2018-02-28 11:00
I'm always amazed at the things that reformies say. Reformy of the day is Daniel Weisberg, who has an op-ed in the Daily News about Janus. First, the reformy supports union:I personally thin… Read More
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New York City Schools
2018-02-27 09:56
But please read my piece on the fallacy that is Janus, live at Gotham Gazette now Read More
2018-02-27 02:07
I came from another meeting and arrived late at 6:08.Minutes approved.LeRoy Barr talking about how news SCOTUS judge is silent. DOJ was there on behalf of Janus. Conversation ent way beyond… Read More
2018-02-25 19:11
Sure it’s nuts to have teachers carry guns in classrooms. Trump thinks we’re full of retired military, and sees every schoolteacher as a potential Bruce Willis from Die Hard. In… Read More
2018-02-25 01:36
The more I think about it, the more I think all this nonsense about teachers carrying is just a diversion. As long as idiots like me stand around and argue teachers shouldn't carry guns, we'… Read More
2018-02-23 12:43
I haven't read or heard a whole lot about the gun show loophole. This is important, because without closing it, there is nothing that will keep anyone from getting a gun. You might read abou… Read More
2018-02-22 11:04
Trump needed a cheat sheet for his listening session yesterday. Take a look at number five, which says, "I hear you." It's kind of remarkable that anyone needs a reminder to acknowledge hear… Read More
2018-02-21 14:21
The knee-jerk reaction to the Florida shooting, among jerks both with and without knees, was that we need more guns in schools. While we're on the subject of jerks, Secretary of Education Be… Read More
2018-02-20 12:37
I'm floored by the sheer volume of reports I get about the Florida school killings. At every moment there's another report, another angle. Some are just beyond the pale, For example, the Was… Read More
2018-02-18 14:29
Every day I read another story about where education is headed. Today it looks like they're moving toward play-based education for young children in Boston. I'm good with that. It makes sens… Read More
2018-02-15 09:19
I signed up for the catastrophic medical insurance offered by NYSUT, not expecting a catastrophe, but you never know. I never thought the insurance itself would be catastrophic, but I should… Read More
2018-02-14 09:00
There's a lot of talk about evaluation systems being revamped, because that, evidently, is what you do with teacher evaluation systems, and you do it almost every year. NYSUT has declared it… Read More
2018-02-13 01:20
6:05—I arrive late as an adult ed. teacher is complaining about lack of support from union on superintendent Rosemarie Mills. Asks that leadership respond to a list of questions. Calls… Read More
2018-02-10 23:06
I went to the DA, not expecting much. I was wondering whether a few resolutions would come up or pass. I got a little more than I bargained for. After an unremarkable address from the Presid… Read More
2018-02-09 22:06
A few days ago, a young social studies teacher instructed me that we were all to wear our new UFT shirts today. How could I say no? Our school was a sea of red. Here's guidance. H… Read More
2018-02-08 16:03
I was going to react to the entire DA (and I will), but I found this missive on a seat, and I can't resist. Of course, like every propaganda pamphlet, it starts by telling how wonderful thos… Read More
2018-02-08 01:33
4:30 Mulgrew calls us to order.Reminds us we have one snow day remaining. One year anniversary of Betsy DeVos. Mulgrew calls up person in bear costume to wish her happy anniversary. Says bea… Read More
2018-02-06 10:08
I read stories like these and shake my head. Teachers do things, and the answer is to train all the teachers. Once we all have anti-bias training there will be no more bias, evidently. I won… Read More
2018-02-05 11:42
Sometimes I struggle all year to pronounce a Chinese name. They have, for example, a "u" sound that I've yet to master. I say the student's name and all his paisanos laugh out loud at my fee… Read More
2018-02-02 15:41
I was a little disappointed to read about massive cheating at Stuyvesant. There's a particularly disturbing quote in the story:“It’s not academic dishonesty if you don&rsqu&hell…Read More
2018-02-01 10:06
I was with a young colleague yesterday and she was showing me all the stuff she had to do for her tenure packet. She had a list of accomplishments that went on for pages. I was kind of in aw… Read More
2018-01-31 10:16
Under article 22 of the contract, you are entitled to file grievances. I went over twenty years without doing so, but then I became chapter leader. Since then, not only have I filed more gri… Read More
2018-01-30 09:00
Yesterday we sat for an hour and listened to a lecture about conflicts of interest. Evidently you can’t take money to tutor your students. You aren’t allowed to accept gifts of o… Read More
2018-01-29 09:15
I've been chapter leader for almost nine years. I've worked under two principals. Whenever there's a problem, they call "legal." I'm not sure who exactly is in "legal." Nonetheless, every si… Read More
2018-01-26 16:27
There's some regulation, somewhere, that calls for an extra parent-teacher conference for ELLs. I teach them, so I go. Last night we had the conference in the library. It was not well-attend… Read More
2018-01-25 09:00
People send me observation reports all the time. I get them via email, and I see them in my building. No one likes adverse ratings, of course. Sometimes I see behavior described that merits… Read More
2018-01-24 11:19
Hey, I understand. The union sucks. You had a grievance, and you lost. You had a problem, and no one helped. You called the borough office, and no one called you back. I'm sure you're tellin… Read More
2018-01-23 01:42
6 PM—Howard Schoor welcomes us.Speaker Sarah Shapiro has not yet arrived.Minutes—approvedPresident’s Report—Mulgrew is not here 6:03Staff Director’s Report&mdas&hell…Read More
2018-01-21 12:43
There were several striking aspects of the DA last Wednesday. First, Mulgrew said we didn't need to pass a resolution to attend the Women's March. Later, Janella Hinds proposed a resolution… Read More
2018-01-20 16:35
Hi, I'm Becky, and I'm the UFT Chapter Leader, The principal said we had to have one, and that I had to be it. So let's get down to it.First order of business is the lesson plans. Now the pr… Read More
2018-01-19 12:16
I'm a nursing mom and I work as a dean. It's a tough job, sometimes, because I'm always moving. I get really, really thirsty. My doctor says I have to stay hydrated at all times. So I carry… Read More
2018-01-18 01:29
4:33 Mulgrew tells us to settle down. I’m eating popcorn with Mike Schirtzer.Moment of silence for Doris Escaros, chapter leader from Queens. Mulgrew, optimistic, welcomes us to Februa… Read More
2018-01-17 12:21
What do you say when a student asks you that question? I mean, they pay you to come here. That's one reason. You might also speak of your zeal and dedication. You are here to help. You're on… Read More
2018-01-16 12:53
So said a comment I read, complaining about something or other. I have deep and longstanding issues with UFT leadership. My primary issue is lack of representation. I'm a high school teacher… Read More
2018-01-15 10:21
Today we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated in 1968. He's famous for his work in civil rights, but when he was assassinated he was supporting working people. He w… Read More
2018-01-13 01:01
I remember the day after Election Day. I woke up, thinking, well, Hillary kind of sucks, but at least she isn't as bad as Trump. I came downstairs and turned on the news. I watched returns c… Read More
2018-01-11 09:43
I admit I read Rise and Shine from Chalkbeat every morning. It's kind of a cheat sheet to find out what education stories I might want to see every day. Also, they email it to me every… Read More
2018-01-10 15:22
For me, it's new things. For the longest time I was locked away in the trailer, and I watched people work on PowerPoint presentations. I thought how lucky I was to be in the trailer with no… Read More
2018-01-09 02:03
6:02 PM—Howard Schoor welcomes us, wishes happy new year. Says there are no speakers. Crowd applauds.Minutes—approvedPresident’s Report—Mulgrew is not here.Staff Dire… Read More
2018-01-08 09:00
Chalkbeat, originator of teaching competitions it fancies reminiscent of Top Chef, lover of and advocate for all things reformy, .zeroes in on merit pay. Naturally, despite abundant failure… Read More
2018-01-05 22:48
Chalkbeat is running some kind of teaching contest, and comparing itself with Top Chef. I love Top Chef. I started watching it years ago, and watched it just last night. There's a Mexican-Am… Read More
2018-01-04 23:35
On CBS TV they tell me that there are 15 inches of snow where I live. I look out the window, though, and I see two feet of snow behind my car, and it stretches 20 feet behind. I have a littl… Read More
2018-01-04 09:51
NYC Public SchoolsVerified account @NYCSchools 13m13 minutes agoMore WEATHER ADVISORY: Due to expected severe weather conditions, all New York City public schools will be CLOS… Read More
2018-01-03 09:21
It's always jarring coming back after a break. Everyone says, "Happy New Year," and asks, "How was your break?" I want to tell them, "You know, it was pretty good, but I woke up this morning… Read More
2018-01-02 09:00
This guy, the one on the left, somehow survived Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Animal Lighthouse Rescue found him there, on the street, and brought him back. There are a whole lot of strays… Read More
2018-01-01 09:00
Like everyone, I'm all excited that I get to continue to deduct 250 bucks for school supplies. Boy, those GOP politicians may not be the bottom-feeding slugs everyone seems to think th… Read More
2017-12-29 12:42
America has a long history of bilingual education and language education in general. Alas, we're the worst language learners in the world. There are good reasons for that, primary being the… Read More
2017-12-28 12:27
Here's a cheery little piece I found over at Leonie Haimson's blog. It's eerie how accurate it looks. If you'd like to do something to move things away from the Reformy Dark Side, cons… Read More
2017-12-26 17:35
There may be exceptions, actually, but I really believe this in general. The main thing that stands in the way of that goal, though, is often administration. Of course not every student will… Read More
2017-12-24 15:06
Thank goodness President Trump is working on that. Now I can say, "Merry Christmas," instead of "Happy Holidays." And if you don't celebrate Christmas we'll deport your ass back to where you… Read More
2017-12-22 09:00
Ms. Fitz had had it with Boy Wonder. He would always come in 8th period on Friday when there was a school football game or something and write her up because there weren't enough students th… Read More
2017-12-21 14:34
I don't know what you see when you read those questions, but here's what I see:1. Who loves you more--the teacher or your mother?a. mother b. mom c. mama d. madre2. H… Read More
2017-12-20 10:18
I complain a lot, and I complain about almost everything. Some things I don't complain about are my students, or what goes on in our classroom. I also don't write a whole lot of personal stu… Read More
2017-12-19 12:08
by special guest Mike SchirtzerOpen MikeNo speakers-everyone is bitterly disappointed says Schoor.Minutes--approved Mulgrew will not be hereLeRoy Barr-upcoming Wednesday 6-8pm emergency… Read More
2017-12-18 11:55
Due to circumstances beyond my control, I won't be going to work today and I won't be going to Executive Board either. I've asked Jonathan to take notes, and if he commits them to email I'll… Read More
2017-12-16 21:30
The ICE blog covered this last week, comparing the CSA and UFT reactions to a memo that came from the office of Debbie Poulos, Director of UFT Contract Empowerment Dept. You may see things o… Read More
2017-12-15 15:47
I was once thrilled with Elizabeth Green. She wrote for a small NYC paper and was hands down the best education journalist around. I don't remember exactly what she wrote about, but I rememb… Read More
2017-12-14 16:54
There's a brutal op-ed over at the Bklyner this morning. It goes a bit beyond the usual "all teachers suck" theme I see in the NY editorial pages. This is because it targets the teachers of… Read More
2017-12-13 10:06
I'm pretty happy to see that students with disabilities will have an alternate route to getting a high school diploma. It seems to me that passing the English Regents, for example, requires… Read More
2017-12-12 09:43
Yesterday I gave some thought to leadership's request that I organize a committee to persuade people to continue being duespayers. UFT leadership has asked me to select three people to run t… Read More
2017-12-11 09:44
I'm fascinated by this blog, which suggests many of us are guilty of "microagression." (Here are some less ambiguous forms, but I'm going to focus on the first piece.) According to the blog… Read More
2017-12-09 11:40
It's a daunting job to rep the high schools. Every two weeks we step into an art film. We kind of have to play checkers with Death. I know it was chess in the film, but I feel like we begin… Read More
2017-12-07 09:24
Executive Board meetings are getting more interesting, though I'd hesitate to call that a good thing. First of all, Unity is clearly hijacking the questions period to spread the word about h… Read More
2017-12-06 12:44
I've been having a rough year. My PM class contained a lot of off-level students, including a few officially named SIFE kids and others I thought were SIFE even if their records didn't say s… Read More
2017-12-05 02:21
Secretary Howard Schoor welcomes us. 6:20SpeakersCarlos Oliveri—The word PD has endured unfair rep. Some see it as obligatory, but I hope to rouse support. My school has struggled with… Read More
2017-12-03 21:46
I got a funny message today. My friend was home, doing home stuff, when she got a knock on her door. The person at the door knew her name and said he was from the UFT. She was pretty surpris… Read More
2017-12-03 14:57
I have no idea how we've gotten to this point. The GOP just passed a tax bill that screws every homeowner in our state. It robs thousands from blue states to subsidize red states and gazilli… Read More
2017-12-02 13:01
It's remarkable to read about how you get all your seniors admitted to college. If you're a charter school, of course, you simply dump every student who isn't making it back into the public… Read More
2017-11-30 12:10
I'm really flabbergasted to read Eva Moskowitz crying and moaning that she hasn't got enough space. She holds galas that earn her millions of dollars, and spent years with the Chancellor of… Read More
2017-11-29 09:00
I don't link to the 74, but the reformy Gates-funded make-believe teachers over at Educators 4 Excellence are making a stink over the ATR. It seems they and their reformies care a great deal… Read More
2017-11-28 09:17
I may have mentioned somewhere on this space that I am a member of the UF of T. That's the NYC city teacher union. From time to time, I may have a question or two about leadership, and I occ… Read More
2017-11-27 10:16
So goes the rallying cry for the US of A. Students are failing tests, and the only possible value a human could have is measured on said tests. Whose fault? Well, it can't be the fault of th… Read More
2017-11-24 21:28
That's an Arabian proverb. It may be easy for many to trust in Allah, but here in the United States we're expected to trust in President Donald Trump. This is the guy who, for years, critici… Read More
2017-11-23 11:59
Wishing you a great four-day weekend, free from all the nonsense that we're always hearing and reading about, sometimes on this very site.Enjoy a well-deserved holiday!~From the entire staff… Read More
2017-11-22 09:45
The other night several Unity members told some happy stories about people getting together and standing tall against administration. It's good to hear, but the song remains the same. Everyt… Read More
2017-11-21 02:05
Secretary Howard Schoor welcomes us. SpeakersWashington Sanchez—Rockaway school Douglas Academy 6—Very resourceful students—many challenges. CL often overwhelmed by challen… Read More
2017-11-20 15:57
I'm sitting in my packed-to-the-gills high school right now, with 4700 students attending school in a building designed for about half that. We have rooms that are converted closets, rooms i… Read More
2017-11-18 10:50
That's how I'd feel if I were working in one of the so-called renewal schools. You have to graduate this many more students by such and such a date. Failure is not an option. Okay, it is an… Read More
2017-11-16 13:59
Someone told me yesterday that, as a member of the Executive Board, I am automatically on the Committee of 300, tasked with the negotiation of the UFT Contract. I'm torn between being honore… Read More
2017-11-15 17:16
Last year I brought a class size resolution to the UFT Executive Board. Of course they voted it down, because it's overkill. Of course the contract says there are 34 students per high school… Read More
2017-11-14 10:58
The last Executive Board meeting went by pretty quickly. Since we didn't have a resolution for Unity to vilify and vote down, we ended relatively early. There are just a few things of note.O… Read More
2017-11-10 18:32
I understand there's a door-knocking campaign to encourage union membership. I believe in union, I will absolutely pay dues no matter what, but there are things I'm not sure about. This is o… Read More
2017-11-09 20:09
I'm not surprised to read about charters that don't do well. There are a whole lot of them. In many states, it doesn't matter how they do. In this state, they're supposed to be somewhat acco… Read More
2017-11-09 00:52
That's the question, but if you need the hours you really have no choice. The DOE dropped the ball early on while Fariña was focusing on what a beautiful day it was. After all, if Mac… Read More
2017-11-07 23:03
I've been giving a lot of thought to that concept of late. Norm Scott was on fire at the generally staid Executive Board meeting last night, and excoriated crazy administrators, of which the… Read More
2017-11-07 02:02
Secretary Howard Schoor welcomes us.Speaker—Norm Scott—Speaks about NY Knicks and NY Jets. Says he was first speaker here 15 years ago, spoke of abusive principals. Asked to defe… Read More
2017-11-05 18:44
Me, in hall with student: Are you OK?Student: I don't feel good.Me: Go to the nurse.Student: No. I don't want to go to the nurse.Me. Then you have to do the work.Student: I don't want to do… Read More
2017-11-04 18:34
For years I have noticed that the NY Times has the very worst education reporting in the city. I often disagree with the editorials in the News and the Post, but their reporting often contra… Read More
2017-11-03 11:25
After all this time I can finally take a deep breath. Old Ms. Hazelton, the wretched harridan who always asks me questions at meetings and gets all smug when I don't answer is finally gone!… Read More
2017-11-02 13:51
It was a fun-filled night down at 52. I barely know where to start. Howard Schoor offered his condolences to the five new members of the Executive Board. I'm always amused by comments on wha… Read More
2017-11-01 11:47
Some days there's just nothing you can do. I mean, they are there. You can see them. But where are their minds?I understand, of course. I can't remember how many days I spent, in high school… Read More
2017-10-31 01:16
Thanks to Mike Schirtzer for taking notes during debate. Apologies to speakers I missed while waiting to speak. 6:00 Howard Schoor welcomes us. SpeakersPenny Tuzio, retired, Tottenville HS&m&hell…Read More
2017-10-29 09:54
The day after my classes went to see Wicked on Broadway, one of my morning students showed me something on her phone. She evidently didn't have the words to express what she wanted, so she u… Read More
2017-10-28 16:01
It's kind of frustrating being a high school teacher in New York City. Some people will tell you that the kids we teach are difficult, but I always think as long as we can be crazier than th… Read More
2017-10-27 09:29
Last week at Executive Board, UFT leadership told us that the APPR system was the best thing since sliced bread and that everyone loved it. The proof, they said, was that there were so few i… Read More
2017-10-26 23:31
OK, lunch and a show, but you get the idea. Yesterday some colleagues and I took 55 English Language Learners to see Wicked on Broadway, courtesy of Theater Development Fund (TDF). It was ki… Read More
2017-10-25 08:57
Those were words spoken in the film The Fly, in which Jeff Goldblum transforms into a monster before our eyes. Of course, no one had ever seen anything like that before, not even in the movi… Read More
2017-10-24 08:00
At the Delegate Assembly last Wednesday, a UFT employee asked me how many people fit into our school auditorium. First question that came to me was why, so I asked, "Why?" I mean, it seemed… Read More
2017-10-23 08:00
Like everyone, I'm happy to see UFT and NYSUT file suit to stop the SUNY Charter Authority from producing teachers like Pop Tarts. I mean, what is it, a few dozen hours in a classroom, a few… Read More
2017-10-20 09:32
Someone I used to be friendly with recently did something I considered really outrageous. I was going to do something about it.I gave it a great deal of thought. In fact, the night after it… Read More
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