tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15921757.post115753763250761631..comments2024-03-07T15:25:26.971-05:00Comments on ICEUFT Blog: Joel Klein Meets the PressJeff Kaufmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11728874415155394751noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15921757.post-1157716002988214652006-09-08T07:46:00.000-04:002006-09-08T07:46:00.000-04:00The following report is from Leonie Haimson who h...The following report is from Leonie Haimson who has been following the A&E story:<BR/><BR/>I have just finished reading “A Recipe for Failure; A year of Reform and Chaos in the St. Louis Public Schools” by Marilyn Ayres-Salamon, about her tragic experiences as a middle school teacher the year Alvarez& Marsal, a corporate turn-around firm with no education experience, took control of the St. Louis schools. <BR/><BR/>I highly recommend the book; it is available at Amazon.com. Alvarez& Marsal is the consulting firm recently hired with a $17 million no bid contract by DOE to “cut the bureaucracy.” On NY1 on Monday night, Joel Klein said he “had no idea” what the firm had done in St. Louis; a rather astonishing admission considering the money they are paying them. Perhaps someone should send him a copy of this book.<BR/><BR/>It tells the story not only what happened in her school, but in the system as a whole. <BR/><BR/>Alvarez & Marsal was hired on June 1, 2003 to run the schools and “cut the bureaucracy.” (sound familiar?). They soon closed all the alternative schools, textbooks and other supplies weren’t delivered for months, the number of serious disciplinary incidents among students rose 58%, and violent acts increased by 148%. Class sizes grew; special education services were in chaos; teacher morale plummeted, and parents felt completely disenfranchised. Meanwhile, the money spent on consultants tripled, and the no. of administrators paid in excess of $100,000 quadrupled.<BR/><BR/> <BR/><BR/>At Salamon’s school, instead of 22 students in her classes, as planned, by the end of September, there were 31. The building was seriously overcrowded, continual fights broke out among students, and she and the principal both ended up resigning before the end of the year because of stress. The next fall, fewer than half of the teachers returned to the school, and most of the replacement teachers were substitutes.<BR/><BR/> <BR/><BR/>In June of 2004, the state auditor issued an audit detailing many problems with A&M’s management, cost controls, and financial improprieties. (Incidentally, the state auditor for 8 years, Claire Claire McCaskill, is now running for Senate in Missouri as a Democrat, in what is predicted to be among the closest races in the nation.)<BR/><BR/> <BR/><BR/>Excerpts from the audit are below. By the fall of 2004, St. Louis Schools had lost 16 points toward full accreditation, having fallen from 64 points when A&M was hired, to 48 points. (66 are needed for accreditation.) But by then, A& M had left town, without having found the district a permanent superintendent. The district is still in chaos, two years later. <BR/><BR/>Complete Audit Report at http://www.auditor.mo.gov/press/2004-47.pdf<BR/><BR/>Leonie Haimson<BR/>Class Size Matters<BR/>leonie@att.net<BR/>www.classsizematters.orgAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15921757.post-1157668285715656172006-09-07T18:31:00.000-04:002006-09-07T18:31:00.000-04:00Anyone who believes city sue will probably not be ...Anyone who believes city sue will probably not be interested in this blog. Send over to Edwize our exerpt from back in October. We were right all along.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15921757.post-1157660605448957862006-09-07T16:23:00.000-04:002006-09-07T16:23:00.000-04:00CitySue over at Edwize is spinning the ATR story o...CitySue over at Edwize is spinning the ATR story out of control.<BR/><BR/>Someone from ICE better go their and set her straight.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15921757.post-1157588557389946452006-09-06T20:22:00.000-04:002006-09-06T20:22:00.000-04:00Listen, it's all for the CHILDREN. Everything we d...Listen, it's all for the CHILDREN. Everything we do is for the CHILDREN. Instead of coming in early this year to set up my classroom, I decided to take MY children to Hershey Park. That's what I did for MY children up to the Wednesday before work. I'm dedicated to my job, but not where my children suffer the consequences of a ridiculous contract. <BR/><BR/>Who else feels ripped off living in the greatest city in the world that can't pay it's city workers a decent wage?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15921757.post-1157588348517492522006-09-06T20:19:00.000-04:002006-09-06T20:19:00.000-04:00To Everybody-What follows was written on the ICE b...To Everybody-<BR/><BR/>What follows was written on the ICE blog on October 23, 2005. This is part of our leaflet opposing the Contract. Please go back and read the leaflet in its entirety as ICE predictions are coming true.<BR/> <BR/><BR/><BR/>WHAT WE KEEP ONLY IF WE VOTE NO<BR/><BR/>-The right to transfer based on our seniority.<BR/><BR/>-The right to be part of SBO Committees made up of majority teachers that determine who transfers into our schools, not principals exclusively deciding.<BR/><BR/><BR/>-The right to a vacant position if we are excessed.<BR/><BR/>-The right to widest placement choices possible if our school is closed or reorganized. <BR/><BR/>-The right to any in license position instead of worrying about becoming an Absent Teacher Reserve if our school is closed or reorganized.<BR/><BR/>-The right to a full summer vacation. (Many surrounding districts have school years fixed by contract at 183 days. If we vote yes, we will have a 190 day school year, the longest in the Metropolitan area.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15921757.post-1157577443298089722006-09-06T17:17:00.000-04:002006-09-06T17:17:00.000-04:00From your "favorite" Anon:This is a marvelous post...From your "favorite" Anon:<BR/><BR/>This is a marvelous post. It speaks volumes and it's nice to see that one faction of our union is addressing these issues.<BR/><BR/>Please continue these types of posts. It was intelligently and sensitively written (to the point) with no sophomoric bitching. It's posts like these that puts Randi to shame. I will copy it and distribute it to teachers in my school who have no idea what is going on. Maybe this will put them in touch. <BR/><BR/>Hmmm...maybe you CAN compete with NYC Ed. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com