The Eric Adams-David Banks regime is not off to a very good start on mayoral control of the schools that is up for renewal next month or it will sunset.
This is from the Queens Chronicle on the DOE reaction to a community protest to stop the removal of the District 30 Superintendent from the rehiring process:
A decision by the Department of Education to fire the superintendent of District 30, a 40-year veteran of the school system, which it has since rolled back, shocked many elected officials and community members. It has them questioning the extension of mayoral control of the city’s public schools, on which a verdict is expected in less than two weeks.
“The city is making its best argument against itself by doing what it's doing here, completely disregarding the community in its interests, not giving any reason or rationale for what it's doing, and scaring a lot of parents who want to make sure that kids are going to get a good education,” said State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris (D-Astoria) at a rally on Friday at PS 171 in support of Dr. Philip Composto.
When asked by the Chronicle how he would vote on mayoral control, Gianaris said, “I think it depends what we’re voting on. I would not vote to continue it as is.”
What I do not comprehend is why the Assembly and Senate are so afraid to return to the 1996 law which had a Board of Education that consisted of two mayoral appointments and five from the borough presidents.
In the 1996 law, the power to hire superintendents was taken from the community school boards and given to the Chancellor so the Mayor and Chancellor would have to find two borough presidents to support their policies or they would lose their control of the schools. It was real checks and balances. We would not be going back to the days when corrupt school boards hired superintendents. That is a myth.
The Chronicle piece makes you kind of wonder about the competence of the Banks team:
Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan (D-Long Island City), former chair of the Committee on Education, took it personally that Banks has not returned her calls on the matter.
"I'm livid," she said at the rally. “I've known David Banks a very long time, and I've been asking for a phone call back for, like, three days … It's not right. It's not respectful. I'm not a diva. I know he's a busy man. It's outrageous that they haven't spoken to us, and I'm deeply hurt about it.”
She continued, “You have to wonder what went on if they can't even return a phone call … That's not what mayoral control was meant to be. Mayoral control is not imperial control.”
Ticking off the people who have to vote on renewing mayoral control might not be a very smart tactic. Former Mayor Bloomberg could buy the Legislature off. I don't think Adams-Banks have that kind of money. Then again, maybe the UFT steps in to save mayoral control.
We'll see where it goes.
58 comments:
The doe never changes. Let me repeat. The doe never changes.
The worst thing you can do as a doe employee is genuinely care.
Look at it this way and that is where can you make 6 figures and play a game and go home at the end of the day with no work? Nowhere!
This job sucks, but private industry sucks more. I did it. I should know!
Play the doe game, act like you care, pass kids who give in some work(even if it’s crap) and enjoy life!
The mayor will get his way because he is funded by Bloomberg. Off topic but where's the school calendar we still can't do sbos at the school level. Lastly, I believe we will have a new contract around memorial day for an extra 30 minutes a day without a raise but a 5000 dollar one time payment. The DOE has 7 billion lets pay off the teachers now with a lump sum because teachers don't know math and money!!!
David Banks is USELESS. He won't be around in a few. Meisha Porter did more than this guy in a few months as a replacement. Banks does not return calls, has a weak group who manage his emails, calls, etc. This admin is prob the weakest I've ever seen. They are actually clueless when they were supposed to be the saviors. Ohhhh well, another few years it will change again. Circus. My kids go to school outside the city of course. Would never send my kids to this mess. Two years left for my lifetime pension. Seeeee ya! Good luck Banks! You need it because you are lost in the sauce.
Banks wants to be a Klein/Walcott style Chancellor. And Adams wants to be a Bloomberg type Mayor when it comes to education.—
however, politicians, parents are already giving plenty of pushback.—but unlikely that mayoral control would end this year.
If the 2022-2023 school calendar is not made public by Memorial Day—just have the feeling that Mulgrew is doing some closed door negotiations with the DOE that will give raises, maintaining healthcare—in exchange for a longer day and longer work year.
As a starter—teachers could be required to report to their schools in the last week in August—and the school day could be lengthened to at least 7 hrs, 20 minutes. And who knows about summer school.
Mulgrew can do these things—he was re-elected. So, stay tuned.
Disagree. The day is already long. There's no impetus for more. And summer is sacred. Randi paid for that mistake. Look for simple contract with moderate raises. Not 8%.
Mayoral control is bad for the schools and bad for education.
However, mayoral control is a fantastic political tool for the democrats who control NY city and NY state politics.
The politicians won't give up mayoral control, no way.
And Mulgrew has a high chair at the table with the politicians.
Mulgrew is your boy, you UFT teachers voted for him again.
How did Randi pay?she got promoted.she sold us all out.
Well 6:51 Moderate raises, business as usual—that’s wishful thinking. The city as usual will say no money——and might threaten layoffs unless federal money saves the state and city again —and unless this and that happens—which Mulgrew might expect to a longer school day/school year. And perhaps more Charters on the way.
That COPE money better help.
Wow. 545.
This is the kind of teachers we have left in the system? Judging by your salary, you have about 15-17 years? Were you always like this? That is why doe will never change: too many ppl like you.
Randi paid?
It looks like everyone, but Randi did.
And she definitely deserves to burn. Well, in hell.
Besides this issue of Mayoral control—there is another greater concern for the immediate future of NYC public schools.See the article in today’s NY Times about the decline in enrollment in public schools. NYC along with several other urban areas have lost more than 50K students in enrollment due to the pandemic. The threat of layoffs or closing schools is on the table right now. You would have to think that unless federal, state or local money is found to support lower sized classes across the board which probably includes NYC—and that really hasn’t happened despite the decades promises of lower class size from Mulgrew and previous UFT presidents and of course all the politicians. This is where COPE is suppose to kick in with political educational lobbying for public schools.
So good luck with the upcoming contract negotiations for September 2022–because money has to found somewhere-and adding extra time to the day or extending the school year—it just looks good on the city’s financial ledger—as an exchange for justifying any decent teacher raise and maintaining existing healthcare. This will be anything but an simple contract come the fall.
Obama in Whitehouse screwed us with Race to the Top. Cuomo in Albany screwed us. The mayor of nyc screwed us. All democrats. They are not on our side. The job of teaching is not the issue I focus on when voting because there is no difference. Both parties screw teachers.
I condemn your use of the awful phrase. Reserve that kind of language for Hitler not a trade union functionary
Everyone should take the advice of 5:45. Well spoken.
@224am. You now know one of the reasons why our country is f^cked up. 545 will be the same person to complain about poverty. Why 545 didn't leave the DOE sooner is probably because they were chased from private industry. Maybe they were hip to their slacker work ethic.
@943am. You can take that advice. I will pass
I got a message today from Leroy Barr about completing a survey for input on contract negotiations. I called the UFT to get my special code to take this survey and sat on hold until I grew impatient and hung up, so no special code for me. Also, this survey is due tomorrow. Thanks for asking for my input UFT.
There's a question at the end regarding working longer days or year. Say no!!!! They thought we wouldn't be paying attention that late in the survey.
Chalkbeat had an interesting article a few days ago about the possibility of NYCDOE creating two virtual full time schools. I wonder how that will play out?
I didn't need a code, just clicked on survey
5:45--
Or...
have integrity.
I think some of us take this job too seriously. Today was a beautiful day and I had an outside workout in the park after work today. At 3:30 pm I was doing this.
Talk to people who work real jobs in private industry. If they’re done g 6, they consider that a good day.
For us, it’s May. School is over. Plus, we get 10 weeks off after June 28th. No accountability?
I don’t like the job, but it’s not a bad life.
Having said that, everyone better say no to linger school day and year. I don’t want to work real hours
Exactly.
545 is a teacher my a sad error of the Universe.
Due to the pandemic.
How about due to the way it has been managed?!
Condemn all you want. Facts remain facts. There is only one place for socialists-right next to Hitler-in hell. They do all the same, just use different rhetoric: "we are the gods. If you are not with us, then you are against. We will tell you how you will live. And " your children are ours".
To the hell with that.
That is why ppl running away from places sold and bought by union functionaries.
8:49 PM - Please go away troll.
Where is the survey? I checked my email and I never got it.
I contacted my assembly person and my state senator and let them know my opinion on mayoral control...it needs to go ASAP. Did you?
743,
Don’t believe it until you see it.
This is the doe. It’s run by politics. We are glorified babysitting.
Maybe a few smart kids will sign up and do well and banks will pay himself on the back, but overall, it won’t have any traction.
For most doe families, they just won’t ton online, register and opt their kids in to remote school. That’s not an insult, just an observation.
9:18
Same for me.
Checked various accounts including junk/span folders.
Nothing.
Does anyone know if there is a way to request a new one?
Thanks.
Here is why we cannot do longer school days and that reason is bc if you live in the suburbs, the commute sucks. You get a rainy day and it doubles your commute to and from work and you are burnt out.
Other city workers don’t do our hours and awful drive time commutes. That’s just a fact.
Honestly, each spring after may 1st, my daily round trip commutes increase about an hour to an hour and a half total and I need the time off. I couldn’t do this job having to do this drive over the summer.
If you didn’t get a UFT survey it’s bc you didn’t sign up on ten UFT site.
People I know who aren’t teachers used to think fondly of teachers. Now all they want is teachers’ unions destroyed for closing schools and pushing leftist ideology. Great work democrats. You’ve turned the parents against us.
I believe that we are entering a fairly precarious time financially as far as inflation is concerned. That should not mean that people trade away their rights for money. I’m apt to say that teachers should fight to get back their pre-2005 rights and forgo the money. Teachers make a decent salary considering what many of us experienced for decades in the past. The UFT of course would trade away your very soul if it could for a few extra few dollars. (Incredibly disappointing that Mulgrew is still in office.) Between him and the swagger actor Adams teachers will have to be watchful. An end to mayoral control is one of the best things that could possibly happen for teachers of New York.
Mayoral control was first instated by Mikey Bloomberg who wanted total control and look what happen to the NYCDOE system. Schools that were once glory schools are now housed with so called mini schools of 300 kids per school At the Stevenson campus there are actually two schools on one floor and 8 schools in the building. Eight principals at $200 G per year.
Yes as you are walking down the hall you are stopped by security who says this is a different school here you are entering even though its down the hall! This is what mayoral control has done to our great schools. We need a governance board so we have decisions that are majority and not just some midget mike who wants to rule the world
Can you call in? I have 2 hours and 5 minutes to talk!
A longer school day is going to happen—perhaps at least an extra half hour. It’s only way for a decent pay increase. It doesn't matter if teachers commute from suburbs—the average NYC resident just don’t give a hoot. They already think teachers work daily from 8:00-2:30 and get too many holidays with 8 weeks of summer vacation. Also, a longer school year depends upon the State Legislature —that still could happen.
Adams and company have been lobbying in Albany during past few days for renewal of Mayoral control of schools—and it looks like he could very well get that 4 year extension—unless there are key Democratic politicians that object—which is unlikely. So look for his administration to push for more charters and start spreading plenty of anti UFT union propaganda. He is already stirring the pot with the District Superintendents. Adams is listening to David Banks and Michael Bloomberg.
But the word from Adams is that he and Mulgrew get along great and are working together not against each other as Adams as stated. Adams was a union guy for the NYPD and I am sure he understands unions and how important they are...especially the UFT because the UFT is the straw that stirs the drink.
@545 is morally bankrupt and callous. Harming children. Evil troll who is a parent. I guess they are teaching their children this behavior too.
Agreed Fuck the money, I will keep what we have now salary wise , and also, as a trade off they can do away with155 minutes . We are not getting a raise anyways, the city will cry broke. I'm fine with forgoing a raise for loss of the 155 minutes
If they don’t give Adams control—he will cry foul. Adams was perhaps a union guy at one time—but now he’s on a different team as an elected Mayor. He was sort of against Medicare Advantage for retirees—until he was for it-when he became Mayor. Its like a teacher that becomes an administrator—and forgets where they came from.
I don't think that Adams and Mulgrew are buddies, especially when it will come to negotiating a 2022 contract in a cash deficit city environment—but they need each other—because keeping schools open and as normal as possible—is in the best interest of everyone—mainly parents in this pandemic era.
Did mulgrew even fight against mayoral control?
No
The antisemite calls 545 morally bankrupt. The person who threatened to go all in on the Holocaust thinks she’s morally superior. Own your words, bigot. You are not moral.
The only intelligent comment on here is from 5:45. It’s the only way to survive the Dept of Ed.
@127 am you and inbred relatives are the bigots. You and your label mate 545 should just leave teaching. You're both morally bankrupt and sound mentally unstable. When you're at your next barnfire do me a favor and wear flammable togas. Byeeee
@735am. 545 is a poor excuse and using your own opinion about 545's comment being the "only intelligent" one on here--your comment is unintelligent. Stay away from children. Grab your moral lacking friends back to the village.
5:45 is like many teachers I know - at least the ones I know that haven’t gone insane (and I know a lot of them). As a teacher the healthiest thing to do is peruse the book, the art of not giving a f**k, and integrate into your philosophy. Hey, most of are fairly moral human beings and it’s difficult not to care, especially with the blood, sweat ,tears and monetary investment made into this disappointing and farcical ‘career’ ; and the integral fact that most of us were not raised not to care (or we wouldn’t have chosen teaching). But if it’s your survival, you’ll learn, and it behooves you to learn fast. Yes, a sad state of affairs. I can’t believe that Mulgrew was not voted out - I mean I can believe it, but hope springs eternal. Adams has done absolutely nothing to benefit the city or any of the workers in it. I would say the same concerning the schools and learning. Mulgrew has gone into hiding and will come out from under his rock now that the election is over. David Banks is a good man with good intentions, but really has the
wrong paradigm. Identity politics finding its way into all facets of education here is wrong. Banks can’t expect all teachers to give up their lives to benefit the children of New York City, but he does. There are those few that are single and perhaps doing a type of penance for their pass sins that will, but when Mulgrew presents it to all teachers as the ways and means for a raise, there will be an mighty uproar. Forget the faux raises and start fighting to regain the integral and substantial losses from the 2005 contract that changed teaching from a career into a job.
I think they will get teachers to do weekends and summers if the price is right. Money talks. The ones who will bite will be young teachers who are trying to get married, start a family, pay off student loans, and buy a house in the future. Also, those nearing retirement will bite to pad their pensions. Obviously not everyone will be on board. Adams doesn't realize that many times teachers are not the breadwinners in their homes. Many have spouses that make the bulk of the income whether it's a husband or wife, so they won't need the extra money, but there are many teachers who will bite at the opportunity.
It's stunning how people who are concerned about their own "survival and mental health" hold to the fire the feet of the mayor mulgrew etc. Maybe they too had good "intentions" but gave in for the sake of their survival and mental health. What's good for the goose...
1:31 had all good intentions loved my job but the dept of Ed broke my down. 5:45 is correct. 32 years of teaching, don’t know how many years you have. 1:31 so don’t pass judgment.
Byeee antisemite and coward, W4S. Still waiting for you to go all in on the Holocaust. Too afraid to say what you really think about Jews and the Holocaust? Cluck cluck away with your bigoted self.
Hey racist 10:40am. You're back. So you're "waiting" for me to go in? and you think I'm too afraid to "say what I really think"? Dumbazz. So you are calling ME a bigot based on what you THINK I mean and NOT for actual bigoted words that I said? Chile go sit you're funky self down. Rofl. Go all in. Go all in. Go all in. Go all in. Lmao. Byeeee
Personally, I don’t judge anyone who fights the good fight and I don’t judge anyone who goes along to get along. The ones I judge are the ones who barely show up and when they do show up, they don’t even fake it. Lol
This is not a ‘career.’ Sorry if that offends anyone. It’s a way to make a nice life for yourself.
There is a term I believe in economics about diminishing returns. I believe this applies to the doe. There is only so hard you can work until you realize that the kids who just don’t care won’t care…ever! I am in my 40’s and this occurred when I went to school. Kids go to summer school, get pushed along and it is what it is.
To those bleeding hearts, do you want 35 year olds in 8th grade? Probably not.
So, in conclusion, if you play the game and fake it until you make it, that’s cool. If you are a martyr and a bleeding heart, that’s cool, too! Just show up and make an effort.
That’s all!
5 weeks until summer! Think about that. 10 weeks of no commuting, paychecks and not having to do any work or pretend like you are working. This is why the doe is great! It’s not the real world.
10:39: Easy to say when you don't need to work summer school. Because of inflation and other issues I need to do summer school again. I agree though, there are too many teachers that play the game. If the teachers all gave honest grades, the mayor and chancellor and public will see the system and the students for what they really are, but we give this illusion that the kids are learning because the graduation rate keeps going up. This is because everyone is just passing them through, so they won't be on radar. These people shouldn't call themselves teachers. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Does this sound familiar?
1144,
No disrespect, but I work other jobs over the summer on my time. There’s so much out there. Yes. Inflation is bad, but working summer school is worse.
Also, the general public does not want to know the truth. If they did, they would have found it out already about what really goes on.
Politicians don’t want to admit it. Nobody does.
Honestly, I don’t want the public to know what goes on. Everyone in this system in some way, shape or form does or has done something that can be viewed as ‘questionable.’ Why open ourselves up?
You teach those who care. Always been the game. Always will be the game.
There will be kids who don’t care. You can’t reach them and that’s ok.
@1144. You're right. I also think the teachers who just "go along to get along" are weak. It's my OPINION. They call it self preservation or whatever. I do know that they can't show me where it's WRITTEN that all students must pass. They can blame progressive this and liberal that all they like but they still can't show me this WRITTEN policy that says all students must pass. Only the regents policy states its passing scores. These teachers should just admit that they're: A. Too weak to stand up for self or B. Don't care about the students because it's not THEIR child. You signed up to do one thing. TEACH and you can't do that. You then whine about low income people and welfare this. Until you do your job correctly, shut up and stop whining about people who don't do their job. Finally when you hear me talk about the SYSTEM look in the mirror because you are a tool used by this system to ruin America. America hasn't reached its true potential yet because the system is rigged. The deck is stacked. 2020 taught us that the so called best and brightest of America ain't so best nor bright. Aren't you tired of fooling yourself or is it that comfortable living in your own Truman Show. Whine on collecting your BIG BUCKS. Isn't that welfare?
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