On Friday, there was a surprising and very encouraging economic jobs report that appears to show that the United States economy was starting the upward part of the economic "U curve". The stock market rose to three year highs and the fears of the "double dip recession" appears to be over. However, most of the increased jobs came from three lower wages areas. Health care, retail, and hospitality & leisure. What still remained flat was the middle class professions such as technology, teaching, and financial services. Only professional positions to show gains were accounting and engineering. The public sector work force continued to decline with a reduction of 14,000 jobs countrywide. This increases the total public employment job loss to 276,000 since last year, excluding education and the postal service.
The latest numbers for eduction showed a loss of 24,400 teaching positions nationwide this school year and since hiring and layoffs occur during the summer, no real change is anticipated until the summer of 2012. Many Long Island School Districts expect additional layoffs for the 2012-13 school year and that assumes the State does not renege on anticipated increases in school aid, something the State has done over the years. In New York City, Mayor Bloomberg's new budget spares teacher layoffs for the 2012-13 school year. However, he will not replace teachers who will leave the system at year end. Since the projected "attrition rate" is usually 2,500 and could be even higher as many teachers are refused tenure and leave the City schools in frustration. In the Mayor's goal to reduce the number of teachers and increase class sizes, he has already achieved a reduction of 8,000 teachers in the last three years and with at least another 2,500 teachers leaving the system and not replaced, look for that number to approach or even exceed 11,000 or 14% of the 2008 teaching force while the NYC student population continues to increase.
Throughout the nation teaching positions are being eliminated as education is being squeezed with all public employment. Even in a recession proof State like Texas almost every school district experience significant teacher layoffs with 10,000 teaching positions gone this school. year and last due to "layoffs and attrition". Overall, over the last three years nationwide 280,000 education jobs have been eliminated and more are expected for the next school year.
Back to New York City, look for the number of teachers to be further reduced due to "attrition" until Bloomberg is out of office in January of 2014 or 697 days from now. That means one more year of the Mayor increasing class sizes before the nightmare is over in his "children last" policy.
The jobs numbers are horseshit. They phony up the number every month with the Birth/Death model and other variations that allow them to pretty much say whatever they want to say about unemployment.
ReplyDeleteBelieve NOTHING your government tells you.
NOTHING.
Instead, take a look at the desperation in the streets.
Watch how many people show up for retail job openings.
See how many show up for an interview for a P/T office position.
Take a look at the lines at food pantries.
The powers that be - the data fetishists - will tell you this is anecdotal, that we should trust the science of numbers, the exactitude of their data.
Their data is made up.
That's why they're so comfortable demonizing teachers and putting in a "scientific" and "objective" process to fire "bad" (i.e., expensive veteran) teachers.
They know they have millions of unemployed and underemployed around this country who will be happy to take five weeks TFA training to stand in front of a classroom for two years before they get moved out for the next batch of newbies.
This is part of the neo-feudalization of America.
And don't think a vote in November 2012 can change any of this shit.
Our corporate overlords have BOTH parties bought off.
As George Carlin said repeatedly, you have NO choice in the political process.
The choices you have are paper or plastic, smoking or nonsmoking, Burger King or McDonald's.
In the stuff that really matters, the banksters and corporate scum have already made the choices for you.
Obama or Romney.
Neo-feudalization at 80 MPH or neo-feudalization at 100 MPH.
That's the choice you have.
The best thing you can do is stop framing these issues as if the Bloombergs and Cuomos and Obamas and Gates actually give a shit about education or kids and begin framing the reality - they don't care, they are doing EXACTLY what they want to be doing, and they ARE winning.
At least for now.
But a change is gonna come, oh yes it will.
It starts by breaking the frame of their narrative and calling them on their lies.
One of their lies is that this is going to stop when Bloomberg leaves office.
It will NOT:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/mwahaha_ready_to_rule_as_citizen_bbEbrhojXJ5mJUnD9BMlNN
Dear Chaz.
ReplyDeleteThe policies implemented in the past decade will not change with the end of the current administration.
This is much further reaching than one little tyrant in this city.
The fundamental reason for this is the goons who are institionalized sadists, will continue trhe destructive policies. They will result in the destruction of the teachers union.
We are well on our way to getting rid of the only obstacle to fully exploit the commodities called children.
Total theft of the last bastion of democracy, public education is very far along the privatization process.
Klein called it "creative destruction". It certainly enriched himself and his cronies.
Not even a question to the issue of conflict of interest and moral terpitude, when he took a gig with a company he had been doing business with as an employee of the DoE.
I didn't see much righteous indignation at that little gem.
No,the process of shock and awe will continue long after the little tyrant has gone.
This is for the purpose of training mindlesss corporate drones, prisoners and of course soldiers to die in their insipid endless and pointless wars.
They have taken our rights and now they have stolen the future. Wake up!
This process is going on all over this country and beyond. The worst possible thing teachers can do, is teach children to think and question. Question Authority!
Sorry to say, thinking and informed citizens is not what the oligarchs want. Consequently, we are returning to the 19th century with a 1930s fascist twist. A very orwellian era.
Cheers,
Angry Nog
The reality on the unemployment numbers? They are at Great Depression level numbers right now-nearly 23%, NOT 8.3 %-that's pure hogwash. And that's not even counting the prison population, and the millions of unemployed teens that once upon a time had jobs.
ReplyDeleteFirst, the Impersonater In Chief signs, on New Year's Eve no less, a bill enabling THE MILITARY to detain American citizens WITHOUT charges, indefintely-NOW, Congress implores "The President" to open up our borders and civilian air space to drones. Why? So the Dept. of Defense can perform "domestic duties" among other things. Orwellian enough for you...? None of this gets much coverage in the main stream media....hmmmm...I wonder why? So, starting this year we will have drones hovering over us, watching every move we make.
http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2012/02/faa_drones.html
The official numbers ARE BS. We are at approximately 23 % real unemployment. During the Great Depression it was at 25% and higher. So, we are at Great Depression levels of unemployment. However, admitting that to the public just isn't cool at any time, let alone an election year. And this doesn't include the massive prison population and unemployed teens who used to get part time, after school jobs.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the country brginning to turn into an Orwellian nightmare/reality, just look at the actions of your President. He signs a bill allowing THE MILITARY to arrest any U.S. citizen within our borders accused of terrorism, WITHOUT CHARGES, for as long "The War On Terror" lasts-which will be forever. That was signed on New Year's Eve. NOW, Congress is urging The President to greatly increase the use of DRONES over our skys....for what exactly...?
http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2012/02/faa_drones.html
We are in Great Depression II, and the government is taking precautions just in case the rabble gets rowdy...Occupy Wall Street anyone...? Make no mistake...they are getting us ready for something.
Public sectors unions should be illegal. Give the power back to the taxpayers.
ReplyDelete