Governor Andrew Cuomo famously declared himself to be the students’ lobbyist.
Yet he frequently advocates policies that are not in the best interest of students.
If he truly wants to advocate for students, he should spend a day with Arthur Goldstein in his high school classroom in Queens. Arthur could help Governor Cuomo. He could help him understand what students really need. And that would make Governor Cuomo a better advocate for students, as he hopes to be.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
We need as much support as we can get. Can you help us?
http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2013/01/bayonne_teachers_to_protest_la.html
Sent from my iPhone Eleni Verardi
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All of these self-appointed political pretend reformers have the same talking points memorized. They don’t even know what they are talking about and they are rarely questioned.
If they were confronted they would get haughty and insult you and blab about the status quo. They are pretenders jumping on the bandwagon without any long term sustainable plan.
They don’t look at inequality in neighborhoods, schools, children’s lives. They are concerned with ouput: test scores ONLY, without having to commit to input: community supports, jobs, health care, teacher training, etc.
They are faking it, but are too arrogant to realize they are clueless and pathetically grasping onto the reformy talking points. The real solutions would take many years and they are more concerned with upcoming elections and their careers.
Educate yourself Cuomo….you are an embarrassment.
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Mark my words…NYS will soon go the way of Texas, Louisiana, Michigan, Illinois etc…….. if Cuomo has his way. He’s a steamroller…..looking to carry through the Barack/Duncan strangulation of education in 2016.
I now feel that they just don’t care about quality education, it’s not worth it . Their view is we’ve been providing a Cadillac when a Vega will do just fine. Just get the job done and if government doesn’t have to be involved all the better.
That’s why all this distraction of tests/APPR/RTI etc. ….wipe out the current system and redefine it.
Once all of us are gone, new system, cheaper and Better!! HA!!!!
They know this is all ridiculous and it will all be gone once we’re gone. No more testing, no more APPR, no RTI etc they’ll reduce the standards and there will be no accountability.
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Don’t get me started on the chevy “vegas”. Been confronted with a gun toting pimp because my roommate in college had a vega. And that same vega broke down on the way back from Colorado and I hitched hiked from Topeka to Columbia, MO in a snow storm (still have the poncho that I bought in Peru that saved me on that adventure.
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Funny how those who have no teaching experience can be so strident in their beliefs about how to reform schools. Anyone who wishes to have a say in educational policy should spend time in classrooms. I would welcome my governor, state board of ed commissioner, and/or my superintendent into my classroom.
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Cuomo is only out for Cuomo. He hates NYC teachers because my union didn’t back him in the Democratic primary for governor against Carl McCall. Then my union sticks a knife in McCall’s back by not endorsing him and instead shows support for Pataki who also stabs my union in the back. Now my union just stabs teachers in the back. Bottom line–Watch your back!!!
At this point Cuomo has his eye on one person—his neighbor in NJ—Chris Christie. It’s a power play of who can be tougher on teachers and public school. He knows VAM is a sham–but it plays to both the Republicans and Neo-liberals. Next he’ll be kissing up to Michelle Rhee.
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Here is the list of Cuomo’s “Education Rheeform Commission”.
Is there one teacher on the list? One? Even One? How about a Nationally Board Certified Teacher? One? Maybe one from Finland? One?
Notice how the Chair is a retired Citigroup Chairman. Robber barrons who have preyed upon these children’s parents now so concerned about their schooling? Give me a break from the hypocrisy.
Membership of the Commission includes:
Richard (Dick) Parsons, Retired Chairman, Citigroup, Chair of the New NY Education Reform Commission
Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
Geoffrey Canada, Founder & CEO, Harlem Children’s Zone
Irma Zardoya, President & CEO, NYC Leadership Academy
Elizabeth Dickey, President, Bank Street College of Education
Mary Anne Schmitt-Carey, President, Say Yes to Education
Lisa Belzberg, Founder & Chair Emeritus, PENCIL
Michael Rebell, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Campaign for Educational Equity
Karen Hawley Miles, President & Executive Director, Education Resource Strategies
José Luis Rodríguez, Founder & CEO, Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network, Inc.
Sara Mead, Associate Partner, Bellwether Education Partners
Eduardo Martí, Vice Chancellor of Community Colleges, CUNY
Thomas Kane, Professor of Education & Economics, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Jean Desravines,CEO, New Leaders
Michael Horn, Executive Director & Co-Founder, InnoSight Institute
Chancellor Nancy Zimpher, Chancellor, SUNY
Chancellor Matthew Goldstein, Chancellor, CUNY
John B. King, Jr., Commissioner, New York State Education Department
Senator John Flanagan, Chair, Senate Education Committee
Assembly Member Cathy Nolan, Chair, Assembly Education Committee
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The only way things are going to change is if we have enough brave teachers around the country to do what is happening in Seattle. There are about four million teachers in this country, and if we all stand together, these corporate ed. morons won’t be able to take us all on, and we will prevail!
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Andy,
That’s the part I don’t get. The utter silence and fear to speak out. Frightening!
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The power of having to pay a mortgage, feed you kids, heat the house……
Any mention of being against Rheeform in front of supervisors will result in the “heat is on” unbearable existence. Self preservation.
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