Sunday, October 31, 2010

College Educated Graduates Who Can't Buy Homes And Can't Have Families

Dr. Housing Bubble wrote a piece about recent college educated graduates who can't buy homes, because they must service their student loan debt. It is encouraging to see this type of post, as I too have written about the subject countless times here at Education Matters. This angle ought to make policy makers stop and think critically about the student lending crisis and how it is affecting the health of the housing industry. I mean, clearly they don't give a damned about the personal stories of suffering, so perhaps we should try to raise awareness about this fact. Moreover, those who would like to own homes are also putting off having children. Whether or not you support the idea of procreation isn't the issue here. In these situations people can't have children as a result of being indentured educated servants to the likes of Sallie Mae and Nelnet. So you have a generation of recent grads who have no purchasing power and who, not by choice, will remain childless. How's that for a healthy and robust middle class?

The general theory of stupidity, university fees and utter baloney

This Irish Times article discusses the Green Party's apparent aversion to a new system of student charges that - apparently- the government is considering introducing. The proposal is for a new "student contribution fee" on top of the existing student registration charge.
According to their spokesman, a Mr Gogarty, this would conflict with the Program for Government which agreed that “This Government will not proceed with any new scheme of student contribution to third-level education.” Yes, it certainly sounds inconsistent.
The spokesman adds " “We have conceded that the new student charge that’s coming in is going to be higher than the registration fee it replaces, but the question is, how much higher? If it is too high, then it’s basically fees by the back door....That’s non-negotiable as far as I am concerned,”

A fee is a fee whatever you call it. Just as calling a tax a "contribution" or a "levy" makes no difference. So if you concede that there is a new charge being introduced then it is a fee on top of the fee that is already there. To say "if its too high then it's basically fees by the back door" is risible in my view. It is fees by the front door and irrespective of the level set.
And what is "too high" anyway? If it was €10 would that be too high? Eh, no. €10,000? Eh, yes. So it is negotiable actually.
In the discussions about how the government's book-keeping deals with expenditures related to the banking rescue it has been emphasized again and again that international markets see through any creative accounting. These people are not stupid. Likewise students and their parents are not stupid: they know a shake-down when they see one. So why is it so hard for politicians to be transparent and honest about such an important issue?
It seems that the "Fees debate" will continue to attract incoherent thinking, dissembling and general woolly-mindedness.

Jim Callaghan Talking Baseball at the Wall Street Journal


A New York Baseball Giant Through and Through

By Jim Callaghan (fired by the UFT in July for trying to start a union at the NY Teacher- UFT Firing of NY Teacher Reporter)
As the San Francisco Giants take on the Texas Rangers in the World Series, Johnny Antonelli is watching the games from his home near Rochester, N.Y., and remembering a different Giants team—the New York Giants.
That's the team he pitched for in 1954, the last time this venerable franchise won a world championship.
Back then, in the days before hard pitch counts, five-man rotations and bullpens stocked with set-up men, long relievers, short relievers and closers, Mr. Antonelli was the winning pitcher in the second game of the 1954 series and, two days later, came in to close out the Cleveland Indians in a four-game sweep. Unlike the drawn-out marathons of today, this Fall Classic was over in four straight days.
Later, in 1955, Mr. Antonelli pitched a 16-inning complete game, a feat that is unlikely to be replicated.

  *This article can also be accessed if you copy and paste the entire address below into your web browser.
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052702303284604575582482157451878-lMyQjAxMTAwMDMwMDEzNDAyWj.html


IN OTHER NEWS

Reformers Win Round One in D.C. Teachers Election
http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2010/10/reformers-win-round-one-dc-teachers-election

Reformers Win Round One in D.C. Teachers Election

by Howard Ryan | Fri, 10/29/2010 - 1:10pm

A slate of union reformers won a narrow victory Wednesday in the first round of a teachers’ union election in Washington, D.C., and they are well positioned for a larger victory in the run-off to be held in the next few weeks.
The 24-member reform slate, led by presidential candidate Nathan Saunders, currently the general VP of the Washington Teachers Union, came together this year to challenge WTU President George Parker, who offered virtually no resistance to the mass teacher firings and school closures implemented by recently resigned D.C. schools chief Michelle Rhee.
The election in the 4,000-member WTU has far-reaching implications because Rhee and the D.C. school district have been celebrated as national models for the corporate version of school reform being carried out by President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. Both Saunders and running mate Candi Peterson, a WTU trustee and blogger who seeks the General VP slot, strongly oppose the corporate school agenda that blames teachers for the problems in public education and emphasizes privately run, non-union charter schools.
Unofficial results, with challenged ballots not yet counted, gave Saunders a slim lead of 334-313. With two other candidates in the presidential race, none received more than 50 percent of the vote, as the WTU constitution requires, so a run-off will be held.
The election involved four officer posts plus 20 other executive board seats. Three of the candidates fielded full 24-member slates, and “most people voted slate,” said Sean Dria Jackson, a school psychologist who serves on the WTU elections committee. Thus the run-off is expected to pit the Saunders full slate against the Parker full slate.
Jackson believes the 234 votes for the other two candidates also represented an “anti-incumbent” vote, and that these voters will support the Saunders slate in the final round. “Sixty-five percent of the vote were teachers saying they are tired of what they’re getting,” said Jackson. “They want a union that’s a union.”
Jackson also commented on the remarkably low turnout (22 percent) in what has been a hotly contested and highly visible race. “The non-voters are just fed up,” she said. “We tried to schedule an election four times this year, and it kept getting tied up by Parker.” The WTU election was constitutionally supposed to be completed by June 30. After a series of election irregularities and one lawsuit, the American Federation of Teachers, WTU’s parent union, imposed a trusteeship over the local and is now supervising the election

Smoking and drinking while pregnant

Smoking and drinking while pregnant is generally acknowledged to be a bad for the child's health depending, of course, on the extent of it. So how common is it and what are some of the predictors?
Using Growing Up in Ireland data I graph the mothers response to a question which asked about this. About 60% never drank and less than 40% said occasionally. For smoking about 75% never smoked though about 13% smoked daily.
These questions were asked 9 years after the child was born and are probably under-estimates. One is less likely, I think, to overstate one's drinking or smoking.
If one does some simple multivariate (ordered probit) analysis it is striking that there are some very different patterns:
Older mothers are more likely to have consumed alcohol than younger mothers while pregnant but young mothers are more likely to smoke than the older ones. Income also has opposite effects being positively associated with drinking and negatively associated with smoking. The same is true for mothers education. Likewise medical card holders are more (less) likely to smoke (drink). So there seems to be a clear class divide. These effects are simultaneous, remember.
The one factor I found which had a consistent effect (& there are many other possible factors which I didn't look at) was a question that asked the respondent "Would you describe yourself as religious/spiritual?". Those that answered in the higher categories ("very much so" or "extremely") were significantly less likely to have smoked or drank alcohol while pregnant.
It is interesting to speculate whether this has something to do with an association between religiousity and discount rates. It seems there may be positive externalities from religion/spirituality.

Quantitative Easin'

MISS GHANA 2010

The new Miss Ghana 2010 is Stephanie Karikari, 18. She won the title during a glittering, four-hour ceremony on Saturday in Accra. Her prize package includes a new car and an entry ticket to Miss World 2011. First runner-up in the contest was Esther Gadagbui and second runner-up was Frances Efiba Nyamikeh.

HATFUL OF HAWKO

Miss Universe 2004, Jennifer Hawkins, affectionately known here at Beauty School as Hawko, attends AAMI Victoria Derby Day at Flemington Racecourse on October 30, 2010 in Melbourne, Australia.

WAITING FOR GODOT--NO, A GOBLET by P.B.Lecron

At your service

CNN International used to run a commercial showing why its European Edition was so different from its American version. The ad's premise was that because the audiences were different, CNN's broadcasts to them were different, too.


To make the point that Europeans have other standards, the ad contrasted  being served by an untrained waiter in an American restaurant with being served by a professional waiter in France. The first scene showed a relaxed and overbearingly chatty American waiter schmoozing his diners. The second showed a white-aproned waiter in France, doing what he's supposed to do--giving discreet but attentive and competent service. 


The ad rang with truth. I was reminded of it when I took my Franco-American hybrid kids to northern California to see the giant Redwoods. Before trekking off to the Sequoia forests, we had lunch in a salad bar on the now fashionable Fourth Street in Berkeley. 


"Look, Maman, she's not using a tray," whispered my thirteen-year-old, agape. She nodded in the direction of a waitress crossing the room with a chilled bottle of white wine nestled snug in her bare armpit and goblets dangling from her fingers. 


No sooner had I given her a motherly hush in French, "Chut," than a second waitress appeared, this one balancing a huge round tray of glasses filled with Coca-Cola and ice. Having nothing better to do while waiting for our club sandwiches--a favorite short-order food for the French traveling in the States--we watched as she headed for a table where eight women decked out in their casual Berkeley best were eating.  When the waitress removed the first Coke to serve it, the tray's equilibrium changed and all of the glasses spilled, sopping the table and the women. Oh la-la.  A clumsy tragicomedy in two acts and a good reason for some to forego a tray, even if up to the armpits with work.


Why not take a hike?
 I've never heard so many different foreign languages being spoken in one natural setting as I did when we hiked five kilometers up a mountain to admire giant Sequoias. Even more astounding was that I hardly heard any English at all; it seemed we were the only Americans on the trail.


Text & photo ©2010 P.B.LECRON

ZEN ON SUNDAY

Norway's Katrine Sørland, top 5 finisher at Miss World 2002 and top 15 finisher at Miss Universe 2004.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

NYC Kids PAC endorsement of Tony Avella for State Senate


For Immediate Release: October 29, 2010

Contact: Shino Tanikawa: (917) 770-8438

Mel Meer: (718) 428-3659

Today, NYC Kids PAC endorsed Tony Avella for election as State Senator for District 11, Northeast Queens. NYC Kids PAC was formed by public school parents in 2009 to support candidates who work for the issues that matter to parents and their kids, including smaller classes; less reliance on test prep and standardized testing; more provision of art, music, science and physical education; greater parental input into decision-making at the school, district and citywide levels; and full transparency and accountability to ensure that resources are invested in these priorities.

As Shino Tanikawa of the Parent Commission on School Governance and NYC Kids PAC says, “Throughout his career, Tony Avella has stood up for our kids, so now we are standing up for him. He has been a strong supporter of reducing class size, equipping our schools with the latest technology, and providing our kids with new and uncrowded facilities. He has opposed the insertion of charter schools into public school buildings, which merely makes overcrowding worse. As Councilmember, he voted against Chancellor Joel Klein’s capital plan for school construction because it was inadequate to alleviate the extreme overcrowding in Queens , as well as citywide. He is against 'teaching to the test' and for providing a rich and varied curriculum to our kids. And as State Senator, he will work to ensure that our schools do not suffer even worse budget cuts in these tough economic times.”

Gary Babad of the NYC Public School Parent blog and resident of NE Queens says, “Tony Avella warrants the support of parents, teachers, and anyone else who values public education. He has been a fierce critic of Chancellor Klein’s and Mayor Bloomberg’s dictatorial control. He has called for the firing of the Chancellor, the hiring of a real educator for the position, and for the re-establishment of true parent involvement in the schools. Tony is sincere in his support for parents and children, with a keen grasp of the issues; beyond that, he is that rare creature, an honest politician who takes the time to listen. I urge everyone in Senate District 11 to get out and vote for Tony Avella on November 2. He will be a true friend in Albany .”

Mel Meer, school parent in Bayside and founding chair of Community Board 11's Education Committee: “ Community School District 26 in NE Queens used to be a shining example of excellence; it exists now in name only. Parents having a problem at their local schools now have to grovel in downtown Manhattan to get relief. And our local high schools, including Bayside, Francis Lewis and Cardozo are bursting at the seams. Yet when it came time to vote to change the system to restore the voices of parents and teachers, Senator Padavan sponsored the legislation that did little more than continue the present system unaltered. He has also consistently voted with the Republicans for funding formulas favoring the suburbs. Clearly it's time for a change.”

As one of the characters in Frank Capra’s classic film “State of the Union ” said: “You’ve got an honest man. You don’t know how lucky you are.” That man is Tony Avella. At every moment in the City Council he has delivered integrity and honesty. He has voted for his constituents even as he resisted enormous pressures to "go along". He has not accepted a lulu for his committee chairmanship and he has delivered real positive change for our neighborhoods. He will be a great state senator.

###

WORLD CONSPIRACY

Resultatet kan ha vært påvirket av Fredsprisen

"The result may have been influenced by the Peace Prize" says the headline in the Norwegian newspaper Aftenbladet. In the headline article, the director of Miss Norway, Geir Hamnes, says, "...we know that it has been speculated that the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to ...Liu Xiaobo may have affected the result. This has created a strained relationship between Norway and China. There were two Chinese on the jury, and if they failed to vote for Mariann for political reasons, there would be enough for her to lose a top position."

The article goes on to say that Hennes quickly added that this is just speculation and is very difficult to prove. Well, Beauty School's Prof. Chandni thinks it is true - she never met a conspiracy theory she didn't like, and this one is one of the World's best!

Comptroller Di Napoli and Harry Wilson: where do they stand on fiscal oversight of charter schools and DOE?

New York State Comptroller Thomas Di Napoli has done several highly revealing audits of charter schools, showing their flagrant misuse of public funds. One of his audits revealed that KIPP Academy charter school in the Bronx had spent nearly $68,000 on "staff development" retreats in the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic. His office also released audits of the Western New York Maritime Charter School, showing that big-screen televisions, computer equipment and security devices purchased with public funds were delivered to the homes of school employees; and the Enterprise Charter School, which had a two-year, $60,000 consulting contract with its former CEO.

In 2007, DiNapoli released an audit showing the NYC Department of Education’s lax oversight of charter schools. According to the NY Post,

“The audit, which focused on the 2004-05 school year, found that the DOE doesn't ensure that charter schools provide it with required performance data, and that it lacks a formal process for reviewing the information. It also noted that the DOE doesn't generally require schools that aren't making adequate progress to take corrective measures, although meeting academic targets is essential to charter renewal.”

Di Napoli also did an absolutely scathing audit of the NYC DOE’s use of no-bid contracts, amounting to 291 no-bid contracts in three years. The audit revealed how “vendors often won the no-bid contracts without any proof that avoiding the regular process would save the city money. In some cases, school officials actually destroyed records about the contracting process…” (See this GothamSchools story.)

The charter lobby sued Di Napoli, to block all further audits in a lawsuit financed by the New York Charter Schools Association and the NYC Center for Charter School Excellence, on whose board Joel Klein sits. The Court of Appeals decided that he did not have the authority to audit charter schools. (The home page of DOE’s charter school office still features links to a press release by the charter school lobby, praising the court decision.)

In response, the recent state legislation that lifted the charter cap last spring specifically gave the State Comptroller authority to audit the use of public funds by charter schools – though the charter school lobby has said that will continue to try to block any more audits in court, despite the new law.

Yet this may not be necessary if the GOP candidate for Comptroller wins. His name is Harry Wilson, and he is a former hedge fund operator, who has accused di Napoli of launching “politically motivated” charter audits, and has pledged not to “harass” charter schools by auditing their use of public funds, no matter what the new law says.

Not surprisingly, Harry Wilson is the favored candidate of Mayor Bloomberg, as well as Bryan Lawrence, co-founder of Girls Prep charter, and Whitney Tilson of DFER fame, all of whom have contributed to his campaign. Here is Tilson’s endorsement of Wilson:

Harry is personally close to many in the charter school movement and was considering starting a charter school when he decided to serve in the Obama Administration instead….. DiNapoli engaged in a number of nuisance audits designed to harass charter schools in his early tenure as Comptroller. His attacks were so over the top, that the NY Charter Schools Assoc. sued him and the court agreed, finding that DiNapoli overstepped the bounds of his audit power …However, with the recent passage of legislation to race the charter school cap in the state, one of the provisions that was snuck in grants the Comptroller this same audit power over charter schools.

Want more? Harry Wilson is a close colleague of Steve Rattner, the Mayor’s personal financial adviser. Wilson served with Rattner on Obama’s auto task force, and is portrayed as the “hero” in Rattner’s new book about saving GM. In turn, Steve Rattner is the best friend of NY Times’ publisher, Arthur Sulzberger; and was one of the power brokers who convinced Bloomberg to run for a third term.

A couple of weeks ago, Bloomberg and Sulzberger were the two co-hosts of Rattner’s book party, which was attended by the financial and power elite of NYC, including the head of Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Joel Klein etc. This very public celebration of Rattner and his accomplishments occurred just as Rattner was pleading guilty to a “pay to play” kick-back scheme of bribing the former State Comptroller to grant Quadrangle, Rattner’s investment company, millions in state pension funds to invest in 2004 when Hevesi was Comptroller.

Rattner paid $1.1 million in finder fees to Henry “Hank” Morris, Hevesi’s former chief political consultant, and he also agreed that Quadrangle would help finance a B-movie made by the brother of the pension fund manager. Rattner first claimed he had nothing to do with this B-movie deal, but emails apparently reveal that he helped put it together. As a result, he has agreed to pay a fine of $5 million and accept a ban from the securities industry for at least five years. He could also face perjury charges for lying about his involvement in the bribery scheme.

Yet despite this, the mayor not only hosted his book party, but has pledged to keep Rattner on as his top financial adviser, helping to run Willett Advisors, the group set up to invest the mayor’s personal fortune. (The company is named after Thomas Willett, NYC’s first mayor.) As Bloomberg told reporters, “Steve Rattner's my friend, of course I'd keep him on. Why would you not? If he can do anything to help, I value his advice and he's a close friend of mine and you stick by your friends.” (More on the Bloomberg/Rattner connection at Gotham Gazette.)

Here is an excerpt of the NY Times’ endorsement of Wilson for Comptroller:

It is rare for someone of Mr. Wilson’s talents and expertise to compete for one of the most important and least glamorous jobs in state politics. Mr. Wilson went to Harvard Business School and worked for Goldman Sachs, the Blackstone Group and Silver Point Capital. Mr. DiNapoli tries to make that résumé sound tainted, but the investment and management skills exhibited with General Motors are just what are needed for New York’s financial and ethical blight.”

Unmentioned in Times’ endorsement, of course, is the fact that Wilson’s friend and former colleague, Steve Rattner, had bribed the previous holder of the office that Wilson is now campaigning to fill, and who surely participated in that “financial and ethical blight” which the editorial claimed to decry.

Meanwhile, Di Napoli has banned all “pay to play schemes” by prohibiting the pension fund from doing business with any investment adviser who has made a political contribution to the State Comptroller, and has appointed an independent Inspector General to safeguard all the comptroller’s investment decisions. And he has never been accused of financial corruption, even by the same three editorial boards that endorsed his opponent.

Not coincidentally, all three papers are owned by men personally close to Bloomberg, and all three papers also supported the elimination of term limits as well as the renewal of mayoral control.

MISS WORLD 2010

Miss World 2010 is Miss United States Alexandria Mills of Kentucky. She won the title just moments ago in the glittering diamond anniversary edition of Miss World in Sanya, China. First runner-up was Miss Botswana Emma Wareus. Second runner-up was Miss Venezuela Adriana Vasini. Rounding out the top five were Miss China Tang Xiao and Miss Ireland Emma Waldron.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Do you work in one of the 47 schools slated for closing? Seeking Teachers to Mobilize Students in These Schools

Do you work in one of the 47 schools slated for closing? The Urban Youth Collaborative is seeking teachers who can help UYC organize the students in those schools to fight back! Contact Hiram Rivera at: hiram_rivera@brown.edu or 212-328-9256

UYC's call to teachers is below:

The DOE has announced the names of the 47 schools they plan on closing...47!  The Urban Youth Collaborative has committed to working with teachers, students, & parents on stopping these closings. In order for us to do that, we would need to identify teachers in those schools willing to identify student leaders and students willing to organize in their schools to save their schools. Because we're a collaborative of high school students, we're looking to organize groups in high schools. Our parent organizers (NYC Coalition for Educational Justice) are going to be organizing middle and elementary schools.

Here's the list of high schools slated to be closed. Can you please help us by identifying teachers and/or students in these schools who you think would be open to letting us come and help organize students in their high schools:


The Bronx

Christopher Columbus

Monroe Acadmey for Business & Law

Fordham Leadership Academy

Grace H. Dodge Career & Tech

Jane Addams HS for Academics and Careers

John F. Kennedy HS


Queens

Beach Channel

Jamaica

August Martin

Grover Cleveland

John Adams

Newton

Richmond Hill


Brooklyn

Metropolitan Corporate Academy

Paul Roberson

William H. Maxwell

Boys & Girls

John Dewey

Sheepshead Bay


Manhattan

Norman ThomasHS for Graphic Communication Arts

Washington Irving


For more info contact Hiram: hiram_rivera@brown.edu or 212-328-9256

Thank you.

www.urbanyouthcollaborative.org

MISS WORLD 2010 PROMO

Miss World 2010 will air in the UK on the Active Channel at 1:00pm UK time on Saturday. Watch the Active Channel's TV promo!

Gates-funded project leaves parents off the list of key stakeholders, once again

The research organization AIR was funded by the Gates Foundation to commission a series of papers on the Bloomberg/Klein education reforms, and to “convene a working conference….to inform future educational improvement efforts in the city.”

Reportedly, the papers will be published in a collection by Harvard University Press.

On November 10, they are holding an “invitation-only” forum at the downtown Hyatt hotel to discuss the results of their findings in what has been described as “an opportunity for dialogue and conversation among NYC stakeholders, DOE staff, and researchers…” (see invitation below.)

Yet the only NYC public school parents who have been invited to participate in this “dialogue and conversation” of stakeholders are the five borough-appointed members of the Panel for Educational Policy.

This exclusion of parents is reminiscent of the definition of stakeholders put forward by Secretary Arne Duncan and Joanne Weiss, when she ran the federal “Race to the Top” program (both of them former Gates grantees as well).

In their list of “key stakeholders”, they included education administrators, the teachers union, the business community and charter school operators, but not public school parents, as those groups that states were supposed to elicit support for their proposals. (They put in parents in afterwards, and only pro forma, after receiving negative feedback.)

Here is what Patrick Sullivan wrote in his comments to the US Education Department at the time:

One factor considered in awarding the grants to each state is the extent to which support and commitment of key stakeholders is enlisted (Overall Selection Criteria E3). While the administration has a long list of stakeholders, parents are not on it. Charter schools, teachers unions and foundations are deemed to be important stakeholders but not parents.

For this conference, once again, the concept of stakeholders appears to exclude public school parents and their children, who have been most affected and disenfranchised by the policies of this administration.

Parents aren’t even at the bottom of the list. In fact, they don’t exist at all.

On Oct 26, 2010, at 4:00 PM, nycretrospective <nycretrospective@air.org> wrote:



Dear all,

I just wanted to remind you of the conference invitation attached. The meeting will take place in two weeks (November 10th) and will be an opportunity for dialogue and conversation among NYC stakeholders, DOE staff, and researchers from inside and outside NYC about the findings of the NYC Education Reform Retrospective project. This is an invitation only conference and has been designed to offer an intimate venue for sharing ideas and considering implications for reform efforts in NYC and elsewhere. You have been invited based on your involvement in the NYC education reforms or your relevant research or practical experience. We hope that you will be able to join us and contribute to this discussion.

We have extended the RSVP and registration date to November 1st.

If you plan to attend, please fill out the attached registration form and e-mail it back to nycretrospective@air.org by November 1st.

If you are unable to join us, please reply to nycretrospective@air.org by November 1st to say you will not be attending.

We look forward to seeing you in NYC on the 10th!

Jennifer O'Day, Project Director for the New York City Education Reform Retrospective

Ravitch Reviews Waiting for Superman: The Myth of Charter Schools at NY Review of Books

Excerpt:
Most Americans graduated from public schools, and most went from school to college or the workplace without thinking that their school had limited their life chances. There was a time—which now seems distant—when most people assumed that students’ performance in school was largely determined by their own efforts and by the circumstances and support of their family, not by their teachers. There were good teachers and mediocre teachers, even bad teachers, but in the end, most public schools offered ample opportunity for education to those willing to pursue it. The annual Gallup poll about education shows that Americans are overwhelmingly dissatisfied with the quality of the nation’s schools, but 77 percent of public school parents award their own child’s public school a grade of A or B, the highest level of approval since the question was first asked in 1985.

Waiting for “Superman” and the other films appeal to a broad apprehension that the nation is falling behind in global competition. If the economy is a shambles, if poverty persists for significant segments of the population, if American kids are not as serious about their studies as their peers in other nations, the schools must be to blame. At last we have the culprit on which we can pin our anger, our palpable sense that something is very wrong with our society, that we are on the wrong track, and that America is losing the race for global dominance. It is not globalization or deindustrialization or poverty or our coarse popular culture or predatory financial practices that bear responsibility: it’s the public schools, their teachers, and their unions. 

 MUST READ FULL REVIEW

Everybody Loves Tony Avella - GET OUT THE VOTE

Even the UFT which is not supporting the lousy incumbent for a change. The tributes are pouring in for Tony. And the NY Times too.

When he ran for mayor many of us fighting the ed deformers really got to know and like Tony for his stands. When GEM came out to support the PS 123 community in Harlem against the Evil Moskowitz HSA invasion, Tony was there at 8am. Boy if he had been the Democratic candidate instead of Bill Thompson, who was apparently half in Bloomberg's pocket we might have had some real fun.
Now Tony is running for NY State Senate- WOW! INTEGRITY in that body – if he wins.

Gary Babab posted this on the NYCEdParent Blog:

Tony Avella for State Senate

I usually write parody for the NYC Parent Blog, but this is not parody. I usually don’t make political endorsements on the blog, but this is a political endorsement. Why? Because so much hangs in the balance in NY State Senate District 11 (Northeast Queens), and Tony Avella warrants the support of parents, teachers, and anyone else who values public education in NY State.

Tony’s positions on education are long standing and unequivocal. He has been a fierce critic of Chancellor Klein’s and Mayor Bloomberg’s dictatorial control. He has called for the firing of the Chancellor, the hiring of a real educator for the position, and for the re-establishment true parent involvement in the schools.

Tony’s opponent, incumbent Senator Frank Padavan, was instrumental in the renewal of Mayoral control. And lest anyone wonder about Padavan’s relationship with the Mayor and Chancellor, during a hotly contested 2008 race, the DOE renamed the Glen Oaks school campus for Mr. Padavan – jumping the gun by a good number of years, judging by the Senator’s apparent good health, given that one is supposed to be deceased to have a school named after him.

I have dealt with Tony Avella, through my work, since he was elected to the City Council in 2001. I have had a number of conversations with him over the years about education, and have found him to be consistent and sincere in his support for parents and children, with a keen grasp of the issues.

But beyond that, I have found him to be that rare creature, an honest politician. One example: He declined to serve on the advisory board of the program I direct – not because there was anything wrong with doing so (other politicians serve on such boards), but because, since he obtained discretionary Council funding for the program, he wanted to avoid even the slightest hint of conflict of interest.

Tony is also that rare politician who actually takes the time to listen, and would never run out from our events after just a speech and a few minutes of shaking hands. I’ll never forget our annual barbecue, or our program’s gala anniversary dinner last year, when he and his wife hung out, schmoozing, enjoying the company and the entertainment, and comfortably fitting in like the members of the community that they are. I urge everyone in Senate District 11 to get out and vote for Tony Avella on November 2. He will be a true friend in Albany.
And this came in from Magnificent Mona Davids:
Subject: Tony Avella for Senate GOTV

Hi there,

I'm writing because I need your help in getting parents, teachers and students to help out with Tony Avella's Get Out The Vote campaign.  You all know the teachers, PTA folks and community/education activists in Queens.

We really NEED Tony Avella to win and if we can get folks to volunteer with canvassing, we can do it.  It'd be great to have him in the State Senate.

I know many of you know he's a great supporter of public education.  He stood up against mayoral control, he speaks out against the ed deform movement and supported term limits.

He will be our greatest supporter and ally in the State Senate.  The 11th Senate District covers Bellerose, Bayside, Little Neck, Douglaston, Jamaica Estates, New Hyde Park, Floral Park, Whitestone, College Point and Hollis.  

Surely, there must be schools on DoE's hit list from those neighborhoods. 

Thank you.
Mona
The person to contact to volunteer is Zoe Waltross, her email is zwaltrous@gmail.com
GOTV Schedule for Volunteer Activities
Friday, October 29th, 2010
7 am - 9 am Visibility at Trains & Subways
5 pm - 9 pm Door-to-door canvassing
5 pm - 7:30 pm Visibility @ Trains and Commercial Strips
Saturday, October 30th, 2010
11 am - GOTV Rally @ Avella HQ (38-50 Bell Blvd, Suite C)
11 am - 2 pm Visibility
12 noon - 5 pm Door-to-door canvassing
2pm - 6pm Visibility
3:30 pm - 5pm Community Walk in Jamaica - Location: Meet at Hillside Ave & 179th Street
5 pm - 6:30 pm South Asians for Avella GOTV Rally - Location: 257-10 Union Tpke 3rd Bellrose
Sunday, October 31st, 2010
10 am - 2pm Visibility
1 pm - 4 pm Door-to-door canvassing
2pm - 6pm Visibility
Monday, November 1st, 2010
7 am - 9 am Visibility @ Trains & Subways
5 pm - 9 pm Visibility @ Trains and Commercial Strips
Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010 - Election Day
5:30 am - 8:30am AM Visibility 
10 am - 3 pm  Midday Visibility
2:30 pm - 8:30 pm Door-to-door canvass
8:30 pm - 9:30 pm Poll closing operation

NY TIMES ENDORSEMENT and KIDS PAC Endorsements of Avella.


For Immediate Release: October 29, 2010
Contact: Shino Tanikawa: (917) 770-8438
Mel Meer:  (718) 428-3659
Today, NYC Kids PAC endorsed Tony Avella for election as State Senator for District 11, Northeast Queens. NYC Kids PAC was formed by public school parents in 2009 to support candidates who work for the issues that matter to parents and their kids, including smaller classes; less reliance on test prep and standardized testing; more provision of art, music, science and physical education; greater parental input into decision-making at the school, district and citywide levels; and full transparency and accountability to ensure that resources are invested in these priorities.  

As Shino Tanikawa of the Parent Commission on School Governance and NYC Kids PAC says, “Throughout his career, Tony Avella has stood up for our kids, so now we are standing up for him.  He has been a strong supporter of reducing class size, equipping our schools with the latest technology, and providing our kids with new and uncrowded facilities. He has opposed the insertion of charter schools into public school buildings, which merely makes overcrowding worse. As Councilmember, he voted against Chancellor Joel Klein’s capital plan for school construction because it was inadequate to alleviate the extreme overcrowding in Queens , as well as citywide. He is against 'teaching to the test' and for providing a rich and varied curriculum to our kids.  And as State Senator, he will work to ensure that our schools do not suffer even worse budget cuts in these tough economic times.”   

Gary Babad of the NYC Public School Parent blog and resident of NE Queens says, “Tony Avella warrants the support of parents, teachers, and anyone else who values public education.  He has been a fierce critic of Chancellor Klein’s and Mayor Bloomberg’s dictatorial control. He has called for the firing of the Chancellor, the hiring of a real educator for the position, and for the re-establishment of true parent involvement in the schools.  Tony is sincere in his support for parents and children, with a keen grasp of the issues; beyond that, he is that rare creature, an honest politician who takes the time to listen.  I urge everyone in Senate District 11 to get out and vote for Tony Avella on November 2. He will be a true friend in Albany .”

Mel Meer, school parent in Bayside and founding chair of Community Board 11's Education Committee:  “ Community School District 26 in NE Queens used to be a shining example of excellence; it exists now in name only. Parents having a problem at their local schools now have to grovel in downtown Manhattan to get relief. And our local high schools, including Bayside, Francis Lewis and Cardozo are bursting at the seams. Yet when it came time to vote to change the system to restore the voices of parents and teachers, Senator Padavan sponsored the legislation that did little more than continue the present system unaltered. He has also consistently voted with the Republicans for funding formulas favoring the suburbs. Clearly it's time for a change.”

As one of the characters in Frank Capra’s classic film “State of the Union ” said: “You’ve got an honest man. You don’t know how lucky you are.” That man is Tony Avella. At every moment in the City Council he has delivered integrity and honesty. He has voted for his constituents even as he resisted enormous pressures to "go along". He has not accepted a lulu for his committee chairmanship and he has delivered real positive change for our neighborhoods. He will be a great state senator.
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Shino Tanikawa
Parent Commission
NYC Kids PAC

Apparently this is their only endorsement for State Senate in New York City.  Of course they don't mention Padavan's support for mayoral control or Avella's opposition to much of what the Mayor is doing.  Nevertheless Times support is useful in this relatively upscale district.

Melvyn Meer


October 28, 2010

A Few Good Albany Candidates

Albany needs sweeping change. Gerrymandering and anything-goes campaign finance “rules” guarantee that most of the hacks will be back next year, working to ensure nothing ever changes.
If there is any doubt, consider this grim fact: some of the Legislature’s worst enablers — starting with the Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver — have no opponent on the ballot. Other members of Albany’s hall of shame — Senators John Sampson, Malcolm Smith, Rubén Díaz Sr. and Carl Kruger — barely have challengers.
The only good news is that there are a few competitive races and a few candidates committed to changing the system who are worth electing. Here is our list:
STATE SENATE DISTRICT 11 IN QUEENS Tony Avella, a former city councilman and an independent-minded Democrat, is challenging Frank Padavan, a Republican who has served in the State Senate for almost 40 years.
Mr. Avella supports women’s rights and promises to champion ethics reform. He is particularly interested in ending gerrymandering, citing his district as a poster child for the way electoral borders are drawn to ensure incumbents keep getting elected. Although Mr. Padavan has fought admirably against casinos and human trafficking, he has also fought against women’s reproductive rights, same-sex marriage and immigration reform.
We support Tony Avella, the Democrat, in District 11.

Ruben Brosbe Gets Whacked....

....by a 2x4. No, make it a 2x10.

NYC teacher and Gotham Schools contributer Ruben Brosbe must feel like a quarterback facing an 11 man rush since he wrote a NY Post article shilling for the publication of teacher data reports.

First he gets hit smacked by South Bronx School who actually went back and read stuff Brosbe has written (I've never indulged).


Ruben Brosbe Shortcomings Are A Shock To Him


There are many Rubens I like and enjoy. I enjoy a hearty Rueben Sandwich sans Russian Dressing. I remember when my father introduced me tho this treat back in 1976 in Philadelphia. The best Rueben I ever had was an open one at the old Marty's Mug and Munch in Ardsley. I always enjoyed the erstwhile Rueben Kincaid, manager of the Partridge Family, and flunky in all of Danny's get rich schemes. And of course the singer/actor Ruben Blades. If you have never seen him on "Disorganized Crime" do so now.

A Ruben I have no use for is New York Post guest columnist, and Gotham Schools contributor (dear God, why?), and blogger Ruben Brosbe. Ruben is one of those nebbishy, I am smarter than thou, Ivy eggheads that thinks he is smarter than everyone else, has an extremely narrow minded view of the world, and just lacks plain common sense. As my grandpa once said, "The smartest people turn out to be the stupidest." MORE
And then Ruben gets totally whacked by NYC Educator in a "Must read" piece.

Value Added Is Awesome, Dude

Like, the New York Post called me?  And they were all like, dude, can you write us a column do it, dude!

But then it came out, and it was all, well, I was all for releasing the scores because, like, not releasing them could make the union look, ya know, bad and stuff?  And like, I want to look good.  So then I was all, like, hey, let's release the grades, but let's let people know that there's other stuff we do in schools, like learning and stuff, which I, ya know, think is way cool.  And that, like, I don't just give tests in my class, but that we do all this other stuff that's mad cool.  And like, the other day, I was, like, absent, so I stayed home and the next day they were all, like, hey dude, where ya been?

So anyway, what I want to say is, like, I want to be one of those reformer guys?  Like, I could make up cool new stuff to do in schools and get paid for it and then I could tell everyone else to do all the cool awesome stuff that I do?   And we could, like, go out to lunch and stuff?  So, anyway, they released my grades and they weren't so good, but this makes me want to make my next grades totally AWESOME, dude.  And so they should do that for, like, everyone?
 [MORE, MORE, MORE]
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Check out Norms Notes for a variety of articles of interest: http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/
Recently published:

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Strayer University Beats Estimates: Because They Care

Yeah, they are doing well, because they CARE. These bastards should be shut down, just like the tobacco industry was. That's my goal.

2012, Poster Will Read: React Against Corporate Higher Education!

Drop-out in Irish Higher Education

Today on his blog, Ferdinand von-Prondzynski discusses a new Higher Education Authority publication: Study of Progression in Irish Higher Education. The study looks at data on student drop-outs broken down by institution and by subject. The Irish Times covered the release of the study yesterday. According to Ferdinand, the study "tells us that there is no significant difference in attrition between those from a better-off background and the less well off (though the latter are much less likely to get to university in the first place)."

Fix failing charter schools, but don't bother with our district public schools?

Stunning juxtaposition at the Gotham Schools links today:

· SUNY wants to try fixing failing charter schools instead of shutting them down. (Post)

· The city says it is considering closing up to 47 schools this year. (GS, Times, Post, WSJ, NY1)

Why doesn’t this administration try helping our regular public schools, instead of closing them down? Is it because they would rather replace them with charter schools?

Irish Policy Options for New Student Contributions in Higher Education

Readers may or may not be aware of this report to the Irish Minister for Education and Science: "Policy Options for New Student Contributions in Higher Education". The report dates from July 2009 but I have just found it on the website of the recently re-branded Department of Education and Skills. It is not clear whether this report is connected to the National Strategy for Higher Education in Ireland, recently discussed by Kevin on this blog.

In any event, the report outlines a number of issues in it summary, which are relevant to the potential introduction of a student contribution in Ireland. These include:

(i) Affordability considerations: "It is proposed that the level of any new student contribution should be related to current fee levels for Irish/EU students who do not qualify for free fees."

(ii) Top-up Fees: "Consideration could also be given to providing for a premium or ‘top-up’ range within which individual institutions would be free to increase charges for particular programmes. This would allow individual institutions to incentivise participation on particular programmes or to generate additional revenue according to their ability to compete for students. Such an arrangement could have the benefits of promoting competition and quality within the system."

(iii) Transition: "In transitioning to new fee arrangements, it would be important to avoid any potential for immediate shortfalls in institutional budgets by pitching fees at levels that do not match current ‘free fee’ contribution rates."

(iv) Collection of loan repayments: "The involvement of the national tax collection agency has been identified as being a critical success factor for a number of income contingent student loan facility models that operate internationally... It is recognised, however, that there are significant operational pressures on the Revenue Commissioners in the current Irish context which would limit their capacity to take on a role of direct collection agent for an income contingent loan scheme."

(v) Public finance: "In the current economic circumstances, it would be important that the introduction of a student loan facility would be designed to minimise any impact on the General Government Balance (GGB) or on General Government Debt (GGD)."

(vi) Upfront payment and tax relief: "In the context of any introduction of a loan system, continuing tax relief for students who pay fees upfront would amount to a form of discount for upfront payment. From an equity perspective, this would need to be factored into any consideration of the appropriate rate of surcharge on those availing of a loan rather than paying upfront."

(vii) Communicating complex issues: "Any policy change in this area will impact on significant numbers of students or potential students. A number of the options being considered are complex in nature and would give rise to very significant demands for information and clarification. An information strategy will need to be in place to communicate the details of any changes and to provide user friendly access to relevant detail on how the changes impact on individuals."

Behavioural Economics Song: Sheryl Crow - If it makes you happy

If it makes you happy, then it can't be that bad. But if it makes you happy, then why are you so sad?

Immigrants and accents

Immigrants tend to underperform in the labour market i.e. they are paid less than one might expect. This could be for several reasons. Prejudice is a possibility or their human capital may not be sufficiently valued if there is uncertainty about the quality of their education. The paper below documents another angle, namely that their accent may put them at a disadvantage. After all, foreigners talk funny, y'all know what I mean?

Why don't we believe non-native speakers? The influence of accent on credibility
S Levi-Ari, B.Keysar
Non-native speech is harder to understand than native speech. We demonstrate that this “processing difficulty” causes non-native speakers to sound less credible. People judged trivia statements such as “Ants don't sleep” as less true when spoken by a non-native than a native speaker. When people were made aware of the source of their difficulty they were able to correct when the accent was mild but not when it was heavy. This effect was not due to stereotypes of prejudice against foreigners because it occurred even though speakers were merely reciting statements provided by a native speaker. Such reduction of credibility may have an insidious impact on millions of people, who routinely communicate in a language which is not their native tongue.

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 46(6), 2010, 1093-1096

Joel Klein came to District 2 and told lies


Chancellor Joel Klein came to PS 33 in District 2 on Wednesday night. He told a number of outright lies to the assembled parents, assuming (I suppose) that we didn't know better. This is on top of all the misrepresentations and obfuscations.

- Klein said there are no for-profit charters in New York City. This is patently untrue. There are currently nine for-profit charters in operation in the city and more being considered.

- Klein said Contract for Excellence money is "fungible" in school budgets and this is why class sizes rose, despite billions more in state C4E funding. This is untrue. Contract for Excellence money is supposed to be targeted to specified purposes by state law and it is illegal to use it otherwise.

- Klein said he "wished we had more resources" for meeting the needs of special education students. Special ed services are also mandated by state law, and it has been well documented, by the Public Advocate's office among others, that under this administration, students with IEPs have not received the services and funds to which they are legally entitled.

- Klein also said that 5000 seats had been added to District 2. Where? The 2004-2009 and 2010-2014 capital plans funded about 7,000 seats, but most of these seats have not yet been built, and many are replacements. By my count there are under a thousand new D2 K-8 seats now in operation, and Manhattan has lost 1,000 high school seats in the last year alone to lapsed leases, but I would welcome a more detailed reckoning by the DOE.

- Klein said that enrollment projections are available on-line. The DOE has never made its full enrollment projection analysis available to the public or the CECs responsible for zoning. Only partial data and the discredited reports of a few expensive contractors are available on-line.

- Furthermore, Klein said repeatedly that charter schools would add seats to District 2. There is no way this is possible. School real estate in D2 is a zero-sum game, as he pointed out himself several times. Every new school that is added within an existing building removes seats to make space for additional administration and duplication of cluster rooms, and every new program that draws students from outside the district (as charters do) bumps out district students.

Unless charters can obtain their own space--which doesn't happen much in NYC--they can only subtract from the number of seats available to district students.

He also kept saying no sites are available in D2 and it is hard to find more, without commenting on the large number of sites put forward by parents (including most of those that have been developed under the last two capital plans). Parents have been pushing hard on various sites and the DOE refuses to put its weight behind these efforts.

---Ann Kjellberg, Public School Action Committee