The Delusions Within Campbell Brown's Mind

Everyone's favorite ed deformer, Campbell Brown is back in the Daily News today sharing her thoughts on the op-ed pages. This time she is attempting a new tact, claiming she is not attacking teachers at all but rather tenure. Yeah, sure. Let's have a looksee.

Campbell blabbers; The tenacious New York parents who are challenging the state in court have one goal in mind: ensuring that all of our public school children have good teachers.

No, not true. This is about two things. Control and publicity. Campbell has seen one too many Hilary Swank movies, and NYC Parents Union and their leader Mona Davids flies in which ever direction the wind blows. Throw enough money at Mona and she will drop the suit like a hot potato.

As for Mona's Minion, Sam Pirozzolo, if he was so interested in the plight of children why then, as a commenter in this blog post wrote of Sam; 

Wasn't it in 2007 that Sam joined the CEC? What did he do in those seven years to help get incompetent teachers out of schools. (People who work in schools know that thousands without the required skills leave each year.)

I understand that Sam was at the forefront of the DOE mob trying to lynch Francisco Portelos, but the issue there was never competence. We should look at Sam's record on the CEC to determine if tenure or teacher competence was ever an issue, or if this lawsuit is just another stunt to keep his political hopes alive.

 As for Campbell saying that public school children should have good teachers, one wonders what became of her and hers that used to claim that all children deserve great teachers? See, Campbell and her ilk can't make up their minds.

They know that research confirms the single greatest in-school factor in a child’s academic success is a good teacher.

Now we're into the greatest factor "in-house" is just a good teacher? Seems to us here at SBSB that not too long ago Campbell and her ilk were once claiming that the greatest influence in a child's education is a great teacher. What gives? 

So when opponents claim this lawsuit is an attack on teachers and their rights, that argument is more than disingenuous.

No, it is not disingenuous. It's true. Like the calls for divestment in Israel is an afront to Jews and Israeli's, to the far right attacking all Muslims, Campbell and her ilk are attacking teachers. Yet, Campbell and Mona, we are sure, will claim that the recent recent Hobby Lobby Supreme Court decision and Rush Limbaugh's birth control spiels are an attack on all women, right (Just for the record, none of us here at SBSB support the Supreme Court decision nor Rush Limbaugh's comments)?

Under New York law, schools must decide after just three years whether teachers are granted tenure — a supreme level of job protection that can amount to permanent employment.

Three years is an eternity. In fact, cops and firefighters in NYC are off probation after 18 months. And please stop saying permanent employment. There is no such thing. I have spoken with friend who work for NYPD, FDNY, DSNY, and it is just as difficult to terminate one of them.

State law makes it nearly impossible to dismiss teachers who have been identified as ineffective.

The system works if there is true incompetence. The system is abused by administrators who lie and cheat. Is it not up to the employer to make sure there is a paper trail. Yet, we are still awaiting Campbell to explain what is ineffective. In fact in a tweet to me the other day, a deformer said that one of the qualities of an ineffective teacher is a teacher that "leaves when the school day ends." Really?

And in times of layoffs, the teachers who get priority to keep their jobs are those with seniority, regardless of how well they teach.

Same with cops, firefighters, sanitation workers, parks employees, etc... Sorry but the is the fairest method. It makes sure there is no favoritism or politics. 

Put together, those three provisions hurt our ability to ensure that every child in the state has an effective teacher. Yes, there are other important steps to improve strong teacher quality and equity, including better starting salaries and higher pay for teachers in the most in-demand fields.

So, throwing money at teachers and all will be fine? What about respect, ending the harassment, smaller class size, materials, a real curriculum? Why isn't Campbell asking and advocating for these? 

But what has driven parents into action is a system of laws that knowingly undermines success.

A few parents. Parents that are part of a cult of personality and parents that are manipulated. 

So let us dispense with the absurd: Seeking good teachers for all does not mean you are somehow going after teachers. It means you are working to end laws that are not in the interests of children.

Tenure does protect children. It gives teachers the ability to advocate and speak out for what is right for the children.

Has Campbell bothered to read Arthur Goldstein's Daily News column the other day? Or what about in 2008-2009 when I kept reporting to OSI that the AP at PS 154, Derrick Townsend was physically abusing students? OSI did nothing, I wrote about the absurdities going on at the time. Or when I went on FOX5 to report the abuses? I never would have been able to do what I did, nor what Arthur does and countless like him, if there was not tenure.

In fact, some of those who feel strongest about removing incompetent teachers are other teachers themselves.

Who? Which teachers? Educators 4 Excellence?

The lawsuit is not intended to erode any teacher’s right to due process. And it will not.

Oh yes it is.

For starters, all teachers, with or without tenure, have a baseline of due process rights.

Yes, we will agree to that to a point. The problem is, teaching is an art, teachers are artisans. What one might see as ineffective teaching, another might see as good teaching.

One student, or one parent might think that Mr X is the best teacher ever while another student and parent might think Mr X is horrible.

I love Jackson Pollack. My wife, an artist detests his work. Who is right?

...the goal here is only to make sure that system actually makes sense, without undercutting our kids’ constitutional rights.

But going after a teacher's Constitutional rights, that's OK? See, Campbell wants teachers that are accused of sexual and physical abuse to NOT be afforded any Constitutional rights. Even if they are found not guilty, or penalized without being terminated, she wants the "verdict" to be overturned by the chancellor. How then is that due process?

One more thing. Maybe I am missing something, and if I am wrong will admit it, but where in the New York State Constitution does it give any credence to what Mona, Sam, and Campbell or attempting to do?

The nation’s top school official, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, has summed it up well: Tenure itself is not the issue.

Whew! Arne is mentioned, then this must be a good idea!

Job protections for effective teachers are vital to keep teachers from being fired for random or political reasons.

Where? Does Campbell mean this, which RiShawn Biddle was so good to share with me.

@SoBronxSchool @HowardMaffucci @NYCParentsUnion @SPirozzolo @hamletgarcia17 Here we go. http://t.co/Zd3UD74gCk #edreform
— RiShawn Biddle (@dropoutnation) July 19, 2014

What RiShawn and Campbell fail to realize, as well as Minion Sam Pirozollo and his handler Moan Davids fail to realize is who exactly is and is not covered by the above. Read on; 

The disciplinary procedures described below are those set forth in statute. The contracts negotiated between State employee unions and the Governor's Office of Employee Relations have substituted "Contract Disciplinary Procedures" for these provisions. Thus, the following information applies mainly to Managerial/ Confidential employees and persons not in a negotiating unit or subject to the Taylor Law. 

 

How can so many people just be so clueless and so in love with their thoughts inside their heads?  

 

The parents behind the New York case are fighting for effective teachers. No one should undermine them by misrepresenting their motivations.

No, the parents of New York are being used as pawns by Campbell Brown, Sam Pirozzolo, and Mona Davids. Hey, it's a triumvirate. A triumvirate is a group of 3, like...Robbie, Chip, and Ernie? Nope. Athos, Porthos and Aramis? No. Patty, Maxene, and Laverne? Nope, not them. Ah, Moe, Larry, and Curly.
Campbell Brown, Mona Davids, and Sam Pirozzolo are undermining the parents of New York State. They, and only them, are using parents and students by giving them false promises, false hope, and it is them that are creating the problem. Veraga is such a weak case that is almost a certainty to be overturned. 

 

Just remember where Mona got her bread buttered. Remember that Sam Pirozzolo did nothing, absolutely nothing to improve District 31 or advocate for students at MS 31. And not only does Campbell Brown have this innate fantasy of teaching is, but she has stayed silent as thousands of children in Iraq have been maimed and killed due to decisions her husband, Dan Senor, was involved in. If she is so for the kids, where was she for the children of Iraq?