Due to the icy weather, the rally before the PEP on Tuesday has been moved to before the PEP on Thursday.
Time: 4PM (unchanged)
Place: Brooklyn Tech (unchanged)
Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category
Faust in Gotham
You never taught inside a school,
While dabbling in the classics,
And yet, you do o’er teachers rule,
Who teach the children basics.
From Marcy Mount to Brooklyn and
From Buffalo to sea,
You rule o’er K-12, and more,
In all your majesty.
And yet, when Bloomberg roars, you squeak,
And toss upon your bed.
You now are grown, and yet, you leave
Your sheets and mattress wet.
Oh Steiner, where’s your backbone gone?
Why do you bow and dither?
Arise, and do your duty, man!
Ask not of Bloomberg, “Whither?”
They say, you’re not a socialite,.
But you were raised elite.
Your father was a famous man,
But was he so effete?
You backed the charters, and you’ve been
With Bloomberg until now.
But now, we have a crisis and
You’re having, see, a cow!
You’re used, like once the English were,
To bow down to your king.
And yet, your conscience tells you that
He doesn’t know a thing.
Not business — that he knows too well.
But teaching children, see!
The ones, who know, are targeted,
By President’s decree.
And all that “education” stuff
That you and your kind preach,
Are now perceived as naught but fluff,
For “Anyone can teach!”
And teachers are but like the ones
That Bloomberg rode from high.
He sends down little CEO’s,
Who parachute from sky.
Ah, David, you are now that Faust,
Who pacted with the Devil.
You listen to the gramophone,
To dull the sense of evil.
You sold your soul and now repent,
And yet cannot resist.
With Satan, you would compromise,
And from the truth, desist.
Oh David, have we so misjudged
And slandered you today?
Then prove us wrong, and do what’s right,
As Joel slinks away.
Arjun Janah < sjanah@aol.com >
2010 November 25th, Friday
Brooklyn
Have you signed both petitions to deny a waiver to Cathie Black, the nominee for NYC Chancellor? She does not have the necessary credentials (actually ANY education credentials)
One petition urges NYS Education Commissioner, David M. Steiner to deny the waiver (click here). The other, initiated by NYC Kids PAC, will generate e-mails to the Commissioner, his deputy, the Board of Regents, and your own State Senator and Assemblyperson (click here).
Please sign both now.
Several years ago, when discussing Mayoral control of the schools New Action urged the UFT Executive Board to recommend that there be NO waiver for Chancellor. Then-president Weingarten rejected the idea. We can’t allow the Mayor to screw us twice. Again, please sign the petition. Thank you.
The text of the petitions follows:
Deny a waiver to Cathleen Black; she is unqualified to become NYC Chancellor!
Targeting: The NY State Senate, The NY State House, Board of Regents, see more…The NY State Senate, The NY State House, Board of Regents, David M. Steiner (Commissioner, NYS Education Department), John B. King (Deputy Commissioner, NYS Education Department), State Sen. Dean Skelos (NY-009), State Sen. John Sampson (NY-019), and State Rep. Sheldon Silver (NY-064)
Started by: NYC Kids Pac
Mayor Bloomberg has appointed Cathleen Black as the new NYC Schools Chancellor to succeed Joel Klein. Ms. Black is a corporate executive and magazine publisher who has no education experience, did not attend public school herself, and sent her children to private boarding schools in Connecticut. Her background does not qualify her to lead a school system of 1.1 million public school students.
NY state law requires that candidates for school superintendency who do not meet minimal requirements must receive a waiver from Education Commissioner David Steiner. This waiver is to be issued only to persons “whose exceptional training and experiences are the substantial equivalent of such requirements and qualify such persons for the duties of a superintendent of schools.” Ms. Black has no “exceptional” training or experiences that would qualify her for this position.
NYC has had nine long years of a chancellor who was not an educator. NYC public school students have suffered enough with crowded classrooms, inflated test scores, and parents shut out of the system. Our children can only be saved if we have an educator as Chancellor, and who understands what a quality education really means. The waiver must be denied.
Take action now by signing our petition, and your letter will be sent immediately to Commissioner Steiner, the Board of Regents, and the entire NY State Legislature. Please also follow up with a call to the Commissioner’s office at (518) 474-5844.
Thank you for supporting our kids.
NYC Kids PAC
—- —- —- —- —- —- —- —- —-
Denial of NYC Chancellor Waiver
Dear Commissioner David M. Steiner,
Today, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced his appointment of Cathie Black to replace Joel Klein as Chancellor of New York City Schools. Ms. Black, currently executive vice president of Hearst Magazines, lacks the required educational and professional qualifications for the position of Schools Chancellor as determined by state law. As a result, she will require a waiver from your office in order to accept the appointment.
The children, parents, and educational community of New York City deserve a leader with experience in education. Ms. Black’s corporate experience may well qualify her for executive positions in business, but the education of our children and the training of our teachers is not corporate business. We urge you, as an educator, to:
~Deny the necessary waiver for Ms. Black’s appointment
~Reaffirm the qualification requirements for NYC Schools Chancellor
Sincerely,
New Action - UFT 