[Augmented at the end since I put this up a few hours ago]
While this blog is on permanent suspension, I recommend all to Ednotes Online.
It's the most comprehensive and entertaining record of UFT and DoE malfeasance since Scott put up his first post over there in August 2006. He had witnesses: his three cats.
Ednotes is also packed with context — current and historical. The guy taught 35 years and has been retired for as long as I've known him.
You'll also find every conceivable form of satire: banter, burlesque, caricature, cauticity, chaffing, irony, lampoonery, mockery, parody, pasquinade, persiflage, play-on, put-on, raillery, sarcasm, send-up, skit, poof, squib, takeoff, travesty, wit and witticism.
In truth, he gives real good persiflage, but I wouldn't have known that without checking the dictionary.
Another thought.
Though I haven't really forgiven Bill Maher for what he said about teachers in March 2009, I'm thinking of giving him another chance.
Here's an excerpt of his thoughts on Jon Stewart's Sanity Rally last month down in Washington, DC. The whole monologue hits the main points about the country's incomprehensible twist to the Right.
An excerpt from the Huffington Post:
Keith Olbermann is right when he says he's not the equivalent of Glenn Beck. One reports facts the other one is very close to playing with his poop. And the big mistake of modern media has been this notion of balance for balance's sake. That the Left is just as violent and cruel as the Right . . . there's a difference between a mad man and a madman," he said, referencing Olbermann's tweets.
Maher went on to poke holes in Jon's arguments, saying "Martin Luther King spoke on that Mall in the capital and he didn't say, 'Remember folks, those southern sheriffs with the fire hoses and the German shepherds, they have a point too.'
No, he said I have a dream, they have a nightmare
. . . Liberals, like the ones on that field, must stand up and be counted and not pretend that we're as mean, or greedy, or short-sighted or just plain bat-shit as they are. And if that's too polarizing for you, [and you still wanna reach across the aisle and hold hands with someone on the Right] . . . try church.
Lastly, some of the fighters whose voices keep us on track. Here's a GEM video showing them opposing the plutocratic Cathie Black waiver.
Truly, it's been a pleasure.
REVISION: A new idiocy to the Black nomination for chancellor.
One of her magazines was giving out Sex Tips of the Day, at $2.99 a pop.
Maybe she'll give them away free to kids if they do their homework.
If you can't stand the hubris, arrogance, corruption and fraud going on in New York City schools under the direction of Michael Bloomberg, the Royal Mayor of our city, come out protest with lots of other parents, teachers and students this Tuesday at the PEP meeting at Brooklyn Tech.
Why?
One look at this new GEM video will give you all the why's you'll ever need.
The kids are brilliant.
The voices are loud.
The disgust is thorough and complete.
A message from GEM:
We’ll meet up at 4:15 at the corner of DeKalb Ave. and South Elliot Pl. by Fort Greene Park for a mini rehearsal and then go over to Brooklyn Tech HS at 5:15 for the performance.
Join with us and let your voice be heard.
Let’s tell the Puppet PEP that we are not going to let them deform, dismantle and destroy our schools and our students’ education!
Need some more reasons why this newspaper lady shouldn't be given the keys to our city?
You'll find reasons in Charles Barron's letter to the State asking Steiner not to give her a waiver.
FROM THE OFFICE OF NYC COUNCIL MEMBER CHARLES BARRON
917-584-7604
Re: Letter urging the New York State Education Department to refuse waiver for new Chancellor & announcement of Thursday Press Conference
Dear Commissioner Steiner /NYSED :
It has come to my attention that Mayor Michael Bloomberg is in the process of appointing Magazine Executive Cathie Black to replace Joel Klein, who stepped down as Chancellor of the NYC Department of Education. I have also learned that Cathie Black (like Joel Klein when he was appointed) does not meet the New York State Education Department’s (NYSED’s) required minimum of education and experience to become Chancellor. Thus, she will need a waiver from NYSED before the appointment is official.This is is outrageous and unacceptable. I am writing to urge you to refuse a waiver.
While Ms. Black may be an accomplished businesswoman, New York City Public Schools are not businesses, nor are our children products or commodities. Our children deserve to have a qualified and experienced professional with a successful track record of commitment and competency in developing educated, well rounded, and high achieving students. The importance of these kinds of credentials is evident in the failure of the unqualified Joel Klein with our schools. Eight years of his tenure has left classrooms still overcrowded, a curriulum that has little or no cultural relevance to the student demographic (primarily Black and Latino students), communities fighting over co-located charter schools, unreliable school grades based on unreliable data, no-bid school contracts, our children starved of science, art and music & replaced with excessive test preparation, questions surrounding the manipulation of testing & test scores, and many other serious issues. We cannot repeat this gross injustice to our children, parents, unions, and teachers.
The process by which Bloomberg selected Ms. Black was disrespectful; it was not open to public input - yet Bloomberg seeks NYSED, a public state agency, to grant a waiver. Once again, I urge that you do not grant this waiver and thus accept nothing less than the excellence that our children and our city deserve.
Sincerely,
Charles Barron
As I said, this is war.
