Mayor Bill de Blasio is in negative territory in recent polls. The latest Wall Street Journal-NBC-Marist poll has him at 38% approval versus 58% disapproval. The perceived spike in crime is his biggest problem.
On public schools, the mayor isn't doing very well either. Last week's Quinnipiac poll had him at 35% positive and 49% negative on handling the public schools. Chancellor Carmen Farina is at 34% approval with 34% disapproving. Other city officials had positive overall ratings. The mayor even gets negative grades on the city budget.
For the UFT, the strategy of celebrating the schools does not seem to be working. Happy talk when the reality seems to be that not much has improved under this mayor or chancellor does not seem to be a smart way forward. The union might want to consider pressuring the mayor to actually improve the teaching and learning conditions instead of letting Farina do "Bloomberg lite".
Teachers I talk to think conditions are as bad, worse or only marginally improved under de Blasio-Farina. Schools aren't closed now but receivership is just as punishing in many ways. What do you think?
The good news for de Blasio is that no potential challenger exists right now who could beat him according to the Quinnipiac poll.
12 comments:
"The union might want to consider pressuring the mayor to actually improve the teaching and learning conditions instead of letting Farina do "Bloomberg lite".
In the Renewal schools it's like Bloomberg/Klein on steroids.
I'm sitting near a park writing this and watching an army of homeless people. There is of course less homelessness because the city hasn't counted them. There's no trash in the subways because the city took out the trash cans. There are no discipline problems in the schools because there are no suspensions. First cellphones in, next the metal detectors will come out. Less guns have been confiscated- so less people are carrying guns, therefore the city is much safer. Statistics prove all this, so it must be true!
Yeah, the UFT will likely tell us they couldn't get real improvements until BDB gets a second term. . . Maybe true. But, DeBlasio's mayoral control was only extended one year (unlike Bloomberg's multi year extension). So,it may be a moot point. The UFT won't throw any resources behind him if he didn't control the schools.
Sure they would because the mayor has always controlled the money.
Despite what the polls say- DeBlasio will get a 2nd term-unless there is a serious challenger--but you just never know. Hey, maybe Bloomberg is bored- and will flex his political muscle (money) and try to get the City Council to revoke the City Charter that would cancel 2 term limits and change it a one-term limit-- in order to get rid of DeBlasio and open the door for a Bloomberg return. I also heard that Klein needs another important educational job.
DeBlasio is arrogant and thinks everyone is stupid, as does his sidekicks Farina and Mulgrew. DeBlasio is a one term mayor. Working people will come out en masse to vote him out, they will not make the same mistake twice. That said, the guy is clueless in a profound way. The road to NYC is paved with good intentions.
I happen to think that BDB is a feckless leader. He appointed La Farina, a reformista-in-disguise (well, not much of a disguise) and has been so uninterested in the nuts-and-bolts of education in the City that he couldn't be bothered to change more than 20% of the exempt staff at Tweed. No clean sweep, not even a flick of the broom.
That said, no one who supports public education or cares about teachers should be pleased at all that BDB is tanking. No one should assume that he will have no effective opposition. Cuomo, the hedgies and the "good people" of the City are already pushing Hakeem Jeffries, who would be a formidable and well-financed candidate in a Democrat primary by taking a (presumably) large share of the African-American vote that now constitutes BDB's "base."
Hakeem Jeffries may not be well-known now but he will become very well-known during the next eighteen months and what we already know is that he is Bloomberg-strong, Bloomberg-tight, Bloomberg-reformy on charters, public schools and the UFT.
If Jeffries runs, the UFT will endorse BDB in a heart-beat and pour tremendous resources into his campaign.
Because, in the end, as well we know, it's all about the "seat at the table," teachers be damned. And a feckless BDB would be far better on the issues we all care about than a Cuomo-hedgie backed Mayor Jeffries
I'm not happy about him tanking, but I'm certainly not happy with him. What good is it to have a friendly mayor if you get seriously hurt inside a school because metal detectors have been removed? Or can't teach a class because of constant cell phone use? I don't care if he stays or if he goes - it's bad either way. I can't stand the way Mulgrew gives him everything he wants - including our raises, due process rights and increased health care. Let's see if he says no to metal detector removal.
Mayor DO-NOTHING spends most evenings sitting Indian around a water pipe. Chancellor OLE-GREY MARE spends most afternoons snoring in a hammock. This explains it.
The old grey mare she ain't what she used to be many long years ago
I'd vote for Satan before I'd cast my ballot for DeBlasio....Farina is on my "got to go" list.
Frankly, I'm very disappointed in deBlasio. I was really hoping that there would be major changes at the NYC DOE, but just seems to be the same old, same old under his control and Farina.
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