Those Who Can Teach, Those Who Can't Become Ruben Brosbe

It was announced to no one's surprise last week that E4E Blog Monkey™ Ruben Brosbe is leaving the NYC DOE effective immediately. What came to everyone's surprise and mostly chagrin is that somehow Ruben has been accepted to the Harvard Graduate School of Education in which Zippy will pursue a degree in education policy and management. I guess Harvard is truly lowering its standards if Ruben is being admitted.

I can go in and point out the fallacies, lies, and deceit that Ruben propagated in his Gotham piece, but I shant for now. Perhaps later on in the week I shall. But there are several things that are on my mind.

Last week on Twitter I tweeted how wonderful it must be to have mummsy and dada pay the $61K tuition for Harvard. Soon after that I notice that Ruben is soon following me on Twitter. I also was curious as to why Ruben blocks his tweets, account info, and why he must approve all followers.

I am intrigued, perplexed, yet mildly curious. Why would this creature, this abomination of education wish to follow moi? My left eyebrow was raised just like Mr Spock.

I soon found out on Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 11:11AM EDT. Checking my email I saw to my great surprise an email from none other that the Blog Monkey™. It thus read;

from    Ruben Brosbe rubenbrosbe@XXXXX.com
to    South Bronx School
date    Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 11:11 AM
mailed-by    gmail.com
signed-by    gmail.com
    Important mainly because of the people in the conversation.
hide details Aug 11 (5 days ago)
Tried to DM you this, but I couldn't:
I followed you just so I could tweet you the info about the Urban
Scholars scholarship that's allowing me go to Harvard, rather than the
exorbitant wealth of my parents that you imagine. I keep my tweets
protected because I use twitter mainly as an extension of my social
network (ie friends) rather than for my blogging, so I don't want
parents/kids following me, although I may go public soon. Haven't
decided. Anyway, best of luck to you! Enjoy the rest of your summer.

--
Ruben Brosbe
http://www.donorschoose.org/mr.brosbe
rubenbrosbe@XXXXX.com
(917) 123-4567

 Apparently, I was incorrect. Mummsy and dada did not pay for his Harvard education, but rather Ruben was awarded a Urban Scholar's Scholarship. I say bravo!! And I also say, "What you talkin' about Willis?" An Urban Scholar's Scholarship? How do I get one of those? And just hat are the qualifications? I have already read the qualifications and application for HGSE, and I must opine that for Ruben to have been admitted, someone was paid off. Much the way C. Montgomery Burns paid off Yale for his son, Larry to attend.

So what are the qualifications for an Urban Scholar's Scholarship, other than Ruben's father donating a new airport for Harvard?

Urban Scholars enroll in one of the 13 Ed.M. concentrations at HGSE. They receive an award package covering full HGSE tuition and health insurance fees during the fellowship year. In addition to completing the standard master's curriculum, Urban Scholars also participate in a dynamic interdisciplinary program designed to facilitate the development of a life-long network of professional colleagues who share a common passion for improving urban schools. Candidates are awarded on the basis of academic excellence and a demonstrated commitment to a career working in urban school systems. In particular, they are chosen from the top 10% of the applicant pool and they will have three years or more of direct work experience in urban schools (or significant volunteer work in a comparable setting). The application deadline is January 3, 2011 and is part of the 2011-2012 HGSE Admissions Application.

Amazing. Simply amazing and appalling.

I mean something is wrong with this picture. Here we have a failed teacher who was denied tenure twice! A person, that has had life handed to him on a silver platter. A person that went to an elite college, led an elite life, went into an elite program to teach, thought that he was the great white savior for boys and girls of color. Couldn't for the life of him understand the culture, of both his community her taught in and of education and according to him planned to teach for only two years. And he gets rewarded?

Meanwhile, a teacher of brown skin works attends a CUNY school, works full time on the side, gets married, has several children, gets a job as a teacher because that teacher loves education and children, gets not one, but two masters at CUNY, whilst working and raising kids, and is a master teacher in their school. This teacher is looked upon by families, students, faculty as someone they wish to emulate and does this teacher get a Urban Scholarship to Harvard? NO!!!!!!!!!!!

Something is terribly wrong in a system in which Ruben Brosbe can thrive from failure and teachers can't thrive because they are successful.

Remember the old saying? Those who can teach, and those who can't teach PE? They new saying is, "those who can teach, those who can't set policy."