If you live in New York state, this is your chance to make
your views known about the destructive policies mistakenly called
“reform” by State Commissioner John King and the Board of Regents.
Senator John Flanagan will be
holding four hearings across the state to hear your
concerns. Granted, a hearing from 10 am-2 pm is not
teacher-friendly, but certainly retired teachers should turn out.
If you want change, now is your chance. Here is the schedule:
Tuesday, September 17th from 10:00 am to
2:00 pm
Suffolk Community College, Health,
Sports and Education Center, Grant Campus
1001 Crooked Hill Road,
Brentwood
Tuesday, October 1st from
11:00 am to 3:00
pm
Syracuse City Hall, Common Council
Chambers, 3rd Floor
233 East Washington Street,
Syracuse
Wednesday, October 16th from 10:00 am to
2:00 pm
Buffalo City Hall, Common Council
Chambers, 13th Floor
65 Niagara Square,
Buffalo
Tuesday, October 29th from 10:00 am to 2:00
pm
Senate Hearing Room, 19th
Floor
250 Broadway, New York
City
Diane Ravitch's blog 
According to our local paper, the hearings in Syracuse will have speakers “by invitation only.” Guess what kinds of people will be invited?
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If you can’t attend, Students Not Scores has set up a template for you to submit written testimony for the permanent record of the hearings. Flanagan may be able to control who speaks at the meeting, by restricting it to those invited to testify, but he cannot control the permanent record. We are hoping to have record numbers of written testimonies submitted by those people he chose to leave out with the scheduling of the hearings.
http://www.studentsnotscores.com/2013/08/second-day-of-action-for-students-not.html
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First, the times are deliberate to exclude teachers and most parents. Second, I could be wrong, but my guess is that they’ll be like the “hearings” over the Chicago school closings – there will be long lines of people taking their two minutes to rail against “reform”, the “hearing officers” will sit there bored playing away on their phones and tablets, and the whole thing will be announced in the media as a smashing success in which people were overwhelmingly in favor of “reform”.
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Will be interesting to see who Flanagan invites as speakers.
Sent from my iPhone
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Rhee’s Students First were a big Flanagan donor last year.
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Diane… People can show up but testimony is by “invite only”. However if you weren’t invited by Michelle Rhee’s buddy John Flanagan, or if you can’t attend the meeting, you can submit written testimony. Id submitted properly written testimony must become part of the permanent record and all members of the committee will receive it. More details here: http://goo.gl/rXI5N2
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I agree these times are deliberate. Flanagan is a member of ALEC is he not?
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Yes Flamagan is an ALEC guy plus he took $10,000 from Rhee last year.
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So that is why it is so important to submit the written testimony. He can filter out the dissenters by deciding who gets to speak, but he cannot stop the written testimony.
Even if he can say that everyone in attendance is in favor of reform, if the written testimony proves otherwise it can be held up as part of the public record to counter the arguments in favor.
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Very thoughtful of them to hold the NYC hearing during times when all teachers are working and none can participate.
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Good Morning Diane-
I am pleased to say that on October 2 nd, Senator Tim Kennedy & Legislator Sean Ryan will be at Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, New York to hear the concerns of parents in regards to testing. The meeting will begin at 6:30 pm
Marge. Borchert
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