Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that Dr. Jere Hochman, the superintendent of the Bedford school district, will become his chief education advisor.
Jere Hochman is a wise and experienced educator. Maybe he can educate the governor. He often comments on this blog, and I have posted some of his newsletters to parents and staff.
According to the local newspaper:
A Westchester County school superintendent is joining Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s cabinet as his top education aide.
Jere Hochman, who has headed the Bedford Central School District since 2008, will leave to become Cuomo’s deputy secretary for education, Gannett’s Albany Bureau has learned.
Cuomo is set to announce the appointment Wednesday.
“Dr. Hochman brings tremendous experience and an in-depth knowledge of the public education system to his new role,” Cuomo said in a statement. “He has spent his career working to strengthen learning environments and make schools a better place for all, and he will be a valuable member of our policy team.”
A former English teacher and school principal, Hochman will become the Democratic governor’s top education adviser at a time when the state’s implementation of the Common Core education standards continues to receive criticism from parents and teachers.
Prior to his appointment, Hochman was also the president of the Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents, the organization representing school chiefs in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Dutchess counties. The region has become a hotbed for parent anger over the state’s standardized tests and the Common Core.
Good luck, Jere.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“This Governor has spearheaded many important education initiatives to improve New York’s public schools systems acting as the students’ biggest advocate.”
Oh, the betrayal!
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Do you think Dr. Hochman knows he “said” that in the press release? Or was it part of a longer sentence or paragraph….(for example, something like “while many of Gov. Cuomo’s initiatives have been problematic, this Governor has spearheaded many important education……)
It’s pretty brilliant to have your PR staff write a fawning quote about you that your new appointee “said” in the first press release announcing the appointment. After all, what new appointee is going to make that his first fight: “no, I didn’t say that”? It’s not worth it.
No one ever said Gov. Cuomo wasn’t a brilliant politician. It’s a shame he can’t put some of that to work for the values of people who aren’t very, very rich. Has he ever supported a policy that rich people would object to? I can’t think of a one (but maybe someone can).
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It’s a press release. It was drafted by the PR staff, the quote was approved by Hochman, and the whole thing should be tossed in the trash immediately.
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Did the PR staff really have to come up with such a fawning quote — “students’ biggest advocate”? But I suppose you are right – it’s bound for the garbage, so who cares. But seriously, what were some of those “important education initiatives to improve New York’s public schools systems acting as the students’ biggest advocate”? We should play a game to come up with just a few of the “many”:
Common Core testing?
Charter schools?
Voucher like system so yeshivas and parochial schools, and private schools can take more scarce taxpayer funds?
That’s 3 (I don’t agree with them, but other people — especially rich ones — might). But there are “many”, so what are some of these other important initiatives? I’m sure I’m forgetting some of them. Maybe he will take credit for de Blasio’s pre-k?
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When in doubt, buy them out!
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Credible cover to help walk back his disastrous policies. Hopefully Dr. Hochman will help Cuomo save face while climbing out of the hole he dug. Cuomo may be realizing he is a no win situation. Over 500,000 opt-outs projected for this April is not the publicity Cuomo wants.
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Andrew: When you’re in a deep hole and getting deeper, stop digging.
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I sure hope he will not drink the Cuomo kool aid….we need a strong advocate for public education!
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Hopefully Dr. Hochman can advise that there is no good way to implement a bad policy and working within the framework Cuomo and the legislature created is not an option!
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Only questions that matter on this:
1) what is Hochman’s position on VAM-APPR?
2) what is his position on Common Core/reform movement?
3) what is his position on opt out?
…if any of the answers to these questions are halfway, Hochman is not an advocate of ours.
Other questions:
1) how much real access and influence will be have to/on Cuomo? (Is it just an empty position that Cuomo is filling with a Westchester guy?)
2) I vaguely recall a time before this reform thing, when school/district admin. were teachers’ real enemies and who worked tirelessly to limit out pay, increase out workload, deprofessionalize us, marginalize our interests in the community, and generally jam teachers up as much as possible. That Hochman is an “educator” has little weight here to me. How was he as a school and district admin? That’s what counts. That he was once a classroom teacher matters waaaaay less. (Going to “the dark side” of admin usually negates the positives of being a teacher!) What was his record with teachers as an admin?
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Finally! Cuomo is cleaning house–must be thinking about his next election, or about the other two “men in the room”–rub a dub dub!
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Looks like window dressing to me.
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Is this just yet another federal charter school building program? If so, they should present it honestly and say that:
“In response to this critical challenge, the President has called for a whole-school transformation of the high school experience. The 2016 Budget calls for the establishment of a new $125 million competitive program at the U.S. Department of Education to help communities across America launch Next-Generation High Schools that will be laboratories for cutting-edge STEM teaching and learning, demonstrating the tenets of high school reform that the President has championed.”
http://blog.ed.gov/2015/10/high-school-what-it-can-and-should-be-for-americas-students/
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Business Model has its own philosophy in which they cannot beat the opponents, they buy them out.
In the same vein, NY Governor applies this tactic.
I completely agree with Abigail Shure, and NYSTEACHER.
Parents, educators, and students, please do not be gullible with politician without conscience, and do not easily trust EMPTY PROMISE, but need to ask all suggested questions from NYSTEACHER, like:
1) What is Hochman’s position on VAM-APPR?
2) What is his position on Common Core/reform movement?
3) What is his position on opt out?
4) What was his record with teachers as an admin?
5) How was he as a school and district admin? That’s what counts
Thank you Abigail Shure, and NYSTEACHER for your wisdom. Back2basic
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Jere has been an outspoken critic of this reform movment, but it still warrants having your questions answered in depth.
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Robert,
Criticism of the reform movement comes in 2 basic varieties:
A) criticism of how it is rolling out, implemented, marketed, and deployed overall.
B) criticism of the basic tenets and logic structures that are the basis of the reform movement.
From some of the quotes I’ve read of Hochman, he is fairly clearly in category A.
Folks on Category A are not on our side. On the surface in conversations they may seem to be our allies. Alas, they are not. They accept the basic premises of the reform movement. They accept the reform movements essential claims about teachers, teachers unions, etc etc etc. They simply want a different implementation, a calmer dialog, and most importantly, LESS ATTENTION from all corners. That said, some folks in Category A are well-meaning folk who usually attach themselves to anything that smacks of social reform….but we must be clear that those folks are aiding and abetting in a real way.
I’m over Category A people. In this particular social, political, and economic fight, there isn’t a wide middle ground. If someone says they are a critic of the reform movement, I need to hear that they stand opposed, strongly, to VAM, corporate-based testing, corporate-monetizing and comodifying of public education in all forms, the privatizing of even a square centimeter of public educational space, and common core in any of its guises or varieties. I need to hear that hard and fast from anyone claiming to be a critic of the reform movement. If I don’t, I automatically assume they are Category A.
Hochman is Category A.
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Will he demand we get rid of evidence less reforms such as VAM and charter schools?
Will he tell Cuomo to stop misusing tests to pave the pathway for privatization?
Will he be for simply renaming, shortening tests, and other small changes that are meaningless or will he say those are simply perfume on a turd?
Will he form his own Public Education Task Force with actual experts and an agenda to support public school?
I am skeptical, but hope I am wrong. Cuomo is calling for a reboot, which means reload the same program .
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Our Reptilian Governor is an efficient predator in his native habitat, and has acute sensors. In other words, he knows that people see through him on education, and is trying deflect and neutralize that.
However this may play out, at a minimum it signals his newly-defensive position on education, that he is feeling some heat, and to appear to be responding.
it’s good news, so long as parents don’t take the bait and continue expanding opt out.
Who knows, maybe even teachers will find their voice, and finally act to drive these money-changers and posers out of the Temple.
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Agreed. Could a retired teacher or community member provide information on Hochman’s stance on all NYS Teacher’s et. als’ questions? APPR/VAM stance is of particular importance. New Yorkers have watched this horror show unfold for many years now, and we do not trust Cuomo with education, or anyone he hires or appoints.
Speaking of politicians who love reform: who is going to primary Flanagan and the other “heavy hearts” club legislators?
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It is also possible that this so-called move up is a way to remove him from positions where he has more influence and a louder voice. In his new position, Cuomo has a better chance of isolating and muzzling Hockman’s voice of dissent against Cuomo’s education policies..
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I posted this over on Perdido:
Lets be clear here though….Cuomo IS NOT interested in turning back, starting over, tossing out reform, or making things right at long last with education and teachers.
Cuomo is interested in keeping reform alive in NY into the near future and deeper future. This whole thing with Hochman, committees, etc etc etc DOES NOT signify a change in direction for Cuomo on education AT ALL. It simply signals his efforts to keep reform, the reform agenda, and teacher-destroying alive and moving forward.
With Hochman it seems that Cuomo has an education “insider” who probably agrees with the larger bulk of the of Cuomo’s thinking but who has practical experience in maintaining a relationship with parents and teachers that is calm.
I see NOTHING that points to Hochman as a real critic of the reform movement and defender of teachers. I see someone who can communicate, say the correct things to calm teachers and parents, but is inevitably doing Cuomo’s work. Cuomo has no interest in turning back from his agenda. Why would he pick someone for this position who did not?
These folks are highly skilled at saying what people want to hear and very subtly NOT saying certain things. I have been a teacher dealing with all of this reform nonsense for long enough to realize that unless they say CLEARLY, LOUDLY, AND SPECIFICALLY exactly what I want to hear, then they are probably out to do my career harm.
Its not like Hochman is going to get more clear and crisp, more loudly against reform as his time goes on in the Cuomo admin. He didn’t say the specific things I wanted to hear today, and that means he likely never will.
His job is to make the pill easier to swallow.
Basic smell test: What legit, self-respecting, anti-reformer of ANY strip would accept a position in Cuomo’s cabinet? Really.
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The tide has not changed one bit. When billionaires stop investing in education then there will be change. I bet this mans sole job is to reduce the opt out numbers
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Cuomo is interested in one thing: Cuomo.
If walking back his disastrous education reform agenda will help hiim politically he will. He has already waled back on the minimum wage.
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Maybe it’s me, but I would rather hear from the teachers of Bedford before deciding this man is worth the accolades.
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We have yet to see where this will go. I hope his mission is to bring back policy and strategies that work. Let’s move away from the two many cooks in the kitchen and the meal is ruined. Let us pray!
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To whom it may concern;
Pray and hope can be “”the strong force”” for a survival mode, BUT it can be “”the deadly submission”” for all weak mind people.
To NYSTEACHER:
Yes, I am 100+% sure that “” You are correct about your expression of the category A”” for Jere Hochman.
Logical mind is the essential skills that all educators MUST employ. Historically, DEMOCRACY is not for people with pray and hope, BUT with WISDOM, DETERMINATION, KINDNESS, SELF-RESPECT, and BEING CONSIDERATE.
I would like to repeat NYSTEACHER’S words of wisdom:
[start quote]
Basic smell test: What legit, self-respecting, anti-reformer of ANY strip would accept a position in Cuomo’s cabinet? Really.
[end quote]
I have no doubt about Cuomo according to NYSTEACHER’s expression, like “”Cuomo is interested in one thing: Cuomo.””
Thanks God’s blessing so that we still have a courageous, wise, and intelligent educator like NYSTEACHER. Back2basic
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