Peter Goodman

Getting “Stuff” Done Depends on Relationships, Being in “The Room Where It Happens”

In the world of politics relationships matter, matter a lot. I was selected as UFT District Rep in a district run by a political club. The TJ Democratic Club elected the school board who selected the superintendent. Aside from required meetings I was out of the loop. I complained to an old timer, His advice,,Continue reading “Getting “Stuff” Done Depends on Relationships, Being in “The Room Where It Happens””

Will Public Education and Teacher Unions Survive Trump?

The pundits are suggesting names for the next Secretary of Education, that’s if the Department of Education survives. Betsy De Vos is campaigning as well as the Commissioner of Education in Oklahoma who ordered posting the Ten Commandments in every classroom. Do you post the Protestant or the Catholic commandments? They’re different! Are you working onContinue reading “Will Public Education and Teacher Unions Survive Trump?”

An Autopsy: Did Trump Win or Did Harris Lose?

I must live in a bubble, a Harris bubble. I’m surrounded by smart, politically engaged women; this was the election of a lifetime. I was certain, a tsunami of women voters would determine the outcome. We would see an enormous turnout. Pollsters were predicting a close, a very close election, days, maybe weeks before a winnerContinue reading “An Autopsy: Did Trump Win or Did Harris Lose?”

Regents Exams Will Be Gone! Replaced by a Book Report or an Internship

“The educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a Nation and a people. . . . We have, in effect, been committing an act of unthinking, unilateral educational disarmament,” (A Nation at Risk, 1983) Five years ago I attended the firstContinue reading “Regents Exams Will Be Gone! Replaced by a Book Report or an Internship”

Joe to Jill: “F_King Pelosi, I woulda won.”

The establishment Democratic Party pushed Biden aside, selected an ideal candidate, raised incredible campaign cash, ran a smooth targeted campaign, and watched voters reject the progressive Biden agenda. “Fear of migrants” won out over defending women’s rights. As a nation we’re probably more divided than any time since 1860, we’re at the cusp of anotherContinue reading “Joe to Jill: “F_King Pelosi, I woulda won.””

Kamala Wins as an Unexpected Tsunami of Women Voters Swamp Trump (my taro cards are never wrong)

Nate Silver writes The Tilt in the NYT, parsing polling, Nate is not a pollster, he’s a journalist (and a professional poker player) writing about polls. Polls vary from pollster to pollster, a week away from election day The Tilt, sort of, without confidence, predicts a Trump victory, In an election where the seven battleground states are all pollingContinue reading “Kamala Wins as an Unexpected Tsunami of Women Voters Swamp Trump (my taro cards are never wrong)”

Is the US Constitution a Misogynistic and Racist Document?

Supreme Court Justices Thomas, Alito and other conservative justices refer to themselves as Originalists, basing their decisions on the original intent of the founders. The founders, the fifty-five white, male elites, some slave holders, others businessmen, some expressed their opposition to slavery, none were abolitionists. While Madison viewed slavery as repugnant he never freed hisContinue reading “Is the US Constitution a Misogynistic and Racist Document?”

Gates and the Department of Education’s Quest for the Mythical Magic Bullet: Next Quest: Algebra 1

Soon to be former Chancellor David Banks mandated a new Algebra 1 curriculum without prior consultation with teachers, who have been sharply critical of the new curriculum, Michael Mulgrew, the UFT President, “We have a mess on our hands,” the appalling 2023 59% Algebra 1 passing rate dropped to 45% in 2024. A Department leaderContinue reading “Gates and the Department of Education’s Quest for the Mythical Magic Bullet: Next Quest: Algebra 1”

Deja Vue, Again: Can Failing Schools Be Revived – the Endless, So Far, Futile Quest

/ At last Monday’s Board of Regents Meeting the State rolled out the “new” plan to “reimagine accountability” and revive struggling schools, schools in the lowest assessment categories, Targeted School Improvement (TSI) and Comprehensive School Improvement (CSI). Read the report here Unfortunately most CSI and TSI schools are well below resuscitation, and for decades magic bulletsContinue reading “Deja Vue, Again: Can Failing Schools Be Revived – the Endless, So Far, Futile Quest”

Will “Unexpected Voters” Determine the Outcome of the Presidential Election?

The self described newspaper of record, the N.Y. Times displays graphs, red lines and blue lines and comments on polls almost every day. What is a poll? A poll is a prediction of a particular event at a specific time. Newspapers, media in general, rarely discusses the methodologies that vary from pollster to pollster norContinue reading “Will “Unexpected Voters” Determine the Outcome of the Presidential Election?”