Show Me Sand The Floor Whitney Tilson

I can't believe, nor thank enough, the amount of material Whitney Tilson supplies. Whitney, I am eternally grateful to you. What can I do to show my thanks? Be careful, there are some things I just won't do.

So I open up the email and see that Whitney has blabbered:

What goes on in many of our public schools, especially those “serving” mostly low-income, minority children is a crime of the highest order. I saw the latest evidence of this during a visit a short while ago to one of the finest public schools in the country, which happens to be a charter school, that, like most in NYC, shares space with a dismal, chronically failing district school. How do I know? When the principal and I walked through the district school to get to the charter school’s space in the building, there was the usual chaos, so I whispered to the principal, “Seeing this must make your skin crawl.”

Why not name the school? I betcha the principal and you got cooties.

The principal replied (as we were walking through the auditorium), “You know what really gets me? I come through here regularly, and they’re showing movies.”

Where is here? The hallway? The bathroom? A classroom? You know what gets me? Principals that are 26 years old that have no background in education.

To which I naively replied, “The History Channel? Documentaries?”

Gee, I figured it would be movies of you on your trip to Thailand. Hehehe.

“No. Movies like The Karate Kid.”

OK, not your trip to Thailand, but a good movie nonetheless. But let's wait for the rest of your opinion that no one asked for.

I’ve heard plenty of stories of individual teachers who have given up on their students and don’t even TRY to educate them, so they just show movies in their classroom, but for this to be going on in the main auditorium with hundreds of students means THE ENTIRE SCHOOL HAS GIVEN UP – and these are LITTLE kids!

When educational malpractice is going on, obviously most of the kids will be barely able to read by, say, 4th grade and, statistically speaking, are very likely to lead broken, ruined lives.

What Whitney does here is leaves out certain facts that can put this into context. Was it during lunch time and it was raining outside, was it winter and it was too cold or snow on the ground? Believe this or not, this is fairly standard operating practice in Scarsdale. Or Bedford. Or Roslyn. Or when I was a student. I remember watching Bugs Bunny cartoons when I was a kid. And some of those Bugs Bunny cartoons were not only politically incorrect, but somewhat risque as well.

You fail to mention the grade/age group of the students. Could this have been part of some type of lesson on Asia, Japan, Karate, or even character development? I would like nothing better than to introduce classic movies to 5th graders in my school. Why shouldn't they? Let them see a good John Wayne movie, or the Marx Brothers. Let these students see what is out there. Could this have been a Friday afternoon in which the students through hard work during the week were rewarded with a movie? The DOE at one time advocated and stopped the rewarding of money for grades. What is wrong with a movie?

So once again Whitney you show what you are really made of. There is a part from a Rush song that sums you up. The song is entitle War Paint from the 1990 CD Presto; "All puffed up with vanity We see what we want to see To the beautiful and the wise The mirror always lies" Think it over.

Oh before I forget tonight's Photoshop of Whitney is quite metaphorical.

NYC DOE Slams David Pakter With Additional Bogus Charges

For those who are unaware if the trials and tribulations of David Paketer, I invite you to go here, here, and here.

It would be really neat for Gotham Schools to link to this, but as you know Gotham doesn't link to obscenity. This is the biggest obscenity I have ever heard of.

Just for a note of disclosure. In 1993 whilst at the DMV in Yonkers I told the clerk I would take her to Burger King if she would re-take my photo. I also gave flowers to the registrar of my college. Confused? Then read on.

The following is from the mind of David Pakter

Dear Friends (and supporters):

The new additional charge/s brought against me relate to the fact that last October, 2009, when I was down at 65 Court Street, on a late Friday afternoon attempting to get a printout verifying my job status with the NYC Dept of Education, I offered to treat a receptionist to dinner (not with me) if she would give me a copy of my job status printout immediately so I would not have to return all the way back to Brooklyn from Manhattan, the following Monday after the weekend.

Based on my trying to expedite obtaining a copy of my own personal employment history, the NYC DOE has accused me of "attempting to bribe", a Public Official- citing every single State Law they could find that deals with attempting to influence Public Servants and Officials for personal gain-- like the six men who just got sentenced to jail for soliciting tens of thousands of dollars for getting lucrative DOE student transportation bus contracts.

These new charges brought against me will be sent to the Manhattan District Attorney for prosecution.

Such is the desperation of Joel Klein and his countless stooges to bury me once and for all.

The real goal, of course, of the NYC DOE and SCI and Theresa Europe is to force me to accept their recently made offer that if I will retire and withdraw my Federal Lawsuits and agree not to sue the DOE for the knowingly false sex allegation Libel that appeared in the NY POST on Sunday, March 21, 2010, that stated I was removed "for sexual misconduct", a bald faced lie, and then in exchange, the NYC DOE will withdraw all present and any future charges against me.

Obviously, the NYC DOE will continue to add more and more charges against me in the vain and desperate hope they will succeed in intimidating me to agree to withdraw my Federal lawsuits and not sue the NYC DOE and the NY POST for Libel, Defamation and Slander.

I am fully prepared to go to jail before I will capitulate to such an obscene form of extortion.

One does not bargain with criminals or make deals with the Devil.

The world learned that painful lesson in 1939 and more than 50 million people of all Faiths, Creeds and Nationalities paid with their lives.

I rather doubt they will attempt to pull such nonsense with other NYC teachers, but be forewarned that the NYC DOE can take even the most innocuous and mundane comments made to another person totally out of context- as if we did not know this to be a fact regarding the sorry excuses for human beings who inhabit and walk the marbled halls along Chambers Street.

But no one need worry or lose any sleep on my account.

The type of Justice that cannot be obtained in a State Education Law 3020-a Teacher Trial, can be obtained via alternate methods. In fact a type of Justice will be arriving on the NYC DOE's door step in good time that will leave former Federal prosecutor, Chancellor Joel Klein, Esq. and his countless lapdogs reeling.

Indeed, I can say they will never know what hit them-- until it is too late.

Stay strong and live happily.

Remember that no one on this Earth can rob you of your human dignity unless you agree to let them. They can jail your body but never your humanity.

Someday, these dark days and dark hours we must presently live through, in the history of Education in America, will come to an end and be a thing of the past.

And people like Joel Klein, Esq., a pitiful legend in his own pitiful mind, will be consigned to the scrap heap of history where they so rightly belong.

With warmest regards as always,

David Pakter

Still Standing

Next Trial Dates: May 10, May 11, at 49 Chambers Street, 6th Floor, at 10 AM

Please request Hearing Room of the Honorable Douglas J. Bantle, Esq.

Christopher M. Callagy, Esq. NYSUT Attorney for the Defense
Philip Oliveri, prosecuting for the NYC Dept of Education

Note: 6th Floor Receptionist has been known to falsely tell visitors NO Hearing is scheduled.

Creaming On Whitney Tilson

When Whitney Tilson starts talking about, or quotes someone in regards to creaming, one should give him as wide a berth as possible. God knows what Whitney truly is talking about. Anyway as you can see Whitney leaves one laughing in his latest email. Oh, I know Whitney didn't write this piece, except the introduction, but I am still attributing it to him cause I know how much it turned him on. After reading this and commenting, I thinking Whitney is not only admitting there is creaming, but condones it as well.

1) Below is a very powerful email from a friend about how the NYC public school system (and, I’m sure, pretty much every public school system) really works, the political difficulty of changing it, and why high-quality charters (whether creaming or not) are an important option for low-income families:

Creaming? How so Whitney? I for one was taken aback and was perplexed at what you meant until I put it in the proper context. So this is done in Scarsdale? In Poughkeepsie? In Dobbs Ferry?Amenia? Please explain. Why not put the money and let's create high quality public schools?

Every great DOE school is selective -- whether by test score or by Realtor, if you know what I mean.

No, I don't know what you mean? Is the Century 21 lady at fault?

Look at the map of Manhattan District 2, one of the best public school systems in America. It could only have been drawn to intentionally ensure that white kids on Upper East Side, Chelsea, and Greenwich Village wouldn't have to bump shoulders with black and Hispanic kids.

It was? I am assuming that the map of District 2 was written in 1969. Chelsea at the time was a few steps above shit hole. In fact I worked in Chelsea in the early 80's. The neighborhood was respectable, yet gritty. Not a lot of people with bucks there. It started to change in the early to mid 90's. In fact, I was down in the Meat Packing District last year and was shocked at the transformation.

You see anonymous writer and Whitney toy, District 2 is diverse. Chinatown and Little Italy also inhabit the district as do Hell's Kitchen and the projects. Let's not throw all our eggs in one basket.

Try renting a 2 bedroom apartment in that district for less than $3,000.

Now, I don't know if you can. But I know that under Bloomberg and his destruction of neighborhoods for the regular people prices have risen.

Does District 2 cream? Hell yes! Kids there have benefited from a double-whammy (which was designed to benefit white kids, but now is increasingly filled by Asian students): they attend a middle school where you have to ace the 4th grade tests to be allowed in. They also get the best teachers in the city because who wouldn't want to teach the richest public school families in America?

White kids? Asian kids? What about kids with chicken pox? In my opinion, I don't think it is your skin color that determines whether or not you succeed in your school, but a myriad of factors. Stability of the home, the parenting, the value placed on education, socio-economics, eating dinner together every night, diet, vocabulary used at home. It is an endless list. But can you please show facts to back up the middle school where one must ace the 4th grade test and the best teachers gravitate to District 2?

Schools filled with rich kids, when the system is rigged in their favor (the education level of their parents, the reality that rich kid schools are able to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for teacher aides and books and such at fancy fundraisers, etc.), equals selective schools.

But what about all these hedge fund managers who have all this money and can, yet won't lift a finger for public schools but do for charters? Can't they help us?

Then we give them the best teachers and we allow their test scores to mask the city's low aggregate scores. We create gifted and talented programs for them and give them a much stronger curriculum and higher expectations. We watch their parents spend a small fortune on afterschool tutoring and organized activities for their kids.

See the last two responses.

The NYC 'system' is rigged in favor of rich kids. (Joel Klein has tried to unrig it, but the political force is too strong.)

ROTFLMFAO!! Yeah, keep believing Klein is trying to help the the disadvantaged and I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell. If anything, Klein is attempting to rid the system of as much low economic and academic kids as possible to make the DOE safe for all the white boys and girls. The charters are his way of doing it.

If you believe in the power of school choice, you HAVE to believe that choosers are somehow different than non-choosers. So parents who assert themselves and CHOOSE great schools for their kids are inherently different than parents who don't.

But we're talking about a public school system in NYC that already operates this way and favors students of means.

Why shouldn't we try to level the playing field of all this creaming by allowing low-income families these same opportunities?

Why should we stop charter schools if they provide a chance for low-income folks to be "creamed" if it means their kids will have better doors opened to them?

This was all very convoluted but the point I am getting is it is OK to cream if they cream. But does District 8 cream, District 7? Maybe District 10 does. I think they do.

I think Whitney got some cream last night in the men's restroom at JFK.

It's funny Whitney, you, and your anonymous friend really come off as ignorant, bigoted and stupid. Statements are made without any factual validity. You both are in love with what you think is your own minds. But yet your won't put your money where your mouth is. However, I think Whitney has put his mouth where his money is.

Whitney Tilson Opens His Mouth Wide

I admit it. I have a thing for Whitney Tilson. He is just so dreamy. He is so rad. He is, just so full of himself, such a schmuck.

I look forward to each and every email he sends out like a kid on Christmas morning, or like the dude in a rest area bathroom stall hoping and praying that the signal is coming from Whitney. I suggest to anyone to sign up for Whitney's mass emailings ASAP. Just email him at wtilson@t2partnersllc.com and ask to be added to the list. Hours of laughter are to follow.

Whitney's email of April 19 took on Diane Ravitch. I just love the way he opened it up by quoting Diane.

“Maybe this demonstrates that schools alone cannot solve the very deep problems kids bring to school. You cannot assume that schools alone can raise achievement scores without addressing the issues of poverty, of homelessness and shattered families.”

I mean it is true. Schools alone can't do it. It is a partnership between the schools and the parents. In fact, the parents have the kids for the first five years of the child's life so the mold is more or less set. If a child is not nurtured, read to, intellectually stimulated the kid is behind the eight ball heading in. I am in no way condoning this, but it's a fact.

So what if a student had a lamp bulb burned into her forearm, or a few weeks later came in with a shiner and blamed her 18 month old brother (true story, my second year teaching. administration did jack!). Not the teacher's fault if the student watches mommy turn tricks for some rock. Not the teacher's fault if every time he or she opens their mouth they are told to shut the f**k up. Guess what Whitney? The kids who do best in my school are the ones with the parents there constantly. It all comes from discipline in the home. That expectations are high and nothing but the best effort is allowed.

And Whitney, it is all about class size. Yeah Whitney, size does matter. Except in your case. My second year teaching I had 24 students in my class. We had a nasty snowstorm one day and on 13 showed. It was night and day. But you are too in love with your thoughts to see otherwise.

It’s Diane Ravitch, of course, who is doing her best to surpass these other folks in propagating an ideology that screws poor kids. Who has not spent a single day in the private sector.

Have you ever spent a day in the public sector? I have worked in the private sector and I can tell you that if McDonalds managers run their restaurants better than 90% of the principals out there.

This really explains everything regarding her ignorance of and hostility toward basic principles of management and organization that our schools systems so desperately need.

Whitney, we are talking about schools, about children. This is like comparing you to human beings. Two totally different things. But we see now what is happening at Goldman Sachs with people who have management and organization experience.

Is it possible that such an esteemed “scholar” as Ravitch has never visited a high-performing inner-city school and seen with her own eyes that what she’s saying is demonstrably false

Have you ever visited an inner city public school? Seriously, have you?

(as I have, at well over 100 different schools all over the country)?

Wow. I have freaking goosebumps. Whitney, you are the neatest, coolest man(?) in the entire wide world of sports. How can I become you?

To be sure, many disadvantaged kids do indeed have “very deep problems”, but that simply means they need the best teachers and best schools to overcome the fact that they enter school with two strikes against them.

They do already. Again Whitney, describe the best teacher. Teachers bust their rear ends. But sorry to say kids go home at night. Why not blame the principals of these schools. Surely according to your management axiom, it all flows from the top, don't it?

When they get such teachers and schools – which, sadly, is extremely rare, as we have an immoral and despicable system in this country that systematically gives the neediest children the worst teachers and schools – we know with 100% certainty that these children can achieve at high levels and close – and even reverse – the achievement gap.

I don't care what Anna Phillips says about my response to this, but here goes. Up your nose with a rubber hose you insolent snot filled elitist.

Ravitch needs to get out of her ivory tower and hop in a cab and in 30 minutes she could be at any number of schools that would disprove her foolish beliefs.

Why don't you leave your ivory tower on 5th Ave, hop into your waiting limo and come visit not only the schools, but the neighborhoods? Come to the Melrose Houses where you can sleep on the floor to avoid the bullets, or not leave home because the elevators are out and too afraid to take the stairs. Come see the urine drenched hallways. See what happens if you are wearing the wrong colors. Come see the dog feces strewn about, the garbage just thrown wherever. Come walk through the projects at 1 AM. Come walk down Brook Ave at night alone. Come see what it is like.

But that’s not going to happen – not with Randi as her best buddy, when she’s so publicly committed to a certain viewpoint, and not at her age (I don’t think it’s controversial to say that the older people get, the less open they tend to be to contrary viewpoints and giving up deeply held beliefs).

The foot keeps going into your mouth doesn't it?

Whitney, I am a great believer in what goes around comes around. Your fall from grace will be legendary.

Little Evan And Princess Sydney Are Rats

Wow, outing of Princess Sydney Morris and Little Evan Stone continue. This usually happens to rats. A rat is sneaky, agile, but in the long run a rat will always be exposed and caught.

The crack team here at SBSB got an email last night from a teacher at PS 86 further exposing the two rats. SBSB has been assured by our source that this is not just a one shot deal. That there will be more emails exposing Princess Sydney Morris and Little Evan Stone for the rats they are.

Thank you, Thank you , Thank you!

As a faculty member at PS 86 who is quickly loosing patience with Ms Morris and Mr Stone, I applaud you for speaking out. Our staff is very upset about this situation. Several of us have called the UFT and they don't seem to care unless you give up your name. Our chapter leader McLean seems oblivious to the situation. On the Educators 4 Excellence website, they even posted a picture of our union representative Ronnie Sutton as their poster child. Their deceitfulness knows no boundaries. It is creating a lot of strife and animosity within our ranks. I hate what they have done and I pray that our union gets involved and helps to shut them done.

Ms Morris has been with her present 3rd grader since the second grade. Her first two years she was a disaster. She could not control them and needed and received a lot of help from mentors and staff developers. This year she has improved slightly. However, I don't appreciate the way she belittles her class at times.

Mr Stone will shortly be leaving on another class trip . Destination: Japan. You'll recall that he took his last trip to the Grand Canyon with the 6th graders.

Stay tuned. I will give you updates only if you dont use my name. I have to work there:(

A few questions pop up. Who is financing this trip to Japan? Who is supervising Little Evan Stone on this trip? Is it school sanctioned?

Wonder what would have happened to Princess Sydney Morris if all those veteran teachers weren't there?

A rat is a rat is a rat.

Princess Sydney Morris And Little Evan Stone Are Exposed

I got the neatest email today. My pal Norm emailed me a comment made on Gotham Schools. Remember the one in which aggregator Anna Phillips attempted journalism and gushed over Little Evan Stone and Princess Sydney Morris? In the comments section, scroll all the way down to a reply from "very concerned" which is timestamped April 22, 2010, 1:11 PM (EDT). The truth is out there about Little Evan and Princess Sydney. It seems that a qualified reporter would have done some legwork before accepting whatever form of payment from Little Evan and Princess Sydney's PR firm.

What I find ironic too is that Whitney "My Parents Gave Me a Girls Name" Tilson in his April 9 mass maniacal email was so emphatic over these two, one would swear he was typing one handed. Chances are while looking at a photo of Little Evan as well.

Be sure to read the 61 (so far) posts on the message board. Based on the Hostile-React-O-Meter (the crackpots and nitwits are out in full force), E4E is REALLY onto something!

So who are the nitwits and crackpots? E4E is really onto something Whitney? Time to put your money where your mouth is. Ewww. God knows what has been in Whitney's mouth.

My comments will be in red. Trying something different today.

If you don’t have an interest in Evan and Sydney’s personal life, then let’s take a look at their professional life. Not to justify the personal attacks, but most posters are on the outside looking in. The faculty at their school has a different view and opinion of Sydney and Evan because they are inside actually interacting with them on a daily basis. The whole organization seems hypocritical to most (not all) members of the staff and this is why….Evan and Sydney are calling for a revamp of teacher evaluation and merit-based pay while they are not even exemplar teachers. Shocking! What a surprise! Surely they are legends in their own mind. Evan has little to no classroom or behavior management skills It would be wonderful to hear more examples of this. But why I am shocked is that on E4E website Little Evan seems to be doing something right. He has a photograph of his students and him at the Grand Canyon. Wait, is it allowable to have photographs of students on the Internet without permission? And just what was a MAN doing with boys in the wilderness? which lead to very little effective teaching and learning. Little Evan, you can't be their pal. His tests scores, which are also publicly displayed in the school, are not good either.This would be so, so cool to see. It is very apparent to his colleagues what his capabilities in the classroom are (and I guess if you can’t take the heat you must get out of the kitchen). "Run away!" "Run away!" "Run away!" "Run away!" With the new legislation that Evan supports, he surely would be laid off first or not making very much money with the ‘merit based pay’. Instant Karma is going to get you Little Evan, gonna look you right in the face.Sydney is a good teacher but nothing exemplar and surely does not stand out among the rest of the faculty. So she is average? According to Whitney Tilson she should be removed.
Now, knowing them and their classroom practices this all seems very hypocritical and unauthentic to most of the staff. And to those with heartbeats. Everyone knows they have taken the LSATs, Have they taken their content area exams? The ATS-W? The video? Remember the interviews? That would have been so neat to see them go through it. everyone knows they weren’t going to stay in the profession. What is the percentage of TFA's that do? It was just a matter of time before they left to do something else. But now, they are walking a fine line with this new organization and pushing for something that is directly going to affect the jobs and lives of teachers (which Evan and Sydney will no longer be). They don't care. They are all about themselves. It is very easy for people at their schoo to see that their intentions are not genuine. Evan and Sydney need a starting point to their political careers and they picked educational reform and an extremely sensitive, controversial issue. I think it was picked for them perhaps? Or they came in with an agenda. So yes, people are angry and insulted becasue it feels like a slap in the face to the dedicated hard working teachers. When I started teaching I was told to keep my mouth shut for three years. Evan and Sydney may think they are doing it for the good of the students but really what they are doing is stirring a dangerous pot that could adversely have a negative affect on a ton of good qualified experienced teachers. I hope they see that. They don't, they can't, they won't, they mustn't! And I agree, they are in way over their heads.

What I find most disturbing is to see Little Evan Stone as an elitist. This is somewhat personal because as a fellow Jew that not too long ago Little Evan Stone the Jew would never have been allowed near New Haven. Little Evan Stone should perhaps the older members of his family how they fought for what is right, joined unions, looked out for one another. But Little Evan won't take his gilded foot out of his mouth.

Clean Underwear

So much to comment on today.My favorite EDiot Thomas W Carroll has another factless filled guest column in today's Post. Whitney Houston, oops, I meant Tilson sent out another of his ADD emails. Reichsfuhrer Klein whined about ATR's. But tonight I need, I must, I have to comment on a comment left here (7th comment down). It was just too cute to pass up. However, I am not listening to my mother's advice. Always wear clean underwear, and never argue with crazy people. I am about to ignore part of the advice.

So this anonymous dude laments that I was hiding behind baseball and having kids. Gee, sorry. I mean what am I to do? I was wiped. I mean it happens. That's life. Too bad. Deal with it. But this is not what annoys me the most. This is:

WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU to criticize these education experts who have more knowledge than you'll ever have?

What education experts are you talking about? Education Expert Little Evan Stone? Education Expert Princess Sydney Morris? Education Expert Whitney Tilson? Education Expert Doug Lemov? Education Expert Thomas W Carroll? Education Expert Arne Duncan? Education Expert Joel Klein? Education Expert Michael Bloomberg? One thing I have noticed about all the "Education Experts" is that very, very few of them have actually done any teaching.

what just because you've been in the classroom means you can dictate policy?

No, but I can critique it and part out the flaws and fallacies of these ideas. If I want to help on how to prepare gefilte fish, and potato kugel for a Passover Seder do I go to a goyem at the local yacht club, or do I find a mah-jong game and ask a eight-six year old Jewish grandma?

can you tell a surgeon how to do his job?
can you tell an architect how to do his job?

Nope, and nope.

if not, why the fuck do you think you're SO DAMN smart about education policy.

I am not. But I know more than you. But really. It is a thing called common sense. I do not need to see the sun rise in the morning to know that it has risen in the east.

You never EVER have the big picture in mind and only think about what goes on in that insular classroom of yours in the bronx.

Nope, always ten steps ahead. Action has reaction. Cause has effect.

Thank goodness you're not 'leading' shit cause people recognized that you're pretty blind

Hmmmm. I started wearing glasses when I was 15. I am near sighted. But as I got older, my vision got worse. In fact I developed an astigmatism in both eyes so without glasses or contacts I can't see more than ten feet. But the last couple of years I have noticed the need for reading glasses. Or a longer arm. Can't read jack anymore. Unless I lift my glasses up and hold it close to my face, or with no corrective lenses. So yes, you got one right. I am pretty blind.

Ok? I don't feel like playing anymore. I am going home.

Princess Sydney Morris Blessses Us All With Her Knowledge

Princess Sydney Morris is at it again. She is a big girl of 24 and thinks she knows it all. She is such gosh diddly darn smart for her age. She is poster child why one should stay clear of JAPS.

For those that need a reminder, we here at SBSB dissected the greatness in their own minds of Whitney Tilson's Arischen Jugend Princess Sydney and Little Evan Stone a few weeks ago.

Today in the New York Post Princess Sydney shared her thoughts. Praise be the lord. How is it that a second, or third year teacher is able to get the connections to have an op-ed in the Post? In fact who financially backs educators4excellence, the Arischen Jugend's website? I wonder if it is someone who spends way too much time cruising the interstate highway system looking for appropriate rest stops?


So let's have a looksee at Princess Sydney's writing. I can assure those that it will be a wee bit harsher than what Queens Teacher wrote today.

The proposed $1.4 billion cut in the state education budget could mean 8,500 teachers would be laid off and taken out of their classrooms in New York City, punishing 1.1 million students.

Why not kvetch about all the wasteful spending done by Tweed over the years of Klein's autocracy? The vastly overpaid consultants? The no bid contracts? The closing of school after school which surely costs money? What about the monster Klein created with the ATR's? The money can be saved. Oh I forgot. What about Klein's SUV with the flashing lights? There is money to be saved at Tweed. They should start saving it.

As a third grade teacher at a Bronx public school, those numbers terrify me. How will this impact the academic futures of the 31 students in my class?

Oh boo hoo. Guess what Princess Sydney? If you get laid off, and I truly hope you don't, your students lives will go on. But you have 31 students in your 3rd grade class? That seems over the class size limit. So, you are either lying with that number, or a fool. You are a fool because you should have filed a class size grievance a long time ago. But, you have no tenure. So you feel intimidated. Bet you can't wait for that tenure to kick in?

However, a new bill in the Legislature would change the law to give schools the power to take into account factors besides seniority, such as a teacher's performance, when making layoff decisions. The bill was introduced by Sen Ruben Diaz and Assemblyman Jonathan Bing -- who represent two of the districts that would be hardest hit by teacher layoffs.

Do you know a publicity stunt when you see one? Do you know that Sen Ruben Diaz is one of the biggest sleazebags in the New York State Senate? That State Sen. George Onorato pulled out of co-sponsoring the bill because of constitutional issues (more on that at the end of this post)? That layoffs are done in license areas? Probably the first to go will be all the music and art teachers. Oh and librarians as well. Come one Princess Sydney, get your facts straight.

An ever-growing and largely undisputed body of research indicates that the single most important factor impacting student achievement is teacher quality.

I call BULLOCKS! Prove it. Cite facts. You are just parroting Whitney Tilson. It is all about the home. Maybe when you reproduce you will understand it. Oh and class size.

Seniority-based layoffs punish our students by taking good teachers out of the classroom.

So every teacher that is new, or last in is good? Prove that.


The perfect evaluation system doesn't exist yet,

It doesn't. It can't exist. Education is so subjective, there are countless variables that can affect a student's outcome.

but we do have access to measures of teacher performance that are far better than seniority: teacher ratings, classroom management, teacher attendance, specific licensure, peer or principal review, value-added student data.

Ok teacher ratings? So if you get an S you stay right? How do you measure classroom management? Attendance? Care to elaborate? Peer review? Who are the peers? Principal review? That is done every day. And you know what you can do with your student data.

Furthermore, teachers themselves overwhelmingly reject the concept of seniority-based layoffs.

Sez who? You have empirical evidence to support this? Are is this what you are told at your Hitler-Jugend rally on Friday nights?

A recent study by The New Teacher Project found that more than 70 percent of teachers believe that factors other than length of service should be considered in layoff decisions.

Yes, keep on quoting that bastion of objectivity. You are so freaking funny Princess Sydney.


But those losses are all the more reason why we need our best teachers left standing in front of our kids.

Translation: "I am the best, my daddy always told me that I am the best. You hear that? ME! I am the best!"


So back to what I promised. As I mentioned, State Sen. George Onorato mentioned that there might be constitutional issues. Princess Sydney, ever hear of the Contract Clause of the United States Constitution? Accountable Talk turned me onto it. Article I, section 10, states:

No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.

What's that Princess Sydney? You say you don't believe in the contract clause? What about the sanity clause? You and Little Evan really need to shut your mouths and open your ears.

Whitney Tilson's Reefer Madness

I had a really crappy day today. Not good at work, not good at baseball practice. It was long as well. Didn't get home until 8 30, didn't eat until 9. But something cheered me up.

I checked my email and there it was. The writings from the demented mind Whitney Tilson. As Sean Hannity gives me a good laugh when I need it on my way home, so does Whitney give me one when I am annoyed.

But there are so many musings of Whitney's writings to choose from? Where do I begin? Or end? I have an idea. It is of course nameless, and in now way can the authenticity be verified, but let's give it the old college rest room try, shall we Whitney?

Whitney blabbers; "Wow, this is a powerful story by a student trapped at one of NYC’s many chronically failing schools – in particular, one of the schools Joel Klein is trying to shut down for persistent educational malpractice. As you read this poor girl’s story, ask yourself who the teachers union was looking out for when the sued (so far successfully) to keep this disgrace open:"

Yes powerful. More powerful than a locomotive. But the high school in question, Paul Robeson, received a C last year. We all know the meaningless of the letter grades for schools, and besides a C is not failing. Also, Paul Robeson was rated as proficient last year as well. So nerts to you Whitney.

So what did this student write to Whitney?

If I could burn down this school and get away with it, I would. I despise it.

I got accepted to Louis Brandeis HS in Manhattan, but my mom said, "That's too far away. You can't go that far." She said, "Go to Paul Robeson." We live across the street, and it was her high school, too. It was bad when she went here, and it's still bad.

There are cameras everywhere. They think you're going to be afraid of the cameras. I'm not sure they even work, or if they check them.

Kids smoke weed in the halls and stairwells. The boys have a motto: "I don't go to high school. I go to school high." I asked one guy what he wanted to be when he grew older. He said, "A drug dealer." Most of the girls are pregnant or have babies. There's a free day-care center here with about 20 babies.

The boys pressure you. A lot of girls will do anything and everything in the staircase -- 90 percent of the time it's giving the boys oral sex. My friend saw a girl sitting on a boy; her shirt was off. It was gross. One time we walked up the back staircase and found two used condoms on a step. No guards or teachers walk up that way.

There's lots of fighting. My God, do they fight. One guy got hit so hard he started bleeding and had a seizure in the cafeteria. There was a tag fight, where one person gets pulled out and their friend jumps in. A security guard trying to break it up was pushed down the stairs.

…I want this school to close so bad. I don't want to be stuck here.

Before I share the analysis of this "letter" from the crack research team here at SBSB, I want to applaud the "writer" for using every teenage cliche in the book. Bravo!! Whitney, can you vouch for the authenticity?

So the "writer" wishes to burn down the school? When hasn't a teenager felt this way? Not just about a school, but about anything? This is called teenage angst Whitney. Surely there are some interstate rest areas you have had bad experiences at that you wish to torch?

The "writer" claims that she was accepted at Brandeis High School, but the mother wanting her to stay nearby at Robeson. This seems strange. A mother not wanting the best for her daughter? Whitney you have said it is not the parents who are to blame. It is the teachers that are most responsible for a student's success. Is this not a contradiction of your theory? Why are you not admonishing the mother for her actions? I mean from Albany Ave in Brooklyn to Brandeis is 45 minutes on the A train. No biggie.

Cameras everywhere? You mean no cameras at Science, or Stuyvesant, or Brooklyn Tech? Does Brandeis have cameras? Bergstrom has cameras.

What cracked us up the most here at the research facility at SBSB was the cliched references to marijuana. Gee, a high school where students get high? What I would find shocking is a high school where not one student ever got stoned. I went to class stoned once in 9th grade. BFD!!! We also fell over one another at the "school high" gag. Think that one has been around since 1945. And the drug dealer bit, yeah that was creative. I wanted to be Major Nelson when I got older. Teens, when will they ever learn.

When I was in high school, there was this couple that would make out everyday at one of the back exits. I mean whenever I walked into or out of school, they were there doing here thing. And guess what Whitney? You might not now this, but adolescent boys have one thing on their minds. And it ain't hedge funds. But, it is sort of like a hedge, if you catch my drift. Wink, wink, nod, nod. Well, you wouldn't know about that would you? I am sure you have seen worse in your travels amongst the rest areas of the interstate highway system.

Fight happens Whitney. I elbowed my health teacher my senior year (by accident) when he was attempting to pull me off someone's face.

You cliched this all thing up Whitney. You could write better fiction. Just a question Whitney, how did you fit in in high school? How many wedgies a day did you receive?

Measure This With Your Data!

Tonight we discuss an exercise from a recent professional development. A question was asked to the teachers, "what do we want our students to be able to be and able to do by the time they leave the school at the end of fifth grade?"

Simple enough question. But without simple answers. I mean the responses were simple, but in the light of ÜberLehrer Sydney Morris, Evan Stone, and the sycophantic anonymous teacher who left a comment earlier tonight, I felt I had get this off my chest.

So to those wonderful third year teachers, Whitney (Why Did My Parents Give Me a Girl's Name) Tilson, Thomas W Carroll, Joel Klein, Mike Bloomberg, Eli Broad, and all of the rest of the EDiots here are the responses. But, please think how these answers will fit into a bar graph or spread sheet. So what do we want from our fifth graders by the end of June?

• Develop higher order thinking skills
• Ability to expand their world view
• Resolve conflicts
• Eating healthy and exercising
• Independent thinking
• Higher self esteem
• Choosing friends carefully
• Strong sense of self
• Importance/Principles of art
• Self advocates
• Role models
• Agents of change
• Dreams
• Goals
• Citizen of community
• Thirst for learning
• Social and global issues
• Learning not rammed down their throats
• Affective issues
• Problem solving
• Writing/reading fluently

So if you really boil it down, out of the twenty one listed, two, yes two have anything to do with academics, and one if you look at problem solving as outside the realm of academics. So what does it mean?

It means that not one teacher said anything about passing the state mandated standardized tests. That the tests, and testing are bullocks. That what teachers truly, really do can not be measured, can not be found on a spread sheet. That we, the PROFESSIONALS see more of what our students should and can be and we fight for that each and every day.

But it is all about to go flushing down the proverbial toilet.We are turning our students into non-entities with all this testing, teaching to the test, pressure to do well on a test garbage. And don't think this will trickle down, to the teachers. Go ahead EDiots, tie tenure, salaries, merit pay to scores and you will have teachers who only see students as some file number that is standing in the way of a job or extra pay. When that starts happening you will have teachers that will cheat, teachers that not work cooperatively with one another, and teachers that won't care about anyone other than themselves.

Teaching is more, so much more about test scores. This is especially true in the South Bronx and I am sure other parts of the city. Yet the EDiots don't see this. There answers, their solutions are a quick fix on what is happening, an easy answer that sounds good in ten second bites.

Yet not one of these EDiots has ever actually spent time in a classroom, except the great Dougie Lemov (but he doesn't count for he was in private school). Why won't these EDiots ever answer a question about their "teaching" background? Because there is none and if they answer they never taught then the emperor will be butt naked and the whole world will laugh at was has been revealed. HA! HA!

Evan Stone And Sydney Morris Are The Neatest Teachers Ever!

I remember when I was a little kid of about four years old I once put on my dad's suit and his shoes, carried his briefcase around and I thought that I knew it all. I felt like a grown up. But I wasn't. I was just four years old. I was playing the part of a grown up much the way Sydney Morris and Evan Stone of PS 86 in the Bronx are. Gotham Schools decided, objectively of course, to profile them today.

Sydney and Evan who have a total of five years total in the system think they know what is best. The started a website and Facebook page, Educators 4 Excellence which is nice. But, what do these two neophytes know about education? Or the system? Or reality?

Educators 4 Excellence is also generating enthusiasm from more established advocates such as Democrats for Education Reform founder and board member Whitney Tilson.

This should have been the first warning sign to Gotham Schools. Anything that is endorsed, other than stalls in interstate highway rest areas, should be a warning of some kind. Whitney=Bad. Unfortunately these two have fallen into Whitney's cult and must be deprogrammed immediately.

One of their first battles will be against the state’s “last-in, first-out” law, which forces the city to lay off newer teachers in advance of their more experienced colleagues.

Wait, so the new, less experienced, novice, immature teachers should be kept in place of more experienced teachers? That makes sense. Hey Evan, booby, let's pretend you stay teaching 20 years. You are now 45 years old, you have 2.7 kids and a wife with an insatiable appetite for TJMAXX. I will also give you the benefit of the doubt that you are a darn good teacher. Layoffs come, and you are sent packing because you earn way to much, compared to 2030's version of Evan Stone. What would you do? How would you react? But no need to worry Evan. You will soon enough satisfy your white liberal guilt of instructing little boys and girls of color and soon be on your way to making the most out of that Yale degree.

they want Educators 4 Excellence to become an independent think tank for teachers who want to overhaul how they’re evaluated and what’s done with that information. Part of that includes supporting merit pay and using students’ test scores as a factor in teacher evaluations.

How do we base merit pay Syd Syd and Little Evan? How does the phys ed. teacher receive such pay? The art teacher? The music teacher? Heck, the classroom teacher. How do we make test scores subjective enough to truly evaluate a teacher? What happens to a teacher when the night before a standardized test a few students are sexually assaulted by a family member, a few are physically abused by a family member, a few kids left home alone and watch TV until midnight. I mean I can go on and on about the endless possibilities of negative outside influences that can affect students test scores.

Stone and Morris, both of whom entered the classroom by way of Teach for America,

Anyone surprised they are from TFA?

Aside from getting a once-a-year rating of satisfactory or unsatisfactory, they didn’t know how well they were doing or how to improve, and they began to talk about leaving their school.

They must be classic kiss ups like Dwight Schrute and worse RATS. Please leave. You are at one of the best schools in district 10, you have a old time principal. Be grateful.

Why are we thinking about leaving this job that we’re both pretty good at and is really rewarding for us?” said Stone. “We want to be pushed, we wanted to be evaluated, and we wanted someone to come into our classroom and tell us how to be better.”

You need someone else to push you, to challenge you? You need someone to tell you how to be better? You can't self reflect? You seem like a mindless drone Little Matt. Want PD? There ain't none, at least not the way it used to be. Gee whiz, stop your bellyaching and get with the program. Would you kvetch like this if you were in the Marines?

“We’re not anti-union,” Stone said. “We’re big fans of the benefits that teachers get and we like the pensions and collective bargaining, but we also need to look out for the prestige of the profession.”

Bullocks, you are anti-union. Hey Little Evan, if you are ever accused of something let's see how fast you go running to your CL. And the prestige of the profession has been hammered into the ground by Bloomberg, Klein, and your Goddess, Whitney Tilson.

Open Letter To Anna Phillips

I had a brush with greatness yesterday. As reported by Norm over at Ednotes, I met the Anna Phillips of Gotham Schools fame when I stopped over at David Pakter's hearing. The goosebumps on my arm stood an inch high.

As Norm reported, Anna finds this blog obscene. And sarcastic. And snarky. She said that I can't have any credibility as a journalist as long as I am this way. But I am not a journalist. I am a blogger. Big difference. Besides, isn't Maureen Dowd extremely sarcastic and snarky? But that is besides the point. Anna claims this blog, and myself since I am the author, is obscene. But what is obscene?

Obscene is defined as;

1 : disgusting to the senses : repulsive

I nor this blog is repulsive.

2 a : abhorrent to morality or virtue; specifically : designed to incite to lust or depravity

My morals and ethics are on the right side. I am not inciting lust. I might be somewhat depraved. But not to the legal definition.

b : containing or being language regarded as taboo in polite usage

Ok, this I can agree with. Yes the word masturbation has been used. There have been comments regarding ho ho's, hoo ha's and ding dongs. There have been inferences to the exploits of certain EDiots. But, if they were not EDiots would their exploits be inferred? Oh Anna finds comparing the Rubber Rooms to Gitmo obscene or even Tweed as a bastion of neo-Nazis obscene. I guess Anna never cared for Mel Brooks.

c : repulsive by reason of crass disregard of moral or ethical principles power>

Not me. But let's hold that thought.

d : so excessive as to be offensive

Mmmm. Let's hold off on that as well.

For argument's sake let's combine defintion C and D. But first, a little aside.

I am sarcastic. I am snarky. I am not obscene. I will accept crass, blue, tacky, tasteless, but not obscene. Is Imus obscene? No. But like Imus, and even Howard Stern, sometimes one has to shock to see the abhorrent and hypocritical behavior in others. It's all satire. Too a point. But which brings me to a much much bigger obscenity. Care to guess Anna?

Which brings us to the definitions C and D.

The big obscenity is what Michael Bloomberg and Joel Klein have been allowed to perpetuate on teachers in the last 8 years. Want to know how obscene it is to see a teacher with an unblemished record for 25 years all of the sudden told that he or she is now rated unsatisfactory by a 29 year old, snot nosed, pimple faced, never been in education before, principal?

The big obscenity is Eva Moskowitz and her $350k salary and her emails back and forth with Joel Klein.

The big obscenity is what the BS of the "children first" mantra from Tweed.

The big obscenity is the hedge fund managers involved in education.

The big obscenity is Whitney Tilson, Thomas W Carroll.

The big obscenity is Mychael WIllon, Kristine Mustillio, and Little Philip Oliveri.

The big obscenity is tying teacher's evaluation to subjective test scores.

The big obscenity is the Florida House voting to do away with teacher due process.

The big obscenity is how Tweed turns away from principal misconduct time and time again.

The big obscenity is the curriculum. Everyday Mathematics, The Workshop Model.

The big obscenity is the disrespect and disregard teachers get everyday.

The big obscenity is what the DOE is doing to David Pakter.

I can go on and on and on. If anyone wants to add something I am leaving out feel free. Call me tacky, tasteless, crass, but Anna don't ever call me obscene. I am proud of what this blog has accomplished. It has affected change. And it is on side that is right. This blog does not straddle the fence, nor does it just aggregate.

Thomas W Carroll Appearing In New FOX Reality Show?

SBSB has just learned that submissions of applications for Race To The Top will take a reality show format. Yes, you read that right. Borrowing a mostly from The Bachelor and a bit from Rock of Love. The show will be entitled, "The Secretary" in which Arne Duncan will choose one lucky state, represented by someone of the choosing of each state's choosing competes against 49 (excluding Tennessee and Delaware) for the heart of Arne Duncan.

As in The Bachelor each contestant will spend time on a "date" with Arne Duncan, trying to wow him into releasing money for that contestant's state. Those who stay on are given a red rose to keep and to cherish. Borrowing from Rock of Love, each contestant will degrade themselves privately to the lowest possible denominator to better their chance of getting the red rose and ultimately winning the RTtT money.

Representing New York State will be RTtT expert and charter school advocate and big shot, Thomas W Carroll. In fact we here at SBSB got a special preview, albeit in transcript form. Unfortunately the transcripts have been edited to leave out the naughty bits and words. This was not a decision made by FOX, but none without authorization by transcriber Irma Rabinowitz, 88, of Boca Raton FL. So without further ado, a sneak peak of FOX's The Secretary.

The scene: Thomas W Carroll and Arne Duncan are walking alone on a beach on Chesapeake Bay. They are holding hands.

Carroll: I feel like the luckiest guy in the world tonight. Just you and me on this moonlit beach, each with champagne floozies. Arne: I know how you feel. Carroll: I feel a special oneness with you Arne, a oneness that can't be explained. It's a onenesss I want to share with the world. Arne: SoonThomas, soon. One day the world want look down their noses at the special bonf we are forming. Caroll (resting his head on Arne's shoulder): I so look forward to that day. By the way Arne, have you looked at New York State's application for RTtT? Arne: Yes I have Thomas. But you know there is more that must be done. Tomorrow night you are in the degradation round, alone with me. I hope you have given it some thought. Carroll: I have, I have.

After this, the transcript has the "confessional" part of the show in which each talk candidly to the camera.

Arne Duncan: I am having a tough time with Thomas. Yes he shows me a great deal of affection on the beach, but is he really willing to go all out in the degradation round? If he wows me I don't see any reason why he wouldn't get a red rose. Carroll: Words can't describe what I felt for Arne walking alone with him on that beach. I know he has the same feelings for me that I do, but wait until the degradation round. I am bringing Bosco, a leaf blower, motor oil, and an menorah. No one, and certainly not that bitch from New Jersey can out degrade themselves more than I can myself!

The degradation round is a round in which the applicant is left alone in Arne Duncan's office for 10 minutes. The lower you sink in the quest for money, the better the chances of getting the red rose and ultimately winning the second round of RTtT. Cameras are not allowed in for the degradation round.

Degradation round confessional:

Arne Duncan(sitting at his desk in bathrobe): I was quite impressed. The way Thomas used the Bosco! Never have I seen it used that way before. The menorah and the leaf blower added quite a twist, but neither would have worked without the motor oil. I am glad Thomas chose a 5 weight oil. Thomas is getting a red rose for sure!!!
Thomas W Carroll(on floor covered in Bosco and motor oil, only wearing his Hanes briefs): Editors note: Indistinguishable, making garbling noises, tounge hanging out of his mouth. Smiles when told he is getting a red rose.

The EDiot Thomas W Carroll

Thomas W Carroll is at it again. Imparting what he thinks is knowledge upon all he looks down his gilded nose at. Today, the world was blessed with yet more of his know nothingness in the New York Post. Let's have a looksee inside the convoluted mind of Tommy.

To get it together to win the funds on offer in Round 2, lawmakers will have to stop buying the teachers-union line.

Please explain the teacher union line. You know what Tommy, I have funny feeling that your daddy was a union member and that you were able to attain whatever stature you think you have or deserve due to your daddy being in a union.

the unions were wrong when they told legislators that they could make a minor tweak here or there, without raising the charter-school cap or addressing New York's "data firewall," which prevents schools from using student data in evaluating teachers.

No, the unions are not wrong. The unions are right. Do you really understand anything about how skewed tests can be? There are too many outside influences with a student to ever accurately gauge their knowledge using a test. The whole entire child is what we need to look at. Not what he or she can do on a test. When I took my state teaching tests I was anxious, imagine what a 9 year old must be going through.

But Tommy remember my analogy about you and Mrs Carroll? You should really give it some thought.

Their mistaken advice cost the state of New York $700 million.

And the $200K for office furniture had nothing to do with it right? In fact I am of the mind that the fix was in from he beginning. This blog should also be required reading.

So what is it Tommy that you think Albany needs to do?

1) Bring the charter cap way up -- from the current limit of 200 schools to 460 schools or more. And, again, those "poison pills" are deal-killers -- they'd cost us points in the competition. No "regional caps" on charter enrollment, and no limits on locating charters in city Department of Education space.

Why don't we just put the same resources that the charters are getting into the public schools? And why, please why, do charters did the benefactor of the DOE? If as you and your ilk say that schools should be run as if they were a business, then by golly they should be treated as if they are a business and find a place for their business on their own. I want to open a deli to compete against a entrenched neighborhood deli, should the government help me?

2) Address the one fair point critics raised: New York charters need to address better special education and English-language-learner populations. But the answer here is to let charters give such students preference in admission lotteries -- not to impose quotas, as the unions proposed.

Where have unions asked to impose quotas? To the best of my knowledge they are asking for resources in charters for students with special needs and to have a representative percentage that same as public schools.

To make this practical, charters must also be allowed to to contract with local Boards of Cooperative Educational Services and to set up cooperative arrangements among charter schools to educate difficult-to-serve students.

This is called passing the buck.

3) End that "data firewall": This expires at the end of June, anyway -- but we need it gone by June 1, the deadline for Round 2 applications.

See what I have written above.

4) Strengthen and pass the Regents proposal for requiring all teacher evaluations to consider student data in the future.

Again, see above.

5) ) Give the Regents direct authority to close bad schools and to replace dysfunctional school boards.

You just contradict yourself. You go from SUNY Board of Trustees should make decisions now to the Regents. Make up your mind. Should they also have ability to close profit minded charter organizations that steer special needs students away? ***COUGH*** Brighter Choice ***COUGH***

There are a few other issues, too technical to discuss here, but the above is the core of it.

Translation: There are a few other issues, but I am smarter than everyone else, so why waste my time on peons?

This is what I want to know Tommy, and all the readers of SBSB. Have you ever taught? What are your educational qualifications?