Carol Burris eloquently explains why she will vote for Anybody But Cuomo.
She remembers when Democrats fought for good public schools for all.
She remembers when Democrats saw funding public schools as a civic obligation, not as “throwing money at the problem.”
She wants a governor who believes in public schools, and that is not Andrew Cuomo.
She writes:
“I stood with one thousand others on a Wednesday evening outside the recent Democratic Convention. The chant of the crowd was clear—ABC—Anybody but Cuomo. There was a hunger in the crowd for a candidate who will respect the work of teachers. There was hunger for someone who will respect the pleas from parents to roll back testing and the Common Core. There was hunger for someone who instead of claiming he will be the “student lobbyist” will actually stand up for all children, by equitably funding their schools rather than cutting taxes on millionaires. Words and commissions are not enough. A change in direction is what is needed.
“Now is the time to courageously stand and say we will not be bullied by the fear posed by false choices. The Working Families Party must put forth a candidate who respects its ideals if it is to have credibility and voice. I want to be able to respond to the question, “Where will you go?” with an answer. I want that answer to be, “I will go to the WFP who believes in our public schools.”
“If you feel the same, contact the Working Family Party today. Email director Bill Lipton at blipton@workingfamilies.org.
“Let him know that you too want an alternative to Andrew Cuomo, too!”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I hope that can happen in NY. In NJ, its anyone by Christie. Not to derail the topic, but this morning on the news it was stated that Christie’s personnel are getting a 23% raise; this while he is trying to further raid teacher pensions, and giving breaks to corporations, and despite saying he has not raised taxes, mine have increased and he’s a liar liar big fat pants on fire. Oh, and lets not forget how he has further ruined education, and the livlihoods of the middle class, in Newark.
It used to be one could trust the democrats, but Booker was in cahoots with Christie–its like the dems are republicans in sheep’s clothing.
Who do you know who to vote for? We’ve really got to do our homework, pun intended.
therlo, I also live in NJ and agree 100% with everything you said. Booker is a corporate Democrat and total sellout to the hedge fund managers and the school privatizers, as is Cuomo. I live in New Jersey’s Twelfth Congressional district, represented by Democrat Rush D. Holt Jr., who is as good as Democrats can get these days. He’s retiring and two of the Ds running for his seat are self-described progressives. One can only hope that they are truly progressive. Sorry for being off topic.
therlo, I live in Michigan and our governor also notes that he hasn’t raised taxes. Technically correct. But he eliminated many useful tax credits. I’ve never paid a higher percentage in taxes to the state than I do now.
I was dubious about the Anyone But Quinn movement in NYC last year, and yet look what happened. Even an unsuccessful 3rd party challenge will force Cuomo to rein in some of his proclivities and damage his national prospects.
I’m so old I can even remember when Republicans cared about education.
TAGO!
😎
I think as recently as 1994 some of them did. (or so I’ve gathered from things I’ve read).
But the question is: when did Democrats stop caring? (I mean really caring).
Yup, this.
I want a governor who was educated in a NY public school and SUNY. I want a governor who understands that after yogurt and apples, one of our state’s main exports to the rest of the USA are reasonably well-educated students. I want a governor who cares about the rural communities too and maybe visits them once and while, and not just in an election year.
I do hope there is a real Democrat with an excellent record who will stand up to Cuomo and run on the WFP. I didn’t vote for Cuomo last time and will not do so again. However, if the party puts up unknowns with no political background, I will gladly sit home. I backed deBlasio and feel I lost because of his lack of political savvy that gave Cuomo and the Charters a chance to cut his legs off. Now he just closed Jamaica High School despite the outcry from the community and Queens’ political leaders. I am wondering if our chancellor is still running on Klein time???
Just want to add that the UFT could have done a lot more to counteract the attack ads lead by Cuomo and the charters but didn’t. Wonder if this was payback for not getting their Reform candidate in.
There’s the lack of political savvy, but there’s also the politics. If we can believe what the papers are saying, De Blasio is working hard behind the scenes to get the WFP to endorse Cuomo. What does De Blasio want from Cuomo? What’s Cuomo promising De Blasio?
It looks like Cuomo will be the WFP candidate thanks to deBlasio. Would love to know what dB is getting out of this? Is he getting his legs back after being cut off at the knees.
Has Cuomo declared what he’ll to do about the state assessments that don’t count for kids, but still may for teachers? Like Obama, he’s left teachers flapping in the wind, all the while waiting to determine whether he’ll need them come November. It remains to be seen what the fickle NYSUT will do in terms of endorsement. If I ran that organization, I’d’ve told him that he had his chance to advocate and he blew it. The stench of hedge-fund scavenger money wafts all about him, the state has wasted 4 years with the Core rollout and concomitant Pearson train wrecks, and his contempt for public schools/teachers is palpable as is his convenient infatuation for charters. The extensive corporatizing of State Ed under him is unforgiveable and he should be shown the door.
DING!
I am a conservative voter, but I refuse to give my vote to anyone who doesn’t support public schools. I have now become a “one issue voter” and this is it.
me too
If conservative means wanting to conserve liberty and our environment and small business and decent wages for ordinary working Americans, me three!
I am a democrat and I WILL NOT be voting for Cuomo! I hope that the WFP puts up a candidate that can stand behind strong public schools. Cuomo is a disgrace and has sold the children and public schools of New York State to Wall Street. Shame on him.
I voted for Cuomo last time on the Working Families Party line, but I will NOT make that mistake again. Cuomo’s education policies have been devastating. As a NYC public school parent, i am sickened by his aggressive support of wealthy charter chains backed by hedge fund managers. REQUIRING the city to provide charters with space rent-free is a major affront to the 94% of NYC students who attend traditional public schools. Our schools are overcrowded, class sizes continue to rise while classroom budgets continue to be cut, many facilities are in disrepair and parents are asked to spend hundreds of dollars on school supplies. How dare Cuomo refer to himself as the lobbyist for students! He lost my vote a long time ago.
Nancy Cauthen above stated my position eloquently.
Retired teacher Kitty Elliston sang (to the tune of I’ve been working on the railroad), “Someone’s in the bedroom with hedge funds, someone’s in the bedroom I know. Someone’s in the bedroom with hedge funds, ANDREW CUOMO.”
One thing for sure. I will not vote for him even though I am a long time democrat.
In Coumo’s latest TV campaign ad touting his accomplishments, a headline states:
“Record funding for public schools.”
He must have left out the qualifying word, “low”
This man is a disgrace and an embarassment.
I think also that we need to get more active on the streets. We need to show Cuomo and whoever may be his successor that we teachers can make a stink. We need more demonstrations and marches. The strength of our movement is from the bottom up. We should stop looking for leaders to save us. WE are the answer to these horrible policies.
You need economic boycotts.
Demonstrations get media. They are the one way that ordinary people, who lack financial backing, can do PR.
Imagine this:
Carol Burris winning the governorship on the Working Families ticket.
Now, wouldn’t THAT send a message to the Dems for Deform!
This movement desperately needs funding so that it can hire folks to do organization and education. There are many, many well-funded CCSS/privatization shill groups–Thomas B. Fordham Institute, Students First [sic], etc., that one gets discouraged.
Among our billionaires, is there ONE who might be willing to become the CounterRheeformation’s champion?
In a better world, of course, the teachers’ unions would be the well-funded group carrying the anti-deform message to the country and supporting third-party candidates opposed to the bi-partisan Dimocratic and Repugnican sell-out of U.S. education, but we know the story there, alas!
Carol Burris articulates beautifully a view held by thousands of parents and educators in New York. Andrew Cuomo is a completely unacceptable candidate for this parent, who will vote either WFP or Green Party this year. I am by the way a registered Democrat who has voted for Cuomo and Obama in the past. I unfortunately learned the hard way that neither major party is capable any longer of serving the interests of ordinary working people.
Count me in as another longtime Democrat supporter, who will be looking elsewhere with my vote this year.
I personally don’t know one educator who will vote for Cuomo.
Disregarding the wisdom and character of teachers, parents, and concerned citizens was not smart, Governor Cuomo.
Cuomo has been an extremely disappointing Governor when it comes to education. My family lives in the village of Nyack in Rockland County. I feel lucky because our schools have not been forced to cut arts, sports, AP classes or increase class sizes drastically (yet). But, supporting public education is about working for a good education for all students. The education funding scenario is terrible. Most schools are receiving less in state funding than they did 5 or 6 years ago, yet costs keep rising. The GEA has still not been refunded to schools – this makes no sense! Many education advocates have presented very viable ideas that Cuomo has completely ignored. He does not listen at all to parents who are working as volunteers to share how things are actually affecting students on the ground. There are solutions that involve some compromise, but Cuomo has shown that he could care less, he just likes a good sound bite.