New York State Allies for Public Education (NYSAPE) released the following reaction to John King’s departure as State Commissioner of Education. They urge that Governor Cuomo not interfere in the process of selecting a replacement:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 11, 2014
More information contact:
Eric Mihelbergel (716) 553-1123; nys.allies@gmail.com
Lisa Rudley (917) 414-9190; nys.allies@gmail.com
NYS Allies for Public Education (NYSAPE) – http://www.nysape.org
John King Resigns: Parents & Educators Call for a New Direction from the Regents and
Demand NO Interference from Governor Cuomo
Late Wednesday, the New York State Education Department announced that Commissioner John King is resigning effective the end of this year to accept a new post in Washington as an advisor to US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Last year NYSAPE, parents, and educators from around the state called for Commissioner King to step down. After many months of frustration and outrage from parents and educators across New York State, the chapter closes on an embattled commissioner who failed to address legitimate serious concerns.
Eyes from all corners of the Empire State now turn on Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch, the Board of Regents, and the legislature to ensure the next commissioner represents the substantial change in direction that public school parents demand from a responsive government that serves the people. NYSAPE calls for the Regents to adopt an open, inclusive selection process and stresses the importance of input from parents, educators, and other stakeholder groups in appointing a commissioner who will be more accountable to the public at large.
Governor Andrew Cuomo will also be watched very closely to ensure he does not overstep the constitutional authority of the Regents and interfere in any manner with the selection of a new commissioner of education. For innumerable reasons, New Yorkers are very glad to live within a NYS Constitution that does not grant Governor Andrew Cuomo authority when it comes to oversight of education in New York. They will be watching very closely both Governor Cuomo, who called public schools a “monopoly” to be broken, and his private backers with financial interests in the privatization of our public schools.
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Westchester County
“It is time for the Board of Regents to move in a very different direction. The Regents dismal track record of refusing to heed warnings and address significant parental concerns with excessive testing, student data privacy, and school privatization leaves no room for error with the selection of the next commissioner and must not allow for any interference from Governor Andrew Cuomo or his backers,”
said Lisa Rudley, founding member of NYSAPE and Westchester County public school parent.
New York City
“John King was the most unpopular commissioner in the history of NY State. He showed no respect for parents, teachers or student privacy. Ironically, he was intent on protecting his own privacy, and routinely withheld public documents; our Freedom of Information request of his communications with inBloom and the Gates foundation is more than 1 ½ years overdue. His resignation is good news for New York state; hopefully he will be unable to do as much damage at the US Department of Education,” Leonie Haimson, Executive Director of Class Size Matters.
Long Island
“This is bittersweet news for the parents and educators of New York. For the past few years we have endured an education commissioner that has repeatedly ignored our pleas for help. He has heard our stories of our children suffering as a result of the Board of Regent’s corporate reform agenda, and replied, “full steam ahead”. New York has seen the largest testing revolt and parent uprising in known history under his regime. This outrage and pushback from parents and educators will continue to grow until the Board of Regents and the State Education Department put their focus where it belongs: on our children. The future of education for the children of New York now rests with the selection process of his replacement, and parents demand to see educators on this search committee. Our hope is that his replacement will finally begin to listen to parents and educators, put our children first, and protect our NYS public education system,” stated Jeanette Deutermann, founder of Long Island Opt Out and Nassau County public school parent.
Dutchess County
“John King had many successes as commissioner of education. He was successful in creating a polarized, toxic situation and shutting down dialogue on important education policy matters such as common core, high stakes testing and student privacy. King earned a prestigious vote of “no confidence” from the state’s largest teachers union. King successfully hurled accusations and insults against parents, educators and concerned citizens and was able to deflect responsibility for his actions. King was successful in shortchanging the democratic process. King managed to avoid accountability to the Regents for demonstrated incompetence and lack of professionalism. In his short reign as commissioner of education, King was successful in mobilizing and forcing parents, educators, and concerned citizens to call and write state politicians demanding the he resign or be removed. King provided great advice and leadership that advanced charter, corporate education and other interests at the expense of public school children,” said Anna Shah, Dutchess county public school parent.
Otsego County
“The news of Commissioner King’s resignation is a victory for everyone in NYS who has repeatedly called for this moment. I am hopeful that a replacement commissioner will be appointed who has enough integrity to heed the concerns of stakeholders rather than blatantly ignore them. We must insist on an educational leader who will represent the best interests of students, parents, teachers, and schools,” Danielle Boudet, founding member of NYSAPE and Oneonta Area for Public Education.
Oneida County
“The students, parents, and teachers of New York State must insist that Mr. King be replaced with a commissioner that will actually put the needs of students’ first. Under John King’s watch, New York State embraced a reform agenda set forth by billionaires, a reform agenda designed to falsely label public schools as failing, widen the achievement gap, and portray hard working professional educators as the problem. This trend will only continue unless the citizens of New York demand better for our children. Mr. King’s departure provides the true stakeholders of public education-children-the hope that our next commissioner of education be courageous enough to defend our public schools by challenging the false narrative currently put forth by reformers,” said Jessica McNair, Oneida County public school parent and educator.
Erie County
Eric Mihelbergel, founding member of NYSAPE and Erie County public school parent stated, “On October 15 of 2013 we called for the resignation of NYS Education Commissioner John King after he proved his complete disregard for parents and the public by cancelling all scheduled Town Hall meetings across New York State. Now, over a year later, he is leaving New York State education in far worse shape than he found it. The New York State Board of Regents must step and do what they could not do before. They must appoint a new commissioner that puts the needs of our children ahead of the agenda of corporate education reformers.”
“Considering the many problems from Common Core, testing, and the failing APPR educator evaluation system, it is time that New York State has an experienced educator who has worked as a public school classroom teacher, principal, and superintendent as its next commissioner,” Chris Cerrone, Erie County public school parent and board of education member.
Statewide
Marla Kilfoyle, General Manager of the BATS stated, “John King has disregarded the voice of the practitioners in the classroom which soundly told him that the policies he promoted were hurting children and destroying their education.”
New York State Allies for Public Education consists of over 50 parent and educator advocacy groups across New York State. More details about our education positions and advocacy can be found at http://www.nysape.org.
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Diane Ravitch's blog 
Tisch needs to resign too!!!!
Storngly agree–but until that happens Tisch needs to be removed from any role in the selection of the next Commissioner. With seven Board of Regents members to be reappointed–or replaced next spring pressure needs to be placed upon Assembly members and Senators to hire someone with extensive leadership experience in public schools (teacher, building level, district level). We have been poorly served by the last two academics! I hate to see education politicized–but that is the world we live in and those who support privatization clearly have politicized education with their money. We need to politicize with our forcefully stated opinion. We cannot take much more of the King/Steiner deliberate undermining of public education!
WHEN AN EXCELLENT TEACHER IS DISCREDITED WITH BOGUS evaluations, and subjected to ‘TH PROCESS, it is unlikely that even an exceptional teacher will find employment win the profession again. Witness the fight that Francisco Portelos is fighting in NYC. http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/05/doe_says_not_so_fast_exiled_te.html
I follow him, at his site and on Betsy Combier’s blog. She has chronicled NYC corruption and the entire assault on the largest school district in the country for over a decade… for all the different it has made.
Mr King will now take HIS version of education and ADVISE Arne Duncan.
Like Cortines in LAUSD ( who did his poor job in nYC years ago) , and the top honchos in education administration like Klein, fare very well, collecting their pensions while moving on to farther destruction and corruption of public education.
The Irony is exquisite. We are history and they come out smelling like roses, moving up as we are thrown to the dogs.
This is a vast conspiracy, but the game of musical chairs which the chancellors and superintendents get to play is something that I want to address when I reveal my experience with THE PROCESS on my blog SPEAKING AS A TEACHER,, when I have time to put the blog together. I am presently watching the travesty and the tragedy from my computer on my balcony in Florida, where we are kayaking.
NYC and LAUSD, the largest districts in the country have been utterly raped of funds, as these guys rake in the profits from their corporate sponsors. Kelin went straight into selling magic elixirs, standing on his reputation as chancellor of Bloomberg’s DOE, which he left in shambles to the charter schools which now occupy our school buildings and get taxpayer funds once used to pave the road to opportunity for all students in NYC.
Sigh.
I’m from off, but I’m glad he’s not coming to my state.
However, I doubt this is a surprise to Cuomo; its possible he forced King out and already has a successor tapped. But at least you guys have a chance …
What surprises me is that he would go to the DOE with a lame duck administration. I’m thinking Arne may be leaving before the end.
Peter,
I hope that what you may be hinting at with “I’m thinking Arne may be leaving before the end” may never come to pass-then we’d never be able to say who was the all time worse DOEd secretary, the Dunkster or the Kingster. The brawls down at the Pink Slip would be endless.
Duane Swacker: perhaps then we will need to serve up a little of what Socrates refers to as his “hemlock special.”
Unlike John King, even the old Greek guy knows that Montessori and CCSS are not synonymous.
😎
They may not be synonymous but they both have two “Ss” along with synonymous so a “closester” reading would show that they indeed are synonymous (at least in folks like King and Coleman’s addled brain–and I’m not sure what they’ve been addled with but just saying).
Peter:
It does not matter what administration is in power. Choice, VAM, Charters, testing, student data, the influence of free market corporate reformers – it matters not whether a Republican Admin. or Democrat Admin. is now in office when it come to education policy and reform. Diane has explained this rather well in her books.
Hopefully citizens begin to understand this and then seek to re-establish more local control over their schools.
Why would Arne leave? That’s the sad part!
Tom
Krazy, make that a double on the rocks, as for the intense Greek Geezer, have him talk to Thoreau and take a vacation to the pond. He can compare it to his friend’s cave.
Typical education administrator…if they can’t hack it at their current job somebody hires them for a bigger job with a bigger title (after making a huge mess of course). Resume padding admins make changes only for their benefit and pocketbook. What a joke. Another example of rising to the level of one’s incompetence…
We’ve seen it before – the worse you are at your job, the higher up the ladder you climb to that desk job in the sky – hopefully in a far off cubicle where you can do no harm.
Incompetence rises.
It’s actually an outcome of physics.
When you shake a can of mixed nuts, the biggest nuts always rise to the top.
And they stay on top (if they are not eaten, of course).
Unfortunately, SomeDAM poet, cannibalism is outlawed in this country, so those nuts remain on top.
The Incompetetnt Don’t Know They’re Incompetent. They almost always overrate their skills.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Incompetent-People-Really-Have-No-Clue-Studies-2783375.php
Unfortunately, in current day America that gets you a promotion.
Who REALLY cares if John King is gone?
They are sending him up to D.C., which will only add to the tone and tenor set forth by Obama and Duncan, and he will only be replaced with someone just as or more reformist than he is.
There is no net gain of good news here.
The only good news is the growing parent backlash movement against the privatization and standardization of education . . . . .
But it would be great to see Meryl Tisch get out of state government altogether. I have never known of a more smug, self righteous, corrupt person since Lynn Cheney and her ersatz recognition of women’s power and rights in American history.
Now that Ms. Tisch’s cabana boy is gone, who WILL she get to service her? A rich woman with lots of money can have any man she wants . . . . .
Maybe Cuomo will encourage Ms. Madam to take on Michelle Rhee.
One worthless slug chased by another, but at least a woman would be getting the job and in this instance, would demonstrate the virtues of equal pay.
Stil, neither of them are worth the sale price of their underarm sweat . . . . .
Imagine if Fountas or Pinell were offered the job . . . . .
A guy can dream, can’t he? . . . . . .
“The only good news is the growing parent backlash movement against the privatization and standardization of education . . . . . ”
Yes, yes. The tipping point is near. The opt out movement should top the 10% mark this spring. The Parent Spring of 2015 here in NY. The PARCC/SBAC train wreck will keep the parent revolt spreading across the country. There is one thing the privatizers never counted on, as they were blinded by the potential windfall of taxpayer dollars that could come their way. They didn’t realize that their love of money would be trumped by parent’s love for their children.
I’m with you on this, Robert. King is a pawn. Tisch is a player who was “appointed”. Nothing will really change until we get elected officials with the guts to tell Gates and the other billionaires to stand down.
Oops! We aren’t the idiots they assumed we would be – we know how to flex our authority as parents.
Fear all these mama bears defending their cubs.
Reblogged this on seldurio.
From the US Dept. Of Education:
“He co-founded Roxbury Prep, a top charter middle school in Massachusetts, and was one of the leaders of Uncommon Schools, a network of high-performing charter schools in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.”
I wonder if they hired him to oversee the huge national charter expansion they’re planning.
They’re getting a boatload of money from Congress to open charter schools. Public schools need not apply.
Senator Mary Landrieu vowed to open 500 new charters every year until, I don’t know, public schools were completely eradicated or something. I suppose that’s “former Senator” now.
If the Regents are looking for a new commissioner, I hear “Dr” Ted Morris is looking for a job* and Tisch and the others have already reviewed his resume and found it to be stellar so what’s the holdup?
*John Deasy too.
While I agree that this is good news for New York State, but now we have two corporate reformers to deal with as a nation. Where was the transparency in the position at the White House. Arne Duncan and John King will prostrate themselves as the dynamic duo of Education. New York must spread the word about King. Hopefully, he will not become a candidate for the new Secretary of Education.
This administration is a lost cause for public school support.
“Lost Causes”
Public school support
Was not their cause to lose
And fighting for the fort
Is really just a ruse
The hordes are at the gate
With charter as their ram
And keepers seal their fate
With testing and with VAM
To help me understand what other’s are reading, I get the NYDaily News on line… and THEY think we need a new King with the “foresight and backbone” displayed by John King: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/editorial-new-king-needed-article-1.2042457?utm_source=Daily+News+2014&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyNews_2014_From_201411172_623479&utm_content=348326084&utm_term=_623479_623532
Exactly.
Who owns and runs the NY Daily News?
Mortimer Zuckerman.
Is Mortimer Zuckerman an advocate of strengthening our public schools?
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/mzuckerman/articles/2009/02/02/education-reform-consensus-grows-on-fixing-urban-schools
Place nail upon surface and tap gently with hammer to establish guide hole. Then gradually apply more force with hammer, hitting nail on squarely on the head.
Incompetence and ruthlessness is rewarded in NY!
And in American culture in general . . . . .
Reblogged this on 21st Century Theater.