Dear Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Black

Thank you for declaring schools open today. I am a little confused how you can declare a snow emergency and ask people to stay off the roads, but then on the other hand expect us to get our little money makers I mean children off to school. Here in Northeast Queens our main streets have been plowed but our side streets are a mess. I walked my child to school in the street. People have not gotten there lazy asses I mean tired over worked bodies up to shovel the sidewalks yet.
I think that you should check the attendance stats today and see how many children are absent due to snow related conditions. I am sure my child will receive an above standard education today sitting in the auditorium due to how many teachers live in Long Island. By the way my local Catholic school is closed, so are the private and catholic High Schools. I would not have minded having to miss a day of work to take care of my child after all that is what I do.
You really should not judge the city as a whole. Just because Manhattan is beautiful it does not mean the forgotten I mean outer boroughs receive the same type of attention. Sometimes I think despite everything you do, you really do not have any common sense.
Sincerely,
your overtaxed neighbor in Queens

Big Surprise

Cathie Black was just granted her waiver. Color me surprised. Nice how it was done at the last possible moment, the end of the business day. Democracy has just died in this great city. Well it has been dead but now it is blatant. I have nothing more to say right now.

Oprah Endorses Cathie Black

We can now rest easy another non educator endorses Cathie Black
It seems our schools are only as good as the endorsements they get.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/11/18/2010-11-18_bloomberg_gets_endorsements_from_oprah_other_heavyweights_to_bolster_case_for_ca.html

Bloomberg-isms

Remember when Bush was President, and he spoke without a teleprompter or off the cuff, he would make statements that just did not make sense? They were called Bushisms. I decided to start one for Bloomberg..
His response for a non public search for Chancellor was done in a way that tells us to go jump of a bridge, preferably the Jersey side of the George Washington.
"To go through a lengthy process in the middle of a school year is just not something in our "kids" best interest.
Really Mike what is? Reforms changing mid stream. No money for run any other program than Math and English. How is that a well rounded education for the kids (who by the way are baby goats) best interest
"Besides he said, nobody would apply if the process were too public because its too embarrassing to them if they don't get selected?"
Really Mike to embarrassing? For goodness sakes we are talking about education not dodge ball.
I might if I was the last child called, but I am an adult and have faced disappointment before.
I am sure your Goldman Sachs Hedge Fund managers have, plenty of times.
By the way if you are a Hedge Fund manager why would you want to leave your cushy job? Too much money, Deepdale Country Club to boring for you? Need a new challenge? Took a bet on how long it would take you to screw up the Public Education System?

Joel Klein sure has some chutzpa

I just finished watching Joel Klein's interview on NY1 Inside City Hall. When the question posed to him about Leonie Haimson's comment re: his legacy. He could only call her a propagandist, and having her own agenda. This makes me ill. Klein is the King of propaganda. Playing a shell game with data, making the so called agenda based people sue him on NYS Education Law violations., and then rewriting law at his own pleasure. . Stating that schools have wait lists because our schools are good. Joel it really is not that our schools are good it IS that we don't have a choice, no matter how much you say we do. Fix all our schools don't just concentrate on charters. I have news for you Superman is fictional. If there really was a superman my Principal would not have to take out a loan from the DOE to float our school because our budget was drastically cut. We don't have an arts program in our school, but I forget only test prep matters. Some parents might not understand how much education has changed since you and Bloomie have hijacked our system, ummm I mean have been in power.
My oldest children learned to write script, to appreciate literature, Knew how to identify a country, state, mountain (you get it) on a map, American History, NY State History, and then Latin American when they left elementary school. My youngest has not learned any of this.
He did learn that the EClass and the ELA, and the Math Tests are all important. In the first grade he stressed that he believed he might have got more answers wrong then he should have and might score low. Nice real nice.
I also have some news for you, my child and his 5th grade peers can't multiply. I have been teaching him and yes parents should help, but so can you by knowing what truly comprises of a well rounded education ( I think you might have a clue, your child was taught in a private school after all) Not just what is on the damn test type of education. It is not about the test.
A one size fits all doesn't work in clothing and it sure as hell does not fit an individuals mindset. We are individuals, we process information differently as well. I am a visual person, so to call us propagandists because we think outside the box, when we and not you are the stakeholders is just plain wrong. Just like you can't have a carpenter build a house without tools, you can not ask a teacher to do their job without the same.
When you leave this position in December, and why exactly are you leaving? Please have a meaningful discussion with the parents, teachers, and Principals and leave your judgment at the door

Knowledge is power

OFIA sent emails to CEC's reminding them that their meetings are public and can be recorded and/or videotaped at any particular moment. I guess the same goes for you Joel?

OFEA, OFIA

The DOE has decided to change the name of OFEA, to OFIA. Always changing things up aren't you Joel? This Chancellor, I think suffers from schizophrenia. Districts to no Districts, regions to no regions, but back to Districts, with no power.
Test scores equal grade of schools, schools do well, change method of testing grades. Schools suffer, announce closings.
Get your media mogul friends (Bloomberg) to FOIL teacher data. Show results, added value, no account for data errors with the scores and particular teachers. We just won't tell the parents, they need to shut up anyway.

Is it just me

or does Joel Klein resemble Nosferatu more or more each day as how he describes how our schools will have no money next year. That is okay folks, don't get to alarmed not like we need to teach anything pertaining to a true education, just what is on the grand ole test, and we do hope you fail and your school gets a terrible grade, we have a nice charter school applicant that would love to take over your school.

Finally

Finally I can breath a sigh of relief. I am happy for wee one. He has finally got it. Last night while sitting on the couch he decided to give himself long division, fractions and to write the multiplication tables all on his own. He told me math is like a game. I always thought it was.
It only took to the end of April but I guess his adjustment period is up.
He definitely has more confidence, and that is all I ever wanted for him. The child that had a thirst for knowledge.
The school has done everything they could to help him, with resource room and extended day.
He tells me cute stories about resource room, which makes me happy.
He is also ready to take on the upcoming tests and no longer doubts his promotion.
Now if we can only work on his big mouth, wonder where he gets that from?

The hell that is 4th grade

This year has been craptastic. I am not sure my child has been prepared for the upcoming tests, but according to his teacher he is since she has been doing test prep. Did you hear that Joel there is test prep going on. Maybe you should inform your teachers not to tell the parents that. Test prep is the only thing she told us though, since communication is not her in her vocabulary. That and not being an effective teacher. Oops I said it. She sucks, and believe me my children have had crappy teachers. I know she does not like me, but I could give a crap I already have friends. My child and 6 others in his class have been struggling. Kids who have not had a problem until this year. The parents have had conferences with her and leave her classroom bewildered. They ask for little things like a heads up before tests to be told she does not do that. We have complained that there has been little or no math homework and then I guess as a punishment she gives our children 60 math problems for a nights work. It was nice that I had time to teach him the lesson so he could understand how to do it, and 2 hours later we were done. I spoke with other parents who informed me they had to do the same thing. Joel and Mike the next time you say a parent should shut it because we are not educators, well I have a few choice words for you, apparently we are. I guess that is what you meant by parents and teachers need to be partners in education, right?

Survey redux

Every year around this time of the year parents receive a nice green envelope with the school surveys. Your school, your voice. Now I usually toss them since I know the results are not truly published, and they are a waste of money. Also they really are not anonymous. That little code on the bottom turns me off. If you want my "REAL" opinion you would also try to protect my privacy.
Laughable privacy with ARIS and all.
This year I was going to fill out the survey only because I am pissed. Yeah, go figure. I am pissed that my child has received a sub par education the last 3 years.
Screaming teachers who hate boys. Teachers that don't teach math, well they teach it but don't stress it. Hold back notices given to kids etc.
So here I will fill out my survey because it will be anonymous.

I don't feel satisfied with the response I get when I contact my child's school. To be fair they contacted me. But to tell me my 9 year old child is struggling because he has ADD and should be tested because it is a "focusing" problem, was wrong on so many levels. First you are not a professional. Second he is 9 just turned 9 by the way, and hell I don't even want to sit inside all day long either. ( I found out later on that they told that to two other parents that had sons)

How often during the school year have you received information about what your child is studying in school. NEVER
That is right never. I asked to be informed when tests were coming up, but was told I don't do that. So my child is struggling I need help and well you don't do that. Okay then. I really don't think I am asking for much here.

My child participates in the following activities in school:
you know I have to say I love the choices. In our school most of the programs listed are funded by parents. Art paid for by parents, music partly funded by the PTA, physical education, oops I fell of my chair from laughing so hard. Once a week wowie, and being that the winter was so harsh and we don't have a separate gym our kids sat in the auditorium reading. And then we wonder why our children have ADD symptoms. It is called ants in the pants.
I saw dance and theater, foreign language on the survey and was awed, I said wow do we really have those programs, must be for those kind of sorta lucky middle school and high school students.

What are the BEST ways for your child's school or teachers to get information to you about your child's education?
I like the array of options but if a teacher says I don't do that do you really think this question applies?

How satisfied are you with the following things about your child's school?
The quality of your child's teacher? Yeah she is okay but she needs a whole lot more training, like how to be cooperative., and this questions also qualify for wee one's second grade teacher. Retire already!

The most laughable part of this survey was how I feel about the Panel for Bloomberg and Klein's rubber stamp err I mean Education.Lets just say all those questions were answered very unsatisfied.

Dear Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein

my son just informed me that on Monday he needs a nice healthy snack to eat before he goes on his school trip. It must be healthy he stressed. Now I have to say this. If I want to feed my child a nice big chocolate cake I can. You want to know why? I pay my damn bills and taxes and put clothing on my demon seeds I mean child's back. Not YOU! So since you have already screwed with his education, and the way schools can raise money to get programs that they so badly need because my tax dollars no longer pay for them. Now you want to tell me what my child can eat. If you are so scared about childhood obesity, why don't you give the schools some money so they can have a true gym program. You want us to follow guidelines and then you take away the money and schools don't have gym. Kind of makes no sense to me, but I don't live in your mind.

ADD and 9 year old boys

Why is it that when your child starts to struggle in school, the first response of those in charge are to tell you that you should have your child tested for ADD, because it is an attention problem. The child has never struggled until this year. But then you are told that no he has struggle before. Yeah must have been another child in my care last year, and I am wrong.
You then explain that it is not ADD since your child is really not bouncing off the walls, and actually can sit still, and since as an educator can sit there and tell me that he should be medicated because he can not conform and be a little test monkey for the DOE.
Then you find out out that not only is it your child that is struggling and told that maybe he has ADD but another in the class, and then another.
You know what it is really called. It is called 9 year old boy. I have raised 3 boys now, not one of them were able to sit in a chair still for to long. Hell I can't even sit still and I am almost well you don't really need to know my age.
Maybe the school should look at the "REAL"problem of why this group of children are struggling.
4th grade sucks.

12 Year old arrested in school for doodling on desk

http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/02/05/12-year-old-girl-arrested-in-school-for-doodling-on-desk/

I quite don't understand why in the hell this child needed to be arrested. If that was the case way back when I went to school I would be in Rikers, a lesson could be taught in a different way. The official response, " We are looking at the facts".
I am looking at the facts too and they just don't add up.

Mayor Mike gives a speech

I was bored today, go figure, I am unemployed after all. There is just so much time you can spend on Facebook. I have been kicking some major ass in Mafia Wars and my in my FarmTown I made a zillion bucks, oops A.D.D back on track.
Guess what I did today? I bet you have no idea. I watched Bloomberg give a speech, this was the official title Sec. Duncan and Mayor Bloomberg discuss Education Reform in the 21st Century. It was a breakfast in Washington D.C. Mayor Mike got to read a speech saying just how great NYC schools are and teachers need to be held accountable, that is why we have all these tests and we will grant tenure to teachers who perform like circus monkey's, I mean he said those that have students with the best scores get a free ride and those that score the lowest are thrown out on the loser butts that they are. Ummm Mike someone has to get the lowest score so you are a little sly one on the scare tactics.
While I am listening to his spectacular speech, I noticed something he was stumbling over his written words. Damn Mike couldn't you read the effin thing first. You dolt.
So as he goes on how we have to get rid of these bad, good for nothing teachers he goes on to say the Rubber Room is a disgrace because we have to pay teachers so sit in them. He does not explain what a Rubber Room is for and just how many teachers are unjustly place there.I just want to say Mike you are such a prat.
Damn unemployment rocks!!!!!
Mike you are lying about the NAEP scores now, way to shell game the statistics, man are you people naive., but I am not. Okay I can be blond at times but I know education better than Joel, and I am mean. Make me Chancellor I can whip those bad teachers down. Oh yeah that's right I have a soul.
It think it is time for me to get back into the game. Thanks Mayor Mike you making my company leave the city gave me an outlet. So now you screwed two things that are dear to me up. a) my sons education and b) my money making ability. I do like to stimulate the economy.
I decided I could not watch anymore without throwing a rock through the tv. Oh wait there you
go saying you close failing schools and then open news schools with new teachers and administration. New leadership from the leadership academy that has your friends tax breaks written all over it. But as he said that he threw the ATR's under the bus. He had the nerve to say we should get rid off all ATR's and Rubber Room people. That they are only a waste of money that could be spent in the classrooms. Really Mike what classrooms the overcrowded classrooms that you forgot to mention. Or all the money that you have cut out of schools and then turn around and blame your teachers for the failures. Holy shit, I better just shut him off now. but I always liked to watch a train wreck.

Fourth Grade

My son is emotional, strung out and stressed, and so are his classmates. They are being overloaded with to much information in such a short amount of time, it is data overload.
I don't remember the other two being so stressed and this one the youngest is clever, very smart, street wise and book wise. It makes him mad scientist smart. He surprises me sometimes how he puts things together. Last night doing his homework assignment which should have taken a half hour took an hour and a half because I had to sit there with him and re-teach him the assignment. I gave him a break after the first melt down and we were looking at a magazine. I told him that I liked the desk in the picture, but not the chair. He told me matter of fact that he felt the same way, and that it made sense because we share genes which makes us alike and it is true because he learned it in school today. They way he said it was that there was no arguing the fact that we are related, which relieved his stress and we could get back to the lesson.
So now while I am teaching him the lesson again, I wondered truly who has time in their busy schedules to sit down with their kids and read a chapter to them and explain it so they comprehend what was just taught. The teacher right, not the parent. No wonder we are in this mess. Add a few more tests to the already over saturated testing time Mikey. I understand the testing companies need more influx of cash

Whats new pussycat?

I said it before but you might need some reminding. I don't like my children to be taken advantage of in their endeavors in to receive a better than State Mandated Education. I have been through budget cuts with my middle son and have seen first hand what an overcrowded classroom can do for a child and a teacher. I hoped that more than 10 years after the first fight that this would not occur again, after the state mandated what class size should be. I know I am naive. What it really is I have hope. Silly of me isn't it?
So once again more children have to suffer. Each year wee ones class roster increases he is now in a class of 28, oh please stop the eye roll already I know its a futile complaint. 28 Fourth graders made up mostly of pre-pubescent boys who are just darlings, (can you see the sly smile on my face), is not an easy task for any teacher. Especially when she is trying to get them all ready for all those pesky state tests. So this year he has 28 next year he has 35. Middle School 40 and so forth. It is okay the class size, really it is because we all know it is the Principals fault for not taking that class size reduction money. It is offered to them but they don't take it so it is there fault. Not that there is no room in the school, unless we want to teach them in the hall, what? oh they already teach in the hall. I was not aware of that. Were you?
Our Kindergarten classes have 50 children. Not like I did not see that happen, great economy, high cost of private school versus public. Lets see what would you do?
I am sure the DOE is not breaking any fire codes by cramming to many children in a class, or any health code violations. Not the DOE they do everything on the up and up don't they?

Good thing

This could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on who you might ask. Last Wednesday was my last full day of work at my paying job. I have time on my hands, and while I was home yesterday all alone I had time to reflect on what is important to me and what I might want to do with my new founded spare time. I decided that I was going to address wee one's journey through public school, the reason I started this blog in the first place. You know the parents view on the process. I have been around so long and have seen so many things but it is all the same. No improvement no matter what the spin control cram down our so called ignorant throats.
At this point I don't give a crap anymore of towing the line. My kid can't tow the line he is living it, and I am his only voice. Well the voice that supports him 24/7. Not the ones that only care about his ARIS stats. I am so sick of Bloomberg/Klein/Tweed and the incompetence called OFEA, Family disengagement is more like it. You try getting a straight answer out of them, and while we are at it why on the letterhead is there not one phone number to call those dolts. What is it a matter of Natural Security and I don't have the clearance?
I am also tired to the DOE making all these rules for CEC's but don't follow rules themselves.
Telling CEC's members that they must fill out oaths over and over again, asking for financial disclosure forms for a FREE FREAKING JOB, where they have no say. We can't trust those CEC people. Isn't that like blaming the hen for the fox eating it.
I am not hating on the CEC's and the dedication of the parents who serve, because truly it is the only way most parents do have a say, despite all the grief they take.
I say parents unionize already. What are we waiting for? What else can they do to our children?
Oh yeah eliminate the schools and replace them with charters. I hear Eva Moskowitz is not making enough money off the ones she already is in charge of.
Oh and by the way I am back.

Cell Phones

I understand that today there were metal detectors at Cardozo High School. The children were to walk through them, backpacks searched. Cellphones and electronic equipment were confiscated.
Great learning environment you set up there Mikey. So bleeping glad we have 4 more years of your shit.

The truth is out there

WHAT IS THE TRUTH
ABOUT BLOOMBERG’S
EDUCATION RECORD?

NO PROGRESS IN MATH. READING DOWN.
By the most reliable measure—the NAEP (national) test scores. Out of 10 urban districts, NYC dropped from 2nd place in eighth grade reading to 6th place; Bloomberg’s misleading claims are based on inflated New York State test scores.

RACIAL DISPARITY INCREASED.
By the most comprehensive measure—average scale scores; Bloomberg’s misleading claims are based on proficiency rates, which only measure improvements by the few students just below the cutoff score.

CLASS SIZES TOO HIGH.
Despite declining enrollment and $400 million from New York State to reduce class sizes, Bloomberg increased class sizes in 2008.

IF SCHOOLS ARE REALLY SAFER, WHY MORE POLICE?
Despite declining enrollment, we now have 5,200 police officers in our schools, more police for New York’s million students than for the entire 2.2 million population of Houston. Bloomberg refuses to discuss alternative approaches to school safety.

WE CAN’T AFFORD ANOTHER FOUR YEARS OF CORPORATE RULE.

ELECT THOMPSON.
www.thompson2009.com
HE’LL PUT REAL EDUCATORS IN CHARGE.

EDUCATORS FOR THOMPSON
For more on Bloomberg’s record and sources of the data cited here, see“Holding Mayor Bloomberg Accountable” at www.brian.bendag.com