Former NYC School Chancellor Joel Klein rips mayoral candidate Mamdani in a Free Press post, “How Zohan Mamdani Could Kill NY Schools,” Klein certainly tried to kill the schools, and almost succeeded.
Mayor Bloomberg ,Trump-like, decided to tear down the Board of Education. Crying corruption he ran to Albany who meekly dissolved the Decentralization Model and Bloomberg appointed Joel Klein, a litigator, a lawyer with absolutely no education knowledge as chancellor.
Painting decentralization with a broad brush, corrupt, yes, with knowledge and consent of Koch and Giuliani, too many districts were run as patronage pools by local elected officials. A few of the districts (2, 15, 22) were models of community engagement and innovation, swept away.
Klein totally reorganized the entire school system every few years, from Regions with hundreds of schools to Knowledge Districts to Empowerment to Affinity Networks. Klein closed 150 schools, some deserved closing, others needed support and better leadership.
Klein encouraged competition with charter schools. Network Charter Schools are richly funded from anti-public school types, routinely push out low achievers, raid public schools, Diane Ravitch has uncovered malfeasance time and time again. And, charter school leaders pay themselves extraordinary salaries (See IRS 990 Success Academy: Eva Moskowitz, 1M, two others 500K four others between 300 and 400K)
In the early 90s a newer school serving immigrant children asked the UFT to approve a plan to replace seniority transfers, prospective transferees would apply, be interviewed by a committee composed of a majority of teachers with an expedited grievance process if an applicant felt s/he was inappropriately denied. The system was so popular over half the schools in the city opted in.
Klein decided to oppose the system and substituted the Open Market system, teachers could jump from school to school. Thousands of teachers took advantage, teachers commonly moving from low achieving schools to higher achieving schools draining the neediest schools of experienced teachers. Tragic
Eventually Bloomberg fired Klein.
Klein, of course, praises mayoral control, currently the replacement of local elected school boards by Community Education Councils with no authority and a central board, the Panel for Educational Priorities which gives rubber stamps a bad name.
As far as Mamdani’s criticism of the Specialized High School admission qualifications a suggestion to admit the top two kids academically from each middle school has been ignored.
Bloomberg in his Ghepetto role is angry, his attempt to do away with teacher tenure, to lay off excess teachers all failed and especially his ill-fated $100 M run for the presidency, and he blames teacher unions.
Joel, in his Pinocchio role, has to be the parrot for Bloomberg.
The current leadership crowing about the increases in standardized test scores is embarrassing, scores increased across the state, the reason: the State Education Department has “adjusted” the cut scores every year.
There are extremely competent educators across the city, I’m sure the Mamdani, if elected, will seek advice from the best and the brightest. His campaign, fifty thousand volunteers and reaching the statutory contribution limit quickly with small donations has become a model for campaigns across the nation. Cuomo support is mostly large chunks from the real estate sector,
As Klein acknowledges, it looks like Mamdani is on the path to victory, why not make positive suggestions, guess Mike thinks there is a chance for Cuomo.
The current education management structure needs a tear down and a rebuild.
Mamdani opposes mayoral control and says teachers and parents need greater voices.
Are you allowed to say “Amen”
Ed in the Apple: Blogging on the Intersection of Education and Politics Title 