No? Neither was I.
This was a soirée for the super-rich who support Eva Moskowitz’s charter schools. Those are the miracle schools that claim their students outperform the students in affluent Scarsdale.
Hedge fund manager Daniel S. Loeb was the honoree. He was surrounded by other hedge fund managers. They think they are Robin Hoods. They forget that the real Robin Hood stole from people like them.
Jeb Bush, Florida’s own Robin Hood was there. So was Merryl Tisch, chancellor of the New York Board of Regents. Chris Christie gave the keynote speech.
All celebrating Eva’s Success Academies. They are the very epitome of no-excuses, nonunion charters.
Loeb said:
“Success is a completely disruptive business model,” Loeb said in the ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental. “Not only does your money go to changing kids’ lives, but if we really succeed, we’ll set a higher bar for all schools to meet.”
The Success model includes teachers whose intensity is a mix of Internet startup and trading desk, and a vast amount of training, maniacal attention to data and replicable processes, Loeb said.
“It’s the Google of charter schools. We’re growing faster, it’s logarithmic,” he added, saying that 11,500 students will be enrolled in two years, up from 7,000 in August.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
This says it all about who these people are! Quoting from the article:
“Loeb, who sat next to former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Merryl Tisch, chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents, introduced the keynote speaker, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
Education “is more important than any other domestic issue in our country we’re discussing today,” Christie said. “If we don’t get this right, we won’t have the next generation of entrepreneurs” creating “a middle class that’s the envy of the world.”
Nice soundbite but Christie is clueless, absolutely clueless.
They don’t have it “right”. They got it wrong, ALL wrong. They must have the same playbook…they sound like edustepfordclones.
Maybe the lap band is too tight.
As a math teacher, I have great hopes for their continued logarithmic growth. It is quite amazing how little overlap there is between the skill sets for amassing great deals of wealth and educating kids (or knowing basic math).
“In state tests, the schools have outperformed ones in Scarsdale.”
Would they be basing this on test scores reported by the leaders of Moskowitz’s charter schools?
Have no doubt, the truth will eventually come out.
Where were all the teachers who were fired or left on their own accord? And where were all the students who were counseled out??? If Thompson wins, the writing is on the wall. Eva will target middle-class neighborhoods. She already started, but with Thompson by her side, the Bloomberg policies will live on. If you don’t think Bloomberg is behind this candidate, you are all living in a dream.
If they wanted are middle class to be the envy of the rest of the world then they need to stop destroying it now.
They think they’re Robin Hoods, but they’re actually robbing hoods.
Now why would billionaire hedge fund manager, Danny Loeb, CEO of Third Point, be at this party of oligarchs if he paints himself a supporter of public education?
He admits to being against redistribution of wealth from top to bottom (read Forbes, Fortune, etc., articles on him), but seems ok with redistribution from bottom to top. He is from the Mattel Toy family and grew up in great privilege, but went to Pacific Palisades Charter HS in this Westside enclave of LA wealth, and is a close buddy of Hollywood billionaire David Geffen.
So, is he, like his fellow billionaire, Rupert Murdoch, seeing public education in America as a commodity, a new free market opportunity? Suggest digging into his robber baron machinations on Wall street.
I am reading Richard Dawkins great book, The Selfish Gene, and recommend it to all bloggers, teachers, etc. for it explains in terms of zoology and evolution what makes an alpha personality like Dan Loeb…great as a teaching tool at upper grade levels. I am using it as mandated reading in my university class on the history of economics.
And to ‘kb’ above, the goal seems to be to have a malleable, low paid, work force rather than a Middle Class.
“…but if we really succeed …”
IF … IF they succeed?
What public school destruction they leave their “rephormy” wake!
What monetary and human misery “metric” will be used to measure the destructiveness of their ” grand experiments” ?
A master race in their own image. Wow! How far up their own egos and narcissistic elitist behinds are they!!! Far enough not to see daylight or any light for that matter!
Then again the spotlight by their standard should only shine on those they deem to be worthy of their own image to enhance both their pocketbooks and their egos. These are people that should know better and yet they are lost in a mirror. History is forgotten once again or ignored! Those left behind by the millions won’t forget.
In this type of model, students that don’t fit the data/maniacal attention to detail and replicable plot-line to success would be considered statistical outliers…non-correletive with their model and therefor not included on the steamship voyage to education nirvana. Those outliers would remain on shore. left behind to be educated at THE SCHOOLS THAT DARE TO DO THE REAL WORK AND DESERVE THE RESPECT OF SOFT_HANDED PRIVILEGED PRETENDERS THAT UNDERMINE TRUE DEMOCRACY AND THE INSTITUTIONS THAT SUPPORT IT. Sorry about the caps, but these pretentious people who need fancy parties to pat each other on the back and pretend they are of any use annoy the daylights out of me.
Touting the Success Academies test scores in comparison to Scarsdale is bogus at its core. One can research the individual schools numbers in terms of accountability for students with disabilities and English language learners, both categories of which were too small to be counted for AYP accountability. In addition, Scarsdale made all its accountability measures, including sufficient data for students with disabilities and English language learners. As Casey Stengel used to say, “You can look it up!”. Check out the NYS accountability data for both of them here: https://reportcards.nysed.gov/…
From the article: At “recess,” waiters served salmon. Afterward guests convened outside the ballroom for milk and cookies.
How cute. Andy Kaufman is rolling in his grave.
They get “recess” and elementary kids don’t???
Yes, I was invited-ha ha-but couldn’t attend because I had a more important soirree-the second to last day of the school year.
Today’s (MInneapolis) Star Tribune (the largest newspaper in Minnesota) has a great article about how “boosters” in wealthy suburbs generate huge sums to support athletic programs in their high schools.
http://www.startribune.com/local/208965301.html
Less affluent suburbs and city suburbs and being out-spent on sports by as much as 80 – 1.
Yes, we need tax laws that do provide more equitable distribution of dollars for public education. Fortunately Minnesota moved in that direction this year. Wish other states would as well.
Joe, I have no doubt you would prefer that those “boosters” of suburban schools open charters instead of supporting the schools in their community that have doors open to all.
Diane – Actually, what I’d prefer is that the state find a way to share these dollars more equitably with sports programs throughout the state.
Do you think it is appropriate that some suburban “public” schools to have boosters who raise $500,000+ dollars to support athletic teams, while inner city schools like the one where one of our family members teachers has less than $10K from boosters?
Or is that ok because there are all district public schools?
Recently I had the opportunity to observe in a Santa Monica public elementary school that should be an exemplar for all as to how to administer and teach. The young female principal was sterling, an innovator who was in all classrooms daily and who encouraged parental participation.
The parents had formed a 501 (c)(3) and funded a full time technology specialist (a semi retired expert who was willing and able to work for low wages) who over a period of years had installed advanced computer laboratories, and also installed computers in each classroom, and instructed the teachers and students in their use. I observed 6 year old students sitting raptly doing a science lesson online. I saw a hallway full of musical instruments for later band practice while students in 5th grade studied science in their classroom using actual pigs hearts to learn about anatomy. It was a joy for an old educator to see what we all dream about teaching and learning.
This parent group in this school was able to raise a great deal of money since it is an affluent area (doctors, lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) and parents tend to be highly educated and motivated to keep their school a regular public school but also to work to add the necessary accoutrements to make it, in cooperation with the principal, a school of high achievers. Every teacher I observed, grades 1, 4, 5, were excellent. And all children were completely engaged in learning.
This is sadly a story of what can be, but only with parental involvement. In other inner city schools where parents are not informed and work double shifts at minimum wage, this cannot happen. It is still separate but far from equal.
Diane – You have “no doubt” that I’d prefer these people start suburban charters? You have no doubt based on ?
Our children attend urban public schools that did not have admissions tests. I’ve been an urban PTA president.
I’d prefer higher taxes on more affluent people to help pay for things like strong early childhood education for students from low income families.