Saturday, February 08, 2014

MULGREW HAPPY WITH CUOMO COMMON CORE PANEL WHILE OTHERS THINK THE FIX IS IN

A new panel has been appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo to investigate Common Core implementation.

Reality Based Educator's detailed analysis concludes that the make up of the panel predetermines that its report will favor Common Core but might make some changes in the implementation time table.  Amazing parent Activist Leonie Haimson, who wrote on the Diane Ravitch blog, seems to pretty much agree with Reality.

What about the UFT?  The Union issued this press release:

Mulgrew Praises Formation of Governor's Common Core Panel

UFT President Michael Mulgrew on Feb. 7 applauded Governor Cuomo's appointment of an 11-member group — including education expert Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University, State Senator John Flanagan, and Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan — to recommend changes to the flawed rollout of the Common Core Learning Standards.

In response, UFT President Michael Mulgrew said:
"I want to thank the Governor for listening to parents, children, principals and teachers across the state who have made it clear that the rush to implement the Common Core standards in New York State has not worked.  We look forward to the panel's recommendations."

Mulgrew's on board with the Governor. Is that news?

After listing each of the panel members, here is what Reality Based Educator concludes:

Does this sound like the kind of panel that is going to give us anything but a pre-determined conclusion that the Common Core State (sic) Standards are wonderful and if the implementation has been slightly screwy, well, that's the kind of thing you have to deal with when you're doing large-scale reform?

You can bet that whatever conclusions they reach on the CCSS, they will reiterate how swell CCSS are and how we must keep going forward (although they may suggest a slightly slower timeline than the one King and Tisch have us on now.)

In short, the panel is rigged for the pro-Common Core outcome Sheriff Andy Cuomo wants.


Linda Darling Hammond and NYSUT teacher activist Todd Hathaway, from East Aurora High School (Erie County), are on the panel.  Other than that, the deck does kind of looked stacked as Reality tells us.

4 comments:

Pogue said...

Happy with Gates.
Happy with Cuomo.
Happy with Common Core.
Happy with King.
Happy with Tisch.
Happy with Bloomberg. (2009 election)
Happy with Danielson.
Happy with 40% MOSL's.

Is there a teacher/student-abusing person or policy the UFT Leadership is unhappy with?

Anonymous said...

How many members didn't vote in the last UFT Election?

Anonymous said...

"How many members didn't vote in the last UFT Election?"
The answer that anyone who comes here already knows is literally thousands upon thousands. Let's face it. For every teacher in the rank and file who makes it a point to educate himself or herself about the politics of education and the union including the people who run and lead the union there are hundreds who know little about it, who won't put forth an effort to learn about it or who will simply let the information they hear from others trying to educate them about issues slip right in one ear and out the other. I'm not a betting individual but I would bet my mortgage that more than half of the rank and file don't even know what the name of the their union caucus is - Oh and I'd sleep like a baby knowing I made the bet.


Anonymous said...

There is the problem. The fault lies with us.