When Bill de Blasio replaced Micheal Bloomberg as Mayor of New York City most educators were hoping that a new spirit of cooperation between the DOE and schools would replace the antagonism that was foisted by the Mayor and his Chancellor, Joel Klein. Instead, the new Mayor selected a Klein insider, Carmen Farina, as the Chancellor. Sure, she was a long term educator but she also had a history. First, being principal at P.S. 6 where she oversaw the turnover of 80% of her teaching staff and played games with student selection and funding. Then as a Brooklyn District Superintendent who oversaw the Cobble Hill Regents cheating scandal and claimed knew nothing about it to investigators. Finally, as the Deputy Chancellor under Joel Klein, she imposed questionable learning programs from Columbia Teachers college on the public schools. Yet our union leadership seemed pleased with the selection and told the members that there was a new tone at Tweed.
While the Chancellor did get rid of the useless and money sucking Children First Networks and any new applicants to the Leadership Academy must have at least 5 years of school experience, she retained 80% of the Bloomberg policymakers at DOE Central and froze school budgets. Moreover, class sizes actually rose during her first three years and the ATR crisis remained unresolved. Worst of all, the school based Fair Student Funding system remained that forced principals to hire the "cheapest and not the best teachers" for their schools.
Now that Bill de Blasio is up for reelection, he wants the UFT's endorsement and no longer has to worry about the news media since they blast him daily anyway. Therefore, look for significant changes, starting with a new Chancellor, the end of the wasteful ATR pool that cost $100 million dollars yearly, and changes in school funding. This might be wishful thinking on my part but I do look for significant changes at the DOE if Mayor Bill de Blasio wins a second term.
Regardless, its time to purge the Bloomberg ideology that hurts schools and student academic achievement.
11 comments:
NO FORCE PLACEMENT
He wants our endorsement? Get us our parking permits back.
I agree. (Look for the UFT to quietly claim Farina's retirement was due to their expert negotiating with deBlasio for its endorsement. I'm sure they will have nothing to do with it.)
When she was first appointed I was in shock. She seems like a senile old grandmother who is far past her intellectual prime. Ah, but she has a Spanish last name and is therefore 'ethnic.' She even has the special "n" Spanish letter in her name, and social justice warriors love all things foreign.
She came to our school recently for a visit. She was surrounded by sycophants and you could tell she was hopelessly addicted to being the god-queen. From the top down the DOE is a hive of, well, you know. We moan and complain and nothing will change, but complaining at least makes one feel better.
I respect the love you have for teaching and feel that if you were in charge, Chaz, that the system would be good.
However, no matter who the mayor or chancellor are none of them care. They are all about trying to get teachers to quit to make pension and medical costs less.
I'll be honest. This system does not need veterans. I say that bc the system isn't about what is best for kids. It's about seein which neophytes will buy the bs. And the new ones do. They buy in and get burnt in 3 to 7 years and quit. That is what cuomo and other policy makers want. I'm 44. I want to do 10 more years and retire. I'd leave now if I could.
The doe has beaten me down. I'm a yes man who gives fake good mornings and turn my head and say very little and smile bc I'm getting paid 6 figures to do no work
GETTING RID OF the DANIELSON RUBRIC! BRING BACK ANNOUNCED OBSERVATIONS - I don't care how many! Get rid of Fair Student Funding !!!!!! BRING BACK the SENIORITY TRANSFER!! MAKE SURE NO ONE EVER TOUCHES THE CAR! I would forgo any crap raises for the next contract and beyond for these basic dignities.
The DOE MUST remove several of the most egregious principals as noted by this and other bloggers. The OSI and SCI must be purged of all lawyers and hold overs from Bloomberg & Company. The UFT has the proof on the most incompetent principals and must make it clear to DeBlasio that prior to any endorsement and efforts to help him win a second term that the removal of these principals is non negotiable. If they stay we look for another mayor!!!
https://www.google.com/amp/nypost.com/2017/01/17/teacher-i-was-fired-for-reporting-bad-kids-to-principal/amp/
Make me chancellor! I'm young but experienced and I have a few shit principals I'd like to "sit down" with.
Fariña must go for the corruption to stop, and Mulgrew too. They are making everything worse.
Fariña likes abusive principals that destroy schools.
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