlines when he first promoted the educational reform.
Bloomberg fired members on the panel who had disagreed with him on the issue. This issue of mayoral control and term limits even received the attention of the federal government when Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who is an open advocate for mayoral control and charter schools, sent a letter to an influential educational advocacy group to influence the group to stop fighting for term limits for members of PEP. Even President Obama has made known his admiration for “innovative” practices regarding public education, which includes “schools of choice” that are run independently but receive public money.
Many have expressed their concern for some of the educational initiatives that are being proposed in this season of educational reform, such as paying or firing teachers based on performance and student achievement, and closing down schools that do not make the grade.
All this comes at time when more states with heavy urban populations are transitioning to a mayor-controlled public education system.
Mayoral control is predicated on the premise that the public educational system has failed far too many students, mainly students of color, who are disproportionately affected by high dropout rates and low testing scores and who, many proponents of these educational reforms say, are being left behind in the competitive work force, especially against other students in different countries, along with their European counterparts.
But many opposition groups to mayoral control have asked what will happen when another mayor comes along who is not as vested in public education as their predecessor? Others assert that mayoral control is not about the students, but about politics.
While the Bloomberg administration has said that the achievement gap is closing, graduation rates are climbing and test scores are up since 2002,studies are continuously being revealed that show the measurements the administration are using may not be fully accurate. And others have said that public education is now too focused on showing these “measurable” stats of improvement over the quality of the education that students are exposed to, in addition to making the test easy to pass in the process. They charge that schools have become “testing mills.”
At the press conference on Monday against mayoral control, Weusi read from a paper in front of the podium that stated, “Under dictatorial powers of the mayor—police rule in the schools; criminalization of children; continuation of the classroom to prison pipeline; excessive high stakes testing; crowded classrooms; harassment of veteran teachers; the notorious ‘rubber room’; reckless and excessive spending of public money; using charter schools as a means to privatize public schools creating a three-tier public school system; no discussion, no debate, no democratic tradition; no libraries with books; no science and computer labs in all schools; charters in minority neighborhoods with all-white staffs; no independent parent organization of training establishment of an independent commission to evaluate education; no educational leader of NYC public schools—for all these reasons and more, we say NO to mayoral control.”
Perkins concluded, “We want the people to understand this loss is not the end of the movement to empower our parents and bring transparency and accountability to our schools, bring back art and culture to the curriculum and curb the excessive policing in our schools. The organizing will continue because they are angrier than ever.
“Until our children get the type of education they are entitled to without the fudging of the numbers and the procurement practices and the Bloomberg buddy system are brought to light, the organizing will continue,” said Perkins. “Obviously, the answer is a new mayor who will listen to and bring about the changes that the parents have continued to demand. For parents, this is the most important issue in this upcoming election.”
Sunday, August 9, 2009
The Campaign to Dump Christine Quinn Gathers Momentum
From Betsy Combier: The following is presented by me from the "Dump NY City Council member Christine Quinn" crowd as a public service.
Oh - by the way, the debate was only for a select few:
Media and Public Shut out of Election Debate at NYU -- Outrageous !!
QUINN DEBATE HOSTED BY DOWNTOWN NEWSPAPERS
Dear Neighbors, Activists and Voters:
On August 13, the three Democratic candidates running for the City Council seat in District 3 are debating the issues at NYU that is sponsored by several downtown newspapers. The candidates are Yetta Kurland, Maria Derr and Christine Quinn.
A loose coalition of people committed to the defeat of Christine Quinn (including myself, Donny Moss, John Phillips, supporters of Hudson Rise, the League of Humane Voters and others) are holding a demo against Christine Quinn outside of the building before the debate starts.
One of the many reasons to hold a demo is to trigger the press to report on both the movement to unseat Christine Quinn and the reasons why New Yorkers want to see her go.
Debate Details:
CD 3 candidates will debate: Yetta Kurland, Maria Passanante-Derr and the incumbent, Christine Quinn.
New York University
19 West 4th St (between Mercer and Greene Streets) Room 101
7:00 - 8:30
Arrive by 5pm to get in line for a seat.
Bring a photo idea.
The Democratic primary is only five weeks away, and we must be in the streets now educating voters about why not to vote for Christine Quinn.
PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO OTHERS WHO YOU BELIEVE MAY WANT TO JOIN THIS ACTION.
Thank you!
Rosemary Kuropat
rkuropat@me.com
917.767.1595
www.dumpchristinequinn.blogspot.com
THIS ACTION IS NOT CONNECTED TO OR SUPPORTED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CAMPAIGN. WE ARE A LOOSE COALITION OF LIKE-MINDED NEW YORKERS COMMITTED TO THE DEFEAT OF CHRISTINE QUINN. WE PAY ALL OUR OWN EXPENSES PERSONALLY.
Comments
To those who received the Quinn demo announcement,
This "action" is being planned by two individuals, not the group of
activists that came together a few months back to fight Quinn's
re-election. Some of their planned activities (disruptions that are
not mentioned in the email) could easily help Quinn and hurt the
challengers (of the two challengers, Yetta Kurland appears to have a
real chance to defeat Quinn).
In twenty years of involvement in political campaigns I have seen a
number of instances where rogue operators, who cross the line,
actually hurt the candidate they are purporting to help.
We remain committed -- as much as ever -- to defeat Quinn. But we do
not condone this action and we are not part of it. It was planned
without our knowledge. None on the groups of which I am affiliated
with are supporting this action.
John Fisher
TenantNet
07 August 2009
QUINN DELIVERS TRASH TO COUNCIL DISTRICT 3
SHE DELIVERS FOR YOU, MR MAYOR!
Here's an example of our esteemed City Councilmember -- and Speaker, don't forget! -- at work:
There are 59 Sanitation Districts in New York City (12 in Manhattan, referred to as MN1 to MN12), and there are 51 City Council Districts. That means that "Fair Share" should be 1 (or maybe 2, for a particularly large district). But anything more than that does not rise to the definition of "fair share."
Have a look at the maps to the left: The smaller map represents Quinn's district: mostly, the West Side, from Canal Street to 54th Street. Within her district are part or all of 3 sanitation districts: about half of MN2, MN4 & MN5.
Get this! There are facilities that serve 6 -- yes, that's right, SIX -- garbage facilities in Quinn's council district. Now how's that for bringing home the bacon?! The only problem is, of course, that the bacon she's bringing home to her district is left-over from this morning's breakfast.
Then there's an even more scorching fact: most of them are in Hudson Square and Chelsea, the latter supposedly being her home base, her source of power, the power in her pumps. What's even more despicable is the way that Quinn works so hard to keep Community Board 2 (Hudson Square) and CB 4 (Chelsea) at each other's throats: by suggesting that one of us simply wants to dump on the other.
Remember Robert Trentlyon? During the City Council hearings on the 3-district Sanitation facility that Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler, Dan Klein from the Department of Sanitation and -- yes, you guessed the Third Mouseketeer! -- Christine Quinn wants to ram down the neighborhood's collective throats, old (really old) Bob just couldn't say enough bad things about CB 2 -- he even had the audacity to say that we didn't really need any more park space (mind you, CB 2 has the second lowest green space to resident ratio in the City)! At the time, this really angered me.
But now that I've been around the divisive politics of Christine Quinn, I understand that he's a puppet! Reports are that Dan Klein from DSNY, with Quinn's "blessing" (a thought that runs chills up my spine, mind you), has met with CB 4 members to tell them that "the community" (meaning, the people opposing this obscenely expensive facility) is trying to foist the third district (that would be MN5) onto them! Of course, the truth is that we have presented dozens of options that are in or very near to MN5. Dan Klein, however, has nixed them all! The only option that remains viable is on 51st Street, in a lot that the owner would like to sell.
Yes, 51st Street is in MN4 - by three blocks. But moving the MN5 facility there would save 4,200 truck miles per year!
Don't think that matters? INFORM, the national environmental research organization, states that diesel garbage trucks get the lowest fuel efficiency of any vehicle on the road: 2.8 miles per gallon.
Diesel garbage trucks are a major source of air pollution, including smog-forming compounds, particulate matter, and toxic chemical constituents. Heavy-duty diesel-powered vehicles, including garbage trucks, make up only 7 percent of vehicles on the road, but they contribute 69 percent of on-road fine particulate pollution and 40 percent of nitrogen oxide emissions.
And diesel garbage trucks are notoriously loud, generating noise levels of up to 100 decibels, which can cause serious hearing damage.
So, by not driving those 4,200 miles each year, the City will save $11,000 anually in fuel costs (at current diesel prices) and more important, will improve the quality of the air breathed by the people who live in MN 2, where the trucks would have been based, in MN4, because the trucks will drive through that neighborhood to get to MN5, and yes, in MN5, whose garbage is being hauled.
The real injustice is that MN5 doesn't have to host its own facility (not to mention MN1, our friends below Canal Street)...and that's what CB2 and CB4 should join together to protest. But instead, we are being divided by people like Quinn and Klein and Skyler, who are more interested in the politics and in keeping their own jobs.
Slush funds and secret kitties: The Quinnberg Saga
With the recent revelation that the Mayor's Office has its own secret kitty for "discretionary disbursements" (not legal ones, mind you), we know that Quinn's Slush Funds were just part of a pattern of secret kitties in City Hall on both sides, and that better explains why we haven't seen any reports from either the federal or the City "investigation" into Speaker Quinn's misdeeds. Mike has to do something to keep the Quinnster quiet while he piles yesterday's trash all over her district.
Man, this whole thing stinks...and that's why the Quinnster Must Go.
Posted by Chronicler at 1:56 PM
Friday, August 7, 2009
NY City Council Gives Raises To Staff
I dont really have to comment on the news below, as we all know that the taxpayers of New York are suffering right now, and many are losing their jobs.
It simply is not good politics to raise the salaries of taxpayer-funded staff of City Council members - many of whom are under a cloud.
The cloud: voting for a third term without a referendum of the public, who voted twice in favor of term limits.
Dont forget that any City Council member that can win a third term gets free publicly-funded healthcare for the rest of his/her life.
Thus, dear readers, take a look at the report done by City Council members on the health care crisis, which does not affect the City Council members (they will all be able to get the care they need whenever they need it). More below:
Are we paying for corruption?
Betsy Combier
CITY COUNCIL HIKES STAFFERS' SALARIES
By SALLY GOLDENBERG, August 7, 2009 --
The City Council followed in lock-step with Mayor Bloomberg yesterday, announcing an 8 percent raise for staff members that will cost the city about $3.9 million.
The raises match those the mayor awarded to his managers and nonunion staff last month, following a contract deal with the city's largest municipal union, District Council 37.
The council increases will go to 550 staffers, but not to the members themselves. They earn base salaries of $112,500, and a hike would require legislation.
Primary Care in New York City
Health care - rather than sick care - requires preventive and primaryservices. With more than half of New York City communities facingsignificant shortages of primary care physicians who serve low-incomeNew Yorkers, those New Yorkers disproportionately rely on emergency roomservices for health care. Furthermore, 32% of the primary carephysicians who serve low-income New Yorkers base their practices in hospitals.
Faced with the hospital closures proposed in the Berger Commission report, many New Yorkers - especially those with low incomes- will lose a major source of primary care and will face increasedbarriers to accessing health care.Populations served by health centers show lower rates of costly healthconditions and lower rates of preventable hospitalizations when comparedto those who do not live within close proximity to a health center.
Uninsured people living close to a community health center are lesslikely to postpone or delay seeking needed care, and less likely to havevisited an emergency room, compared to other uninsured persons.The City's role should be to expand the primary health careinfrastructure for our residents to access preventive medicine.
Currently, about 62% of New York City zip codes have an inadequatenumber of primary care physicians. A ratio that represents adequateaccess is fewer than 2000 Medicaid enrollees per 1 full time equivalent(FTE) primary care physician, but more than 40% of New York City zip codes have more than 3000 Medicaid enrollees per 1 FTE.
Important Resources
Download a copy of the Concept Paper
View the press release about the Initiative.
See pictures from the press conference on the initiative.
Targeting High-need Areas
New York City's diverse communities suffer from disturbing health disparities. Poor New Yorkers are 4 times more likely to self-report poor health than are wealthy New Yorkers and life expectancy in the City's poorest neighborhoods is significantly shorter than in wealthy areas. Residents of poor communities have consistently worse health outcomes than their neighbors in wealthier areas. This trend isespecially apparent in the treatment of chronic illnesses such as diabetes and asthma that can best be managed in primary care settings. These communities are also, not surprisingly, the same areas that have ashortage of primary care physicians (and often a shortage of other health care providers as well). Eleven communities have been targeted by the initiative for expansion of services: south Bronx, central Bronx,north Brooklyn, central Brooklyn, Flatbush, east and central Harlem, theLower East Side, West Queens/ LIC/Astoria, Jamaica/Southeast Queens,Rockaway, and Port Richmond/Stapleton/St. George.
The Primary Care Initiative
To address primary health care shortages effectively, the City Council proposes an expansion of primary care capacity in the communities with the most severe primary care shortages. Through fiscal year 2012, the Council proposes to support state-of-the-art health care facilities in the communities with the most severe primary health care shortages. This initiative will expand existing health clinics, support the development of satellite clinics and build new health care facilities. Grants will be provided directly to clinics to build and improve infrastructure and to off set start-up operating costs.
The initiative consists of three parts:
* Community assessments were concluded this year (see report)
* The New York City Council, with the help of HHC, DOHMH and our working group completed these community assessments. This working group included advocates, providers and community organizations and experts in the field. The Council would like to specifically thank Alianza Dominicana, Asian & Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Bedford Stuyvesant Family Health Center, Brooklyn Perinatal Network, Caribbean Women's Health Association, Commission on the Public's Health System, Community Healthcare Network, Community Health Care Association of NY, Community Service Society of New York - NYC Managed Care Consumer Assistance Program, Hunter College, Institute for Urban Family Health, Korean Community Services of Metropolitan NY, Lehman College, Make the Road New York, New York City Council, Policy Division and Health Committee, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, New York City Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, New York Immigration Coalition, Primary Care Development Corporation, Project Hospitality, Ryan/Chelsea-Clinton Community Health Center, The Bronx Health Link, Urban Health Plan and William F. Ryan Community Health Center.
* Capital grants will be made to successful applicants during fiscal years 2009-2012.
* Expense grants will be made to successful applicants during fiscal years 2009-2012.
Providers that benefit from these grants will accept public health insurance, offer affordable services to the uninsured, endeavor toprovide culturally competent care, and operate at hours that areconvenient for patients. Beneficiaries will also be required to trackspecific data on health services provided.
What's next?
The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene released a concept paper forpublic comment which will help target funding awarded through theRequest for Proposals later this year. Come to a public forum in your borough to hear more and offer your comments.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
The Deal. Now We Stop "Them".
Remember that the reporters who wrote the articles below are paid by the friends and colleagues of Mike Bloomberg and Joel Klein. In my opinion, this is publicity, not reporting.
I'll just say "hello" to Carl Campanile, the most unprofessional reporter that I know! Hi Carl!
Betsy Combier
MIKE, SENATE END CLASS STRUGGLE
By DAVID SEIFMAN and CARL CAMPANILE, NY POST, July 25, 2009 --
LINK
It's a deal: Mayor Bloomberg stays King of the Schools!
Bloomberg and Democratic leaders in the state Senate yesterday announced an agreement to extend City Hall's authority to run the city school system through 2015.
CARROLL: IT'S DEFINITELY A GRADE A MOVE
EDITORIAL: VICTORY FOR THE KIDS
The pact follows weeks of political stalemate, mudslinging and nasty name calling.
Under the agreement, the Senate will pass legislation before the start of the school year that has already been approved by the state Assembly preserving mayoral control, with some additional oversight.
Bloomberg also agreed to four minor amendments to the Assembly bill sought by Democratic senators:
* Creating a parent training center run by CUNY.
* Setting up an arts advisory panel.
* Clarifying the role of superintendents in evaluating principals in their district.
* Requiring schools to hold meetings on school safety.
As a sign of good faith, the mayor and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein will move immediately to implement the changes on their own even before they are written into law, a City Hall insider said.
Senators are expected to return to Albany early next month -- before the new school year starts -- to ratify the deal.
"The agreement announced by the Senate Democratic leadership today enables progress in our schools to continue," Bloomberg said.
"It preserves the accountability and authority necessary to ensure that the gains we've made -- in math and reading scores, graduation rates and school safety -- continue.
"At the same time," Bloomberg added, "the agreement addresses concerns that have been raised by legislators in a way that makes sense."
Teachers union president Randi Weingarten said the deal "will preserve the stability and resources" of the school system.
Gov. Paterson said he planned to sign the legislation once it is passed and commended "the parties for coming together to put the education of our children ahead of politics."
Senators insisted the deal was worth the wait.
"We have an agreement with respect to school governance, empowering our parents, our superintendents," Senate Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson (Brooklyn) said following a testy meeting of the Democratic senators at 250 Broadway.
Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Queens), a chief negotiator on school governance, held out for training centers for parents.
"I do feel we achieved some things," she said.
Senators often defended their decision to stall action in the name of parents, saying the city was hindering -- rather than encouraging their involvement -- in schools.
They complained that the parent community education councils had only token input in school affairs.
Bloomberg defended his record by saying he created the position of parent coordinators in each school to help parents and students. But he said principals and teachers -- not parents -- should run the schools.
Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada (D-Bronx) -- the turncoat who precipitated the leadership crisis in the Senate by defecting to the GOP and then returning to the Democrats -- said, "This is a great moment for us."
Not everyone was pleased.
Sen. Bill Perkins (D-Manhattan),(pictured at right) a frequent Bloomberg critic, pushed hard for inclusion of a state commission to issue a report on school safety.
SCHOOL'S OUT: Sen. Bill Perkins gives the thumbs up yesterday after the deal to extend mayoral control, but his push for a school safety report was defeated.
But it wasn't part of the of the deal and Perkins declined to discuss the matter following the meeting.
The agreement is a startling turnaround from just days ago, when Bloomberg blasted state senators by name for leaving Albany without extending mayoral control.
The senators then held two press conferences on the steps of City Hall slamming the mayor as a whiny billionaire who tries to bully people when he doesn't get his way.
Bloomberg and the borough presidents were forced to reconstitute the old, seven-member Board of Education on July 1 after the Senate let the 2002 mayoral-control law lapse.
Hoping for the Senate to finally act, the hastily constituted board temporarily preserved City Hall's grip on the schools by rehiring Klein as chancellor and preserving his authority to manage the schools.
Once the Senate acts, the board will be dissolved and the Panel for Education Policy, controlled by Hizzoner's appointees, will return.
Additional reporting by Brendan Scott in Albany
carl.campanile@nypost.com
IT'S DEFINITELY A GRADE A MOVE
By TOM CARROLL, July 25, 2009 --
IN the end, Mayor Bloomberg got what he wanted.
He remains firmly in control of the city's schools, retains the right to control key decisions, and holds on to the authority to keep Joel Klein as his chancellor.
The bill already approved by the state Assembly will be passed by the Senate before the start of the school year, under the deal announced yesterday. And the additional changes desired by Senate Democrats will be contained in a series of separately passed amendments.
Pursuant to the amendments, parent-training centers will be established, under the auspices of the City University. An arts advisory council will be established, and each school will have a safety committee.
District superintendents will have an enhanced ability to review principals.
Most of this is harmless enough.
Dropped from the proposal were fixed terms for the mayor's appointees to the city Panel for Education Policy.
And, importantly, Bloomberg retained the authority to appoint a majority of the panel's members (eight of 13), which effectively also gives the mayor the authority to appoint the board's chairperson.
For Bloomberg, who has staked his mayoralty on his stewardship of public schools, the final deal was a huge win.
During his tenure, principals have been given greater autonomy over the schools they operate, teacher salaries have risen, the threshold for opting out of the union contract's myriad provisions has been loosened, a transparent system for grading schools has been implemented, sophisticated student tracking data systems put in place, and more resources dedicated to leadership training. As a result, state test scores on math and English have started to rise.
Importantly, the billionaire mayor -- who can't be bought -- has driven politics, cronyism and corruption out of community school districts -- no small accomplishment given the history of the districts.
The plain-spoken chancellor also has brought a welcome measure of honest talk about the school system's remaining weaknesses.
For charter school advocates, Bloomberg and Klein have been stalwart allies. The Bloomberg administration has made the expansion of charter schools a top priority, granting charters access to school facility space and the city's capital plan as well as providing initial authorization to dozens of charter schools.
Klein also has encouraged some of the highest-quality nonprofit charter networks to expand the number of schools they open and children they serve here.
Although Bloomberg has generated a fair amount of controversy within the city on school issues, the school system is viewed across the nation as a model for change. Reforming large urban districts is not easy work, and no district is larger and more unwieldy than the New York City district.
Without mayoral control, none of the progress that has been made would have been possible.(emphasis added - Editor)
One of the keys to reforming a large bureaucracy is sustained, consistent effort. Leaders of urban districts typically get chewed up and spit out every two or three years, because it is not easy to challenge the status quo without offending lots of people.
That a mayor and a chancellor -- with a common vision -- have been able to pursue a consistent reform agenda over eight years in the nation's largest school district is nothing short of remarkable.
With the extension of mayoral control, this partnership hopefully will continue to the benefit of the 1.1 million students enrolled in New York City's public schools.
Thomas W. Carroll is president of the Foundation for Education Reform & Ac countability.
Comments
bbetsy wrote:
Mr. Carroll, it seems that your opinion is based on....what?? Perhaps the payment you may have received to write your ridiculous article above, titled "It's definitely a Grade A move", or some kind of inside information? I have four children, all of whom attend or have attended public schools in NYC, and I can, and do, write and speak about the Bloomberg/Klein disaster. I am also an advocate for children, parents, and teachers, and a witness to the end of due process, the denial of access to service providers and FAPE by children with special needs, the school to prison pipeline for minority children in the poorest districts, grade inflation and lying, cheating and stealing by Principals and Superintendents in collaboration with Assembly members, politicians and people who write articles for the daily newspapers at the request of the Bloomberg staff. Just because I am curious, please give us the basis for your opinion? We think that you are misled and misinformed.
Betsy Combier
7/26/2009 10:23 AM EDT
Mr. A. Talk wrote:
This city has become a test prep mill under the Bloomklein administration. The tests have been dumbed down and the mayor takes the credit for "higher" scores. In the meantime, the city's scores on the national NEAP test have not budged, and SAT scores of all those graduates have likewise stalled. Qualified teachers languish in rubber rooms and excessed educators can't get a job because this mayor doesn't value experience. This costs the city 40 million a year. This mayor is a failure and a power monger. Tell us, Mr. Carroll, are you an educator? Do your children go to school in NYC? If not, what is your stake in this?
7/25/2009 5:05 PM EDT
VICTORY FOR THE KIDS
NYPOST Editorial, July 25, 2009 --
LINK
New York's schoolkids won yesterday. Big-time.
The deal Mayor Bloomberg and Senate Democrats announced will extend mayoral control of city schools for six more years, helping to preserve the gains Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein have already made.
We couldn't be happier.
After all, as readers well know, mayoral control has long been a signature issue for this paper.
From the start, we've understood that high-quality public education is possible only when the system is run by someone with sufficient power to make decisions.
Someone who is answerable to voters.
Moreover, we've been impressed by the progress Bloomberg and Klein have made thus far.
As The Post campaign gathered steam, other voices from around the city followed suit. Teachers union chief Randi Weingarten deserves enormous credit for helping push the deal through.
But it hasn't been smooth sailing, to put it mildly. Indeed, the fate of the schools has been in limbo for nearly a month, ever since the '02 law giving control to City Hall expired amid Senate gridlock.
Senators then went home for the summer, ignoring a mayoral-control bill that had already passed the Assembly.
As it is, New Yorkers won't be able to rest until the bill is signed by Gov. Paterson; in Albany, any thing can happen.
To get the deal, Bloomberg had to agree to a few minor amendments, but nothing that seems to undercut his right to run the system. Good for him.
As for the troublesome senators, make no mistake: It was never about the kids.
Those who opposed mayoral control the loudest did so for but one reason: to serve their own personal interests and flex their muscles. Shame on them.
But now, barring any surprises, Bloomberg, Klein & Co. are free to continue their work. This is very good news.
Comments
hmmm...I think your bias is showing too much. Why not simply come out of the closet and say that you work for Mayor Bloomberg and his press office?
Betsy Combier
7/26/2009 1:19 PM EDT
Grandpa wrote:
Now if they can only get the other 40% to stay in school and graduate........
7/25/2009 9:36 AM EDT
Dinerboy wrote:
A REAL victory would be more charter schools, a voucher system, or some other form of school choice. Monopolies tend to be lousy at what they do, and our monopolistic school system will always be a pale shadow of what it could be were there real competition and accountability in place.
7/25/2009 9:11 AM EDT
srr wrote:
Condemned to servitude Mayor Control Freak and Sockpuppet Klein's test taking gulags is hardly a victory for kids.
However it is a big victory for Mayor Control Freak's re election bid.
7/25/2009 7:54 AM EDT
srr wrote:
Exactly how do the kids win with Mayor Control Freak dominating their educational lives? Mayor Control Freak doesn't care if your tykes learn anything--he just wants results that favor him so he could prove he's actually doing something positive for education so he can get re-elected.
So Albany wimped out again. Gee what a surprise.
It's nice to know things are back to normal.
7/25/2009 6:48 AM EDT
Comments sent to City Room
#
Such news is a big yawn to anxious financially strapped parents hoping once their children are admitted to a good private school they have the means to pay the freight.
— MARK KLEIN, M.D.
#
2. August 11, 2009 3:26 pm Link
We put 2 people in charge of our schools that
together they do not have even 1 day of experience
teaching a class. This is a shame. These 2 men
are arrogant dictators handing our U-ratings left and
right. They have shown that they will not hesitate a
second to abuse the powers given to them.
This is a sad day for NYC teachers.
NYC teachers need people to back them up in the
classroom. Not pull off dirty tricks to undermine
their ability to teach.
— dal
#
3. August 11, 2009 3:38 pm Link
UNCONSITUTIONAL!
Governor Paterson did not renew Mayoral Control this morning. His action to “sign” the “bill” passed by the legislature was indeed unconstitutional. No Mayoral Control law has been renewed or enacted as a result. The Senate voted on August 6, 2009 to renew Mayoral Control with amendments. The renewal included a “retroactive” clause to June 30, 2009 since the 2002 law had expired on that date. Even if the amendments were to be voted on separately by the Assembly the inclusion of that “retroactive” clause required a “reconciliation” by the Assembly since the two bill’s were no longer identical. Yet, the amendments were indeed inseparable from the bill “signed” this morning by Governor Paterson. Paterson did not uphold his oath of office to faithfully uphold, follow and execute The New York State Constitution. Having “signed” the document in secret, behind closed doors without any public announcement, is indicative of this unlawful and unconstitutional action.
August 12, 2009
Nicola A. DeMarco, JD
The Coalition for Public Education
718-884-2069
nickdmarco@hotmail.com
— Nicola DeMarco
#
4. August 11, 2009 10:29 pm Link
Six years ago, George Bush signed the “No Child Left Behind” education bill. A compromise between the Bush administration and congressional Democrats like Sen. Edward Kennedy, the bill claimed to attempt to abolish the academic achievement gap between the poor and the middle class, and between African American, Latino and white students. “We are going to win the war overseas,” Bush told a crowd after signing the bill, “and need to win the war against illiteracy at home, as well.”
Today, the U.S. government has spent over $500 billion on a criminal war against the Iraqi people, while the education system is failing. Public schools are being privatized to reap greater profits for owners.
The National Assessment of Education Progress—a body that administers standardized tests to evaluate the country’s progress in education—recently said that the NCLB law has hurt education standards. Reading proficiency for eighth-grade African American students has dropped from 13 to 12 percent. Proficiency dropped from 41 to 39 percent for eighth-grade white students.
Prospects are not much brighter for students who make it to college. In 2007, Congress cut student loan subsidies, as tuition rates continued to skyrocket. Necessary affirmative action programs are under severe attack.
These abysmal results are no surprise to socialists. Under capitalism, quality education for working-class students is not a priority. Education funding is constantly being slashed to fund imperialist war overseas.
While Democratic and Republican candidates pay lip service to education reform, the quality of education for working-class students will continue to deteriorate as long as we live under a system that prioritizes profits over people. The Frances Villar for Mayor (PSL) 2009 campaign calls for free, high quality education for all from pre-school through college.
— Frances Villar
#
5. August 12, 2009 10:06 am Link
I had such high hopes that mayoral control would end. During Bloomberg and Klein’s tenure, our educational system has become yet another corporate enterprise in which manipulated numbers are the only things that count. They have done what others were unable to do so efficiently: how to take public money and redistribute it into private hands. The end product consists of children who are increasingly proficient in testing and little else. These children have little or no exposure to the arts or real critical thinking. School,have very little to do with their communities anymore. Vocational training is at an all-time low.
With principals earning 5-figured merit pay bonuses, testing is all that counts now. Teachers have very little input and are generally demoralized. Parents are virtually shut out of any real decision making.
I’m sure that Bloomberg and Klein want good things for our children, but to expect educational novices to “reform” education by dismantling “failing” schools and creating legions of new “small” schools led by inexperienced “educators” run by corporate Instructional Support Organizations receiving contracts to run our schools is not the way to go.
In what other field can an amateur without accreditation run an agency? Do we see senior law partners with no law degree? Do we see chief residents of hospitals without medical degrees? Only in education can someone come in with no credentials and run the largest system in the country.
— Samuel Noel
I'll just say "hello" to Carl Campanile, the most unprofessional reporter that I know! Hi Carl!
Betsy Combier
MIKE, SENATE END CLASS STRUGGLE
By DAVID SEIFMAN and CARL CAMPANILE, NY POST, July 25, 2009 --
LINK
It's a deal: Mayor Bloomberg stays King of the Schools!
Bloomberg and Democratic leaders in the state Senate yesterday announced an agreement to extend City Hall's authority to run the city school system through 2015.
CARROLL: IT'S DEFINITELY A GRADE A MOVE
EDITORIAL: VICTORY FOR THE KIDS
The pact follows weeks of political stalemate, mudslinging and nasty name calling.
Under the agreement, the Senate will pass legislation before the start of the school year that has already been approved by the state Assembly preserving mayoral control, with some additional oversight.
Bloomberg also agreed to four minor amendments to the Assembly bill sought by Democratic senators:
* Creating a parent training center run by CUNY.
* Setting up an arts advisory panel.
* Clarifying the role of superintendents in evaluating principals in their district.
* Requiring schools to hold meetings on school safety.
As a sign of good faith, the mayor and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein will move immediately to implement the changes on their own even before they are written into law, a City Hall insider said.
Senators are expected to return to Albany early next month -- before the new school year starts -- to ratify the deal.
"The agreement announced by the Senate Democratic leadership today enables progress in our schools to continue," Bloomberg said.
"It preserves the accountability and authority necessary to ensure that the gains we've made -- in math and reading scores, graduation rates and school safety -- continue.
"At the same time," Bloomberg added, "the agreement addresses concerns that have been raised by legislators in a way that makes sense."
Teachers union president Randi Weingarten said the deal "will preserve the stability and resources" of the school system.
Gov. Paterson said he planned to sign the legislation once it is passed and commended "the parties for coming together to put the education of our children ahead of politics."
Senators insisted the deal was worth the wait.
"We have an agreement with respect to school governance, empowering our parents, our superintendents," Senate Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson (Brooklyn) said following a testy meeting of the Democratic senators at 250 Broadway.
Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Queens), a chief negotiator on school governance, held out for training centers for parents.
"I do feel we achieved some things," she said.
Senators often defended their decision to stall action in the name of parents, saying the city was hindering -- rather than encouraging their involvement -- in schools.
They complained that the parent community education councils had only token input in school affairs.
Bloomberg defended his record by saying he created the position of parent coordinators in each school to help parents and students. But he said principals and teachers -- not parents -- should run the schools.
Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada (D-Bronx) -- the turncoat who precipitated the leadership crisis in the Senate by defecting to the GOP and then returning to the Democrats -- said, "This is a great moment for us."
Not everyone was pleased.
Sen. Bill Perkins (D-Manhattan),(pictured at right) a frequent Bloomberg critic, pushed hard for inclusion of a state commission to issue a report on school safety.
SCHOOL'S OUT: Sen. Bill Perkins gives the thumbs up yesterday after the deal to extend mayoral control, but his push for a school safety report was defeated.
But it wasn't part of the of the deal and Perkins declined to discuss the matter following the meeting.
The agreement is a startling turnaround from just days ago, when Bloomberg blasted state senators by name for leaving Albany without extending mayoral control.
The senators then held two press conferences on the steps of City Hall slamming the mayor as a whiny billionaire who tries to bully people when he doesn't get his way.
Bloomberg and the borough presidents were forced to reconstitute the old, seven-member Board of Education on July 1 after the Senate let the 2002 mayoral-control law lapse.
Hoping for the Senate to finally act, the hastily constituted board temporarily preserved City Hall's grip on the schools by rehiring Klein as chancellor and preserving his authority to manage the schools.
Once the Senate acts, the board will be dissolved and the Panel for Education Policy, controlled by Hizzoner's appointees, will return.
Additional reporting by Brendan Scott in Albany
carl.campanile@nypost.com
IT'S DEFINITELY A GRADE A MOVE
By TOM CARROLL, July 25, 2009 --
IN the end, Mayor Bloomberg got what he wanted.
He remains firmly in control of the city's schools, retains the right to control key decisions, and holds on to the authority to keep Joel Klein as his chancellor.
The bill already approved by the state Assembly will be passed by the Senate before the start of the school year, under the deal announced yesterday. And the additional changes desired by Senate Democrats will be contained in a series of separately passed amendments.
Pursuant to the amendments, parent-training centers will be established, under the auspices of the City University. An arts advisory council will be established, and each school will have a safety committee.
District superintendents will have an enhanced ability to review principals.
Most of this is harmless enough.
Dropped from the proposal were fixed terms for the mayor's appointees to the city Panel for Education Policy.
And, importantly, Bloomberg retained the authority to appoint a majority of the panel's members (eight of 13), which effectively also gives the mayor the authority to appoint the board's chairperson.
For Bloomberg, who has staked his mayoralty on his stewardship of public schools, the final deal was a huge win.
During his tenure, principals have been given greater autonomy over the schools they operate, teacher salaries have risen, the threshold for opting out of the union contract's myriad provisions has been loosened, a transparent system for grading schools has been implemented, sophisticated student tracking data systems put in place, and more resources dedicated to leadership training. As a result, state test scores on math and English have started to rise.
Importantly, the billionaire mayor -- who can't be bought -- has driven politics, cronyism and corruption out of community school districts -- no small accomplishment given the history of the districts.
The plain-spoken chancellor also has brought a welcome measure of honest talk about the school system's remaining weaknesses.
For charter school advocates, Bloomberg and Klein have been stalwart allies. The Bloomberg administration has made the expansion of charter schools a top priority, granting charters access to school facility space and the city's capital plan as well as providing initial authorization to dozens of charter schools.
Klein also has encouraged some of the highest-quality nonprofit charter networks to expand the number of schools they open and children they serve here.
Although Bloomberg has generated a fair amount of controversy within the city on school issues, the school system is viewed across the nation as a model for change. Reforming large urban districts is not easy work, and no district is larger and more unwieldy than the New York City district.
Without mayoral control, none of the progress that has been made would have been possible.(emphasis added - Editor)
One of the keys to reforming a large bureaucracy is sustained, consistent effort. Leaders of urban districts typically get chewed up and spit out every two or three years, because it is not easy to challenge the status quo without offending lots of people.
That a mayor and a chancellor -- with a common vision -- have been able to pursue a consistent reform agenda over eight years in the nation's largest school district is nothing short of remarkable.
With the extension of mayoral control, this partnership hopefully will continue to the benefit of the 1.1 million students enrolled in New York City's public schools.
Thomas W. Carroll is president of the Foundation for Education Reform & Ac countability.
Comments
bbetsy wrote:
Mr. Carroll, it seems that your opinion is based on....what?? Perhaps the payment you may have received to write your ridiculous article above, titled "It's definitely a Grade A move", or some kind of inside information? I have four children, all of whom attend or have attended public schools in NYC, and I can, and do, write and speak about the Bloomberg/Klein disaster. I am also an advocate for children, parents, and teachers, and a witness to the end of due process, the denial of access to service providers and FAPE by children with special needs, the school to prison pipeline for minority children in the poorest districts, grade inflation and lying, cheating and stealing by Principals and Superintendents in collaboration with Assembly members, politicians and people who write articles for the daily newspapers at the request of the Bloomberg staff. Just because I am curious, please give us the basis for your opinion? We think that you are misled and misinformed.
Betsy Combier
7/26/2009 10:23 AM EDT
Mr. A. Talk wrote:
This city has become a test prep mill under the Bloomklein administration. The tests have been dumbed down and the mayor takes the credit for "higher" scores. In the meantime, the city's scores on the national NEAP test have not budged, and SAT scores of all those graduates have likewise stalled. Qualified teachers languish in rubber rooms and excessed educators can't get a job because this mayor doesn't value experience. This costs the city 40 million a year. This mayor is a failure and a power monger. Tell us, Mr. Carroll, are you an educator? Do your children go to school in NYC? If not, what is your stake in this?
7/25/2009 5:05 PM EDT
VICTORY FOR THE KIDS
NYPOST Editorial, July 25, 2009 --
LINK
New York's schoolkids won yesterday. Big-time.
The deal Mayor Bloomberg and Senate Democrats announced will extend mayoral control of city schools for six more years, helping to preserve the gains Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein have already made.
We couldn't be happier.
After all, as readers well know, mayoral control has long been a signature issue for this paper.
From the start, we've understood that high-quality public education is possible only when the system is run by someone with sufficient power to make decisions.
Someone who is answerable to voters.
Moreover, we've been impressed by the progress Bloomberg and Klein have made thus far.
As The Post campaign gathered steam, other voices from around the city followed suit. Teachers union chief Randi Weingarten deserves enormous credit for helping push the deal through.
But it hasn't been smooth sailing, to put it mildly. Indeed, the fate of the schools has been in limbo for nearly a month, ever since the '02 law giving control to City Hall expired amid Senate gridlock.
Senators then went home for the summer, ignoring a mayoral-control bill that had already passed the Assembly.
As it is, New Yorkers won't be able to rest until the bill is signed by Gov. Paterson; in Albany, any thing can happen.
To get the deal, Bloomberg had to agree to a few minor amendments, but nothing that seems to undercut his right to run the system. Good for him.
As for the troublesome senators, make no mistake: It was never about the kids.
Those who opposed mayoral control the loudest did so for but one reason: to serve their own personal interests and flex their muscles. Shame on them.
But now, barring any surprises, Bloomberg, Klein & Co. are free to continue their work. This is very good news.
Comments
hmmm...I think your bias is showing too much. Why not simply come out of the closet and say that you work for Mayor Bloomberg and his press office?
Betsy Combier
7/26/2009 1:19 PM EDT
Grandpa wrote:
Now if they can only get the other 40% to stay in school and graduate........
7/25/2009 9:36 AM EDT
Dinerboy wrote:
A REAL victory would be more charter schools, a voucher system, or some other form of school choice. Monopolies tend to be lousy at what they do, and our monopolistic school system will always be a pale shadow of what it could be were there real competition and accountability in place.
7/25/2009 9:11 AM EDT
srr wrote:
Condemned to servitude Mayor Control Freak and Sockpuppet Klein's test taking gulags is hardly a victory for kids.
However it is a big victory for Mayor Control Freak's re election bid.
7/25/2009 7:54 AM EDT
srr wrote:
Exactly how do the kids win with Mayor Control Freak dominating their educational lives? Mayor Control Freak doesn't care if your tykes learn anything--he just wants results that favor him so he could prove he's actually doing something positive for education so he can get re-elected.
So Albany wimped out again. Gee what a surprise.
It's nice to know things are back to normal.
7/25/2009 6:48 AM EDT
Comments sent to City Room
#
Such news is a big yawn to anxious financially strapped parents hoping once their children are admitted to a good private school they have the means to pay the freight.
— MARK KLEIN, M.D.
#
2. August 11, 2009 3:26 pm Link
We put 2 people in charge of our schools that
together they do not have even 1 day of experience
teaching a class. This is a shame. These 2 men
are arrogant dictators handing our U-ratings left and
right. They have shown that they will not hesitate a
second to abuse the powers given to them.
This is a sad day for NYC teachers.
NYC teachers need people to back them up in the
classroom. Not pull off dirty tricks to undermine
their ability to teach.
— dal
#
3. August 11, 2009 3:38 pm Link
UNCONSITUTIONAL!
Governor Paterson did not renew Mayoral Control this morning. His action to “sign” the “bill” passed by the legislature was indeed unconstitutional. No Mayoral Control law has been renewed or enacted as a result. The Senate voted on August 6, 2009 to renew Mayoral Control with amendments. The renewal included a “retroactive” clause to June 30, 2009 since the 2002 law had expired on that date. Even if the amendments were to be voted on separately by the Assembly the inclusion of that “retroactive” clause required a “reconciliation” by the Assembly since the two bill’s were no longer identical. Yet, the amendments were indeed inseparable from the bill “signed” this morning by Governor Paterson. Paterson did not uphold his oath of office to faithfully uphold, follow and execute The New York State Constitution. Having “signed” the document in secret, behind closed doors without any public announcement, is indicative of this unlawful and unconstitutional action.
August 12, 2009
Nicola A. DeMarco, JD
The Coalition for Public Education
718-884-2069
nickdmarco@hotmail.com
— Nicola DeMarco
#
4. August 11, 2009 10:29 pm Link
Six years ago, George Bush signed the “No Child Left Behind” education bill. A compromise between the Bush administration and congressional Democrats like Sen. Edward Kennedy, the bill claimed to attempt to abolish the academic achievement gap between the poor and the middle class, and between African American, Latino and white students. “We are going to win the war overseas,” Bush told a crowd after signing the bill, “and need to win the war against illiteracy at home, as well.”
Today, the U.S. government has spent over $500 billion on a criminal war against the Iraqi people, while the education system is failing. Public schools are being privatized to reap greater profits for owners.
The National Assessment of Education Progress—a body that administers standardized tests to evaluate the country’s progress in education—recently said that the NCLB law has hurt education standards. Reading proficiency for eighth-grade African American students has dropped from 13 to 12 percent. Proficiency dropped from 41 to 39 percent for eighth-grade white students.
Prospects are not much brighter for students who make it to college. In 2007, Congress cut student loan subsidies, as tuition rates continued to skyrocket. Necessary affirmative action programs are under severe attack.
These abysmal results are no surprise to socialists. Under capitalism, quality education for working-class students is not a priority. Education funding is constantly being slashed to fund imperialist war overseas.
While Democratic and Republican candidates pay lip service to education reform, the quality of education for working-class students will continue to deteriorate as long as we live under a system that prioritizes profits over people. The Frances Villar for Mayor (PSL) 2009 campaign calls for free, high quality education for all from pre-school through college.
— Frances Villar
#
5. August 12, 2009 10:06 am Link
I had such high hopes that mayoral control would end. During Bloomberg and Klein’s tenure, our educational system has become yet another corporate enterprise in which manipulated numbers are the only things that count. They have done what others were unable to do so efficiently: how to take public money and redistribute it into private hands. The end product consists of children who are increasingly proficient in testing and little else. These children have little or no exposure to the arts or real critical thinking. School,have very little to do with their communities anymore. Vocational training is at an all-time low.
With principals earning 5-figured merit pay bonuses, testing is all that counts now. Teachers have very little input and are generally demoralized. Parents are virtually shut out of any real decision making.
I’m sure that Bloomberg and Klein want good things for our children, but to expect educational novices to “reform” education by dismantling “failing” schools and creating legions of new “small” schools led by inexperienced “educators” run by corporate Instructional Support Organizations receiving contracts to run our schools is not the way to go.
In what other field can an amateur without accreditation run an agency? Do we see senior law partners with no law degree? Do we see chief residents of hospitals without medical degrees? Only in education can someone come in with no credentials and run the largest system in the country.
— Samuel Noel
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Despite Public Outrage Against A Continuation of Mayoral Control, A Deal is Made
The rumor is that a deal has been made by Senator John Sampson and Mayor Mike Bloomberg to re-authorize Mayoral control over the NYC public school system, with the addition of a "parent training institute".
Time to say "NO thanks".
I and teacher Polo Colon are gathering people together who will stand up and oppose Mayoral control, a continuation of no-bid contracts without public input, continuation of the Panel For Educational Policy/"new" Board of Education (whatever you want to call it), Community Education Councils, and centralized power at Tweed.
Please join the new listserv and help us strategize about ending this nightmare!
communitycontrol@yahoogroups.com
Betsy Combier and Polo Colon
Co-Founders,
Coalition For School District Elections
July 25, 2009
Senate Deal Keeps Mayor in Control of Schools
By JENNIFER MEDINA and JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ, NY TIMES
After weeks of delays, negotiating and name-calling, Democrats in the New York Senate reached a deal with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on Friday to renew the law giving him control over city schools.
The deal appeared to be a victory for Mayor Bloomberg, who had repeatedly assailed the legislators blocking his agenda in Albany.
The legislation would leave the mayor’s power over the school system intact, while adding some new programs, like a parent training institute and an arts advisory council.
Under the agreement, district superintendents would have more school oversight and each school would be required to hold a meeting with parents to discuss school safety and the behavior of safety officers in the schools.
City officials said they expected the Senate to return to Albany to pass the bill in early August. Senate leaders were more elusive, saying only that they expected to return before the new school year begins in September.
The Legislature transferred management of the city’s schools from the Board of Education to the mayor in 2002, setting June 30, 2009, as the date his control would expire if it was not renewed. The Assembly did so last month.
But a power crisis in the Senate allowed mayoral control to expire, and then several powerful Democrats in the Senate demanded additions to the Assembly bill.
Once the Senate passes the bill, making it law, it will amend it to include the conditions agreed to on Friday. The Assembly would then have to pass the same amendments for them to take effect.
The changes are relatively minor and will do little to temper the mayor’s control. There were no provisions, for example, requiring that the schools chancellor have an education degree, and members of the Panel for Educational Policy, the school oversight board, were not given fixed terms, as Mr. Bloomberg’s harshest critics had sought.
The Department of Education and City Hall officials were careful not to gloat on Friday; they said the changes would not dramatically alter the way the system is run.
Perhaps the biggest change is a provision, already passed by the Assembly, requiring that the Panel for Educational Policy approve all no-bid contracts, as well as any contracts that exceed $1 million. The city will also be required to hold hearings before it shuts down underperforming schools.
The mayor issued a statement saying that the agreement “enables progress in our schools to continue.”
“It preserves the accountability and authority necessary to ensure that the gains we’ve made — in math and reading scores, graduation rates and school safety — continue,” he said.
The agreement will allocate about $3 million to the City University of New York for the next two years to create a parent training center in each of the five boroughs. Officials said there had been no discussions about who would lead the center or how it would work.
Billy Easton, the director of the Campaign for Better Schools, which had pushed for the center, said it would focus on training parents to make school-based leadership teams and community education councils more effective.
The deal came less than a week after Mr. Bloomberg railed against several senators, calling them “meshugeneh” (Yiddish for crazy); in response, Senator Bill Perkins of Harlem accused the mayor of “treating us like we’re some people on his plantation.”
But negotiations between the Senate and City Hall — led by John L. Sampson, the Democratic conference leader, and Deputy Mayor Dennis M. Walcott — continued throughout the week.
Even as final details were being ironed out, several senators gathered at the steps of City Hall on Thursday to criticize the mayor.
Senator Hiram Monserrate called him the “Bernie Madoff” of education and others insisted they would not be bullied into agreement.
Yet the most vociferous critics of Mr. Bloomberg were far more subdued on Friday. Several senators said that while they did not wholeheartedly agree with the deal, they understood that a deal had been reached.
Senator Monserrate, as he was leaving a meeting about the legislation on Friday, said, “The mayor can really be a mensch when he wants to be.”
Time to say "NO thanks".
I and teacher Polo Colon are gathering people together who will stand up and oppose Mayoral control, a continuation of no-bid contracts without public input, continuation of the Panel For Educational Policy/"new" Board of Education (whatever you want to call it), Community Education Councils, and centralized power at Tweed.
Please join the new listserv and help us strategize about ending this nightmare!
communitycontrol@yahoogroups.com
Betsy Combier and Polo Colon
Co-Founders,
Coalition For School District Elections
July 25, 2009
Senate Deal Keeps Mayor in Control of Schools
By JENNIFER MEDINA and JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ, NY TIMES
After weeks of delays, negotiating and name-calling, Democrats in the New York Senate reached a deal with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on Friday to renew the law giving him control over city schools.
The deal appeared to be a victory for Mayor Bloomberg, who had repeatedly assailed the legislators blocking his agenda in Albany.
The legislation would leave the mayor’s power over the school system intact, while adding some new programs, like a parent training institute and an arts advisory council.
Under the agreement, district superintendents would have more school oversight and each school would be required to hold a meeting with parents to discuss school safety and the behavior of safety officers in the schools.
City officials said they expected the Senate to return to Albany to pass the bill in early August. Senate leaders were more elusive, saying only that they expected to return before the new school year begins in September.
The Legislature transferred management of the city’s schools from the Board of Education to the mayor in 2002, setting June 30, 2009, as the date his control would expire if it was not renewed. The Assembly did so last month.
But a power crisis in the Senate allowed mayoral control to expire, and then several powerful Democrats in the Senate demanded additions to the Assembly bill.
Once the Senate passes the bill, making it law, it will amend it to include the conditions agreed to on Friday. The Assembly would then have to pass the same amendments for them to take effect.
The changes are relatively minor and will do little to temper the mayor’s control. There were no provisions, for example, requiring that the schools chancellor have an education degree, and members of the Panel for Educational Policy, the school oversight board, were not given fixed terms, as Mr. Bloomberg’s harshest critics had sought.
The Department of Education and City Hall officials were careful not to gloat on Friday; they said the changes would not dramatically alter the way the system is run.
Perhaps the biggest change is a provision, already passed by the Assembly, requiring that the Panel for Educational Policy approve all no-bid contracts, as well as any contracts that exceed $1 million. The city will also be required to hold hearings before it shuts down underperforming schools.
The mayor issued a statement saying that the agreement “enables progress in our schools to continue.”
“It preserves the accountability and authority necessary to ensure that the gains we’ve made — in math and reading scores, graduation rates and school safety — continue,” he said.
The agreement will allocate about $3 million to the City University of New York for the next two years to create a parent training center in each of the five boroughs. Officials said there had been no discussions about who would lead the center or how it would work.
Billy Easton, the director of the Campaign for Better Schools, which had pushed for the center, said it would focus on training parents to make school-based leadership teams and community education councils more effective.
The deal came less than a week after Mr. Bloomberg railed against several senators, calling them “meshugeneh” (Yiddish for crazy); in response, Senator Bill Perkins of Harlem accused the mayor of “treating us like we’re some people on his plantation.”
But negotiations between the Senate and City Hall — led by John L. Sampson, the Democratic conference leader, and Deputy Mayor Dennis M. Walcott — continued throughout the week.
Even as final details were being ironed out, several senators gathered at the steps of City Hall on Thursday to criticize the mayor.
Senator Hiram Monserrate called him the “Bernie Madoff” of education and others insisted they would not be bullied into agreement.
Yet the most vociferous critics of Mr. Bloomberg were far more subdued on Friday. Several senators said that while they did not wholeheartedly agree with the deal, they understood that a deal had been reached.
Senator Monserrate, as he was leaving a meeting about the legislation on Friday, said, “The mayor can really be a mensch when he wants to be.”
Deal Reached On Mayoral Control - Only, Parents and Teachers Wont Go Along
Evidently Senators caved in to Bloomberg and gave away the rights of parents and teachers to say anything about the New York City Public Schools.
We are not going to agree. What we want:
We are a group of parents and teachers in New York City (incl. All boroughs, long island, and neighboring states where some teachers live) who are mobilizing behind the following:
1. no Mayoral Control of the New York City public schools in any form;
2. Removal/involuntary resignation of all members of the “new” Board of Education;
3. immediate preparation with public funds for elections of a citywide school board for the district of New York and in ALL districts of all school board members, in compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act;
4. legislation returning powers over hiring/firing Principals to the district school boards;
5. hiring district board auditors, attorneys and federal monitors for each district office to establish accountability and pursue due process violations for any constituent in a public school, and any claims of theft or fraud;
6. an immediate end to Parent Coordinators in favor of District Advocates in every district office who will be accountable to the people who live in that district by submitting public logs of each person’s monthly activities, exchanges of money, contracts, etc. This position could be elected, but nonetheless the person who holds the position must be accountable to the public in that district;
7. an end to the Community Education Councils, appointed school board members, and a chancellor who does not have any experience in the New York City public school system;
8. a coordinated campaign against the re-election of any member of the Assembly, Senate, City Council, Public Advocate or Borough President’s office who has put selfish private interests for a third term, eminent domain, patronage, fraud, or other activity above the pursuit and support of integrity, honest services and any action that promotes public trust, safety, and welfare.
Betsy Combier
Co-Founder, Coalition For District Elections
Editor, Parentadvocates.org
Editor, NYC Rubber Room Reporter
Sponsor, Citizens’ Forum For Judicial Accountability
Secretary, International Whistleblower Association
Hipolito Colon
Co-Founder, Coalition For District Elections
July 25, 2009
Senate Deal Keeps Mayor in Control of Schools
By JENNIFER MEDINA and JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ, NY TIMES
After weeks of delays, negotiating and name-calling, Democrats in the New York Senate reached a deal with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on Friday to renew the law giving him control over city schools.
The deal appeared to be a victory for Mayor Bloomberg, who had repeatedly assailed the legislators blocking his agenda in Albany.
The legislation would leave the mayor’s power over the school system intact, while adding some new programs, like a parent training institute and an arts advisory council.
Under the agreement, district superintendents would have more school oversight and each school would be required to hold a meeting with parents to discuss school safety and the behavior of safety officers in the schools.
City officials said they expected the Senate to return to Albany to pass the bill in early August. Senate leaders were more elusive, saying only that they expected to return before the new school year begins in September.
The Legislature transferred management of the city’s schools from the Board of Education to the mayor in 2002, setting June 30, 2009, as the date his control would expire if it was not renewed. The Assembly did so last month.
But a power crisis in the Senate allowed mayoral control to expire, and then several powerful Democrats in the Senate demanded additions to the Assembly bill.
Once the Senate passes the bill, making it law, it will amend it to include the conditions agreed to on Friday. The Assembly would then have to pass the same amendments for them to take effect.
The changes are relatively minor and will do little to temper the mayor’s control. There were no provisions, for example, requiring that the schools chancellor have an education degree, and members of the Panel for Educational Policy, the school oversight board, were not given fixed terms, as Mr. Bloomberg’s harshest critics had sought.
The Department of Education and City Hall officials were careful not to gloat on Friday; they said the changes would not dramatically alter the way the system is run.
Perhaps the biggest change is a provision, already passed by the Assembly, requiring that the Panel for Educational Policy approve all no-bid contracts, as well as any contracts that exceed $1 million. The city will also be required to hold hearings before it shuts down underperforming schools.
The mayor issued a statement saying that the agreement “enables progress in our schools to continue.”
“It preserves the accountability and authority necessary to ensure that the gains we’ve made — in math and reading scores, graduation rates and school safety — continue,” he said.
The agreement will allocate about $3 million to the City University of New York for the next two years to create a parent training center in each of the five boroughs. Officials said there had been no discussions about who would lead the center or how it would work.
Billy Easton, the director of the Campaign for Better Schools, which had pushed for the center, said it would focus on training parents to make school-based leadership teams and community education councils more effective.
The deal came less than a week after Mr. Bloomberg railed against several senators, calling them “meshugeneh” (Yiddish for crazy); in response, Senator Bill Perkins of Harlem accused the mayor of “treating us like we’re some people on his plantation.”
But negotiations between the Senate and City Hall — led by John L. Sampson, the Democratic conference leader, and Deputy Mayor Dennis M. Walcott — continued throughout the week.
Even as final details were being ironed out, several senators gathered at the steps of City Hall on Thursday to criticize the mayor.
Senator Hiram Monserrate called him the “Bernie Madoff” of education and others insisted they would not be bullied into agreement.
Yet the most vociferous critics of Mr. Bloomberg were far more subdued on Friday. Several senators said that while they did not wholeheartedly agree with the deal, they understood that a deal had been reached.
Senator Monserrate, as he was leaving a meeting about the legislation on Friday, said, “The mayor can really be a mensch when he wants to be.”
Mayor to regain school control
Parents receive help in Senate agreement on New York City schools
By VALERIE BAUMAN, Associated Press, First published: Saturday, July 25, 2009
ALBANY -- State Senate Democrats reached a deal Friday to resolve how New York City schools are governed, renewing Mayor Michael Bloomberg's authority over the school system and ending weeks of bickering.
The deal Bloomberg's camp helped negotiate will create a $1.7 million training center for parents operated by the City University of New York to enable them to participate in the school system, said Bronx Democratic Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. He expects the Senate to return to Albany to vote on renewing the mayoral control law in the next two weeks.
The plan addresses one of the key concerns raised by critics of Bloomberg's control of the schools: Parental involvement.
Throughout the five boroughs, the CUNY-run training center will offer programs to help parents track student performance and learn how to improve the study environment at home. It will also conduct outreach and recruitment with the goal of having the staff diversity mirror the student body at various schools.
Parents and students will also have access to improved English-language learning programs.
The deal came after weeks of bickering between senators and Bloomberg.
Espada said Bloomberg was involved in negotiations and that Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was open to taking up amendments to the school governance bill that the Assembly already passed. The deal allows for a review of principals and the quality of curriculum, and creates open public meetings with a focus on public safety in schools.
The 2002 law that gave the mayor authority over the city's schools, has been praised for improving the academic performance of the city's 1.1 million students.
The law expired at the end of June during a Senate power struggle eventually won by Democrats.
We are not going to agree. What we want:
We are a group of parents and teachers in New York City (incl. All boroughs, long island, and neighboring states where some teachers live) who are mobilizing behind the following:
1. no Mayoral Control of the New York City public schools in any form;
2. Removal/involuntary resignation of all members of the “new” Board of Education;
3. immediate preparation with public funds for elections of a citywide school board for the district of New York and in ALL districts of all school board members, in compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act;
4. legislation returning powers over hiring/firing Principals to the district school boards;
5. hiring district board auditors, attorneys and federal monitors for each district office to establish accountability and pursue due process violations for any constituent in a public school, and any claims of theft or fraud;
6. an immediate end to Parent Coordinators in favor of District Advocates in every district office who will be accountable to the people who live in that district by submitting public logs of each person’s monthly activities, exchanges of money, contracts, etc. This position could be elected, but nonetheless the person who holds the position must be accountable to the public in that district;
7. an end to the Community Education Councils, appointed school board members, and a chancellor who does not have any experience in the New York City public school system;
8. a coordinated campaign against the re-election of any member of the Assembly, Senate, City Council, Public Advocate or Borough President’s office who has put selfish private interests for a third term, eminent domain, patronage, fraud, or other activity above the pursuit and support of integrity, honest services and any action that promotes public trust, safety, and welfare.
Betsy Combier
Co-Founder, Coalition For District Elections
Editor, Parentadvocates.org
Editor, NYC Rubber Room Reporter
Sponsor, Citizens’ Forum For Judicial Accountability
Secretary, International Whistleblower Association
Hipolito Colon
Co-Founder, Coalition For District Elections
July 25, 2009
Senate Deal Keeps Mayor in Control of Schools
By JENNIFER MEDINA and JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ, NY TIMES
After weeks of delays, negotiating and name-calling, Democrats in the New York Senate reached a deal with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on Friday to renew the law giving him control over city schools.
The deal appeared to be a victory for Mayor Bloomberg, who had repeatedly assailed the legislators blocking his agenda in Albany.
The legislation would leave the mayor’s power over the school system intact, while adding some new programs, like a parent training institute and an arts advisory council.
Under the agreement, district superintendents would have more school oversight and each school would be required to hold a meeting with parents to discuss school safety and the behavior of safety officers in the schools.
City officials said they expected the Senate to return to Albany to pass the bill in early August. Senate leaders were more elusive, saying only that they expected to return before the new school year begins in September.
The Legislature transferred management of the city’s schools from the Board of Education to the mayor in 2002, setting June 30, 2009, as the date his control would expire if it was not renewed. The Assembly did so last month.
But a power crisis in the Senate allowed mayoral control to expire, and then several powerful Democrats in the Senate demanded additions to the Assembly bill.
Once the Senate passes the bill, making it law, it will amend it to include the conditions agreed to on Friday. The Assembly would then have to pass the same amendments for them to take effect.
The changes are relatively minor and will do little to temper the mayor’s control. There were no provisions, for example, requiring that the schools chancellor have an education degree, and members of the Panel for Educational Policy, the school oversight board, were not given fixed terms, as Mr. Bloomberg’s harshest critics had sought.
The Department of Education and City Hall officials were careful not to gloat on Friday; they said the changes would not dramatically alter the way the system is run.
Perhaps the biggest change is a provision, already passed by the Assembly, requiring that the Panel for Educational Policy approve all no-bid contracts, as well as any contracts that exceed $1 million. The city will also be required to hold hearings before it shuts down underperforming schools.
The mayor issued a statement saying that the agreement “enables progress in our schools to continue.”
“It preserves the accountability and authority necessary to ensure that the gains we’ve made — in math and reading scores, graduation rates and school safety — continue,” he said.
The agreement will allocate about $3 million to the City University of New York for the next two years to create a parent training center in each of the five boroughs. Officials said there had been no discussions about who would lead the center or how it would work.
Billy Easton, the director of the Campaign for Better Schools, which had pushed for the center, said it would focus on training parents to make school-based leadership teams and community education councils more effective.
The deal came less than a week after Mr. Bloomberg railed against several senators, calling them “meshugeneh” (Yiddish for crazy); in response, Senator Bill Perkins of Harlem accused the mayor of “treating us like we’re some people on his plantation.”
But negotiations between the Senate and City Hall — led by John L. Sampson, the Democratic conference leader, and Deputy Mayor Dennis M. Walcott — continued throughout the week.
Even as final details were being ironed out, several senators gathered at the steps of City Hall on Thursday to criticize the mayor.
Senator Hiram Monserrate called him the “Bernie Madoff” of education and others insisted they would not be bullied into agreement.
Yet the most vociferous critics of Mr. Bloomberg were far more subdued on Friday. Several senators said that while they did not wholeheartedly agree with the deal, they understood that a deal had been reached.
Senator Monserrate, as he was leaving a meeting about the legislation on Friday, said, “The mayor can really be a mensch when he wants to be.”
Mayor to regain school control
Parents receive help in Senate agreement on New York City schools
By VALERIE BAUMAN, Associated Press, First published: Saturday, July 25, 2009
ALBANY -- State Senate Democrats reached a deal Friday to resolve how New York City schools are governed, renewing Mayor Michael Bloomberg's authority over the school system and ending weeks of bickering.
The deal Bloomberg's camp helped negotiate will create a $1.7 million training center for parents operated by the City University of New York to enable them to participate in the school system, said Bronx Democratic Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. He expects the Senate to return to Albany to vote on renewing the mayoral control law in the next two weeks.
The plan addresses one of the key concerns raised by critics of Bloomberg's control of the schools: Parental involvement.
Throughout the five boroughs, the CUNY-run training center will offer programs to help parents track student performance and learn how to improve the study environment at home. It will also conduct outreach and recruitment with the goal of having the staff diversity mirror the student body at various schools.
Parents and students will also have access to improved English-language learning programs.
The deal came after weeks of bickering between senators and Bloomberg.
Espada said Bloomberg was involved in negotiations and that Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was open to taking up amendments to the school governance bill that the Assembly already passed. The deal allows for a review of principals and the quality of curriculum, and creates open public meetings with a focus on public safety in schools.
The 2002 law that gave the mayor authority over the city's schools, has been praised for improving the academic performance of the city's 1.1 million students.
The law expired at the end of June during a Senate power struggle eventually won by Democrats.
Friday, July 24, 2009
More Information Than Anyone Wants, On Joel Irwin Klein
July 30, 2002
THE NEW SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR: MAN IN THE NEWS; A Path Back to School -- Joel Irwin Klein
By ADAM LIPTAK, NY TIMES
New York City's new schools chancellor is not an easy man to shop for. When he stepped down as assistant attorney general in charge of antitrust enforcement at the Justice Department in 2000, having led the government's prosecution of Microsoft, his senior staff members huddled about a farewell gift.
Though their boss, Joel I. Klein, had spent almost his entire career in Washington, he never gave up a certain directness of manner that many associate with New York City. He is impatient, friends say, with the paraphernalia that surrounds powerful people in both cities.
''It's fair to say that Joel is not a crystal bookends sort of guy,'' said Susan Davies, who was a senior counsel in the antitrust division. ''You don't get him a humidor.''
Mr. Klein had spoken from time to time about his roots in the New York City school system and his gratitude for the education he received there. The aides decided to endow a scholarship for high school seniors interested in public service, at William Cullen Bryant High School in Long Island City, Mr. Klein's alma mater.
When Mr. Klein was told of the gift at a reception in a conference room at the Justice Department, he was moved to tears.
''It was the only time I ever saw him at a loss,'' Ms. Davies said. ''Momentarily, but at a loss.''
Mr. Klein's feeling for and commitment to the city's public schools may count for a lot, because the fit between his résumé and the task at hand is not entirely obvious.
''Can you be sure that an appellate lawyer and an antitrust lawyer, even with all his skills, can make it running a school system?'' asked A. Douglas Melamed, Mr. Klein's principal deputy and successor at the Justice Department. His tone suggested both personal affection and more than a little uncertainty.
Lloyd Constantine, who once served as New York's top antitrust official, harbored doubts, too. ''I don't think that just because you've been a good astronaut, you'd be a good senator,'' he said.
Mr. Klein became chairman and chief executive of Bertelsmann Inc., the corporate-services arm of the German media giant, in January 2001. His departure, friends said, is unrelated to the ouster over the weekend of Thomas Middelhoff, the parent company's chairman and chief executive. Mr. Middelhoff had recruited Mr. Klein to the company after meeting him at a dinner party at the home of the powerful Washington lawyer Vernon Jordan.
Mr. Klein has told friends that he was restless as a corporate executive and was eager to return to public service.
Joel Irwin Klein was born in New York City on Oct. 25, 1946. His father was a postal worker, his mother a bookkeeper. The family lived in a housing project, a cluster of six-story apartment buildings in Woodside, Queens.
James Rigney, 75, who lives there now, remembered a time when a little friendly discipline kept children off the grass, and he said he hoped Mr. Klein would bring some of that same attitude to his new job.
''The neighbors would grab you and pull you off,'' he said. ''They were concerned about how it would reflect their neighborhood.''
Mr. Klein's parents had high hopes for their son, and they invested that hope in the city's schools. ''They had this vision,'' Mr. Klein said at a news conference yesterday, ''and the schools helped give me the equipment.''
He went on to graduate magna cum laude from Columbia University and Harvard Law School.
During a leave of absence from law school in 1969, Mr. Klein studied at New York University's School of Education and taught math to sixth graders at a public school in Queens.
Mr. Klein served as a law clerk for David L. Bazelon, the chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and for Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr (pictured at right) of the United States Supreme Court.
Mr. Klein said he had two key mentors in his life. One was a high school physics teacher, who tried to teach Mr. Klein the theory of relativity. ''I don't want to suggest to you that I learned Einstein's theory of relativity,'' Mr. Klein said, ''but he did take the time to teach me.''
The other was Justice Powell. ''The thing that stood out to me was when Lewis Powell danced with you, he danced with you,'' Mr. Klein said. ''He never looked over your shoulder to see if there was somebody more important, more interesting, or could help him.''
Mr. Klein is married to Nicole Seligman, (above) executive vice president and general counsel of Sony Corporation of America. Ms. Seligman, formerly a partner in the Washington law firm Williams & Connolly, represented President Bill Clinton during the impeachment proceedings.
Mr. Klein has a teenage daughter from an earlier marriage. She attended private school in Washington and then boarding school.
Mr. Klein was in private legal practice in Washington for 20 years, focusing on health care, particularly in the area of mental health, and constitutional litigation. He argued 11 cases before the Supreme Court and won 9 of them.
He also taught at Georgetown's law school in that period. One of his students was Michael K. Powell, now chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
Mr. Powell recalled that Mr. Klein did not teach an evening seminar in an esoteric subject to third-year students, as most adjunct professors did. ''Joel taught full time, in the day, to first-year students,'' he said. The subject was civil procedure, which many lawyers find mystifying.
''Joel was an extraordinary teacher who had a mastery of complex subjects and the ability to make them simple,'' Mr. Powell said.
Mr. Klein joined the Clinton White House in 1993, early in the administration, replacing Vincent W. Foster Jr. as deputy White House counsel after Mr. Foster committed suicide. He helped prepare Ruth Bader Ginsburg for her confirmation hearing for Supreme Court justice.
He moved to the Justice Department in 1995 and was made the nation's top antitrust official in 1997. During his tenure, the Justice Department announced a number of record-breaking antitrust fines, recouping nearly $2 billion in all, an unparalleled sum for one of the department's smaller divisions.
In 2000, Mr. Klein began criminal antitrust prosecution of more than a dozen food companies accused of rigging bids on contracts for $210 million of frozen food and fresh produce sold to the New York City Board of Education. The companies pleaded guilty or were convicted.
Mr. Klein's tough tone will serve him well, former colleagues say.
''He's a New Yorker,'' Ms. Davies said. ''He knows what he thinks, and he'll say it.''
Indeed, he seems to have captured a stern teacher's vocabulary.
''They were not a bunch of kids doing a prank,'' he told the journalist James Fallows. He was describing the conduct of Microsoft executives.
November 10, 2008
The New Team: Joel I. Klein
By ELISSA GOOTMAN, NY TIMES
As he prepares to take office, President-elect Barack Obama is relying on a small team of advisers who will lead his transition operation and help choose the members of a new Obama administration. Following is part of a series of profiles of potential members of the administration.
Name: Joel I. Klein
Being considered for: Education secretary
Would bring to the job: Six years as chancellor of the New York City public school system, the nation’s largest. An increasingly prominent national presence, thanks to forming, with the Rev. Al Sharpton, the Education Equality Project, a coalition seeking to transform public education.
Is linked to Mr. Obama by: Friends and associates, including Caroline Kennedy, a college roommate and close friend of Mr. Klein’s wife, Nicole K. Seligman. One of Mr. Obama’s education advisers, Jon Schnur, is the chief executive of New Leaders for New Schools, a program based in New York that has hired many of Mr. Klein’s former staff members. Mr. Klein knows John D. Podesta, who is leading the Obama transition team, from his Washington days.
In his own words: “Are we making good on the moral vision — and the clear social obligation — set forth in the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education when we tolerate poorly performing public schools?” (From remarks at a forum in January 2004.)
Used to work as: A lawyer in Washington for nearly three decades, and from 1997 to 2001 as the assistant attorney general in charge of antitrust enforcement at the Justice Department, where he led the prosecution of Microsoft. He spent two years as deputy White House counsel during the Clinton administration and was chairman and chief executive of Bertelsmann Inc.
Carries as baggage: Randi Weingarten, the powerful president of the New York City teachers’ union who is also the president of the national American Federation of Teachers, has had an acrimonious relationship with Mr. Klein.
Résumé includes: Born Oct. 25, 1946, in New York City ... graduated from Columbia University, but his dearest alma mater is William Cullen Bryant High School in Queens ... taught math to sixth graders in Queens.
FIRE Joel Klein
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Controller William Thompson Scores a Hit on the NYC Board of Education
City Controller William Thompson lashes out at Education Department
BY Meredith Kolodner, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER, Thursday, July 23rd 2009, 4:00 AM
LINK
City test conditions are "ripe for cheating," an audit released Wednesday by city Controller William Thompson's office charged.
For the second day in a row, mayoral candidate Thompson blasted the Education Department for "systematic failure" and "manipulation" of student progress data.
"We did not find new specific instances of cheating," said Thompson, "but we found conditions that were ripe for cheating."
One-third of the monitors assigned to oversee state math and English exams for third-, fourth- and fifth-graders arrived at the testing sites late, the audit found.
There was no documentation that almost half the monitors even showed up.
The report criticized the Education Department's decision to stop tracking test performance irregularities, but city officials said the program was a waste of money.
Audit Report Overview
AUDIT REPORT
AUDIT REPORT IN BRIEF
Download the Complete Audit Report (pdf 1,333 kb)
The New York City Department of Education (DOE) provides primary and secondary education to more than 1 million pre-kindergarten to grade 12 students in over 1,400 schools. DOE prepares students to meet grade level standards in reading, writing, and math and tests students to determine how well they are meeting these mandated learning standards.
Students in grades 3 through 8 take both the New York State standardized English Language Arts (ELA) Test and the New York State standardized Mathematics (Math) Test. This audit focuses on the administration of ELA and Math tests for students in elementary school grades 3, 4, and 5 only. The audit determined whether DOE has adequate internal controls over the administering of New York State standardized tests for grades 3, 4, and 5.
Audit Findings and Conclusions
DOE has adequate internal controls with respect to ensuring that schools are familiar with established procedures when administering the New York State standardized tests at elementary schools. In addition, the schools that we visited generally complied with the State testing guidelines, the DOE Handbook, and testing memoranda. However, DOE lacks sufficient preventive and detective controls aimed at deterring inappropriate manipulation of test scores, which would help to ensure the overall integrity of the assessment process.
DOE has established procedures for the administration of New York State standardized ELA and Math tests at elementary schools. DOE provides a Handbook and distributes test memoranda to its staff in an effort to keep them informed of all required procedures in administering State and Citywide tests. DOE also offers its staff annual training on proper methods in administering the tests as well as training of scoring staff to help identify testing irregularities when grading the long-answer portions of the exam.
We also found that for the most part, the schools that we visited complied with the State guidelines and the guidelines outlined in the Handbook. Our own review of the data and documentation collected by DOE for the 2007–2008 ELA and Math tests and our observations conducted at the sampled schools on the day of testing did not reveal any instances of cheating. However, as more fully explained in the audit report, we cannot be assured that cheating did not occur.
Since achieving a positive school performance rating provides an added incentive for school officials to ensure that students perform well on standardized tests, there is a potential risk for inappropriate test manipulation. Based on our observations, we identified significant weaknesses that DOE has not addressed to help prevent or detect the manipulation of test scores. Specifically, DOE should improve its oversight of testing monitors to ensure that they are carrying out their duties properly and are using monitoring checklists more effectively. In addition, DOE should re-implement the use of analytics to identify possible testing irregularities and tampering and should institute stronger controls over the second and third sections of the tests. Finally, DOE should formalize a process to ensure that substantiated allegations of cheating are shared with the Office of Accountability (OA), the office primarily responsible for coordinating yearly testing and for compliance with New York State Education Department (NYSED) testing guidelines and DOE controls over the tests.
Audit Recommendations
Based on our findings, we make 14 recommendations, 5 of which are listed below.
DOE should:
* Accurately track the assignment of testing monitors to ensure that they are being used effectively.
* Discuss with NYSED the possibility of obtaining the answer keys promptly after the administration of each test to enable DOE to perform a timely erasure analysis. However, DOE should perform erasure analysis to identify possible improprieties regardless of when it receives the answer key.
* Compile, maintain, and track data on the number of make-up exams that are taken for the Day Two and Day Three ELA and Math exams.
* Identify indicators to use in detecting unusual patterns that may be indicative of test tampering or irregularities and collect sufficient data to adequately track those indicators. Based on the information collected, DOE should target those schools with unusual patterns for further follow-up.
* Ensure that the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) formalizes a process to make certain that all instances of substantiated cheating are shared with OA, so that OA can strengthen existing controls or develop new ones in an effort to prevent cheating from occurring in the future.
Agency Response
DOE officials generally agreed with the audit’s recommendations but disagreed with one of them and did not address one of them. They also disagreed with the tone of the report. After carefully reviewing their comments, however, we found them to be without merit.
New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. charges in a new audit that the New York City Department of Education is making excuses for poor controls over testing. Thompson held a news conference on July 22, 2009. Pictured (l to r) are: John Graham, Deputy Comptroller for Audits, Accountancy & Contracts and Thompson. Photo credit: Marla Maritzer.
Education Department press secretary David Cantor said the audit validated the city's reported test scores.
"After spending 18 months and untold city resources looking for cheating and other irregularities in the administration of standardized tests," he said in a statement, "the controller found none."
The report came a day after Thompson called for Schools Chancellor Joel Klein's firing in the wake of the controller's audit that accused the Education Department of inflating high school graduation rates.
Education officials denied the charges, firing back that Thompson's office misunderstood the school data used in the report.
The issue of school reform has moved front and center in the upcoming mayoral race.
mkolodner@nydailynews.com
City Controller William Thompson raises a ruckus over Mayor Bloomberg's pay hikes
BY Brian Kates and Celeste Katz, DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS, July 12th 2009, 4:00 AM
LINK
Mayor Bloomberg's decision to dole out millions in raises to his top commissioners and staff proves he just doesn't get what the average New Yorker is going through, rival William Thompson said Saturday.
"I think it's disgraceful. I think it's offensive. And I think it's the wrong thing to do - but it also shows how Mike Bloomberg doesn't understand what's happening in this city," said Thompson, the city controller who's trying to block a third Bloomberg term.
On Friday, the mayor quietly authorized raises worth $69 million over two years for 6,692 of his managers and nonunion employees. The hikes match union workers' raises.
Boosting the pay of already well-compensated managers while New Yorkers scrimp and struggle shows Bloomberg is "out of touch," said Democrat Thompson, who kicked off a citywide campaign push yesterday at Brooklyn Borough Hall.
Bloomberg spokesman Jason Post said the mayor "did the responsible thing" by aligning the raises of supervisors and their subordinates.
"It's revealing that the comptroller is more interested in playing politics than making sure that the city government is functioning smoothly," Post said.
Thompson's criticism meshed with a broad theme of his campaign - that billionaire Bloomberg wants to buy the votes of people whose lives he doesn't comprehend.
He also claims Bloomberg is inflating the number of jobs federal stimulus money will create via a $174.4 million project at Staten Island's St. George Ferry Terminal.
Thompson says Bloomberg's estimate of 4,865 new jobs shows more "puffery" than honesty, although he did not offer an estimate of his own.
Bloomberg aide Marc LaVorgna called Thompson's claim false and said the city is correctly applying federal guidelines in tallying job creation.
He also noted the Obama administration projects that stimulus spending will create 215,000 jobs in the state, and Bloomberg claims 38,000 of those jobs will come here.
"Does that sound out of proportion considering the size and importance of the city?" LaVorgna asked.
ckatz@nydailynews.com
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