I just read over Gotham School's report on last night's PEP meeting. All the work and the hours people put in were for naught. From reading Blomberg and Klein's closing remarks, it is obvious that the decision was written in stone months ago. They allowed the meeting to occur last night because they had to.
Bloomberg and Klein are still citing statistics about closing 91 schools and opening 351 new ones. Notice, the number of seats the new schools have are never mentioned. There is also no mention of the placement of the students that caused graduation numbers to be so low in the first place.
My heart goes out to all the wonderful people who worked so hard for something so right to only be stomped on by the big, rich guys.
There are parallels to be drawn between the movie Avatar and our city. We, the citizens of Gotham are being destroyed so a few others can gain wealth. (The actual story has a much greater connotation.) Maybe an Avatar will come along that will help us fight back.
4 comments:
They just voted to close the 19 schools. Obviously, the borough presidents of Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Bronx dissented. My only question is... where are all those underperforming kids going to go? Certainly, not PACKEMIN HS, right?
A total disgrace that lies can be told about a school for the purpose of destroying public education and teacher unions. The media is saying that 75% of the students in those "new" schools graduate but leave out the fact that ELL and Special Ed are not a part of those student bodies.
I have no doubt that Randi Weingarten sleeps like a baby every night and lives the high life not only on the dues of the people she destroys but in her knowledge she is a major architect of this destruction.
I am going to change my voting status to Independent because my party, the Democratic Party as well as my union, did not stand by me when they allowed
Bloomberg a third term...when they handed him his last 2 elections and that of Pataki too...and when they backed mayoral control and charters. It won't bother me that I will not have a voice in a primary because I know that no candidate is "the one". They don't work for the people who elected them. They woo the middle class and Labor during the campaign, but after the election we are the forgotten ones.
Obama is also on this course to destroy public education. I will listen to his speech and know that his charm and magic with words will no longer sway me. He is out to protect his re-election and nothing more. Arnie Duncan and the Kleins of this world will be calling the shots on the future--the destruction--of American public school teachers.
I truly believe the last thing the Dems in NYS and NYC want is an exodus of voters from the party. If that's the only power I have over them, I am using it.
I'm very deeply saddened by the altogether predictable events of last night. If there is a silver lining it's the refusal of the legislature to allow charters to push their way into public schools without the permission of parents whose kids attend.
But it's just awful. And much as I loved Avatar, it's very tough to find inspiration outside the theater today.
I was at BKLYN TECH until 1 am. My school is closing. It was democracy under autocracy. The booing of Klein during his opening remarks was something to behold. There was a cop every fifteen feet.
Meanwhile three Math Regents must be graded tomorrow. But revolt is in the air. At least Mulgrew doesn't need his picture eight times in each issue.
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